Marvey's DAC Chart of Awesomeness

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by The Alchemist, Sep 28, 2015.

  1. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

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    I believe this change was completed, as the current chart shows this change relative to the old one at CS. Bifrost Multibit was called [redacted^2] on the old one:
    http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,2500.0.html
     
  2. JewBear

    JewBear Almost "Made"

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    Where is the Emotiva Stealth DC-1 on this chart?
     
  3. thegunner100

    thegunner100 Hentai Master Chief

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    I'd say say right below the gungnir usb gen 2 if memory serves me correctly. I did compare the two a while back but I didn't have as much experience with dacs and audio gear as I do now.
     
  4. gepardcv

    gepardcv Almost "Made"

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    What does the Headamp Pico DAC go on the chart? What about the Ayre QB-9?
     
  5. AustinValentine

    AustinValentine Friend

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    This is where I'd put it as well.
     
  6. zeissiez

    zeissiez Turn that Schiit down - acquaintance

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    As valuable as this chart is in describing details and tonality, there's lack of information in imaging, sound staging, transparency, background, openness, naturality & realism, speed, impact and control. Just a kind reminder.
     
  7. rott

    rott Secretly hates other millenials - Friend

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    That might require a Satanic pentagonal spider web chart, would be interesting, if not a bit of a challenge because those are more subjective characteristics and maybe much more open to debate.
     
  8. zeissiez

    zeissiez Turn that Schiit down - acquaintance

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    Yes I know it's quite impossible to fully represent the sonic characteristics of a bunch of DACs on a single chart. The reason I bring this up is because I noticed some people in the market for a new DAC taking the position of a DAC on the chart as solely the measure of how good the DAC is.
     
  9. SSL

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    Where's the Frosty 4490 fall on the chart? To close to the Uber to call? Too boring to matter?
     
  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Need to compare with other references around that range to be sure. But yeah, too boring or low-end to matter, although I am very curious about the AKM4490 (and would love to hear a Gungnir version with the AKM4490). The value products are obvious. A few from Schiit, the Emotiva DC-1, LH GOV2, the X-Sabre, the M51 (AUS and UK for cheap) and a few from AGD if you appreciate the PCM1704 sound and Richard Gere's beauty.

    I've posted this before. It's hard to describe DACs, but much of it is preference. Stilhart likes the AGD DAC19. I prefer the Yggdrasil. Perhaps these pictures illustrate how they differ:

    PCM1704
    (at its best, e.g. Master 7; normally the photo would be softer with less focus and really nice bokeh)

    [​IMG]

    Yggdrasil
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    I fully understand how the Yggdrasil or Gungnir Multibit can be too much for people.
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2015
  11. SSL

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    So you're saying the Yggdrasil/Gungnir Multibit will make my head implode.

    I can dig it.
     
  12. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Yes, but be sure of that. Some people prefer to be caressed by Richard Gere's beauty under soft focus.
     
  13. SSL

    SSL Friend

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    Negative. Need to have my head crushed by realness.
     
  14. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    First Knight sucked. Not nearly enough armored man on naked woman sex intercut with a guy getting graphically impaled on a spear and Carl Orff.

    AKM4490 has powerful sound.
     
  15. SSL

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    This was definitely not what I expected from a musical starring Richard Harris.
     
  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Excalibur is the King Arthur film movie to see.
     
  17. insidious meme

    insidious meme Ambivalent Kumquat

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    But there's always this:

    [​IMG]
     
  18. rdsu

    rdsu New

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    It's possible to include LH Labs Infinity to this chart?
     
  19. 8man

    8man Acquaintance

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    I've been wondering, how would the Lavry DA-11 fare against the Gungnir gen2 (non-mb)? Judging by the chart, the Gungnir Multibit should clearly be much more resolving, but I would have liked to see a comparison weighted more on their values (and also, Lavry dacs seem to be easier to find for a cheaper price on the sh market).
    "The biggest drawback to the Lavry would be its rather slightly flat presentation lacking ultimate depth and dimensionality. Everything is done well or above average but nothing is excelled at except it's superb tonal balance which maybe the most important aspect for some listeners". Is this where the multibit tech. takes over, as having much better depth and spaciousness ?
     
  20. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    1. DA11 is flatter in depth than most other DACs including some DS ones. The stage was moderately close. The Gungnir DS stage is compact, but still better at layering/depth and sense of openness than DA11.
    2. Multi-bit does not equate to depth or dimensionality of soundstage. For example, my tricked out AGD M7, a PCM1704 based R2R DAC, was very flat in depth with almost no layering and slightly lateral fuzzy image localization; although the location of the stage was set far back (good for headphones). Note that these are two different things: stage location (where you are sitting in relation to stage near or close), and depth of the stage (front to back layering of instruments on the stage.)
     

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