Still Searching

[blackraven]

I am still in the hunt for a new DAC. I bought a Cary 200ts DAC and returned it. It sounded very similar to my AVA DAC and it was not worth the money for the slight improvement in sound.

I am going to hear a Luxman DA-06 DAC Tuesday evening. It may have the sound that I am looking for. A guy is going to bring it over to my house. He says the reviews on it are spot on.

Here are a few reviews-

Computer Audiophile - Luxman DA-06 Review (http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/525-luxman-da-06-dac-review/)

SoundStage! Hi-Fi | SoundStageHiFi.com - Luxman DA-06 Digital-to-Analog Converter (http://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/678-luxman-da-06-digital-to-analog-converter)

Luxman DA-06 D/A processor | Stereophile.com (http://www.stereophile.com/content/luxman-da-06-da-processor)

I like the fact that all 3 reviews are very similar in describing the DAC.


The other DAC that I am considering is the Lampizator Amber and the Level 4 Lampi.

I got to hear the Amber in a friends system and it sounded great. He is going to bring it over so I can hear it in my system. He had it paired with a pair of Sonus Faber Venere towers and a Parasound A21 amp and P7 preamp. The sound was warm, transparent, detailed and smooth. It certainly was not the Parasounds giving the warm and smooth sound.

[Mr Peabody]

Ah, the hunt :) The Lampi L's sound better but they cost more as well. Keep us posted on how the two work in your system.

[blackraven]

Mr. P, There is used L4 for sale that I may buy.

[frenchmon]

You can get a brand new Lampizator Amber in your price range, Raven. Its the entry level that sounds better than most high end dacs around.

[blackraven]

You can get a brand new Lampizator Amber in your price range, Raven. Its the entry level that sounds better than most high end dacs around.


Frenchmon, I am looking at the Amber Plus with all the upgrades for under $3K. I am really hoping that the Luxman sounds the best due to its features and build quality. It's built like a tank, does DSD and upconverts which the Lampi does not do.

[Feanor]

So looks like you're really determined to get a top DAC -- a worth objective, I'd say. I'm sure Mr Peabody agrees with the importance of the "source first" priority.

A couple I'd look at a little below the highest price levels would be these.

As a current Schiit Audio use, (Bfrost Uber), I'd like to hear their YGGDRASIL which has some slightly excentric technology, including the Analog Devices AD5791 21-bit ladder DAC rather than more trendy 24-bit delta/sigma types; (it handles up to 24/192 input however.) It has an all-discrete analogy section and is upgradeable via interchangeable daughter boards for input, USB, DAC, and analog output. See HERE (http://schiit.com/products/yggdrasil).

As patriotic Canada, I'd also love the hear the Bryston BDA 2 DAC. See HERE (http://bryston.com/products/digital_audio/BDA-2.html).

Both of these DACs are under US$2400. Unfortunately neither handle DSD.

[blackraven]

A high end DAC is the last piece of the puzzle for my system unless I decide to move away from Magnepans and find a used pair of PSB Synchony 1's or a new pair of Harbeths or Sonus Faber Venere's which I recently heard. I heard the Harbeths at Axpona in the Vinny Rossi room and was blown away.


I have considered the Yggdrasil, but I would like to see more reviews. I am leery of the guys posting that it blows the Bricasti M1 out of the water and just about every other high end DAC they can think of. I can get the Luxman direct from Japan for about $2700.

I ruled out the Vega as it is bright sounding. The Lampizator Amber Plus can be had for about $2500.

[frenchmon]

Raven...you lost me here....what do you mean the Amber cant do DSD and upconvert?

[blackraven]

Raven...you lost me here....what do you mean the Amber cant do DSD and upconvert?

The Amber plays what you feed it up 32 bit 384. You have to use your computer software like JRiver if you want to upconvert. It was my mistake, it will play a DSD signal up to 128.

[Feanor]

A high end DAC is the last piece of the puzzle for my system unless I decide to move away from Magnepans and find a used pair of PSB Synchony 1's or a new pair of Harbeths or Sonus Faber Venere's which I recently heard. I heard the Harbeths at Axpona in the Vinny Rossi room and was blown away.


