Focal Maestro Utopia DAC recommendation

[pelo911]

Hi

my current system:

wireworld platinum usb cable
Pass labs X350.5
Pass labs Xp10 pre
Oppo BDP-105 using it as DAC
PC computer


can you recommend on few models i should demo?
should i plug direct to the Amp?

Thanks

 

[LL21]

Nice system! What is your budget. I suppose you could always venture towards the top of the heap and listen to the new Trinity DAC which has received incredibly strong feedback from some pretty seasoned audiophiles including Elberoth and Audiocrack, as well as Lincoln Cheng who is the Editor of a major Asian Hifi magazine, AudioTechnique.

Are you interested in: hi-res, DSD? presumably so, but your priorities and budget might help. otherwise, its always fun to spend someone else's money and just recommend the apparent cream of the expensive crop!

Hi

my current system:

wireworld platinum usb cable
Pass labs X350.5
Pass labs Xp10 pre
Oppo BDP-105 using it as DAC
PC computer


can you recommend on few models i should demo?
should i plug direct to the Amp?

Thanks

 

[pelo911]

Nice system! What is your budget. I suppose you could always venture towards the top of the heap and listen to the new Trinity DAC which has received incredibly strong feedback from some pretty seasoned audiophiles including Elberoth and Audiocrack, as well as Lincoln Cheng who is the Editor of a major Asian Hifi magazine, AudioTechnique.

Are you interested in: hi-res, DSD? presumably so, but your priorities and budget might help. otherwise, its always fun to spend someone else's money and just recommend the apparent cream of the expensive crop!

most of the time i prefer to buy used , less then one year old in great condition
30-50% less then MSRP price.
most of the time i'm play music from my PC (maybe i should get Apple computer?)
i want DAC that sound great with regular PCM files even with MP3 , not only with Hi-res , DSD
Dynamic and not bright (Focal Utopia sound bad with bright component)

 

[LL21]

most of the time i prefer to buy used , less then one year old in great condition
30-50% less then MSRP price.
most of the time i'm play music from my PC (maybe i should get Apple computer?)
i want DAC that sound great with regular PCM files even with MP3 , not only with Hi-res , DSD
Dynamic and not bright (Focal Utopia sound bad with bright component)

Various options a number of which have been recommended but which I've not heard...I have not really reviewed digital myself personally in a long time, so this is just based on reading/some historical auditions:

Sub $5K retail
- CJ DAC
- Lampizator
-

Expensive ($5K-10K+ retail)
- Merdian 808i.3
- TotalDAC
- MSB Analog DAC
- ARC DAC 8

Top Expensive ($25K+)
- Light Harmonic Dual DAC
- Trinity DAC
- DCS Vivaldi
- MSB Platinum w/ Power base

 

[JackD201]

I've been running the TechDAS D7i (i version will take the digital output from an iOS device via a USB port in front). It is very smooth with a nice touch of warmth. Goes for about 7k here. US distributor is Bob Graham. I don't know for sure what the US MSRP is. They differ from country to country. The D7 and D7i Supremes are out with beefier power supplies and vibration control added. Costs a few hundred dollars more.

It does PCM up to 24/192 and DSD.

 

[Bruce B]

Various options a number of which have been recommended but which I've not heard...I have not really reviewed digital myself personally in a long time, so this is just based on reading/some historical auditions:

Sub $5K retail
- CJ DAC
- Lampizator
-

Expensive ($5K-10K+ retail)
- Merdian 808i.3
- TotalDAC
- MSB Analog DAC
- ARC DAC 8

Top Expensive ($25K+)
- Light Harmonic Dual DAC
- Trinity DAC
- DCS Vivaldi
- MSB Platinum w/ Power base

Those are some great answers. I'd also include the Playback Designs. They do any PCM rate up to 384k and also DSD64 and 128fs. Since they don't use an off the shelf chip, Andreas can just upgrade by writing another algorithm.

