The very best DACs today...

[bmoura]

I've tried 2 NOS DAC's and still the Lampi and PBD are the only 2 that I still use today!

The Lampizator and Playback Designs - hard to go wrong there with that pair of DACs for mastering.

 

[bonzo75]

If I recollect the Playback Designs unit measured poorly ,but subjectively the reviewer liked it.
Keith.

A member here, joaovieira moved from PD to B7, and knows someone else who did.

 

[Orb]

Every individual should choose the equipment they prefer,however I do believe it is important to understand exactly why that piece of equipment sounds different ,
Keith.

And as I mentioned sometimes it is difficult to rationalise and conclude whether a product sounds "because of" or "despite its" poor measurements especially when it comes to digital products, same way this could be said of certain good measurements (again for a different thread-topic).
Keith try listening to MBL CD31 and then work out how it measures close to flat FR (only down -0.5dB at 20khz) with superb distortion measurements/jitter levels as low as SOTA/excellent noise-distortion vs digital signal level/excellent SNR down to -112dB with dithered 16bit test signal/etc while sounding warm-rich-organic.
If you did not know the measurements I bet you would assume its behaviour was closer to that of DAC with strong roll-off or with other unusual measurement traits.
There are other products with more rolloff that do not sound as rich-warm-"organic".

Cheers
Orb

 

[Orb]

Orb Hi, I will try, but I find if something sounds 'different' then there is usually a good reason!
Kr Keith.

Keith it is an interesting product to listen to IMO from a subjective-objective-preference perspective.

Agreed, and in this instance I put it down to the separate interpolation and reconstruction filter implemented by MBL along with the CS4398 chip, but this is a contentious area because there are two sides when it comes to said filters; those that feel they can make a difference and those that do no because the measurements are negligible in terms of being audible.
And if it is the filter implementation then traditional measurements are academic.
Putting all this aside, I do feel DACs are one area that it is much harder to correlate/quantify sound based upon measurements (of course specifics such as the sin(x)/x rolloff effect can be noted in terms of FR but that is a specific case).
Cheers
Orb

 

[Orb]

I believe for true fidelity the 'correct' filter is the one used by the original ADC when the file was created.
Keith.

You need to read up on Bob Stuart and Peter Craven's papers and AES presentations then
Cheers
Orb

 

[Manos_Bits]

AMR DAC/processors offer both NOS and oversampling modes with multiple filters.

In theory NOS could be great for native hirez (by this I mean where the digital is derived from a minimum of 24/96 from the ADC onwards).
However measurements on the AMR and a couple of others that can handle hirez still shows some measurement challenges.
That said it comes back to then; do they sound good because of their poor measurements or despite poor measurements, but I really would like to stress that is for a different thread/topic, Keith

Minimum phase and slow rolloff also do not necessarily measure well traditionally with regards to frequency-alias rejection-etc (but good at not having pre-ringing), but their poor measurements are not identical to that of NOS.
My preference is for some kind of minimum phase reconstruction filter rather than internal default brickwall, or prefer a coefficient design that is a "mix" of minimum phase/linear (scope of such design is to improve measurements/combine benefits of both solutions), others prefer certain brickwall fast rolloff, but it is fair to say this is one area preferences can divide listeners even if differences can be subtle (putting aside the sin(x)/x droop vs flat to 20khz specific design comparison). - emphasis is long term preference rather than untrained abx comparison testing (comes back to much already discussed in the past on other subtle testing and training in various topics and threads on here).

Cheers
Orb

ok..... let's talk about dacs..

The best dacs I have ever auditioned till now, (and believe me are lots of them) are in sequence..

1- Ypsilon Electronics DAC-100..

2- STAHL-TEK Vekian..

3- Metronome C2A Signature..

After the above mentioned top 3 dacs the next for me is the AMR 777..
this is a fantastic machine made from and targeting to music lovers and audiophiles.. nothing less, nothing more, technology and music knowledge together in a great result!!
that is a very serious point, many companies exhaust their capabilities in technology domain and produce 'perfect' measuring machines with no music attach!!