My conclusion is that the Magneplanar MG 1.6QR's are remarkable speakers, (not to say there can't be better ones), It sounds yours have been up to the task of exploiting the other upgrades you've made. Apart from the cost which is highly significant to me, I'm reluctant launch into a search for replacements since they are so good.

Re. the PSB Synchronys, I notice that PSB is no longer listing them as current on their website, in fact they list only their Imagine and Alpha lines as current. The latter are considered a step down from the Synchronys as far as I know.

The Sonus Faber Venere's are certainly impressive looking and on paper. At under $3k the Venere 2.5's look quite attractive.

The value of hearing speakers or any other component in some hotel/conference venue is limited, IMO. As it stands, the only speakers I would consider buying w/o hearing them first in my system would be Magneplanar 1.7's or 3.7's. However I'll admit that there is a certain appeal for me to have smaller, less obtrusive speakers especially if they can be placed closer to the wall behind.

[blackraven]

There is nothing in the price range of the 1.6-1.7's that can compete with them. My issue is that my room is live and I have a system that should not sound bright but is does lean a little to the bright side of neutral because of the room acoustics which is not going to change. I know that the PSB Synchony's are discontinued but there are still quite a few for sale. As for the Sonus Faber's I would consider the 3.0's, but I would probably try and up my budget for the Harbeth's at about $5500pr. PSB does have a replacement for the Synchony's but they sell for about $6500pr.

[frenchmon]

I haven't heard a Harbeth that I thought was really worth the money.

Have you considered these for your room?

How to place HFT?s & FEQ in your listening room | Synergistic Research (http://www.synergisticresearch.com/featured/how-to-place-hfts-feq-in-your-listening-room/)

If you're going to spend that much for Harbeths, before you do, consider these?

Acoustic Zen Adagio - Upscale Audio (http://www.upscaleaudio.com/acoustic-zen-adagio/?page_context=category&faceted_search=0)

And several good brands here that would better the Harbeth in my opinion.

New & Used Specials - Loudspeakers - Upscale Audio (http://www.upscaleaudio.com/Specials/Loudspeakers/)

All Products - Loudspeakers - Sonus faber - Upscale Audio (http://www.upscaleaudio.com/Loudspeakers/Sonus-faber/)

All Products - Loudspeakers - Upscale Audio (http://www.upscaleaudio.com/Loudspeakers/)

and these would simply crush the Harbeths

Reference 7 K | High End Lautsprecher | Reference K | Canton Lautsprecher (http://www.canton.de/de/reference-k/reference-7-k)

The main problem with Harbeths is they don't do all music well....they mainly do female voices and softer music like some types of Jazz well and some classical. But you may not share in that opinion.

[blackraven]

I think I have finally found the DAC that suits me. I got to hear the Luxman DA-06 DAC in my system last night. It sounds awesome. It is just as the 3 professional reviews have stated. It is extremely musical and dynamic. It leans a touch on the warmer side and it has a huge sound stage with great midrange depth and emotion. It does have some midbass bloom which I like. Treble is smooth, in fact the sound of the DAC is smooth and liquid. It has just enough detail. Bass is punchy, warm and controlled. Vocal, horns and piano sound just excellent. There is not fatigue what so ever. It is the most analog sounding DAC that I have heard. You can definitely tell that it is Burr Brown based and not a Sabre DAC. The build quality is superb, on par with the Marantz NA-11s1 that I briefly had.

I am going to hear the Lampizator Amber in my system this weekend and I will make my decision then.

[Jack in Wilmington]

I seem to have forgotten but what source are you using in this adventure and for me it has been an adventure, I sort of don't want it to end. The DA-06 is a very good looking piece of equipment. It sounds like its performance matches its good looks.

[blackraven]

I seem to have forgotten but what source are you using in this adventure and for me it has been an adventure, I sort of don't want it to end. The DA-06 is a very good looking piece of equipment. It sounds like its performance matches its good looks.

Jack, I just used Coax input from my CD player, no digital music yet. I am sure that it will sound better with hi-rez music.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Jack, I just used Coax input from my CD player, no digital music yet. I am sure that it will sound better with hi-rez music.

