Best DACs comparison test result [[My Subjective Opinion]]

Esotar

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Mar 27, 2016
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I have many Best DACs.



Here is the list :


Trinity Designs [Trinity DAC]

TotalDAC [d1-Six]

Aqua Acoustic Quality [Formula xHD]

LampizatOr [Golden Atlantic]

MSB Technology [Analog DAC]

Aqua Acoustic Quality [La Scala MK II Optologic]

PS Audio [DirectStream]

Denafrips [Terminator]

Holo Audio [Spring Lv. 3 KTE]

Schiit Audio [Yggdrasil]

Mytek [Brooklyn]


And I borrowed Super DACs :

MSB Technology [Select DAC II Full Option]

Chord [Dave]

Myek [Manhattan II]



I had A-B test about 2 months.

And I make Best DAC Quality Ranking list.

This ranking is just my subjective thinking.

The formats that is used in comparison test is all 16bit / 44.1KHz, not DSD



The Result :

1st : Select DAC II Full Option - 100%

2nd : Trinity DAC - 90%

3rd : Formula xHD - 77%

4th : d1-Six - 75%

5th : La Scala MK II Optologic - 70%

6th : Terminator - 69%

7th : Golden Atlantic - 65%

8th : Dave - 61%

9th : Analog DAC - 60%

10th : Manhattan II - 56%

10th : DirectStream - 53%

11th : Spring Lv. 3 KTE - 51%

12th : Yggdrasil - 47%

13th : Brooklyn - 31%



This result is just [[[my subjective thinking]]]



Best no.1 DAC (cost no objective) : Select DAC II Full Option


Best cost-effective no.1 DAC : Terminator

P1000069.JPG

dacs.jpg

analog.JPG

dave.JPG
 
Last edited:

Pb Blimp

Well-Known Member
Oct 30, 2017
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WOW.


Quite a project. Can you elaborate a bit on what you value in dac performance.
 

Esotar

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Mar 27, 2016
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WOW.


Quite a project. Can you elaborate a bit on what you value in dac performance.


My result figures is never exact.

Please read it for fun~!

^^
 

Blue58

Well-Known Member
Jan 20, 2013
890
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London, UK
My result figures is never exact.

Please read it for fun~!

^^

We await Phase 2 where all DACs are assessed using upsampled data via your Lumin U1 to establish ranking and the preferred format through each.

Just for fun :)
 

Esotar

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Mar 27, 2016
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We await Phase 2 where all DACs are assessed using upsampled data via your Lumin U1 to establish ranking and the preferred format through each.

Just for fun :)

No, Lumin U1 is my second source component.

My main source component is audio PC.

(Neutron Star Clock + 100% Custom Inner Cables (7N Silver Gold / Silver Copper) + Synergistic Research Mini Grounding Box X 3 +

Atlantis USB eartha + Apollo USB Eartha + Mainboard Insulation Mat attached + 100% Magnesium PC Case +

Full Linear Power Supply + Jcat USB Card (Neutron Star) + J River + JPLAY + Audiophile Optimaizer + Process Lasso +

HI FI Stay Hard Point Trinia + HI FI Stay Dharma + etc.)
 

bibo01

Member
Nov 26, 2013
201
1
16
My result figures is never exact.

Please read it for fun~!

^^

Hi Esotar,

As I already kindly asked you on CA, if you care to do a recording through your Line-IN (as I explained on CA), I can do a proper objective test for you between the DACs' outputs and the original music, then I will publish the results for everybody.
 

Hifi Boy

New Member
Sep 16, 2017
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Have you thought about hooking up a Blu2 to Dave?

Should be even better. First time I tried Blu2 I didn't really notice any difference, but I'm assuming there must have been some issues in the chain. Last time I tried the Dave + Blu2 combo, the difference was stunning to say the least. The soundstage just exploded. :D

It was at a show, which as thou know is not the best place to evaluate gear, but switching upsampling rates clearly made a difference. There was so much more going on in the background.
 

Esotar

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Mar 27, 2016
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Have you thought about hooking up a Blu2 to Dave?

Should be even better. First time I tried Blu2 I didn't really notice any difference, but I'm assuming there must have been some issues in the chain. Last time I tried the Dave + Blu2 combo, the difference was stunning to say the least. The soundstage just exploded. :D

It was at a show, which as thou know is not the best place to evaluate gear, but switching upsampling rates clearly made a difference. There was so much more going on in the background.

I don't have Blu 2.

But that test proceeded under perfectly same condition.

DAVE is much less than other multibit ladder DACs.

And its price is too expensive.

I think choosing DAVE is not reasonable.

Just my thoght
 

Hifi Boy

New Member
Sep 16, 2017
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I don't have Blu 2.

But that test proceeded under perfectly same condition.

DAVE is much less than other multibit ladder DACs.

And its price is too expensive.

I think choosing DAVE is not reasonable.

Just my thoght
Dave is probably going to be my next purchase. By far the best I've tried. To me, what it does best is the naturalness of sound. Unfortunately, I haven't tried others at all so I can't compare.

I don't know what you're looking for in the sound but in any case, thanks for posting this, it's an incredible experiment that you just performed. :)
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
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Using a Chord Blu2 with DAVE is 1+1=3 !
You will be surprised.
However, dual bnc digital cables connection is a must.
This is most probably the cdt+dac combo that has the best c/p ratio in the market.
 
