Berkeley Audio DAC Series 2 or Naim DAC. Or?

Echolane · Jun 6, 2018

I’ve been given an opportunity to buy a used Berkeley. It would be used to pass digital music streams to my tube int amp, an Audiomat Prelude Reference MKII. Speakers are Quad ESL-63. I listen primarily to classical music and opera, but will digress to folk, international, country and more. I tend to like “simple” music, music that might feature one or two performers playing piano, or violin, or harp, or guitar, or banjo or singing.

The reviews on the Berkeley are pretty consistently raves. It’s hard to trust reviews completely though so I’ve prowled around on a few forums looking for feedback on the Berkeley and found almost nothing which surprised me. I thought this would be a popular choice for a DAC. I recall finding only two comments, one was a “meh”, the other thought it wasn’t very musical. The Berkeley doesn’t do DSD.

I’m hoping someone here has listened to one. I am under some pressure to choose a couple of DACs to focus on in the next 2-3 weeks.

An alternate I've considered is the Naim DAC. The streamer/server would be the Naim Uniti Core and Naim has a reputation for being musical. The Core stores up to DSD128 and the DAC processes it. Has anyone listened to it?

I’m not a confident listener; I don’t trust my ears to be able to make the best choice. Would much appreciate feedback.

Drikus · Jun 6, 2018

I've had a Naim DAC with the optional XPS DR power supply until recently in a secondary system but got rid of both after a while because of the loud hum coming from the power supply. When I contacted Naim about this they told me that the hum was due to the high quality transformers they use and that they could get rid of the hum but that would have an impact on the sound quality so they left it like that. The Naim DAC has got top PRAT but the hum from the power supply ruined it for me. Search for transformer hum on the Naim UK forum if you want more info on this.

Echolane · Jun 6, 2018

Is your humming DAC an older one? I read a review from 2010 which spoke of a Naim DAC of around £2000 with two power supply options (that incidentally added considerably to the cost). https://www.whathifi.com/naim/dac/review

The DAC described on Naim’s website now is priced just under $4300 and doesn’t speak of optional power supplies. So I’m wondering (hoping) the one on their website is a different DAC. https://www.naimaudio.com/product/dac

Al M. · Jun 6, 2018

Echolane said:
I’ve been given an opportunity to buy a used Berkeley. It would be used to pass digital music streams to my tube int amp, an Audiomat Prelude Reference MKII. Speakers are Quad ESL-63. I listen primarily to classical music and opera, but will digress to folk, international, country and more. I tend to like “simple” music, music that might feature one or two performers playing piano, or violin, or harp, or guitar, or banjo or singing.

The reviews on the Berkeley are pretty consistently raves. It’s hard to trust reviews completely though so I’ve prowled around on a few forums looking for feedback on the Berkeley and found almost nothing which surprised me. I thought this would be a popular choice for a DAC. I recall finding only two comments, one was a “meh”, the other thought it wasn’t very musical. The Berkeley doesn’t do DSD.

I’m hoping someone here has listened to one. I am under some pressure to choose a couple of DACs to focus on in the next 2-3 weeks.

An alternate I've considered is the Naim DAC. The streamer/server would be the Naim Uniti Core and Naim has a reputation for being musical. The Core stores up to DSD128 and the DAC processes it. Has anyone listened to it?

I’m not a confident listener; I don’t trust my ears to be able to make the best choice. Would much appreciate feedback.

Schiit Yggdrasil DAC, hands down.

Costs new ($ 2,399) not much more than a used Berkeley Alpha 2 DAC. I switched from the Berkeley to the Yggdrasil. Superior resolution, among the best that I have yet heard from digital (I haven't heard the top MSB DACs though, for example). In my view more natural tone than the Berkeley (I also listen to classical a lot, so that is important to me), much better bass, and even better rhythm than the Berkeley which is already excellent in this area.