Is that the Music Hall 25.2 that I see in your equipment list? That's what I'm running, digital coax from my Rotel to my Bryston. I have my hi-rez coming in on USB to my BUC-1 and then AES-EBU to my BDA-1.

[frenchmon]

I think I have finally found the DAC that suits me. I got to hear the Luxman DA-06 DAC in my system last night. It sounds awesome. It is just as the 3 professional reviews have stated. It is extremely musical and dynamic. It leans a touch on the warmer side and it has a huge sound stage with great midrange depth and emotion. It does have some midbass bloom which I like. Treble is smooth, in fact the sound of the DAC is smooth and liquid. It has just enough detail. Bass is punchy, warm and controlled. Vocal, horns and piano sound just excellent. There is not fatigue what so ever. It is the most analog sounding DAC that I have heard. You can definitely tell that it is Burr Brown based and not a Sabre DAC. The build quality is superb, on par with the Marantz NA-11s1 that I briefly had.

I am going to hear the Lampizator Amber in my system this weekend and I will make my decision then.

Thats Great news! Keep us posted!

[blackraven]

Jack, you are correct about the Music Hall. I had it modified years ago and it ruined the sound, so I just use it as a transport.

[harley .guy07]

I think I have finally found the DAC that suits me. I got to hear the Luxman DA-06 DAC in my system last night. It sounds awesome. It is just as the 3 professional reviews have stated. It is extremely musical and dynamic. It leans a touch on the warmer side and it has a huge sound stage with great midrange depth and emotion. It does have some midbass bloom which I like. Treble is smooth, in fact the sound of the DAC is smooth and liquid. It has just enough detail. Bass is punchy, warm and controlled. Vocal, horns and piano sound just excellent. There is not fatigue what so ever. It is the most analog sounding DAC that I have heard. You can definitely tell that it is Burr Brown based and not a Sabre DAC. The build quality is superb, on par with the Marantz NA-11s1 that I briefly had.

I am going to hear the Lampizator Amber in my system this weekend and I will make my decision then.

I know what you are saying about the Burr Brown chip's sound. My PS Audio NuWave Dac has a chip in the same family in it from TI Burr Brown and it sounds a lot like you have described of the Luxman. I have never heard a Luxman dac but it sounds like a winner in your system. I think you are getting close to a complete system that you can live with for years. for me I am waiting to finally get out of School before starting back to upgrading my system again.

[blackraven]

I just pulled the trigger on the Luxman. I bought it direct from Japan. I should have it in a week. I also purchased a voltage step down converter 120v to 100v which they use in Japan.

[frenchmon]

Congrats on your new dac! Is there a huge benefit from ordering form Japan?

[blackraven]

Congrats on your new dac! Is there a huge benefit from ordering form Japan?

The DAC costs $5k in the U.S. down from the original $6K. I bought it for $2600 plus $140 shipping. The down side is that I have to buy a step down voltage converter for $20. Japan is 100v.

[Jack in Wilmington]

The DAC costs $5k in the U.S. down from the original $6K. I bought it for $2600 plus $140 shipping. The down side is that I have to buy a step down voltage converter for $20. Japan is 100v.

What were your impressions of the Lampi Amber?

[thekid]

Congrats on the new gear!
All of my DAC's are a bit long in the tooth but then again all of my gear is...
I like how they fill out the sound on my sources so I would love to hear what a more modern DAC does.

[blackraven]

What were your impressions of the Lampi Amber?

Jack, I was not able to hear the amber in my system. They guy had to cancel and wants to bring it over later in the week so I decided to just go with the Luxman since I liked it so much. The thing that I did not like about the Amber is that it must be connected to a usb source to work, even if you are using coax in from a transport. I may regret the decision if I and when I hear the Amber in my system.

As it turns out, the Japanese seller is including a voltage converter. I guess I will need to cancel my order for the one I purchased yesterday.

Kid, the newer generation DAC's are much improved over the previous generation, especially in the budget range. Finding the right DAC is all about system matching because many sound so different. I love the Luxman because it sounds so much like vinyl and it is so musical and a joy to listen to.

