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Any DAC better than the MF A324 Upsampler?

Hi,
I own a Musical Fidelity Upsampling DAC, I bought it a while ago to replace a EAD 7000 III It's a pretty good unit though I always thought it was something of a sideways step compared with the EAD.
So, can anyone recommend a DAC in the $1500 (used) range that would knock the spots off the A324.
Or....would anyone suggest that there is little or nothing to be gained without going to a much higher priced unit?

Your thoughts please.

Thanks
128x128rooze
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
I suspect in your price range you are just fine where you sit. This is not a bad place to be, so enjoy!
redkiwi
1,092 posts
 
I would try and get hold of a Northstar Model 192. The A3 24 is a bit flat and dull unless the one I heard was a bad 'un. I thought the Northstar was far more musical, but I cannot guarantee you will agree. One nice feature is that at a later date you can get a DVD Audio player and have a MSB Network card added (USD600) at some point and that will give you a low jitter I2S interface for the Northstar to decode the DVD Audio stream at full resolution.
sidssp
1,077 posts
 
If you don’t need to decode 24bit signal, I would recommend a used Theta Gen Va. I know it has been out for a few years. But IMHO it is still one of the most musical DAC around. I have seen it listed here for as low as $1,200. I don’t know how one can do better at this price, used or new.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
The Electrocompaniet ECD-1. About $1250 used. It holds back a little in high-frequency dynamics, but otherwise perfect. This can be fixed with mods BTW.
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