From my own comparisons I can confirm that the Yggdrasil is as stunningly good as Robert Harley's review claims it to be:

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/schiit-audio-yggdrasil-dac/

(My only disagreement with the review is a single sentence: "I also heard a bit more sibilance than I do with my reference DACs", which I just don't hear.)

I have the version 1 DAC that also Robert Harley reviewed, the current version 2 is reported to be even better. I do not consider Harley's claim to be an overstatement: "The Yggy is not just a tremendous value in today’s DACs, it’s one of the greatest bargains in the history of high-end audio."

The Yggdrasil doesn't do DSD either, but since you were contemplating the Berkeley this does not seem to be a major issue for you.

caesar · Jun 6, 2018

If there is hum with naim, maybe you can alternatively try teddy pardo power supplies. He builds excellent power supplies for naim.

caesar · Jun 6, 2018

Before I say anything else, here's a warning:

we are talking about tastes and preferences, so they may not always match. Thus, it's dangerous to seek opinions on Internet forums. But it's a better option to trust passionate strangers than trusting filthy, slimy, disgusting reviewers who hype up their favorite gear...incentives of reviewers do not align with those spending their hard earned money.

With that said, you already have quad and rega. You find naim in a lot of systems with these brands. So naim may be a great fit. Or not.

As for Berkeley ref, I had it in my system, and although it is a reference dac, it's also the most analytical sac I have ever heard. Other than Robert Harley and the computer audiophile, both severely analytical listeners, there are no other reviewers marketing this dac.

Unless you are an analytical listener, listen to that dac on a magico q7, like Robert Harley , and its so awful, one can hang himself from the chandelier. Ymmv

Another great dac at that price point to audition is chord Dave, but again, ymmv

Good luck!

Al M. · Jun 6, 2018

caesar said:
Before I say anything else, here's a warning:

we are talking about tastes and preferences, so they may not always match. Thus, it's dangerous to seek opinions on Internet forums. But it's a better option to trust passionate strangers than trusting filthy, slimy, disgusting reviewers who hype up their favorite gear...incentives of reviewers do not align with those spending their hard earned money.

Well, I've spent my heard earned money on my DAC. As for tastes and preferences, you have a point. But there is little risk with the Yggdrasil DAC: while unfortunately it takes a full month to burn in and show its full potential, after 15 days 24/7 burn-in you will know if you like it or not (after 5 days there is a chance you won't), and if you don't, you can still return it by then for a 5 % restocking fee, a small price to pay for such a lengthy home audition ($ 119.95, to be precise).

As for your comments about the Berkeley Reference DAC, I'll let them be for what they are. Tastes and preferences and such

Suffice to say there are people who disagree with you.

microstrip · Jun 6, 2018

Echolane said:
I’ve been given an opportunity to buy a used Berkeley. It would be used to pass digital music streams to my tube int amp, an Audiomat Prelude Reference MKII. Speakers are Quad ESL-63. I listen primarily to classical music and opera, but will digress to folk, international, country and more. I tend to like “simple” music, music that might feature one or two performers playing piano, or violin, or harp, or guitar, or banjo or singing.
(...)

As far as I could see your amplfier is a 30W EL34 push pull amplifier. Quad ESL63 sound great with EL34's but IMHO you need a full bodied and musical DAC to compensate for the reduced power - I have used ESL63's for long time, but mostly with tubes having more than 100W.

Although reviews are just reviews I would not risk going in DACs that are typically considered as "analytical" with your system, particularly as you will be mainly steaming digital music. If you need USB streaming I would consider an Alpha Berkeley USB / AES/EBU converter and an used DAC with AES/EBU - IMHO the best way to avoid sterile streaming without going in high expense. I am thinking for example on the Electrocompaniet excellent DAC, extremely musical, or the Audio Research tubed DAC3.

We do not know how you prefer your music, perhaps some more details on your preference other than type of music would be welcome.

