This would be my top 10 in that price range:
A lot of solid options in the $2.5k price range used! If you’ve never heard it then drop it, if you think that maybe the amber 3 > Lite then drop it or if you think it’s uncompetitive then also drop it. Whatever is easiest for you and something that you would enjoy sharing,
All noted lol
I’d have to grab the esoteric, and I might want to re grab the ma-1 since I haven’t heard that one in awhile
I don’t really like the da-06 though, it was very mushy and soft, fairly uncontrolled, lacking enough technical performance for the price to where I didn’t find it all that worthwhile for the money
The lite 7 is a bit higher level than the amber 3, but I would include the amber 3 over the lite 7 since I have more experience with the amber 3 myself. But I could also give a nod to some of the older but still worthwhile lampi models you can grab
Sure, I actually choose sw1x over audio note though in this price range, personally I think they offer better performance per dollar
I actually have a pro idsd but I don’t use it and it’s not really mine, but I could consider including it. It just isn’t all that remarkable to me
Holo May kte (or spring 2 kte)
Aqua la voce s3
lampizator amber 3
sonnet morpheus
Edit: + the Terminator
Also, did not rank in order of any preference.
So far it seems like
may/spring 2 kte
la voce s3
amber 3
morpheus
terminator
some chord (prob qutest but tt2 if people really want)
yggy a2
bda-3
sagra
berkeley alpha series 2
could be the lineup I would settle on comparing (limiting to 10 here)
I could potentially throw in the audio note or sw1x dacs or ifi pro idsd from what interest is here if need be
Others seem to have less interest so far
This will most likely be a pretty condensed from memory shootout then, since so far this is all stuff I’ve had for long enough at one point to understand it well sans the terminator, but I might as well go and pick one up. Should I go for the og terminator or the plus?
From your descriptions of the high-end DACs, the Audio Note 5 sounded the most appealing for my tastes (not that I can afford it), so yeah, if you think the lower model Audio Notes or SW1X have a similar kind of sound, then it would be nice to see one of them included in the comparison.
So my main problem with the lower end audio note is that while they might carry a similar signature and organicness, the lower end ones just end up not having enough technical performance to impress me vs the dac 5, and that’s where I think sw1x pulls ahead while having a similar tuning/signature (their design is somewhat similar to the audio notes as well)
Could be interesting to throw the P6 in the mix for fun. I’m sure it can’t keep up with some others on the list, but there are a couple it likely trades blows with. Very intriguing list.
Oooooo now that would be interesting lol. And actually potentially would keep up with some of the dac models in some way given you use the p6p for the comparison (mainly the bda 3, yggy a2, spring 2 kte, and qutest)
That’s a badass lineup that many of the people on this forum can afford or someday hope to afford.
Ordered a terminator ii, this should be interesting lol, so I’ll be putting that through it’s paces for the next month or two (depending on when I actually get it). I can then start trying to form the comparisons (or I guess I could do that now for some of the stuff I’ve already heard, but idk)
I was going to go for the plus but that would have been technically out of budget for this comparison (although I’m sure used at some point it would drop to bring reasonable, but it isn’t at the time of writing)
So speaking for myself, since the only point of reference I have is sub-$2k DACs, maybe it would also be nice to include a baseline of where you hear some common stacks like RNHP+BF2 or v280+2541 in the comparison as well?
I don’t know if that even makes sense for the comparison you’re looking at doing, but it would be nice to be able to read about the $2k+ DACs and have some idea where they land in comparison to the less-expensive equipment I’m used to hearing and would be upgrading from.
So I could, but my concern is that it wouldn’t offer much insight to do so, as it would likely put them in the bottom of every category since the dacs planned are pretty much just generally a step above, sometimes in a pretty non close manner. So I don’t know if it would be much use including them
Possibly this might help. So I might as well try a sloppy way of conveying what you get with each tier, from top to bottom. This is literally off the top of my head overall so it’s not going to be the most thought out, again greatly generalized (notice a trend here lol?), but perhaps this will give some context
This is for new prices btw, not including used, this is basically just how I feel about the different tiers of dacs. This doesn’t include specific synergy, just how I think making the jumps through the tiers end up turning out. Examples are just examples, they don’t mean anything more than that, just showing random options in the range. Assume synergy demands increase with each tier for simplicity and dacs are evaluated with the highest tier amps and headphones to totally reveal synergy. Don’t worry about the names lol
The entry level tier, mainly centered around 100 bucks. Examples include topping e30, earmen donald dac, schiit modi 3+, etc. These dacs offer a step up over your phone/pc build in dacs, and are simple plug and play dacs that do their job well enough, but nothing remarkable, just get the job done. Basically they differences between them are smaller and you are looking for features.
The upper entry level tier which is around 200-300 bucks. Examples include schiit modius, geshelli jnog/enog, aune x8, etc. More features to be had (specifically balanced typically), more features like pre options or more IO, and have a smaller but noticeable step up from the previous tier, further refinement of merely ok, better than just get the job done, but not by much.
