@M0N Thank you for the detailed response, it is very helpful. I’m glad to hear you did not perceive harshness from red book sources, either.
It makes sense that you found its DSD performance underwhelming, as I believe I read a quote from the designer that they decided converting DSD sources to PCM internally and then decoding through the resistor ladder was the way to go, which unfortunately introduces another digital conversion step in the process.
Long shot, but while I have you here I don’t suppose you’ve heard the Border Patrol DAC? It wasn’t in your exhaustive comparisons, but in the off-chance you had I was wondering where you would place it personally relative to the LaVoce 3?
Yes you’re much better off with a different dac design, really a R2R is never going to be great at DSD, that’s where FPGA and 1 bit OS dacs come in handy. To be honest while DSD has always been appealing and I can absolutely hear the value there, the pure lack of music released natively in the format just makes it hard to justify making DSD performance a focus, unless you really love classical and jazz where there’s plenty of DSD releases to make it worth it lol
I have, I am not a big fan. It’s something that basically attempts to be very rich, very non fatiguing, very smooth, but at the cost of a lot of technical performance (not very detailed, somewhat mushy and bloated, dense but diffuse stage, etc), I would not put it anywhere close to the aqua in both signature and technical ability. It’s just very colored (up there to maybe some of the most colored dacs I’ve heard) and really not my thing, but I can see how it’s appealing to some lol. Personally I enjoy the MHDT dacs for a similar reason but they’re a bit more tame in coloration and offer improved technical performance (in some models, but I wouldn’t put those in the same category either)
I do have a large collection of jazz SACDs and a modified transport that spits DoP over coax, but like most, the vast majority of my collection is CDs, so finding the best conversion of red book level PCM remains my primary objective. I have a streamer that with a AKM based DS DAC that accepts DoP via coax so will likely continue using that for SACD conversion and focus my search on quality of PCM.
Appreciate your take on BorderPatrol. I’d been intrigued by the descriptions in reviews of that vinyl-like, non-fatiguing sound, but of course would prefer to find something approaching that without the trade-offs you describe in your response.
These responses have been so helpful I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask if you’d mind sharing your take on another discrete ladder DAC (if you’ve had the opportunity to hear it) that has received many superlatives reviews but likely came out after your exhaustive comparison articles–the LAIV Harmony DAC. Specifically how it compares to the LaVoce 3 overall and in soundstage depth and image placement/separation, and your personal preference between the two.
I think it sounds like what people think vinyl sounds like, rather than good vinyl if that makes sense lol. It’s just got a lot of character and that’s nice and all but it’s not something I personally want. It’s unique, and I can see how some really like it, but it’s really dependent on the chain. It’s also got really high output impedance so you have to be careful
Never heard it, I have kinda taken a break from audio for the past year so I’ve been out of the loop, sorry about that
Hopefully you’ve been able to sit back a bit and actually enjoy listening rather than analyzing in the interim. Thanks again for all your takes.
@Jetman, I don’t suppose you auditioned the LAIV (or PB or any of the Denafrips 15ths for that matter) before settling on the Rockna to replace the LaVoce?
I went from the SMSL SU8 to the Bifrost 2 to the Pontus 2 to the LaVoce and then the Rockna. I still have the Bifrost 2 on my sim rig and the SU8 on my TV in the bedroom.
I’ve just had to make radical changes in my life and was kinda forced to step away for awhile, but I’ve been slowly getting back into it. I don’t think I’ll really be able to be as dedicated as I once was before anytime soon, but just been slowly rebuilding
Have you had a chance to put ears on a Wavedream Reference yet? I’m itching to upgrade for no reason at all and while I like my Signature Balanced, I just can’t help but wonder. Also, shot in the dark, ever had a chance to hear the Accurate Audio D1000 or D1000 mk2 Wavedream knockoffs? I’ve heard a couple really good things about them.
I have not, I have heard it’s worthwhile though lol
I was going to awhile ago, but just ended up not wanting to deal with getting ahold of one so I didn’t, I am curious about them, I have heard the vio ripoff which was meh so maybe it would be good for the money but I don’t really know how it would stack up for the real thing, honestly at that price point you’d be better off just saving up for the real thing or buying used imo