[thekid]

Kid, the newer generation DAC's are much improved over the previous generation, especially in the budget range. Finding the right DAC is all about system matching because many sound so different. I love the Luxman because it sounds so much like vinyl and it is so musical and a joy to listen to.

Thanks BR I have pretty much settled on my sources and speakers so it may be time for a a little tweaking. Updating one of the DAC's may be the way to go. Looking forward to hearing more of your impressions on the new gear.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Depending on how soon the Luxman arrives, you may be able to hear the Lampi and the Luxman head to head. That's odd about having the Amber hooked to a USB source even if you're not using it. My hi-rez files come in on a USB cable to my BUC-1, but go out on a AES/EBU.

[blackraven]

I am going to run my computer music through this little Vensmile Computer hooked up to a portable 1 or 2 terabyte external hard drive via wire and then control the Vensmile remotely with a tablet or laptop. I have a friend that uses this system and it works great without any hiccups. It plays DSD without any problems. I will be using JRiver. I have also decided to buy an Audio Quest Cinnamon USB cable.

Amazon.com : Vensmile Ipc002 Wintel Mini Smart Pc Compute Stick Atom Baytrail Cr, z3735f Quad-core (4c/4t) Soc CPU Windows 8.1 Pocket Mini Computer with Memory 2g Emmc 32g Bluetooth 4.0 Built-in Battery 2.4g/5g Dual Band Wifiipc002 Wintel Mini Pc Com (http://www.amazon.com/Vensmile-Baytrail-Quad-core-Bluetooth-Wifiipc002/dp/B00UBU9V6I/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1434382321&sr=1-2&keywords=vensmile+ipc002&pebp=1434382342218&perid=E22B13687915476EB957)

[Feanor]

It's quite amazing what the can pack into these small packages; it's also amazing that they can do it at the price, (US$120), especially considering the Win 8.1 OS is included.

[Feanor]

I am going to run my computer music through this little Vensmile Computer hooked up to a portable 1 or 2 terabyte external hard drive via wire and then control the Vensmile remotely with a tablet or laptop. I have a friend that uses this system and it works great without any hiccups. It plays DSD without any problems. I will be using JRiver. I have also decided to buy an Audio Quest Cinnamon USB cable.


Like I said, an amazing device.

Presently I'm giving really serious consideration to a Pipo X7 (http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/pc-mac-desktops/pipo-x7-1282773/review), not as a music player but as a media player to replace my old ASUS player.

The Pipo X7 doesn't have batter power but does have wired RJ45 LAN connector (albeit only 10-/100), more USB connections (unfortunately only USB 2), and full-sized HDMI out. I think this is a bit more suitable to my needs than the Vensmile.

[frenchmon]

I am going to run my computer music through this little Vensmile Computer hooked up to a portable 1 or 2 terabyte external hard drive via wire and then control the Vensmile remotely with a tablet or laptop. I have a friend that uses this system and it works great without any hiccups. It plays DSD without any problems. I will be using JRiver. I have also decided to buy an Audio Quest Cinnamon USB cable.

Amazon.com : Vensmile Ipc002 Wintel Mini Smart Pc Compute Stick Atom Baytrail Cr, z3735f Quad-core (4c/4t) Soc CPU Windows 8.1 Pocket Mini Computer with Memory 2g Emmc 32g Bluetooth 4.0 Built-in Battery 2.4g/5g Dual Band Wifiipc002 Wintel Mini Pc Com (http://www.amazon.com/Vensmile-Baytrail-Quad-core-Bluetooth-Wifiipc002/dp/B00UBU9V6I/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1434382321&sr=1-2&keywords=vensmile+ipc002&pebp=1434382342218&perid=E22B13687915476EB957)

Will it have enough processing power to play native DSD 128 with out skipping a beat? I know you said yes, but what processer speed and RAM does it have?

[blackraven]

Will it have enough processing power to play native DSD 128 with out skipping a beat? I know you said yes, but what processer speed and RAM does it have?