The no mans land of dacs, around 300-600 ish bucks. Examples include allo revolution (with shanti lps), topping d70s, smsl m500, etc. You don’t want to be here most of the time, the options generally (with exception of a select few) don’t provide that significant boost in sound quality or features over the upper entry level, so it makes more sense to stick below and save money, or move up and get much larger returns by spending a bit more actually.
The midrange tier of dacs, around 600-1k. Examples include schiit bifrost 2, denafrips ares ii, mytek liberty, etc. This is where you get a big immediate jump in sound quality over previous dacs, and also where things start to branch out and differ significantly from each other, so differences between both the lower tier dacs and the midrange tier of dacs themselves make themselves reasonably apparent. Generally dacs in this range get to where they start to offer reasonable organicness AND technical performance balances that you didn’t get in lower tiers (typically in lower tiers you make more of a sacrifice for one side), good all rounders and reasonably capable. You start to get more spatial recreation, dynamics, timbre, and lower level information which you don’t really get in the lower tiers.
The entry high end tier of dacs, around 1-1.5k. Examples include soekris dac2541, holo cyan, chord qutest. Now you take another step up in technical performance but typically not as far in organicness and refinement, so potentially still trading some blows with midrange tier. Things start to resolve low level detail better, texture becomes something you can now tell is clearly starting to be there, overall clarity improves a fair bit, and spatial recreation gets more holographic, although again not as much of improvements in organics and may make more compromises to get there, things are less balanced here, as some dacs end up deciding which side to favor more.
The midrange high end tier of dacs, around 1.5-2.5k. Examples include holo spring 2 kte, schiit yggy a2, crane song solaris quantum. A solid step above the entry high end and midrange tier overall that’s fairly immediately noticable. This now regains more balance between technical performance, where you get further gains in that area but organicness now catches up, you start to get a lot of balance, coherency, and decent organicness coupled with a high level of technical performance that leads to an overall pretty great experience. Starting to excel in fluid presentation of low level info, apparent texture, refined and coherent stage that are accurate and somewhat convincing, good dynamics, and impressive difference between the dacs themselves (can be pretty dang different at this point). Also starting to control tonal density and presentation quite well. Also your digital source really starts to play a role here in what you feed it with, so start to take note of that. A decent streamer or midrange ddc is worth a look.
The upper high end tier of dacs, from around 2.5k-5k. Examples include lampizator amber 3, aqua la voce s3, xi sagra, etc. Another solid step up although some of the midrange high end may compete in some aspects but not many, and it might not be immediate but will def reveal itself with longer listening. Overall technical performance and organicness take another bump, getting really into the range of refinement and capability packaged together, dacs now heavily differ from each other a fair bit (although the ones in the previous tier already did that pretty well). They present their capabilities with very good coherency, feel less strained in presentation, strong focus on intangibles with really getting into control and grip, very impressive texture, dynamics specifically micro, timbre, and spatial recreation in an organic way. Also having good tonal density control. When you get here you may notice the dacs more adapting to the source material playing when it comes to their signature and technical ability (ex might be stage adapting it’s size to the tracks). Digital source dependence increases here once again.
The very high end tier of dacs, from around 5-10k. Overall step up for sure, pretty immediate. Examples include bricasti m1, mojo mystique evo b4b or basic, weiss dac501, etc. So now you are getting a significant boost in realism overall, with an increase in technicality and a bigger boost in organicness leading to a sense of completeness and refinement, being also getting a sense of effortlessness. Really getting into smoothness and liquidity with still a ton of technical ability, texture for sure and tons of nuance, spatial recreation that is feeling more in the room or at the recording, timbre that feels very convincing, real command over the output. The quality of the dac is becoming very reliant on the quality of the source material and the quality of the digital input into the dac. Also feature wise, some of these dacs may have pretty decent streamers in them too depending on the dac or other interesting features that many not be something you see on other lower end dacs
The exclusive level of dacs, from around 10-20k. Examples include rockna wavedream signature bal, nagra classic dac, mola mola tambaqui, etc. Another fairly immediate jump in quality over the previous tier. This really kicks almost everything up a notch for the most part, and you get pretty massive differences between each dac, all going for different goals. Overall completeness is very impressive, and balance is sweet although they still typically favor some aspects over others. Nuance is through the roof, low level information is crazy but not in your face, texture super apparent, dynamics very capable. The dac really adapts to what it’s being feed with (both good and bad, super reliant on incoming digital signal and source material). Overall feeling of being there and realism really getting there and things start to get so good that it’s hard to pick out single aspects of a dac and not treat it as a whole as it’s so coherent
