Quote Originally Posted by blackraven View Post
I agree 100%. I also agree with what the guy said about the Luxman. You do sacrifice a little detail for its very liquid sound. For me it works. There is no fatigue, grain or digital edge. It is very analog in its sound. I can play older CD's without being irritated after a while. For the type of music I listen too it works.

If you have a system that leans to the brighter side of neutral or if you like a lot of older recorded music, or if you want a rich, full, musical sound then the Luxman may be just the ticket. It sounds so different from the current crop of Sabre DAC's. It does share some similarities to the Hugo Chord, Marantz NA-11s1 and Bricasti M1 in its musicality, warmth and liquid sound. If you are looking for the last word in detail, resolution and a light airy midrange then look else where.

I use to crave the last word in detail, air and transparency but as my system has evolved I found that there can be too much detail which can sound edgy, unnatural and fatiguing. I may get tired of the Luxman but I will keep my AVA DAC in the system if I crave more detail. The perfect solution would be to get a Bricasti but It cost almost double of what the Luxman sells for.
I think we totally agree in principle. In my case I lean more to the detail, air, and transparency, possibly because I listen to a lot of large-scale orchestra and choral works.

On component matching, Pass Lab amp, like yours, is pretty great for transparency but isn't especially warm; my ARC LS9 preamp is also not warm but neutral and detailed; further, my Schiit Bifrost Uber is very airy & transparent (for a mid-range DAC) but isn't warm. I would probably appreciate a DAC with a touch of warmth but without sacrificing much in detail. The Ayre QB-9 DSD sounds about right based on Abe's comments; unfortunately it is beyond my reach financially for the foreseeable.