Can someone recommend a DAC for my system?

Jmorello

New Member
Sep 9, 2012
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I have a nice new system for my place with the following equipment:

Wilson Sophia 3
Krell amp 302e
Krell preamp evolution 222
Cambridge 751BR

I am looking to add a digital to analog converter that best goes with my system. What do you recommend?

Thank you in advance for your time.

Jonathan
 

Jmorello

New Member
Sep 9, 2012
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I am looking for a digital to analog converter. I do not have a budget, but my audio shop I deal with recommended one they claim is the best for 2600$. I did research that my Cambridge already has a built in adc which I know is a great in terms of "mass" standards. I can easily hook up a wireless USB Cambridge device to connect to any digital media device... However my audio shop claims in order to get optimal sound quality I need to go above what my Cambridge can offer. Hence them recommending a 2600$ unit which I wasn't ready to spend.

Please share thoughts

Jonathan
 

FrantzM

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Hi

Wecome... I would recommend two DACs.. The price is good and these are very well regarded by many here.

MyTech 192 DSD (about $1700)
M2Tech Young about $1600

The Playback Design is the real deal but may cost twice these DACs...
 
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puroagave

Member Sponsor
Sep 29, 2011
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I recently went through this: Berkeley Alpha DAC. i shot one out with the weiss DAC202 and kept the Berkeley. you can use it right away spdif to spdif using your 751BR as a transport. if you use a PC as a music server get he alpha usb interface and you're Set. i havent heard them all but this one really sounds analog. the ser. II is Robert harley's reference and he'd recommend it at $15,000 (3x the price). used ser I are $2500 and some prefer it over the ser II you could do MUCH worse for $2500.
 

Jmorello

New Member
Sep 9, 2012
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Thank you for you welcome Steve and Feantz!

How important is it to go better than what the cambreidge 751br delivers which is five Wolfson WM8740 24/192kHz Digital to Analogue converters? Keep in mind that i would like to reach the max potential of the wilson Sophia.

Jonathan
 

Jmorello

New Member
Sep 9, 2012
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Hell guys,

Thank you for your help. I seems that M2Tech Young has my interest the most. What do you guys think of this final choice?

Jonathan
 

Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
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I'd say the best DAC I've heard under $5k is the Mytek Stereo192-DSD. I'd put it up against the Berkeley, M2Tech, Ayre or Weiss anyday. I'd go as far as saying it's a poor man's PD MPD-5!!
 

puroagave

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Sep 29, 2011
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I'd say the best DAC I've heard under $5k is the Mytek Stereo192-DSD. I'd put it up against the Berkeley, M2Tech, Ayre or Weiss anyday. I'd go as far as saying it's a poor man's PD MPD-5!!

i was interested in the mytek b/c of the DSD but w/ 100 SACDs and no way to rip them yet i lost interest. i recently had the wadia 121 which is in a similar price bracket as the mytek and other reviews surfaced that prefered the Wadia 121 over the Mytek 192 for PCM and i know the berkeley is many steps ahead of the 121. pictures can say a lot, mytek top berkeley bottom:
 

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Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
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Snohomish, WA
www.pugetsoundstudios.com
i was interested in the mytek b/c of the DSD but w/ 100 SACDs and no way to rip them yet i lost interest. i recently had the wadia 121 which is in a similar price bracket as the mytek and other reviews surfaced that prefered the Wadia 121 over the Mytek 192 for PCM and i know the berkeley is many steps ahead of the 121. pictures can say a lot, mytek top berkeley bottom:

Well I had the Berkeley in here and couldn't get rid of it fast enough. My reference here is the PD MPS-5, Grimm AD1, DAD AX24, EMM Labs DAC8IV and the MSB Tech Diamond DAC and the Mytek held it's own in DSD and PCM.
I'm no EE so I wouldn't know a good photo from a bad photo. I actually listen to my DAC's....
 

opus111

Banned
Feb 10, 2012
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Hangzhou, China
Those two pictures juxtaposed tell me a lot about the differing approaches to DAC system design.

Firstly look at the transformers - the Mytek guys either don't know about common-mode conducted mains noise or have engineered their design cleverly to avoid it. They're using an off-the-shelf mains filter block (chassis mounted, top right) and then a toroidal transformer. The upshot of this is plenty of coupling of external mains noise to the internal circuit ground. Using an standard filter 'brick' means there are going to be Y-caps (mains to earth) and so the filtering quality depends on how clean the provided mains earth is.

