Good dac to reproduce soprano vocals?

Hfl, why not simply rotate a few of the contenders in your pricerange through your system and hear for yourself. This would certainly include Steve's overdrive DAC, but MSB offers in house trial on their new analog DAC, and I'm sure there are others. In my experience, the range of opinions is so broad you really have to hear electronics in your own system to make an informed decision.

I personally either get stuff on trial, or even better, scout audiogon for a very good deal on a used piece that can be resold without loss if you don't like it. For the latest greatest digital the latter approach does not work, but if you want to try something like the perfectwave MKII or even a BADA II this is a viable approach.

Edorr,thanks. I generally try to use your approach for a lot of components. What's interesting to me about this thread, so far, is that no one has replied with any first hand experience from listening to opera. I guess that means I'm a very small audience for this stuff, and that the empirical approach may well be the way to go. No pun intended, Steve.

Hfl, while not necessarily opera, I'm pretty sure female vocals in the high register are part of the vast majority of DAC evaluations. I personally always play some Rachell Ferrell (Jazz), who has a six octave range.

For what it is worth, the top of the line MBS stuff can handle what you are looking very well, but the pricetag may be prohibitive. I'm not sure how close their "budget" analog DAC comes to this level of performance.

Hf - the only show I'm exhibiting at this year is Newport Beach May31. No time for any more.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Hfl, I listen to opera and gave my opinion. Try NOS ladder DACs. It may be what you're after.