BTW, I have owned several Theta DACs many years ago - unless Neil Sinclair sound preferences changed a lot, I would avoid anything designed by him with ESL63 - IMHO they were a mismatch with electrostatics.

Echolane · Jun 7, 2018

caesar said:
Before I say anything else, here's a warning:

we are talking about tastes and preferences, so they may not always match. Thus, it's dangerous to seek opinions on Internet forums. But it's a better option to trust passionate strangers than trusting filthy, slimy, disgusting reviewers who hype up their favorite gear...incentives of reviewers do not align with those spending their hard earned money.

With that said, you already have quad and rega. You find naim in a lot of systems with these brands. So naim may be a great fit. Or not.

As for Berkeley ref, I had it in my system, and although it is a reference dac, it's also the most analytical sac I have ever heard. Other than Robert Harley and the computer audiophile, both severely analytical listeners, there are no other reviewers marketing this dac.

Unless you are an analytical listener, listen to that dac on a magico q7, like Robert Harley , and its so awful, one can hang himself from the chandelier. Ymmv

Another great dac at that price point to audition is chord Dave, but again, ymmv

Good luck!

I appreciate the warning, particularly on reviews. It’s become more and more difficult to read between the lines and try to decipher the truth. I do put much more trust in feedback from forums, while recognizing that tastes can be all over the place. Forums are a much better source than reviews!

You’ve already told me something very pertinent. How analytical the Berkeley DAC is. Analytical is about the absolute last word I’d use to describe my musical listening tastes. I am extremely relieved to report that as of this evening the Berkeley has been sold to someone else. Good.

I do have Quad and Rega and Audio Note in my living room stereo, all English components. I’ve been told Naim is a good fit; maybe so, though that it’s also English is purely coincidental. Regardless, it’s on me to choose the DAC. Maybe I should choose an English one hahaha...

With the Berkeley gone and unless I misread the reviews on the Yggdrasil, which I thought might be classed as analytical too, I need to turn up something else.

Echolane · Jun 7, 2018

Al M. said:
Schiit Yggdrasil DAC, hands down.

Costs new ($ 2,399) not much more than a used Berkeley Alpha 2 DAC. I switched from the Berkeley to the Yggdrasil. Superior resolution, among the best that I have yet heard from digital (I haven't heard the top MSB DACs though, for example). In my view more natural tone than the Berkeley (I also listen to classical a lot, so that is important to me), much better bass, and even better rhythm than the Berkeley which is already excellent in this area.

From my own comparisons I can confirm that the Yggdrasil is as stunningly good as Robert Harley's review claims it to be:

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/schiit-audio-yggdrasil-dac/

(My only disagreement with the review is a single sentence: "I also heard a bit more sibilance than I do with my reference DACs", which I just don't hear.)

I have the version 1 DAC that also Robert Harley reviewed, the current version 2 is reported to be even better. I do not consider Harley's claim to be an overstatement: "The Yggy is not just a tremendous value in today’s DACs, it’s one of the greatest bargains in the history of high-end audio."

The Yggdrasil doesn't do DSD either, but since you were contemplating the Berkeley this does not seem to be a major issue for you.

As of this evening I was informed the Berkeley DAC has been sold to someone else. So I became even more interested in your recommendation for the Yggdrasil. Aside from the difficulties in evaluating with its long break in period, I was quite taken with the technical description, the company ethic and so on. But I suspected it might be like the Berkeley, that is on the analytical side. Although it’s pretty obvious I’m moving into the digital domain with the addition of the Naim and a DAC, it’s only for health reasons and not because I prefer digital. I have been a committed two channel analog sort of listener, maybe because I grew up playing LPs, and I very much like that warm analog sound. Even in my TV room stereo which is centered around an Arcam SR250, it’s worth pointing out that whenever possible everything is set or connected via analog. I even use a second Audiomat tube amp in the TV room just for listening to musical or opera programming or DVD. I think it’s safe to say I prefer a warm analog sound. So I’ll have to find a way to listen to someone’s Yggdrasil and hope I can tell if it’ll be a fit.

