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I'm looking for a R2R dac, used, hopefully under $500 that is the near equal to the M24, which many love, the reviews are great. I do not need or want a preamp or vol. control and would prefer a ss output. I could live with a tube stage if it were a real output stage and was dead quiet, but would rather not. Thanks,Tweaker
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No need for used. But I have not heard it. I considered it, but got an Octave.
For $800, you can still get a mark I Octave:
http://hifiheaven.net/store/Metrum-Acoustics-NOS-Mini-DAC-Octave?filter_name=metrum&sort=pd.name&order=ASC
Under $500 is probably not possible other than chinese DACs. The Monarchy is a modded Lite DAC 60. The new version of the Monarchy M24, called the NM24 has a SS output as well as the normal tube only output. You can get it direct from Monarchy for about $1K.
Someone I think wrote it was a modded Lite dac 50??? Tweaker
NM24 is a version of the DAC 60, I believe.
Which is why, dare I say it, if you heard a Lite Audio DAC-83 (and transport preferably), you'd be bl@@dy surprised. It's silly-good. But that's over your stated budget.
big j.
"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."
I owned and liked the M22B SE that I had for about 10 years. Then I got the original M24 that uses the BB PCM63PK DAC chips and is pure tube output (SRPP out with no transistors or opamps). Oh and it uses the BB DF1704 8x oversampling digital filter.
The current NM24 has changed the PCM63 for the PCM1704 to give it true 24/96 performance. It also added a solid state output but I believe the tube path is still pure like the M24.
I have heard both and for redbook I prefer the sound of the M24 with the PCM63 chips being the only difference.
Are you sure that the only difference between the two is the chip? Can you describe in some detail the difference between the two . What is a M24 worth these days? Would you say that it is near dead quiet, does it exaggerate the treble at all, increased hiss from cd's??? . You might want to use brass dampers on those Teslas. Thanks, Tweaker
To the best of my knowledge the tube output of the NM24 is the same as the M24 (has only tube output). This means then that the only difference is the switch from the PCM63 to the PCM1704 and probably a different resistor value for the I/V conversion. The NM24 also has a solid state output although my friend always preferred his on the tube output.
It was not dead quiet but this really depended on the output tubes. Tubes in good shape were often very quiet but would get noisy over time and then I would change them. My M24 does not exaggerate the treble or increase hiss from cds.
I have tube dampers on them :).
I was going to ask you about the difference between the M and the NM. I don't think there are any M's left at the Manarchy location. I'm very close to him and may stop by for a listen . Looks like the M is the way to go. He has a modern r2r dac, mo.# 18 or such Imay listen too but the older models are better respected. Tweaker
.
"Asylums with doors open wide,
Where people had paid to see inside,
For entertainment they watch his body twist
Behind his eyes he says, 'I still exist.'"
.
"Asylums with doors open wide,
Where people had paid to see inside,
For entertainment they watch his body twist
Behind his eyes he says, 'I still exist.'"
Haven't heard it, but how about a used Metrum Octave? Sadly, R2R dacs are far and few between these days and eve more so in the lower end of the price spectrum. Good luck with your search but I wouldn't totally discount the Monarchy, since small signal tubes aren't really maintenance intensive and don't throw out much heat. You could also pull out the two preamp section tubes leaving only the pair in the DAC section. Heck, you could even pull those out as well and use the OP-amp dac out.
Much to my chagrin I compared the tube dac out with the ss dac and guess which won. May have to do some more tube rolling eventually. My biggest worry is noise, hiss mainly. Tweaker
It is very sensitive to the tube quality as the tubes are driven hard and there is no negative feedback. Try NOS Teslas, for about $40 a tube they are pretty darn good.
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