Trinity DAC

CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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Jazzhead

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Hello Jazzhead,
I wonder if Dietmer has finalized the name of his new series or not.

Silver Reference Line or Titanium Line?
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2020/10/trinity-audio-golden-reference-and.html?m=1
Hi CK,
Silver Reference line, between the Ref and Golden Ref. Titanium is wrongly quoted. Regarding the PCM1704 it has always been and still is only available as SMT. dB has as large quantity available to him. He further tests and matches them closely. Be interesting to see by how much he can better the Ref DAC, of which I have some good memories.
 

Jazzhead

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Hey Jazzhead,

As you look at the Trinity DACs which have an excellent reputation...I was just reading some of the comments of the Wadax and was curious whether you had any views on it?

Also, have you heard anything about Zanden's new digital...the one which will match the Chukoh, Jinpu and Kaun?
Hi LL,
The Zanden expected sometime next year, still under development.
 

CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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Hi CK,
Silver Reference line, between the Ref and Golden Ref. Titanium is wrongly quoted. Regarding the PCM1704 it has always been and still is only available as SMT. dB has as large quantity available to him. He further tests and matches them closely. Be interesting to see by how much he can better the Ref DAC, of which I have some good memories.
Agree, the Trinity Ref DAC was launched so many years ago yet it's still one of the best dac in the market.
:)
 
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Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
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...............Be interesting to see by how much he can better the Ref DAC, of which I have some good memories.
Agree, the Trinity Ref DAC was launched so many years ago yet it's still one of the best dac in the market.:)

+1.

sure enjoyed mine.....

always wondered how it would have done if it's was not so HK centric. seemed to be hitched to the Audio Exotics star for better or worse. and it had broad market barriers in it's approach. but really excelled at the things it was great at.
 
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Stereophonic

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When you think world is like an egg and you want to eat it in one bite, it is normal you drown.
I hope Dietmar has learned the lesson and i wish him a lot of success on his new project.
 

littlej0e

Member
Aug 16, 2021
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+1.

sure enjoyed mine.....

always wondered how it would have done if it's was not so HK centric. seemed to be hitched to the Audio Exotics star for better or worse. and it had broad market barriers in it's approach. but really excelled at the things it was great at.
Hi Mike. Sorry for the shameless necro, but I wanted to ask what you would chose over the Trinity Silver Reference. I’ve been striving to squeeze the most analog sound I can from digital media/source possible and when I heard the TSR, it blew my mind apart. I much preferred it over the Rossini and Vivaldi stacks I heard. Is there another DAC you (or anyone else) have tried that is better than the TSR in this regard? Perhaps something from MSB? Soulution 560?
 
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Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
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Hi Mike. Sorry for the shameless necro, but I wanted to ask what you would chose over the Trinity Silver Reference. I’ve been striving to squeeze the most analog sound I can from digital media/source possible and when I heard the TSR, it blew my mind apart. I much preferred it over the Rossini and Vivaldi stacks I heard. Is there another DAC you (or anyone else) have tried that is better than the TSR in this regard? Perhaps something from MSB? Soulution 560?

hi Joe,

i only owned the original Trinity dac, never the Trinity Silver Reference, or the Golden Reference. so can't specifically help you on any TSR compare.

as far as alternatives, sorry i removed my system link and gear list info a few months back from my posts. i do prefer my MSB Select II to my recollections of the Trinity Reference dac i owned. the Trinity was a significant performance leap (PCM only) at the time i got it from anything i'd heard up to that time. and remains in a high realm of subsequent digital experiences in my mind. it does not quite reach the low noise floor, organic rightness or refinement of the MSB Select II. the Select II is 'bit perfect', and does not upsample, which allows me to play any file in it's native resolution, which i seem to prefer.

i've not heard any digital 'yet' that i prefer to the MSB Select II, but there are some other great dacs out there i've heard. not a dCS fan myself at the top level; it's fine sounding but too processed (relatively digital) sounding (compared to the other top flight dacs) to my ears. YMMV.

other digital to consider would be the Merging Technologies NADAC with the top clock which i have heard and liked, the full blown 7 box CH Precision mono dac which i've also heard and liked, and maybe the new Wadax Atlantis Reference dac which i have not heard.....yet. can't comment on Soulution; heard it at a show but was not overly impressed. was it the system? no useful conclusion one way of the other.

and these days server performance is a significant part of the digital performance equation; i do think that the Taiko Extreme server (which i own) is a standard setter in that realm.

hope that helps.
 
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CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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i've not heard any digital 'yet' that i prefer to the MSB Select II, but there are some other great dacs out there i've not heard. ...
Hi Mike : Me too.
 

littlej0e

Member
Aug 16, 2021
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hi Joe,

i only owned the original Trinity dac, never the Trinity Silver Reference, or the Golden Reference. so can't specifically help you on any TSR compare.

as far as alternatives, sorry i removed my system link and gear list info a few months back from my posts. i do prefer my MSB Select II to my recollections of the Trinity Reference dac i owned. the Trinity was a significant performance leap (PCM only) at the time i got it from anything i'd heard up to that time. and remains in a high realm of subsequent digital experiences in my mind. it does not quite reach the low noise floor, organic rightness or refinement of the MSB Select II. the Select II is 'bit perfect', and does not upsample, which allows me to play any file in it's native resolution, which i seem to prefer.

i've not heard any digital 'yet' that i prefer to the MSB Select II, but there are some other great dacs out there i've heard. not a dCS fan myself at the top level; it's fine sounding but too processed (relatively digital) sounding (compared to the other top flight dacs) to my ears. YMMV.

other digital to consider would be the Merging Technologies NADAC with the top clock which i have heard and liked, the full blown 7 box CH Precision mono dac which i've also heard and liked, and maybe the new Wadax Atlantis Reference dac which i have not heard.....yet. can't comment on Soulution; heard it at a show but was not overly impressed. was it the system? no useful conclusion one way of the other.

and these days server performance is a significant part of the digital performance equation; i do think that the Taiko Extreme server (which i own) is a standard setter in that realm.

hope that helps.
Mike,

This helps immensely, thanks so much for taking the time to write it. I feel the same way you do about dCS DACs. The Vivaldi in particular is quite amazing at what it does well, but I’m not after great digital sound either. I’m after the best analog I can possibly squeeze out of digital media, specifically streaming. Sounds like you’d recommend the MSB Select II for this purpose. MSB was originally on my list based on recommendations from others, but I can’t seem to find a local dealer in Denver that has one I can demo. I also assumed the new TRS would be the most analog sounding DAC out there based solely on my experience with it’s predecessor. The sheer musicality, dynamics, and analog-like staging depth absolutely floored me. If the MSB Select II is better than that, then I’m going to move heaven and earth to try and demo one.

I also agree with you regarding the source. It puzzles me how many people overlook this massively important component. At this point financially, it’s an either or situation, but I’m planning to upgrade my server next. Interestingly, I’m currently running a custom server built by a close friend of one of the lead designers at Taiko audio. So that will have to tide me over until I can pony up for the ES.

Anyway, thanks again for your time and for sharing your knowledge and experience. Very much appreciated!
 
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