Echolane · Jun 7, 2018

microstrip said:
As far as I could see your amplfier is a 30W EL34 push pull amplifier. Quad ESL63 sound great with EL34's but IMHO you need a full bodied and musical DAC to compensate for the reduced power - I have used ESL63's for long time, but mostly with tubes having more than 100W.

Although reviews are just reviews I would not risk going in DACs that are typically considered as "analytical" with your system, particularly as you will be mainly steaming digital music. If you need USB streaming I would consider an Alpha Berkeley USB / AES/EBU converter and an used DAC with AES/EBU - IMHO the best way to avoid sterile streaming without going in high expense. I am thinking for example on the Electrocompaniet excellent DAC, extremely musical, or the Audio Research tubed DAC3.

We do not know how you prefer your music, perhaps some more details on your preference other than type of music would be welcome.

BTW, I have owned several Theta DACs many years ago - unless Neil Sinclair sound preferences changed a lot, I would avoid anything designed by him with ESL63 - IMHO they were a mismatch with electrostatics.

I envy your experience in understanding what’s a good fit for Quads. I did choose my Quads myself, but I haven’t listened critically to choose new components for years and years. The last time I listened critically was in the mid 80s when I bought a Meridian 508.24 CD Player which I absolutely loved paired with my Quads. On second thought I did critically listen to the Audiomat before choosing it. But I didn’t put it up against anything similar. My only comparison at the time was my old Pioneer SX-1050, a 125 Watt per channel leftover from the early 70s, which I actually thought sounded very very good with my Quads.

It’s true, my present CD Player, a tube hybrid and the Rega Turntable with Audio Note Phono Stage are only a few years old, but I just took the advice of my audio repair guy and bought them without listening critically before hand.

I very much wish I had found a listening buddy for that sort of thing. As a woman, I feel quite lonely as an audiophile; it would have been a good thing if I had befriended someone like minded to do critical listening with. I’m sure I would have explored specialty cables in that case. Or a power conditioner. As for the present, I’ve never bought a stand-alone DAC before, so right now, I feel like a complete novice.

I don’t need USB streaming, at least I don’t expect to. The Audio Research DAC3 sounds wonderful, really right for my musical tastes, but it is dated. I really would like something that can process higher res music, even DSD. That’s in spite of reading different opinions on how good or how bad DSD sounds. I just expect all will eventually get better sounding.

You asked about my preference for music. I like a warm analog sound. I still like listening to LPs. I want to be able to say something sounds very Musical rather than that it sounds Analytical. I listen to a lot of opera and I don’t think there’s anything worse than an operatic soprano in a shrill or edgy system. I especially like a sweet warm clarity in the midrange and above, and I definitely don’t want it’s opposite, edginess or shrillness in the midrange and above. Two of my favorite classical music pieces are Korngold’s Violin Concerto and Butterfly Lovers Violin Concert. You don’t get much more Sweet and Romantic sounding music than those two compositions. I love Gorecki’s powerful Symphony of Sorrowful Songs and Arvo Part’s Alina. I love Beverly Sills and Joan Baez. I love Earl Wild’s Jazz piano, Bela Fleck playing classical Banjo, Patrick Ball playing the Celtic Harp, Carlos Montoya playing flamenco guitar. With Clarity. With Sweetness. With Musicality.

Al M. · Jun 7, 2018

Echolane said:
As of this evening I was informed the Berkeley DAC has been sold to someone else. So I became even more interested in your recommendation for the Yggdrasil. Aside from the difficulties in evaluating with its long break in period, I was quite taken with the technical description, the company ethic and so on. But I suspected it might be like the Berkeley, that is on the analytical side. Although it’s pretty obvious I’m moving into the digital domain with the addition of the Naim and a DAC, it’s only for health reasons and not because I prefer digital. I have been a committed two channel analog sort of listener, maybe because I grew up playing LPs, and I very much like that warm analog sound. Even in my TV room stereo which is centered around an Arcam SR250, it’s worth pointing out that whenever possible everything is set or connected via analog. I even use a second Audiomat tube amp in the TV room just for listening to musical or opera programming or DVD. I think it’s safe to say I prefer a warm analog sound. So I’ll have to find a way to listen to someone’s Yggdrasil and hope I can tell if it’ll be a fit.

