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In Reply to: RE: "Much more full range sounding"? posted by DougE on October 07, 2009 at 09:11:48
You know I think the kits should not really be compared to the factory models - you pay more you expect to get more.
What should be done is to compare a Dac Kit to every other companies' DACs - now let's see what happens.
The kits are not kit-versions of the factory-built models. They must be judged on their own terms. therefore it is appropriate to compare the kits with other dacs within a persons budget.
The kits should offer better performance than similarly priced factory-built models because you are supplying labor (assuming good system matching). For same-price units, the kits can incorporate better (or more) parts in place of labor. Given that the kits and factory-built models have the same designer, there is likely to be broad similarity (sonics, topology and features) between them. Their is always the chance that a person might prefer one unit over another, regardless of cost. It is all about matching components for the best synergy (hence the AN 'levels').
Regards,
Bob
Do the kits follow the levels?
For instance the M2 is a production level 2 preamp - Is the L3 from AN Kits a level 3?
I agree that people may prefer one product over another - I know a guy who likes the sound of my OTO over the Meishu (I prefer the Meishu) but I get where he's coming from.
I don't know what the correspondence is between the kits and factory-made lines. Perhaps Brian can answer that.
I think the 'levels' are good general guidance: much more than you get from most companies. However, for those of us with components of 'mixed' origin (i.e., some non-AN pieces), the levels are less helpful.
If the other kits are as well designed and executed as my DAC Kit 2.1 Level C Sig. (now called a 3.1 Level A Sig.?), then it is a fairly safe assumption that, for most people, the kits will provide better performance than the similarly priced factory-made pieces. This benefit is not 'free' of course. You must build the dac!
Bob
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