It uses 2GB of DDR3 at 1333mHz and the processor is an Intel Atom Baytrail quad core at 1.33 with turbo boost to 1.8Ghz on 22nm architecture (just remember, all Ghz are not created equal, there is much more to it than numbers). My friend has been using it for a month with hi-rez double DSD music without any problems. One of the reasons it does so well is that there basically nothing else running in the background. You can even do some light gaming with it. It has a stripped down version of Windows 8.1 and it will eventually have Windows 10 which is both good and bad because Micro Soft is going to start charging for some of the updates with Windows 10 and also making some updates mandatory because they have been sued by stupid people who don't update their computers and they have had security breaches. So hold on to your 8.1.

[frenchmon]

It uses 2GB of DDR3 at 1333mHz and the processor is an Intel Atom Baytrail quad core at 1.33 with turbo boost to 1.8Ghz on 22nm architecture (just remember, all Ghz are not created equal, there is much more to it than numbers). My friend has been using it for a month with hi-rez double DSD music without any problems. One of the reasons it does so well is that there basically nothing else running in the background. You can even do some light gaming with it. It has a stripped down version of Windows 8.1 and it will eventually have Windows 10 which is both good and bad because Micro Soft is going to start charging for some of the updates with Windows 10 and also making some updates mandatory because they have been sued by stupid people who don't update their computers and they have had security breaches. So hold on to your 8.1.

Im not really convinced, Raven. But that's just me. I know how these things go. I work in IT and we deal with networks and computer problems/issues daily with clients all across the country remotely. I work in a NOC (network operations center) solving computer issues and problems for some of the top companies in America. I'd have to wait and see if you get all you can and be satisfied with such a small processor and RAM.....even if it does well enough, you're at the limit with no room to spare. 1 and 0's can be complexed and varies from song to song. Some music takes more processor energy than others, so one day you man not experience any issues and the next day you can have all sorts of studdering and drop outs. Hope it all works for you and once again, congrats!

[blackraven]

Frenchmon, I know that you are skeptical but my friend is very reliable and I am going to go over to his house for a listen. He also works with computers for a living. I think that 30 days use of doing double DSD with out a hiccup is a fairly good test of the system. Bear in mind that the computer is not being asked to do any other tasks. It does play back 1080p video with out any problems as well. It has on board Intel HD 5000 graphics and an SSD.

For $100 bucks it is worth a try. I did not have any trouble playing hirez music on my old $2K (courtesy of work) custom latop that died recently. It had a P9500 processor dual core with 4gigs of fast ram that ran at 2.4Ghz and if was painfully slow compared to a computer with a first gen I3 that ran at 2.4Ghz.

[Feanor]

Frenchmon, I know that you are skeptical but my friend is very reliable and I am going to go over to his house for a listen. He also works with computers for a living. I think that 30 days use of doing double DSD with out a hiccup is a fairly good test of the system. Bear in mind that the computer is not being asked to do any other tasks. It does play back 1080p video with out any problems as well. It has on board Intel HD 5000 graphics and an SSD.

For $100 bucks it is worth a try. I did not have any trouble playing hirez music on my old $2K (courtesy of work) custom latop that died recently. It had a P9500 processor dual core with 4gigs of fast ram that ran at 2.4Ghz and if was painfully slow compared to a computer with a first gen I3 that ran at 2.4Ghz.

I think you're right that not asking the CPU to do a lot of other things -- such as running an antivirus program -- is the key. Decoding a few thousand bps is a inherently a trivial task for a gigahertz computer.

[frenchmon]

Frenchmon, I know that you are skeptical but my friend is very reliable and I am going to go over to his house for a listen. He also works with computers for a living. I think that 30 days use of doing double DSD with out a hiccup is a fairly good test of the system. Bear in mind that the computer is not being asked to do any other tasks. It does play back 1080p video with out any problems as well. It has on board Intel HD 5000 graphics and an SSD.

For $100 bucks it is worth a try. I did not have any trouble playing hirez music on my old $2K (courtesy of work) custom latop that died recently. It had a P9500 processor dual core with 4gigs of fast ram that ran at 2.4Ghz and if was painfully slow compared to a computer with a first gen I3 that ran at 2.4Ghz.

NP, Raven. Ive just never heard of such small Machines running DSD 128.

Raven...are you running DSD128 247 when you get her up and running? I do....I run Native DSD 247, and whatever isn't DSD files...its DSD on the fly.