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In Reply to: Re: best dac posted by Marcus Malkmus on April 04, 2001 at 02:39:01:
Is that before all the upgrades like special silver wire and zero oversampling filterless etc etc or stock DAC?How much for AN DAC5 with all the works?
Follow Ups:
The % Signature is the fully silver wired version with 1xoversampling, there is nothing better, nor should there be at the price.Here in Monaco the DAC5 Signature cost me FFr 380,000.00, which is about $ 53,000.00.
Marcus
I haven't had the chance to listen to the AudioNote DAC 5 but I haven't heard any Redbook CD output more natural than the dCS Elgar plus/972 combination and this was when it was connected to a mediocre Sony CD player used as a transport. Redbook signal is upsampled to DSD (2.88 MHz) before it is converted to analogue. In my opinion, the combination is worth every penny of its $17000 asking price.
Hi DavidSearch under Roy Callahan in Digital Asylum. He provides a good review of both units. Conclusion Dac5 is better.
Regards
Kyle
could you email me? I have some questions about tweaking the Millennium (TacT that is).Thanks
Mike
Hello Mike
I will answer your questions on AA for I have to retrieve and send e-mail from another office(inconvenient). We have never modified his Meridian 500. I swapped my transport in his system and it was incredibly better. He actually installed the clock sync. He felt there was no noticeable improvement so he eventually removed it.
There were only small changes made to his TACT unit no cap changes yet. TACT may be right about using those caps. Simply might mate better with the unit-really dont know until you try. Also, back to the transport issue, I noticed at CES TACT was using NO special hig-end transport. Those caps may be tuned using a mediocre transport-too many variables to consider. In my experience and many others Blackgates sound best especially used in L-cancelling pairs. Removing the steel bolt from the transformer is done not for vibration but because it just sounds less closed down-more open. Simply unscrew and take out. Listen. Now put bolt back in but do not tighten down. Listen. It sounds more open without the bolt. Maybe something like an air core inductor vs. iron core ??? I mentioned this to Equitech and they now use non-magnetic bolts-basically he agreed and he claimed it was something to do with eddy currents.? Sorbothane I have tried and I hear a softening of the sound-too soggy for me. he does not have any pics yet.Regards
Kyle
I would not dream of replacing the Jensen ouput filter caps, I'm referring to the RIFA power supply caps (8 white caps per side). I thought you said you switched them with Black Gates in a prior post.
I was curious if you have taken a look at the Jensen four pole "swithing grade" electrolytic caps, claimed to be better than even black-gates.> Removing the steel bolt from the transformer is done not for > vibration but because it just sounds less closed down-more open. > Simply unscrew and take out. Listen.
Very interesting. Anywhere to order a non-magnetic bolt to replace it with? How difficult would do you think it would be to lift up the transformer and plae a dampening sheet underneath? I don't know how much slack is on all the ribbon cables attahed to the PCB's. I was thinking of using something like cromolin underneath the transformer. I would think it would make a substantial improvemnt since some high-end designers swear by it, most notably LAMM (I wish I knew what he "encapsulates" his transformers in).
> He actually installed the clock sync. He felt there was no > noticeable improvement so he eventually removed it.
Did he use it with the clockgate cable and onnet it to the corresponding input on the Millennium?
Where specifically did you apply the Flectron? I've been thinking of applying a sheet accross the main board streched between the two aluminum "walls" inside the unit since I belive the RFI would be comeing from the modulators on either side of the unit. Then wrap the entire case (the black part of the chassis, not the front and back)in Flectron. Did you ground the flectron?
Thanks
Mike
Hi MikeMy e-mail has been down(thanks to Northpoint).Now Back. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions. It appears you could tweak quite a bit of stuff especially in the power supply. On the other hand, it may be more effective to tweak the transport to get better sound first. I would be real curious to hear how good this combo could get.
Regards
Kyle
Might be more accurate to say "conclusion: he likes the DAC5 better."