Don't worry, Echolane, the Yggdrasil sounds warm in my system. Or it sounds neutral, depending on how you interpret it. It definitely has good, natural body and weight in its sound which also a friend found attractive who bought the Yggdrasil after hearing mine in his system.

I also find a natural tone very important, and cannot stand bad sounding voices. If you want to get an impression of the sound of some string quartets in my system, here is a description from my system thread (post #80, third paragraph from below):

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?25101-My-monitor-subwoofer-system/page8

Just this week another friend who plays analog exclusively at home and prefers a natural sound as well came by, and he found the string quartet recording that I described in my post to have a "rich sound" (his words). He also liked vocals on my system very much (Holly Cole, Rebecca Pidgeon). In other sessions he had commented on the convincing sound of some operatic voices (bass, soprano). If you want "a sweet clarity in the midrange and above" that's what I hear in my system.

As for getting to hear the Yggdrasil, I'd suggest you take advantage of the 15-day return policy with the 5 % restocking fee which is quite low given the initial low price of the DAC.

microstrip · Jun 7, 2018

Echolane said:
I envy your experience in understanding what’s a good fit for Quads. I did choose my Quads myself, but I haven’t listened critically to choose new components for years and years. The last time I listened critically was in the mid 80s when I bought a Meridian 508.24 CD Player which I absolutely loved paired with my Quads. On second thought I did critically listen to the Audiomat before choosing it. But I didn’t put it up against anything similar. My only comparison at the time was my old Pioneer SX-1050, a 125 Watt per channel leftover from the early 70s, which I actually thought sounded very very good with my Quads.

It’s true, my present CD Player, a tube hybrid and the Rega Turntable with Audio Note Phono Stage are only a few years old, but I just took the advice of my audio repair guy and bought them without listening critically before hand.

I very much wish I had found a listening buddy for that sort of thing. As a woman, I feel quite lonely as an audiophile; it would have been a good thing if I had befriended someone like minded to do critical listening with. I’m sure I would have explored specialty cables in that case. Or a power conditioner. As for the present, I’ve never bought a stand-alone DAC before, so right now, I feel like a complete novice.

I don’t need USB streaming, at least I don’t expect to. The Audio Research DAC3 sounds wonderful, really right for my musical tastes, but it is dated. I really would like something that can process higher res music, even DSD. That’s in spite of reading different opinions on how good or how bad DSD sounds. I just expect all will eventually get better sounding.

You asked about my preference for music. I like a warm analog sound. I still like listening to LPs. I want to be able to say something sounds very Musical rather than that it sounds Analytical. I listen to a lot of opera and I don’t think there’s anything worse than an operatic soprano in a shrill or edgy system. I especially like a sweet warm clarity in the midrange and above, and I definitely don’t want it’s opposite, edginess or shrillness in the midrange and above. Two of my favorite classical music pieces are Korngold’s Violin Concerto and Butterfly Lovers Violin Concert. You don’t get much more Sweet and Romantic sounding music than those two compositions. I love Gorecki’s powerful Symphony of Sorrowful Songs and Arvo Part’s Alina. I love Beverly Sills and Joan Baez. I love Earl Wild’s Jazz piano, Bela Fleck playing classical Banjo, Patrick Ball playing the Celtic Harp, Carlos Montoya playing flamenco guitar. With Clarity. With Sweetness. With Musicality.

