Or perhaps, at what point do you know that the quality of your DAC has exceeded the abilities of the rest of your equipment?
Until now I have been using an Argon DAC1 (https://www.hifiklubben.dk/Products/argon-dac1-d-a-konverter-31801/). It was an impulse buy at a Hifi Klubben store in Lyngby while helping a friend choose a soundbar. It was early days, and it was my first move away from just using an old AV710 soundcard that I had lying around. The DAC1 had overall more clarity and a bit more bass extension and control. It was better than the soundcard. Great I thought, now I just need to get better speakers and amplifiers.
Since then I have managed to collect a Linn Klout and a pair of B&W 685 S2's. These are respectively a bit old and not exactly high end, but they are quality components.
Today a new Maverick Audio TubeMagicD1 Plus arrived with my name on it. It has the op-amp upgrade and I'll be getting the tube upgrade on Sunday ($3.99 on eBay is cheaper than $20 from Maverick). I was so scared that the R2900 I spent on getting the D1 to my door would not be a significant improvement on the R1800-odd I spent on a whim. The D1 is good. I think if you spent some time reading up on it you'd also be able to convince yourself that it is good. Many a forum contributor has written many a happy review of the unit, including here on avforums.co.za. I need some more time with it and I'd like to hear it with the upgraded tube, but so far I feel it is R2900 well spent.
..., but it's not the sound I heard that one time on a pair of B&W805s powered by some Electrocompaniet amp and a Audiolab M-DAC. So as usual, the itch remains unscratched. (Doesn't it always?)
So what next? The D1 has made a significant difference, but how much more can I get out of my equipment with a better DAC? I so wish I could hook up an M-DAC, a Bel Canto or a Benchmark to find out what my equipment is capable of, but that isn't possible.
I'd like so see some discussion on this because after tonight it feels like I shouldn't be spending any money on speakers or an amp until I have at least gotten an M-DAC. I am wondering about this as it applies to my equipment ( of course ), but also in a more general sense about the appropriate proportional spend that should be allocated to a DAC.
So, those of you in the know, what gives?
Until now I have been using an Argon DAC1 (https://www.hifiklubben.dk/Products/argon-dac1-d-a-konverter-31801/). It was an impulse buy at a Hifi Klubben store in Lyngby while helping a friend choose a soundbar. It was early days, and it was my first move away from just using an old AV710 soundcard that I had lying around. The DAC1 had overall more clarity and a bit more bass extension and control. It was better than the soundcard. Great I thought, now I just need to get better speakers and amplifiers.
Since then I have managed to collect a Linn Klout and a pair of B&W 685 S2's. These are respectively a bit old and not exactly high end, but they are quality components.
Today a new Maverick Audio TubeMagicD1 Plus arrived with my name on it. It has the op-amp upgrade and I'll be getting the tube upgrade on Sunday ($3.99 on eBay is cheaper than $20 from Maverick). I was so scared that the R2900 I spent on getting the D1 to my door would not be a significant improvement on the R1800-odd I spent on a whim. The D1 is good. I think if you spent some time reading up on it you'd also be able to convince yourself that it is good. Many a forum contributor has written many a happy review of the unit, including here on avforums.co.za. I need some more time with it and I'd like to hear it with the upgraded tube, but so far I feel it is R2900 well spent.
..., but it's not the sound I heard that one time on a pair of B&W805s powered by some Electrocompaniet amp and a Audiolab M-DAC. So as usual, the itch remains unscratched. (Doesn't it always?)
So what next? The D1 has made a significant difference, but how much more can I get out of my equipment with a better DAC? I so wish I could hook up an M-DAC, a Bel Canto or a Benchmark to find out what my equipment is capable of, but that isn't possible.
I'd like so see some discussion on this because after tonight it feels like I shouldn't be spending any money on speakers or an amp until I have at least gotten an M-DAC. I am wondering about this as it applies to my equipment ( of course ), but also in a more general sense about the appropriate proportional spend that should be allocated to a DAC.
So, those of you in the know, what gives?
