What else did he listen to before ordering the DAC 5th Element? Most curious as to what led him to the AN 5th Element.
Audio Note - Anyone heard their new CDT-6 Transport & Fifth Element DAC?
- Thread starter LL21
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No, He never listened to 5th Element yet but he is sure it is wonderful.
Now He has CEC TL0 3.0 + AN DAC5 Signature.
He also has Living Voice Horn Speaker and Kondo pre/power .
Thank you for the quick response. Quite a system there! Please let us know what you think and what the new owner thinks when it has arrived...most intrigued!
Hi Amir,
Did you ever hear the DAC 5th Element at your friend's place with the Living Voice speakers/Kondo amplification? Just curious to get any feedback on it. I just happened to be re-reading Martin Colloms review on it which was astounding in its praise.
I actually have the physical copy and also a copy I have pasted onto a Word document for my files. The question is whether I am allowed to put it on here given that the original HiFi Critic Website has closed unfortunately?
Found it on the Audio Note website. (HiFi Critic - Martin Collom's site itself has closed unfortunately.)
His conclusion:
"Conclusions
When this review was first proposed, my first reaction was hysterical laughter. UK houses cost a similar amount on average. How would a CD player like this sound in a complete system made up using comparably priced components? And what would such a system cost? A million pounds? I have tried to answer these questions by extrapolation and with an extensive set of listening sessions with a variety of audio components and listeners. But my basic task is to observe and report, and my finding is that this CD ‘transport’/DAC is outright marvellous, newly defining the inherent quality of Red Book digital audio, which can be so much better than we had imagined was possible. It poses the question: “Why has it taken a specialist valve audio manufacturer to achieve this after 30years of highly informed digital engineering by the audio industry as a whole?” While there is some hi-res audio material now, it is also clear that CD has been potentially ‘hi-res’ all along, but we never truly experienced it. Instead we’ve suffered the distortions and masking of digital filters, op-amps, and accompanying digital noise, for all these years. While very few examples will be made and sold at such extravagant prices, we owe a debt to the AudioNote UK team for showing just what is possible. Here is a CD player which really can give high end analogue a run for its money."
I am glad I was able to find it and share it...I have kept all of the Martin Colloms' reviews on equipment I either own/owned or am truly interested in long-term. This is definitely one of them.
Interesting choice of words you use...ultimate tube DAC in the world. What SS DACs do you believe are superior?
FWIW, I thought someone told me that Lincoln Chen Editor of AudioTechnique used the AN DAC 5th Element as his digital reference for a number of years...and recently went to full Wadax. So that might be one answer...but nevertheless would appreciate your thoughts on this.
I think between solidstate dacs now Wadax is by far the best in the world.
The best transport is CEC TL0 3.0
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