Recommend me a DAC

[legrandefromage]

I've got a Tri Vista valve DAC + Theta transport for sale at the mo.

thats kinda bizarre, sticking a vacuum tube in a DAC - a strange meeting of two worlds.

 

[ferrus]

just a note all - if the music wasnt produced very well at the studio - no amount of home equipment will make it sound any good.

true...one of the surprises of a nice system is just how different recordings can sound, some of them are shockingly bad. Beware re-equalized re masters of analogue recording with the treble boosted -Alan Parsons butchering of Dark Side of the Moon for instance. On the 'enhanced' version of Lady in Satin, Billy Holiday sounds like an android. :shock:

 

[ferrus]

I've got a Tri Vista valve DAC + Theta transport for sale at the mo.

thats kinda bizarre, sticking a vacuum tube in a DAC - a strange meeting of two worlds.

yes, well it's one of those attempts to sweeten 'digital-coldness' with a bit of tube warmth...the tube's are most likely just an additional buffer stage, rather than being integral to the circuit.
Generally this seems to produce a bit of a sugar-coated sound with the treble rolled off, but it works really well here, -you'd never know valves were involved, except it's very smooth. And the tiny 'Tri-vista's' last forever.

 

[legrandefromage]

yeees...

It doesnt help that a CD's are mastered so badly though.

 

[mrkawasaki]

Are there any 'tests' that one can use to determine whether an older transport is still performing optimally (other than good old ears)??

Mr K

 

[legrandefromage]

Are there any 'tests' that one can use to determine whether an older transport is still performing optimally (other than good old ears)??

Mr K

you used to be able to get test disks but unless you here any rustling or 'ticking' during playback, its fine