Curious that you refer to Meridiam 508 - some of the best sound I ever listened from ESL63's was in the following system - Meridiam 508.20 + Audio Research SP8 + Electrocompaniet AW100 + Straightwire Virtuoso cables. It was holographic and 3D, with a sense of movement and spatial resolution inside the very large soundstage and having great string tone. It was so good that I still keep the AW100 20 years after ...

Considering the limited availability of HiRez and DSD we can always consider having a top dated DAC for 16/41 and a cheap iFi DAC or similar for the occasional HiRez.

caesar · Jun 7, 2018

Hi Echolane,
Another thought on digital- and it's very easy to spend another individual's money - is do budget for power conditioning.

One of the reasons that digital acquired a bad reputation is the glare and hash that gets fed back into the line by components. On many recordings the highs are unlistenable.

A product such as torus, silver circle, shunyaya, audio quest, and others will greatly improve the listening experience. You will get a darker background, better musical flow, and your older and worse-recorded CDs will sound better. Some of these products work better or worse in some systems than in others , and no one understands why. But do keep your mind on this product category once you settle on your dac. And experiment with the different brands. No doubt it will be a great improvement to your opera listening.

Dr Tone · Jun 7, 2018

The Yggdrasil Analog 2 will be 95% of the way there after 100 or so hours, well before their 15 day return policy. Mine did sound pretty congested when I first plugged it in, so I gave it 48 hours of continual music playing and then came back to it. At that point I didn't want to go back to my prior DAC.

Al M. · Jun 7, 2018

Echolane, you started out asking about the Berkeley DAC, but it only now has become clear what your preferences may be. If you prefer warmth as first priority, even above sheer performance, I am not completely certain if the Yggdrasil fits the bill -- even though I find it supremely natural sounding in my system (and I would not want more warmth), and it may well work wonderfully in yours as well. However, I can give you one other firm recommendation, the BorderPatrol SE tube DAC. I have heard it at AXPONA 2017 in a tube amp/horn system, and the tone was stunning. Very weighty, full sounding and excellent dynamics. I became a big fan (to my ears, the system was the most involving sound of the show, based on my limited sampling there).

It will probably sound warmer than the Yggdrasil, and it probably will not make too many compromises when it comes to performance. It is also even cheaper than the Yggdrasil.

Here is the assessment of someone who has directly compared the two:

http://www.audioshark.org/computer-digital-audio-11/borderpatrol-dac-se-13801-page5.html

It has gotten great reviews:

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/borderpatrol_dac_se.htm

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2017...usb-digital-to-analogue-converter-se-version/

It also comes with a 14-day return policy.

The only issue that I see, given your preferences, is that it processes higher res files still as 16/44 (it will accept files up to 24/96). Is that a problem? The reviewers don't seem to think so.

Al

asiufy · Jun 7, 2018

Allow me to throw in our choice of "warm sounding DACs", the Aqua La Voce. The new S2 version was just released, with fully discrete DAC modules (no chip):

http://www.aquahifi.com/la_voce.html

cheers,
Alex

Echolane · Jun 7, 2018

microstrip said:
Curious that you refer to Meridiam 508 - some of the best sound I ever listened from ESL63's was in the following system - Meridiam 508.20 + Audio Research SP8 + Electrocompaniet AW100 + Straightwire Virtuoso cables. It was holographic and 3D, with a sense of movement and spatial resolution inside the very large soundstage and having great string tone. It was so good that I still keep the AW100 20 years after ...

Considering the limited availability of HiRez and DSD we can always consider having a top dated DAC for 16/41 and a cheap iFi DAC or similar for the occasional HiRez.