I thought I'd drop in here for a minute. I will never say that the DCS combination isn't very appealing in many ways. It has a unique way of capturing ambient and hall information as well as 'illuminating' the rear of the soundstage. Very attractive. What the DAC5 does that I've not heard from anything else is to bring out the low level detail and capture the subtle harmonic cues that instantly signal that what you are hearing sounds more like music in the real world. It also captues and carries the 'weight' or 'body' of the music far better. By comparison the DCS sounds rather thin and you find yorself turning up the volume (as with most Dac's) to try, but ultimately fail, to get the lower level information. The DAC5 allows you to actully turn the volume down and still enjoy all the detail, weight and dynamics of the music. It sounds 'richer', fuller, yet retains the delicacy and transparency of music.
Is it the best? Entirely depends on the listener. I think so, but we all have audio 'prejudices' which sometimes interfere with our ability to truly enjoy the music.
Roy won't say it, but I will. I long ago sold my dCS 972 and Elgar because my Dodson was clearly superior in nearly every way. A Flatfish and dac from 47 Labs were better yet, and then I bought the AN DAC 4. The new Signature is better than that as probably is the DAC 5 Signature, but I cannot afford it.
Hello RoyCurious. Have you ever tried any high-end 1 box players?
Thanks
Kyle
No, I've always gone the 'seperate' route thus far believing that different companies seem concentrate on maximizing the perfromance of different components. It takes alot of R&D to be the best at both transport and Dac technology.
Hi Roy
Reason I ask and wonder is that in a cd player you basically eliminate
some of this circuitry-send and receive circuits as well as the digital cable. No transformers, input receiver, digital output stage exists. Basically I am looking for info on what advantages lie with 2 piece systems. I have been modding my front-end(2 piece) for awhile now and I am seriously considering modding a cd player for ultimate sound. Any opinions?Regards
Kyle
Hi Kyle
You might check with Bruce wenger at BWS Consulting. He ahas bee doing some interesting mods on Bel Canto and i belive he has manged to stuff one onto a transport and eliminate alot of the circuitry. His website is: http://www.bws-tube.com/
Enjoy!
that the main reason for the "improved" sound is the much bigger and dedicated power supplies for the transport and DAC. So maybe if you were to use a one box player and then build two outboard power supplies (one for the transport mechanism, the other for the DAC) for it, you might have the best of both worlds. Or maybe even three, the third being dediated for the analog stage.
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0401/andac5special.htmAbout $33,000 US (per above link). But if you want the signature version, well, $33,000 looks cheap.
Enjoy!
-- Greg
Greg,OK, so it is mucho expensivo... you should hear this thing sing! Laaa, laa, brr-rr-rum baa baaaaa dee da! Makes you rethink the whole DVD-A/SACD feasco! Of course you COULD get a nice Audio Note DAC Kit 1.? and tweak away. While it is no DAC 5 Special, a Lexus is not a Mercedes and the Porsche Boxter is not the new Ferrari Barchetta.
None of the above are slouches by ANY means, just that, well...
Enjoy the music (the Beatles "All We Need Is Love" right now),
Steven R. Rochlin
"Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say, but you can learn
How to play the game -
It's easy.Nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do, but you can learn
How to be you in time -
It's easyAll you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need...."
I think it is love.
Enjoy the music (Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moom" right now),Steven R. Rochlin
"All that you touch
And all that you see
All that you taste
All you feel
And all that you love
And all that you hate
All you distrust
All you saveAnd all that you give
And all that you deal
And all that you buy
Beg, borrow or stealAnd all you create
And all you destroy
And all that you do
And all that you say
And all that you eat
And everyone you meet
And all that you slight
And everyone you fightAnd all that is now
And all that is gone
And all that's to come
And everything under the sun is in tune
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon
.
.
.
.
.
There is no dark side of the moon really.
Matter of fact it's all dark."
nt
nt
nt
nt
nt
Ouch!
Excuse me while I go plan my next bank robbery.Gotta get that DAC...gotta get that DAC....
Dear Ben,Better rob two banks, the DAC6 will be out when you are out of jail!
Sincerely,
Peter Q
nt
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