 

[Manos_Bits]

but i have to come again in the top of the tops YPSILON DAC-100

It was the first time I auditioned to red book material sounding like that.. In a concord's Jazz live session been staunch to the program I heard the voices of the audience beside me!! I was sitting 4-5 meters from the system.. it was an amazing feeling..

This is also a non - oversampling, no upsampling design.. power supply with trans made in house from exotic materials with shunt regulators. I / V conversion done by a specially designed, also built in house, transformer.. analog stage single-ended class A transformer coupled triodes with valve rectification and choke regulation.. The valve out made with high mu, high transconductance, low noise SIEMENS C3g NOS tubes.. it worth to take a look at this machine..

I have audition DAC-100 in those 2 systems.. system_1 , system_2

best regards to all

Manos

 

[wisnon]

Heard the Ypsilon at a show last year. All Ypsilon system. Excellent. However, I still prefer the Lamnpi B7 and certainly the DSD is the big difference maker here.

 

[Manos_Bits]

Heard the Ypsilon at a show last year. All Ypsilon system. Excellent. However, I still prefer the Lamnpi B7 and certainly the DSD is the big difference maker here.

I hope some time can give an audition to a Lampi Dac.. here in Greece even if the audiophile community is very healthy (despite of crisis ) Lampizator products have not been so popular..

 

[bonzo75]

I hope some time can give an audition to a Lampi Dac.. here in Greece even if the audiophile community is very healthy (despite of crisis ) Lampizator products have not been so popular..

My two favorite speakers are Greek. Tune audio anima (horn) and Analysis audio (planar). With both the big models are brilliant, the smaller ones not so much

 

[Manos_Bits]

My two favorite speakers are Greek. Tune audio anima (horn) and Analysis audio (planar). With both the big models are brilliant, the smaller ones not so much

Ahh.. my friend & co_named Manos Proestakis of Tune Audio!! great.. so happy to hear for good Greek Products from audiophiles!!

 

[wisnon]

Tune is Greek or Cyriot?

In any case, Greece has good stuff…Ypsilon and Pathos to name two..

 

[Manos_Bits]

and also Tasos Hartzis creator and owner of Analysis Audio.. also an ACA member like me.. :b http://www.aca.gr

 

[Manos_Bits]

Tune is Greek or Cyriot?

In any case, Greece has good stuff…Ypsilon and Pathos to name two..

Tune Audio is clearly a Greek company.. perhaps you confuse it with Aries Cerat that is Cyprian company..

 

[bonzo75]

Tune Audio is clearly a Greek company.. perhaps you confuse it with Aries Cerat that is Cyprian company..

Aries Cerat amps are brilliant especially when driving the Anima

 

[Manos_Bits]

Aries Cerat amps are brilliant especially when driving the Anima

they have built an exotic dac based on ancient TDA 1543 chip.. I think named Kassandra.. excellent work.. excellent sound..

 

[bonzo75]

they have built an exotic dac based on ancient TDA 1543 chip.. I think named Kassandra.. excellent work.. excellent sound..

Yes, need to go to Cyprus

 

[Manos_Bits]

Tune is Greek or Cyriot?

In any case, Greece has good stuff…Ypsilon and Pathos to name two..

there is and another hi-end company in Greece, a family business TLA (Trulife Audio).. those people have 40 years experience of building hand made transformers and set triode amps..
their Athina preamp is one of the absolute best preamps I have ever auditioned, that's why I have bought it and it is my system pre.. one half of 6N30 tube on each channel, so reversed phase, with hand made trans & chokes..
Not absolute case work, housed in a ugly black case, but sound like heaven.. maybe (If I can) give here a link of my reviewing of this pre..

 

[Manos_Bits]

so return to theme.. has somebody build a DIY dac??

 

[LL21]

they have built an exotic dac based on ancient TDA 1543 chip.. I think named Kassandra.. excellent work.. excellent sound..

I have read very interesting things about this...do you have any more 'listening notes' you can share with us? Most interested! And yes, i also agree that there seem to some great audio products coming out of Greece...i have heard Ypsilon's reference monos for example. Their NOS DAC is apparently also remarkably good.