Curious that you should mention the Meridian in the same sentence as “some of the best sound I ever listened from ESL63S! I loved mine. Buying it was an experience I can’t forget either. I first heard it at an ultra high end store and the price tag was orders of magnitude beyond what I had considered. So I went to every Audio store I could find (luckily that was a time when there were many) and listened to alternatives, hoping to like something cheaper. Nothing came close. Of course I had to have it. It sits on my desktop breaking my heart in a way. How do you sent a pricey piece of gear like that to recycle when all it needs is a new transport. I try to take heart in reading that technology has long since passed it by, better is available now, but it hasn’t worked to the point where I can bring myself to recycle it. I keep hoping somebody will make a new transport by way of a 3D printer. Unlikely! Maybe I should save it to be buried with (hahahah).

I like my new Triode TRV-CD5SE. You can flip a toggle to listen with or without tubes, but I can’t honestly say I can hear much of a difference.

Appreciate your suggestions. I may be on the wrong track, denying myself some very suitable DACs, but unless/until I learn differently, I feel wedded to the idea of finding a DAC that does better than Redbook and more. I have a friend who is reveling in higher res listening via Bluesound and Tidal. I’ve signed up with Deezer which also offers a decent catalog of high res music. There are others and I hope and expect this is just the beginning. Why else did the well regarded OPPO quit making DVD players?? My soon to arrive Naim Uniti Core is capable of storing up to DSD128. Can’t figure out why I wouldn’t want to take advantage of that.

Echolane · Jun 7, 2018

caesar said:
Hi Echolane,
Another thought on digital- and it's very easy to spend another individual's money - is do budget for power conditioning.

One of the reasons that digital acquired a bad reputation is the glare and hash that gets fed back into the line by components. On many recordings the highs are unlistenable.

A product such as torus, silver circle, shunyaya, audio quest, and others will greatly improve the listening experience. You will get a darker background, better musical flow, and your older and worse-recorded CDs will sound better. Some of these products work better or worse in some systems than in others , and no one understands why. But do keep your mind on this product category once you settle on your dac. And experiment with the different brands. No doubt it will be a great improvement to your opera listening.

I have been too timid to dip my toes into power conditioning. But that said, I have a friend who has very educated ears and has recently added his first power conditioner and he raves about the difference it’s made. I believe his brand was Isotek. He shops at an Audio store where all their gear is connected to that brand, and they claim it’s for good reason. So I plan to get around to this when I get settled with my new streaming gear. One thing at a time.

Echolane · Jun 7, 2018

Al M. said:
Echolane, you started out asking about the Berkeley DAC, but it only now has become clear what your preferences may be. If you prefer warmth as first priority, even above sheer performance, I am not completely certain if the Yggdrasil fits the bill -- even though I find it supremely natural sounding in my system (and I would not want more warmth), and it may well work wonderfully in yours as well. However, I can give you one other firm recommendation, the BorderPatrol SE tube DAC. I have heard it at AXPONA 2017 in a tube amp/horn system, and the tone was stunning. Very weighty, full sounding and excellent dynamics. I became a big fan (to my ears, the system was the most involving sound of the show, based on my limited sampling there).

It will probably sound warmer than the Yggdrasil, and it probably will not make too many compromises when it comes to performance. It is also even cheaper than the Yggdrasil.

Here is the assessment of someone who has directly compared the two:

http://www.audioshark.org/computer-digital-audio-11/borderpatrol-dac-se-13801-page5.html

It has gotten great reviews:

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/borderpatrol_dac_se.htm

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2017...usb-digital-to-analogue-converter-se-version/

It also comes with a 14-day return policy.

The only issue that I see, given your preferences, is that it processes higher res files still as 16/44 (it will accept files up to 24/96). Is that a problem? The reviewers don't seem to think so.

Al

I have to say you’ve sent me off reading endlessly about Yggdrasil! I can’t help but like what is said about it, but I still have the impression it might be a little too much of a good thing for my taste. I also don’t like that it doesn’t do DSD, but I really think that’s temporary. It remains a candidate. Your other suggestion sounds interesting and much worth looking into, but frustratingly is limited in processing high res. Nevertheless, thanks for the good tip!

Berkeley Audio DAC Series 2 or Naim DAC. Or?

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