Jonathan Valin says the Soulution 760 DAC is the best he's ever heard. Your Thoughts?

[bonzo75]

I heard the Soulution CD player in one of the C Sigma MAAT systems I reported on… the one with the Koda K70 and Vyger

 

[godofwealth]

There’s one sure fire way of achieving publicity in high end audio. Make your product as expensive as possible. The 760 DAC is around 50 grand. I’m waiting for the next manufacturer to release a 100 grand DAC and then it’s off to the races. Any guesses for how long it will be before the first million dollar DAC is announced?

 

[Gregm]

There’s one sure fire way of achieving publicity in high end audio. Make your product as expensive as possible. The 760 DAC is around 50 grand. I’m waiting for the next manufacturer to release a 100 grand DAC and then it’s off to the races.

If you're in the market with 100k, the MSB Select II is a little over; the Wadax Atlantis is around 150k.
They are both very good BTW. IMO in a different class compared to the Soulution, good though it may be.

 

[Lee]

Jacob Heilbrunn's report on the Vivaldi Apex is in the new TAS which I just received an advance copy of. It's a great review...should hit newsstands next week.

 

[mtemur]

it’s very pricey. spending 70.000+ for a dac is a serious decision cause dacs are constantly evolving and nobody praises the old ones. by evolving I don’t necessarily mean sound quality but technology or connectivity. I haven’t come across any audiophile looking for an old dac. even the top 3-5 year old dcs, msb or naim dacs are waiting to be sold on the second hand market without any real interest.
IMHO only old digital stuff that have been praised now are some cd players, philips cdm-1 and tda1541 but they’re irrelevant today’s digital audio.

 

[Big Dog RJ]

it’s very pricey. spending 70.000+ for a dac is a serious decision cause dacs are constantly evolving and nobody praises the old ones. by evolving I don’t necessarily mean sound quality but technology or connectivity. I haven’t come across any audiophile looking for an old dac. even the top 3-5 year old dcs, msb or naim dacs are waiting to be sold on the second hand market without any real interest.
IMHO only old digital stuff that have been praised now are some cd players, philips cdm-1 and tda1541 but they’re irrelevant today’s digital audio.

Yep! That sounds about right!

Digital tech is never ending... always something newer.
It's always nice to get a chance to hear new things, gain new experiences and learn, as such tech develops. However, for me it's all about the learning curve and experiences, not so much as to have the latest and the greatest. Some of this stuff is really getting out of hand, in terms of price and value... I don't see where it would end or even if there's anything as the ultimate. Always another one round the corner that will surpass it but it takes a while to get used to. Most of the times the newer gear does but sometimes I do wonder... is it psychological? Chest beating Ah! it costs a fortune, therefore must sound like a fortune... I really don't know the answer to that. As for now, I'm off the upgrade wagon, just enjoying the humble rig of tubes and stats, and happy as!

Shall continue to discover and learn though, which is a good thing! So cheers and enjoy those fine tunes!
Woof! RJ

 

[Big Dog RJ]

I do wonder though what present DAC or digital rig JV is using now...? Must be extraordinary!
Must check out the items but it's sometimes hard to keep up since nearly every review may involve different gear, especially the digital front since it's mush easier to swap and configure. I was seriously thinking about the Esoteric Clock- GX something... and calling it a day but then that changed as well! Oh! why bother. Just enjoying the tunes as is.
Cheers, RJ

 

[Lee]

it’s very pricey. spending 70.000+ for a dac is a serious decision cause dacs are constantly evolving and nobody praises the old ones. by evolving I don’t necessarily mean sound quality but technology or connectivity. I haven’t come across any audiophile looking for an old dac. even the top 3-5 year old dcs, msb or naim dacs are waiting to be sold on the second hand market without any real interest.
IMHO only old digital stuff that have been praised now are some cd players, philips cdm-1 and tda1541 but they’re irrelevant today’s digital audio.

3-5 year old dCS not drawing interest? That’s not really accurate. dCS has a long history of software updates and as we have seen recently, they do a great job of making hardware updates as well such as the APEX boards.

 

[mtemur]

3-5 year old dCS not drawing interest? That’s not really accurate. dCS has a long history of software updates and as we have seen recently, they do a great job of making hardware updates as well such as the APEX boards.

it's great to be offered software and hardware updates by the manufacturer if you already own the dac but if you're on the market (which is what I'm commenting) looking for a second hand unit that hardly has any importance. buying a used old dac and paying extra and usually extremely high price for an upgrade board is not tempting for a buyer. instead buying the new model with the new upgrade board originally installed is a better IMHO. the existence of such an upgrade board is simply supporting my original post. but still nobody wants to buy an old dac cause they're quickly getting obsolete.

 

[marty]

Who needs expensive upgrade boards when there’s a company out there that has credited users of its previous DAC models full price for a new SOA DAC (for about a year after it’s Introduction)?

 

[Tabl10s]

I'm sure he can hear better than some people can spell.

Bwahahaha.