Best Dac you ever heard

This post is more an observation than offering a best DAC.
Tom all I'll say to that is in the world of digital, its usually too soon and never too late. That is as soon as you purchase one DAC, better parts and technology comes out with something greater and sometimes even cheaper rendering your choice obsolete. It can keep the poor old Emperor naked indeed :).

I haven't compared too many so I really don't have the frame of reference to say what is best in my system which includes Berning ZH270 OTL, CAT SL-1 pre and Merlin VSM-M speakers and my true reference, an Oracle, SME and Benz.

I really like the Bel Canto 1.1 DAC as it is very smooth and musical. I've had it over a year. To my ears it resolves the nuance of music quite well and it doesn't have any edge which is a big plus. I'm sure there are others I may like more but there are too many revolving doors in the ever changing world of digital technology.

I purchased an ART di/o. It may not "smoke" the super DACs stock as some have claimed but at its 131.00 price point from Full Compass it isn't bad, not nearly as good as the Bel-Canto. For the cost of mods it is indeed worth exploring further which I intend to do. Brian Cheney used this modded DAC to win best sound at the last CES.

I 'third' the EVS Millennium DAC I (or II). I currently have the one, and it easily smokes the Adcom GDA-600 I had before. I also auditioned the MSB Link III at home. If you don't mind owning a small production, hand-built, super-tweaked piece of audio equipment, buy a used one and audition it in your system.

My first impressions about the DAC I are. Clear and palpable bass. String bass, bass guitar, bass drum, timpani, baritone sax, etc. And the textures, ooh. If this is highend digital, give me seconds!

I just got my DAC I for only $330/shipped. Best dollar spent this year. (Beats my VansEvers PLC, which was an improvement, but nothing like the EVS). I don't know if I could bear listening to the DAC II considering as good as the DAC I is. Anyone have a DAC II in a modest system? In the back of my mind, I can't help but wonder if I should 'upgrade. to the II.

I'm using a Levinson #360 with a 37 transport. It is
superb. I previously owned a Wadia 2000 which was
itself quite excellent but the 360 is a step up. Is
has air, excellent soundstaging and imaging, bass
definition and impact and a clean, nonfatiguing high end.
I'm sure the 360S is even better.

As a dealer for Audio Aero, I will convey one customer's findings. He is a user here and if anyone would care to contact him directly, I will be happy to email you his information.

I had been telling Steve of my experiences with the Capitole vs. my dCS gear. He kept blowing me off when I told him I had a player that would be significantly better than his Levinson 30.6 & 31.5 reference digital system. Finally, I peaked his interest enough where he decided he would do a comparison between the products.

Within a 1/2 hour he was on the phone asking me how it was possible that the $6900 cd player could be that much better than his $27,000 reference digital setup. He was blown away and immediately put his Levinson gear up for sale. The differences he found were:

1. The Capitole had much better depth of stage

2. The Capitole was even quieter than his Levinson gear

3. The Capitole had greater detail while retaining much more musicality

4. The Capitole placed instruments and vocalists in a clearer, cleaner space.

This has happened countless times with all types of digital gear. I have a customer list which is incredibly long with people that dumped much more expensive equipment for the Capitole. I even have a friend and customer that sold his analog setup and his record collection after hearing the Capitole. He feels the Capitole, while not being as good as analog, was close enough where he no longer found himself playing records. He had a top notch analog setup and has never looked back.

The Audiomeca Mephisto is also in this league of players. I carry both players so my opinion as a dealer should be taken into consideration.

The Linn CD-12 is another top notch player and although I do not sell it, I recommend it as well. Another DAC that I have heard many raves about is the Chord DAC 64.

Good Luck with your decision.

My favorite DAC remains the Audio Logic 2400, which has remained truer to the music than any dCS, Wadia, Levinson, Krell, ARC or other piece I've heard, both in my system and elsewhere. A very open, "alive" sounding DAC with excellent soundstaging and tonal qualities (I use a Forsell transport). May not have that hyper-detail like some other DACs, but it's more to my liking and is the only DAC I've heard that I can listen to in the same session as vinyl and not feel a big let-down. I have a feeling the Audio Aero would also be to my liking, from the descriptions I've heard.