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Hieukm

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Oct 2, 2016
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Using a Chord Blu2 with DAVE is 1+1=3 !
You will be surprised.
However, dual bnc digital cables connection is a must.
This is most probably the cdt+dac combo that has the best c/p ratio in the market.

I have Chord Dave and Blu2 too. They are excellent pairing. How r they comparing to the MSB Select 2 and Trinity?
 

Hifi Boy

New Member
Sep 16, 2017
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Using a Chord Blu2 with DAVE is 1+1=3 !
You will be surprised.
However, dual bnc digital cables connection is a must.
This is most probably the cdt+dac combo that has the best c/p ratio in the market.
Yeah, and I had a pair of pretty bad headphones while I was trying it out, yet the soundstage was noticeably larger when I switched to 705KHz, which was on dual BNC.

But just for a correction, I did get to hear Brooklyn and Manhattan II. Manhattan was quite cold I believe, while Brooklyn was warmer. That was some time ago so don't hold me for my word.
 

Empirical Audio

Industry Expert
Oct 12, 2017
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Many of these were already in a shootout on Audiogon with the same requirements - has to sound stellar on 16/44.1 tracks:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/absolute-top-tier-dac-for-standard-res-redbook-cd

86 pages of posts, so it's a really long read.

To shorten things, the remaining contenders are:

Primary system - Light Harmonic Davinci 2

Secondary system - Empirical Audio Overdrive SX


He is planning to audition the LampyBig7 and the Pacific soon. This is on-going.

One thing that is really important is the interface used to audition each DAC. Ethernet will deliver the best results and only a couple of DACs have this interface.

What input interface was used to compare your DAC's?

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
 
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rossb

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May 24, 2017
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I agree that the DAVE plus Blu 2 is spectacular, but not in a "hi fi" sense. I can see that in an A/B comparison, many other DACs sound more impressive than DAVE/Blu2. When I have done the comparison with other DACs I have had at the same time - Ayre QX5-Twenty, EAR Dac 4, exasound e32 - often the immediate impression is that DAVE/Blu 2 is not quite as good - a bit dryer sounding, not quite as smooth, not as airy or three dimensional... And yet, over the longer term, it is deeply satisfying at a musical level in a way that the other DACs are not.

This is the first of the many DACs I have owned which I find as musically satisfying as my turntable. Which is not to say - as almost everyone does of every DAC - that it sounds "analog". It doesn't. It is one of the most obviously digital sounding DACs I have heard. And yet it is profoundly satisfying without resorting to artificial "warmth" or other means to replicate a so-called "analog" sound. Having heard the "bare" DAVE, and then added the Blu 2, I am convinced that what Rob Watts has achieved is a direct resultof the massive processing power these two units bring to bear. No R2R or NOS dac, or dac using a tube output which I have heard has achieved what I believe the DAVE has.

I haven't heard most of the DACs in the OPs list, and it is quite possible that some of those are equally satisfying. But the only way of determining this is long term listening over months, and not short term A/B comparisons. (And, to go slightly off topic, this is another reason I find the pseudo-scientific blind testing proposed by many so-called objectivists to be idiotic for comparing sound quality in hi fi.)
 

CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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I have Chord Dave and Blu2 too. They are excellent pairing. How r they comparing to the MSB Select 2 and Trinity?

There hasn't been any direct comparison of them with Select II, Trinity DAC, CH D1/C1, Totaldac D12 ...etc in Hong Kong yet.

Chord Blu2 + DAVE is an over-achiever for sure, but can they challenge these giants successfully?

If there has been such comparison performed elsewhere, please share the result with us in WBF.

BTW I agree with rossb that a longer period of audition is needed to fully assess any hifi components.
 

Hifi Boy

New Member
Sep 16, 2017
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There hasn't been any direct comparison of them with Select II, Trinity DAC, CH D1/C1, Totaldac D12 ...etc in Hong Kong yet.

Chord Blu2 + DAVE is an over-achiever for sure, but can they challenge these giants successfully?

If there has been such comparison performed elsewhere, please share the result with us in WBF.

BTW I agree with rossb that a longer period of audition is needed to fully assess any hifi components.
Dave by itself did pretty good on this test. By adding Blu2 you are pretty much in the top tier of what was tested, for a lot less money as well.

The only thing that I'd really like to see added here is an Aries Cerat. Astrostar here, said it completely blew away any dac he had before, and mind you, he has the entry level AC model.

So, MSB vs AC, that's what I'm interested in seeing.
 

lordcloud

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Jul 5, 2016
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The only thing that I'd really like to see added here is an Aries Cerat. Astrostar here, said it completely blew away any dac he had before, and mind you, he has the entry level AC model.

So, MSB vs AC, that's what I'm interested in seeing.

That is what I'm very interested in hearing about.
 

sbo6

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May 18, 2014
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Can I ask how you procured all those DACs?
 

Esotar

VIP/Donor
Mar 27, 2016
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Can I ask how you procured all those DACs?

I'm selling reasonable and famous digital products with asking customization to digital brands.

And I'm informing vibration controller brand [HI FI Stay] to the world.

Because I'm dealer, I can buy best DACs by lower prices.

Also I'm no.1 customer of a Korean HI FI distributor.

So I could borrow [Select DAC II Full Option] & others.
 
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