Looking for Tube DAC recommendations .....

Hi Joe, I have the Lampizator 4 coming in a few weeks. Just remember it takes a good 2-3 mths to get one depending on how busy bobthebuilder is. The Ref DAC is a great thing & the only reason I didn't buy it is that I want separate components so i went to the Soulution pre & the Lampi. Will give you an update when I have some hours on it.Wouldn't bother with the Lampizator Joe
 
Joe - I think "THE" DAC to get will be the new Lampizator Series 4 (with DSD capability coming). It will be tube and fully DSD compatible!

Fikus wrote: "HA !!! Finally - DSD done RIGHT !
I am very excited to have created my first DSD DAC and done it without chips. I designed a pure tube, zero solid state active decoder and filter that does DSD conversion without silicon. It is not easy to make but so satisfying. It takes all formats and file types and plays them with vinyl quality. It is for me a new era of digital. And in accordance with my LampizatOr principles I have glowing tubes in the DAC."


Mike

Hi Joe, I have the Lampizator 4 coming in a few weeks. Just remember it takes a good 2-3 mths to get one depending on how busy bobthebuilder is. The Ref DAC is a great thing & the only reason I didn't buy it is that I want separate components so i went to the Soulution pre & the Lampi. Will give you an update when I have some hours on it.

Thanks Mike. Great recommendation

Kev,

Congratulations! I will be very interested in your opinion. I am not in a hurry but thought I'd start the research early.

Keep us posted.
 
Joe...many good choices already mentioned (ARC Ref DAC and CD 9, AMR DP-777, Lampizator, all the Wavelength USB DACs), so a few more for your consideration (and these run the gamut int erms of price range):

1) EAR 192 DACute: ear sources

or the newly released EAR SACD DAC (meaning can handle DSD) and Transport. And here is a pic of that combo from the NY Audio Show:

41513ear.jpg


And here's a link to the show blog: Wes Bender Studio/E.A.R. | AudioStream

The EAR 192 DACute has quite a few reviews out there:

http://www.earyoshino.com/HiFi_World_2011_November_EAR-Yoshino_192_DACute.pdf
EAR 192 DACute (£4003/£4440) - Outboard DACs

Here's a review of the CD player with USB input: ear acute

2) Oppo BDP-105 with Modwright Tube Mods:

105-website.jpg


Of course for review, look no further than our very own Jeff (JJinID) with his thread on the subject here: http://audioshark.org/modwright-instruments-69/modwright-oppo-bdp-105-a-122.html. He finds it competitive with $10K player DACs!

3) Ayon CD-5S:

AyonCD5s.jpg


Serge owns both the the EAR ACute CD player and the Ayon 5S both of which are tubed player/DACs. Reviews:

Ayon Audio CD-5s CD Player Review | Dagogo | A Unique Audiophile Experience
http://www.ayonaudio.com/fileadmin/upload/review/helios_CD5s_Audiophile_2011.pdf
http://www.ayonaudio.com/fileadmin/pdf4/CD5s_The_AbsoluteSound_2011_Editors_Choice_Awards_CD5s.pdf
 

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Cyril,

Thank you for all the great recommendations. I really do have a lot to look at. The ModWright Oppo 105 is high on my list but the others will definitely be looked at for sure.
 
Joe,
I have heard tube dacs sounding less analog than my MDA1000 so to be honest, I don't have any interests in tubes in a dac.
Sorry guys but you're just falling into marketing here.
To deliver a 2.5V signal out of a digital source, there is absolutely ZERO reason to prefer tubes over class A discrete components. The level of "amplification" is so tiny there that tubes have absolutely no justification. At this level, tubes and SS act exactly the same.
Tubes get their utility in preamps, power amps and phono stages.
Even the use of a 6550 tube in the power supply section like ARC does is very questionnable.
 
Joe,
I have heard tube dacs sounding less analog than my MDA1000 so to be honest, I don't have any interests in tubes in a dac.
Sorry guys but you're just falling into marketing here.
To deliver a 2.5V signal out of a digital source, there is absolutely ZERO reason to prefer tubes over class A discrete components. The level of "amplification" is so tiny there that tubes have absolutely no justification. At this level, tubes and SS act exactly the same.
Tubes get their utility in preamps, power amps and phono stages.
Even the use of a 6550 tube in the power supply section like ARC does is very questionnable.

I see your point Jerome, but sometimes people just want tubes. Tubes, tubes, glorious tubes! :lol:
 
Joe,
I have heard tube dacs sounding less analog than my MDA1000 so to be honest, I don't have any interests in tubes in a dac.
Sorry guys but you're just falling into marketing here.
To deliver a 2.5V signal out of a digital source, there is absolutely ZERO reason to prefer tubes over class A discrete components. The level of "amplification" is so tiny there that tubes have absolutely no justification. At this level, tubes and SS act exactly the same.
Tubes get their utility in preamps, power amps and phono stages.
Even the use of a 6550 tube in the power supply section like ARC does is very questionnable.

Jerome...I am not sure I follow the logic in your argument. Can you explain more what you mean? Thx
 
Cyril,
What I say is pretty well known in the audio world :
There is no justification to use tubes in a source component which delivers a signal of 1.8 to 2.5 V. At such levels, tubes are not different than SS components : actually they can only add more noise.
Even Nagra does not use tubes in their cd player or their dac. If you ask them why, they will give you this answer. Tubes in a fixed low output digital component where no amplification is needed ( I'm not talking about dacs or cd players with a preamp section and a variable output of 6 to 8 V ) have no effects on the sound and no advantages over SS.
They are used for marketing reasons in those places.
 
Cyril,
To be perfectly clear, I do not mean that tube based CD players or Dac do not sound good. Most of them sound wonderful, but they would sound the same with SS components.
As Doug said, some people want tubes everywhere.
So now you found tubes in cd and dacs and power supplies !
 
Jerome... I have no understanding of the technical specs. All I know is my AMR CD player sounds amazing. I guess I am saying I don't care if it's SS or tube I just want it to sound great.
 
Jeff,

I mean the same. If a tube Dac sounds great I will buy it anyway. I just do not believe that the great sound will be BECAUSE of the use of tubes, opposite to preamps and power amps.
 
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How about a $399 DAC that blows away competitors costing 2K or more? Heard about this from an audiophile friend before it was even available...pretty incredible

Their site MyDac

Reviews
Product Preview: Micromega MyDAC -The $399 Miracle | The Absolute Sound

The Micromega MyDac is an instant audiophile classic | The Audiophiliac - CNET News

I am a TUBE guy and I can tell you, unless its to light the room or for visual coolness, stick with SS. I am sure that there are some VERY fine tube decks out there that sound equally as good (as has been pointed out earlier) but you will be paying for the coolness of the tubes, not what they add.

Save yourself ALOT of money and investigate the MYDAC
 
If I had not ordered the modded Sony 5400, I'd have the modded Oppo 105. Now that I see some light on a stand alone unit, I'm happy.

I'm sure Dan's preamp is awesome. Looks like he knows his stuff. :)
 
This is one looking at ... ancient ... no up sampling ... no high rez ... but divine with 16/44 ... Zanden 5000S

2006-10-ZANDEN-2k5k.jpg
 
This is one looking at ... ancient ... no up sampling ... no high rez ... but divine with 16/44 ... Zanden 5000S

2006-10-ZANDEN-2k5k.jpg
 
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