 

[pelo911]

Those are some great answers. I'd also include the Playback Designs. They do any PCM rate up to 384k and also DSD64 and 128fs. Since they don't use an off the shelf chip, Andreas can just upgrade by writing another algorithm.

what about Tube based DAC?
Utopia like Tube usually (PRE or AMP)
for example aesthetix Pandora and Romulus

 

[Bruce B]

what about Tube based DAC?
Utopia like Tube usually (PRE or AMP)
for example aesthetix Pandora and Romulus

I just auditioned the Lampizator. It's a winner in my book!

 

[microstrip]

Various options a number of which have been recommended but which I've not heard...I have not really reviewed digital myself personally in a long time, so this is just based on reading/some historical auditions:

Sub $5K retail
- CJ DAC
- Lampizator
-

Expensive ($5K-10K+ retail)
- Merdian 808i.3
- TotalDAC
- MSB Analog DAC
- ARC DAC 8

Top Expensive ($25K+)
- Light Harmonic Dual DAC
- Trinity DAC
- DCS Vivaldi
- MSB Platinum w/ Power base

Loyd,

You should include the Audio Research CD9 in your list - mine is now around 190 hours burn-in (usually not an happy moment of ARC tube products) but already won the right to became a resident. Basically the CD9 is an improved DAC8 with the tube power supply and tube analog stage of the CD8. Besides is spins CDs using a Philips CDMPro2 LF!

 

[wisnon]

I just auditioned the Lampizator. It's a winner in my book!

Bruce, the Level 7 Dac with BOTH PCM and DSD separate circuits is even better! Duelunds are standard and it uses Directly Heated Triodes.

See some Hong Kong feedback here:

http://www.review33.com/m/forum_msg...topic=47121019144020&start=20&sort=&number=59

 

[LL21]

Loyd,

You should include the Audio Research CD9 in your list - mine is now around 190 hours burn-in (usually not an happy moment of ARC tube products) but already won the right to became a resident. Basically the CD9 is an improved DAC8 with the tube power supply and tube analog stage of the CD8. Besides is spins CDs using a Philips CDMPro2 LF!

Good to know! Congrats...sounds quite new....190 hours is not a long time. Enjoy!

 

[Elberoth]

I just auditioned the Lampizator. It's a winner in my book!

Which level ? I'm eagier to try one in my system (I should add at last, as I know ?ukasz, and should have already done it earlier !).

 

[Elberoth]

Good to know! Congrats...sounds quite new....190 hours is not a long time. Enjoy!

Beeing an ARC veteran, Francesco probably knows that the goodies will come after 600+ h

 

[Bruce B]

Which level ? I'm eagier to try one in my system (I should add at last, as I know ?ukasz, and should have already done it earlier !).

I don't know anything about level. I was told it was a Lampizator DSD

 

[microstrip]

Beeing an ARC veteran, Francesco probably knows that the goodies will come after 600+ h

Yes, I know it. The CD9 is now entering 400 hours of continuous playback and definitively it is clearly ameliorating now - bass is clearly gaining impact and grip. Ten days ago, around Christmas, I was a little disappointed - it seemed "lazy". As I am still keeping the Metronome C2A DAC in my room, I am using it for comparison. This way I can be sure it is not me who is getting used to the sound of the new player.

 

[microstrip]

I don't know anything about level. I was told it was a Lampizator DSD

Bruce,
How did it compare with the PB listening to DSD?

 

[wisnon]

Which level ? I'm eagier to try one in my system (I should add at last, as I know ?ukasz, and should have already done it earlier !).

He had a DSD-only Dac in Level 4 case, with Soviet Caps. I have the same, but with Duelund caps, as well as a regulr Level 4 with PCM Its possible to bet BOTH in one box, if sinle ended. You can get both balanced in L5 and above, as DSD is an optional module. I like the conceptual purity of separate DSD and PCM boxes though!