DAC for Job amp

P

polaron

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Feb 14, 2014
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France - Fontainebleau
Hello!
I am building a new system and my goal is to buy the most affordable high end devices with the best possible quality.
My Jordan full range speakers have 87Db and I am thinking about installing a pair of 15" Audio Nirvana Speakers in two DIY boxes - I will order the boxes, may be. Now I have to choose a DAC with volume control to drive the Job.

Auralic or Sotm would be a good choice for me, but I want something a litle bit more affordable, something like the Mytek.
Mytek is perfect technically, because one can choose the ideal output level, so it would be no problem to have a very sensitive amp like job with very sensitive speakers. It is allways possible to change the speakers, if you can change the output of your dac.
A dac with high output conected to the job and very sensitive drivers would be a disaster.
So the question is what dac with pre amp control can be a good match with the Job, regardless speakers. Difficult question?
To keep it simple, what dac for the Job, not expensive, with vol control. Again, I know that Mytek is theoretically perfet. What I am trying is to have here is an opinion about this match in terms of sound. It could be the Mytek or another, I just don't know what. Buying directly in the website is fantastic and we can get very good prices for hi end, but we have to make decisions without earing - that's the other side of this coin...
Suggestions accepetd!
Thank you very much for reading. I really would appreciate your help.
Cheers!
 
The BMC Pure DAC should be right up your alley. Give me a few days and I'll let you know how the combo works.
 
I had good experience with the Bel Canto DAC/Pre. I had the 3 box version 3.5vb mk2 with REFLink. I think the 2.5 is an excellent choice for a one box solution and it is a half-size component (similar to the Job225, "fun size" package). I have also heard good things about the BMC Pure DAC. Mytek and Benchmark are chocked-full of great features as well.
 
Never heard it, but I have no doubts. It is not very rational, but I know and will buy without hesitation.
I am also finishing two very nive chip amps - one LM3886 and one 3875. Both monoblocs with dual 300 va transformers and BL gate caps, but also want the job as a less "romantic" amp.... although these chip amps are very demanding about sources. I already heard the LM3886 out of chassis and it is really good - for my tastes - better than Gaincard. It's my first diy project and I had the help from someone very helpfull from diyaudo forum.
 
The Job is very articulate, natural and three dimensional. A wonderful amp. Good luck with all your projects. Looks like you are having fun.
 
I haven't decide yet for the Mytek but I confess I'd love to be sure that it is a good match to the Job.
That's because I think it has really a good value : the firewire in should cost at least 500 us$ and the pre amp, wel, most users are more than happy.
We can almost say that the dac is a bonus :rolleyes:, plus all the options... but I will check all these suggested dac/amps here...
 
Hi Polaron,

I posted some impressions on the other thread about the Job 225, as well as the thread of preamp recommendations.

The B.M.C. is a very nice match for the Job, with good control over the volume range (the steps between each volume level is fine enough not to create problems). Since the B.M.C. controls volume by directly adjusting gain, the overall approach is quite appealing from a purist point of view.

I sat in my listening chair yesterday night listening in detail to the B.M.C. / Job. I was thinking how this combination had replaced a Calyx Femto, CJ ET3SE and CJ Classic 60SE, which cost about 4-5X the cost (not including the additional power cords and interconnects). Yes, the Calyx / CJ combo sounded better, but the B.M.C. / Job really did a splendid job for the price. Without a direct comparison, I could easily live with the B.M.C. / Job.

All this is in context of driving my Focal Diablo Utopia speakers, which are quite unforgiving to upstream equipment.

However, I do admit to having to tweak the B.M.C. / Job combo to get the tone I wanted. The B.M.C. and Job both are sweet sounding equipment, which was a little bit too heavy and thick sounding for me, and lacking in top end extension. I put a set of Finite Elemente Ceraballs under the B.M.C. and Franc Audio Ceramic Disc footers under the Job. The finale treat was to swap the Job's fuse for a Telos QBT-18 fuse. I got additional speed and focus, with much better top end extension.

So, I think the B.M.C. / Job is a real winner, but it needs some work to really shine.

If you are interested and can stretch your budget (I think it would be at least 2.5x the B.M.C.), I can hook up an Antelope Zodiac Gold DAC this weekend to see how well it matches the Job. The Antelope has an excellent volume control section too. It uses a relay controlled discrete resistor network.

I've done up a detailed review on my audio blog on the B.M.C. if you are interested,

Eric's Hi-Fi Blog: B.M.C. Audio PureDAC
 
Hi watchdog
Thanks for the nice and informative post.
I read the article in your blog, very interesting. It is allways instructive to have all this feedback.
First of all : aesthetically I find the BMC very nice - and very well built - but not for my tastes. I like low profil designs in hifi, sometimes I like "ugly", but I have to recognize that everything has a lot of logic in that front panel.
At the moment I have budget limitations, but if I had decided for a better dac, I would prefer Sotm, or Auralic Vega... or Hex. I didn't make deep investigations about Antelope, but a friend of mine heard one and told me that it is very very musical.
I could be happy with BMC, I think, but I still am tempted by MyTek or... Anedio2. Anedio is selling for 1250 us dol, less than 1000 euros. Mytec has a very good Firewire and more options and I've been reading a lot of good comments from professionals and amateurs. It also has a good analogue vol control.
Anyway, if you hook up the Antelope Gold Dac I would be very pleased to read about your impressions, specially with the Job - just if you want to do it for your own curiosity. It is out of my wallet now.
I wait for the post about Job, coming in March I think.
Cheers!
 
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