In contrast the Berkeley guys have paid attention to this noise source by sourcing what looks to be a pair of antediluvian transformers. These have much lower interwinding capacitances than toroids and hence give rise to much weaker noise coupling. It looks like they're also rolling their own mains filter on the PCB (top left, it looks like two common-mode chokes are being used though I can't see very clearly).

PS I'm conjecturing here but probably Bruce already has industrial strength mains cleaning technology installed so won't be worried if kit doesn't provide its own filtering. The average domestic user hasn't heavily invested in mains purification kit.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
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Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
---Hi Jonathan, and Welcome! :b
------------------------------------


Best DAC for the money? ...About one that costs less than two grands? ...Like $1,850 for example:

RE10.5.JPG

* It is the Audio-gd Reference-10.2 Balanced DAC I believe. And it uses
the Burr-Brown PCM-1704UK (top grade) DACs in a fully balanced differential mode.

Here's their web address: http://www.audio-gd.com/En audio-gd.htm

Jonathan, I have never heard it personally; I'm just a maniac on the very best DACs in the world and with real value.
I did a lot of research over the years, and still do, and I know few reliable people too.
Anyway, it is just another suggestion that is worth investigating, I am pretty sure.
...Check their products anyway, and ask people in the know about them (solid construction, power supplies, top quality parts, implementation, and real value). :b

Cheers,
Bob
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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---Hi Jonathan, and Welcome! :b
------------------------------------


Best DAC for the money? ...About one that costs less than two grands? ...Like $1,850 for example:

View attachment 5453

* It is the Audio-gd Reference-10.2 Balanced DAC I believe. And it uses
the Burr-Brown PCM-1704UK (top grade) DACs in a fully balanced differential mode.

Here's their web address: http://www.audio-gd.com/En audio-gd.htm

Jonathan, I have never heard it personally; I'm just a maniac on the very best DACs in the world and with real value.
I did a lot of research over the years, and still do, and I know few reliable people too.
Anyway, it is just another suggestion that is worth investigating, I am pretty sure.
...Check their products anyway, and ask people in the know about them (solid construction, power supplies, top quality parts, implementation, and real value). :b

Cheers,
Bob

Thanks...actually looks like their Master 7 Series DAC?
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
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Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
---No, it isn't Lloyd, here's their Reference-7.1 or Master 7 below:

RE7.115.JPG

* That one costs $1,900 and it uses four Burr-Brown PCM-1704UK DACs per each channel, for a fully true dual differential real balanced design. :b
...And a USB port too.
 
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NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
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Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
---By the way, opus111 (Richard) seems to know a thing or two regarding internal parts of DACs and their overall implementation, with the importance of power supplies. :b

But Bruce too knows some' about DACs. ...He has the "EAR" experience. :b

And Rob ain't too shabby either. :b

____________________________

* EMM Labs is another direction worth exploring in top quality DACs. :b
 

opus111

Banned
Feb 10, 2012
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...Check their products anyway, and ask people in the know about them (solid construction, power supplies, top quality parts, implementation, and real value). :b

Yes Kingwa's DACs get an A solidity of construction, however only a B+ for power supplies because he uses 3 trafos when a single larger one would offer better noise rejection. I can't see if he's got any filtering in place on the mains. He also gets a D for the way he's implemented the USB input - don't buy this DAC for its USB input because it looks like the grounding sucks. Real value - very definitely because you get a huge amount of hardware for your money.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Yes Kingwa's DACs get an A solidity of construction, however only a B+ for power supplies because he uses 3 trafos when a single larger one would offer better noise rejection. I can't see if he's got any filtering in place on the mains. He also gets a D for the way he's implemented the USB input - don't buy this DAC for its USB input because it looks like the grounding sucks. Real value - very definitely because you get a huge amount of hardware for your money.

-----KINGWA indeed Richard, and thank you very much for your keen contribution;
I am real glad that you are here among us. ...Because indeed your knowledge is invaluable.

But Richard, in your opinion, how these Kingwa DACs SOUND? :b ...And more particularly with Jonathan stereo sound system?

=> Just the eight Burr-Brown DACs alone are worth over $200* (on the Master 7).

* EDIT: Rectification; eight PCM-1704K DACs now cost $400.

P.S. I don't think Jonathan is concerned about the USB connection at this stage anyway.
...The Master 7 comes also without it. :b
 
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