The summit level of dacs, from 20k+ (lazy and can’t think of any more tier names, there should be more but this is enough for the sake of this). Examples include totaldac d1-direct, aries cerat kassandra ii ref, lampizator gg2 discrete bal, etc. These are typically jaw drop moments on hearing them, fairly quickly. Not to say you can’t get that from some of the lower tiers, but these just hit you when you hear them right away and keep you that way the entire time. Generally technical level feels limitless, the dac feels so refined that it doesn’t feel like it’s there almost, the sound is crazy realistic most of the time with different flavors added in, really hard to describe easily. Digital input and sources make or break at this level
I will likely refine this later since I just did this briefly and today I’m slightly out of it, so sorry if it’s hard to understand or slightly inconsitant for now. Hopefully this would give some insight on to what potential changes you would see as you move up. But again this is assuming you already have top tier amps and headphones. If you handicap that area this will all change of course. And again, this is over generalization and it will depend on the specific dac at hand. Sorting tiers by price isn’t really fair but I don’t have the time to sort like every dac I’ve heard into these tiers either so price will have to do for now lol (price just happens to be the most consistent and I only base it off of what options can be had at that price point, there will always be things that don’t hold up despite being in the price point)
Also to perhaps find limits, I’d say that for an amp like the v280, I really wouldn’t go above midrange high end dacs (just going to roll with the names lol), you can get more out of the upper high end tier of dacs but at that point I would really want to upgrade my amp first for more benefit. I wouldn’t find it worthwhile to go anything past upper high end with a v280. This is assuming your headphones are also a reasonable match for the v280 as well (perhaps something like a clear, arya, hd800s, beyer t1.2, etc)
Hey @M0N do you mind giving me a quick run-down on the aqua la voce s3 vs a holo spring?
I intended for the Spring 3 (I know it’s not out yet but it should be pretty close to a May according to Tim) but I see a used aqua for a good price so would appreciate any quick thoughts you might have on their differences…
Thanks! It’s so cool!
Edit: Looks sexy, but $3000. Yiiikes.
So compared to a may kte, I think they are on somewhat equal footing:
The may is more noticeably colored, a bit warmer smoother, the holo is a bit more dry and less tonally dense than the aqua, less soft than the aqua, the holo might have a more holographic sound but the aqua has a more organic spatial recreation (the holo has a larger stage with more sharp placement but it sounds strangely artificial at times in comparison). Generally detail would be similar, the timbre might go to the aqua, in terms of dynamics the holo might be more alive there macro wise but the aqua is more faithful to the recording when it comes to dynamics micro wise. Speed the Holo does feel like it has the edge. Smoothness wise the aqua has better liquidity. When it comes to extension I think the may has a slight edge. For texture I feel the aqua generally provides more texture overall although the May may have an edge in subbass texture.
Touching on stage a bit more, on the holo is more expansive and wider reaching, sounds more 3d in general, but I think the aqua does a few key things better: representation of empty space/nothingness between instruments, the sizing of instruments and dynamics in that stage, and more accurately adapting it’s stage to meet what was recorded in the recording. To touch on the nothingness factor, the space between the instruments is semi audible on the may if that makes sense, things are well separated in their place, but you can just feel like there is something between there, where with the aqua, it doesn’t have that so things seem more natural. The holo may also doesn’t size instruments as well, they can either sound a bit similar size when they shouldn’t be, like a trumpet can feel almost as large as a tuba, which really shouldn’t be the case, so the aqua does a better job at accurately sizing those instruments. And then also the holo can sometimes sound artificially large and deep which is fun, but it will generally not adapt it’s stage to better match the recording, which the aqua does, if you have something recorded in a small room, it can sound overly large on the holo and it more sounds like a smaller room on the aqua. The holo does give a bit more out of head stage but it really comes at the cost of sounding as realistic as the aqua
So generally both are very solid, depends on synergy and preference. Holo is more energetic and holographic, auqa is more organic and nuanced, both pretty technical, neither will disappoint
It’s cool but imo pretty lackluster at that price unfortunately (nice detail and control and grip and reasonably neutral, but lackluster timbre, meh spatial recreation, and limited dynamics for the price). Great crossfeed though and it does look sweet
A thought here @M0N which has nothing to do with sound and everything to do with the hobby and being able to resell stuff you purchase in case it didn’t mesh well.
That’s the big value I see in what you’re doing/done here. A lot of the foundational commentary is good, since we often aren’t going to get it elsewhere. (popular you tubers don’t tend to do reviews on these brands) and you’ve been a good constant in the way you’ve described differences when comparing DACs.
Anyway, back to my point, there are some devices/brands that are safe purchases. Meaning you’re not going to take a bath reselling them and that sell quick, often in less than a week of posting. Then there are others that although of the same tier or caliber, simply sit or lag and it’s not always because of their capability. It’s hard to put a finger as to what/why the delineation happens but it’s an organic process that feels a little herd like in mentality. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. lol
Just that if you do research, there are quality items that will decrease in value a lot more and you’ll have a better shot at negotiating prices down because they’ve sat for a month or two but comparisons like these help us to be educated about purchasing those. Knowing what you’re getting into before you purchase it is half the battle.
