Audiolab MDAC + vs Luxman DA-250

[rikhav]

Yeah, The CA CXN V2 is close to 1 Lac. I am very afraid on loosing money on selling things now. I tried a lot to sell my last speakers and people quoted like dirt cheap prices even for couple of month old speakers. It was very hard to find a buyer in the first place.

What all you guys are said about starting with something inexpensive is very true and I am ready to even for next 6 months to take any decision with cool mind and by understanding things myself first.

Get a Sony BDP 370 or 380 or 390 and few CDs

Should be enough to evaluate tonality of the amp speaker combo

Don't even need to spend 10k

 

[Vivek Batra]

Get a Sony BDP 370 or 380 or 390 and few CDs

Should be enough to evaluate tonality of the amp speaker combo

Don't even need to spend 10k

Ok will check that. Thanks. In any case I am not going to think of changing the speakers and amp for some good number of years.

 

[rikhav]

Ok will check that. Thanks. In any case I am not going to think of changing the speakers and amp for some good number of years.

Yes but you can select the right DAC based on your findings and then keep amp & speaker for even longer

 

[Vivek Batra]

Get a Sony BDP 370 or 380 or 390 and few CDs

Should be enough to evaluate tonality of the amp speaker combo

Don't even need to spend 10k

I have an old Panasonic 5.1 CD/DVD player with USB input as well, it has I guess only speaker terminals (spring types) is there any way to use that with the amp?

 

[rikhav]

I have an old Panasonic 5.1 CD/DVD player with USB input as well, it has I guess only speaker terminals (spring types) is there any way to use that with the amp?

Would not be ideal as you would want to hear the luxman amp and speaker combo to finalize the dac.

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Vivek, this might not be directly addressing your query (and Rikhav is very ably guiding you there), are you sure about streaming as the input for serious listening on that kind of investment in amplifier and speakers? Intuitively I feel you‘d eventually move onto a carefully curated collection of CDs, or better still, LPs. Streaming can be higher resolution, but misses the organic character, a property that can only be felt, not explained.

Though at a lesser budget point than yours, I started similarly three years ago. And its been a hugely educative as well as belief-changing journey since then. When I started, I was insistent upon new equipment from reputed brands. I‘ve since come to realise the power of vintage equipment when I heard my Cambridge CXC transport + CXN (streamer DAC) getting trashed by the sound from an old vintage (TD1541A based) CD player I acquired at less than 10% cost of the above combine. Also, for any serious listening I can only think of CDs, though I continue to explore newer music (new to me, not necessarily contemporary) through the feature-rich streamer. (I am convinced LPs would be better, but keeping that for phase 2 of the journey few years down the line)

Further, the sound improvements I could get through continually experimenting with speaker placements, exploring different ICs and cables, and equipment isolations have been eye openers. Also important learning has been the discovery of the kind of sound signature I like and don’t like.

What I am saying is that there’s going to be a lot of learning - about sound, about equipment and about your own self as you go along. That’s the beauty of this hobby in a way. And looking at how studiously and conscientiously you are going about your decision making, I can see that happening with you too.

Another important learning has been that the wise members of this forum provide far better advice than dealers ever can. And it’s not just the advice, but constantly reading various threads, discussing individually with them, and so on, that helps you greatly shape your own knowledge and understanding. You have to be able to filter out personal sound/equipment biases though.

So, while I can understand your state of mind: “let me get the best possible rig and then sit back and enjoy my music for years, if not decades”, seeing your personality disposition from your threads, you’d start enjoying the ever-new explorations, findings, learnings and paradigm shifts that constitute the audiophile journey as much as discovering and enjoying your favourite music.

I hope this post doesn’t irk or disconcert you. At least it’s not meant to. Enjoy the journey! There’s perhaps no destination.

 

[Vivek Batra]

Vivek, this might not be directly addressing your query (and Rikhav is very ably guiding you there), are you sure about streaming as the input for serious listening on that kind of investment in amplifier and speakers? Intuitively I feel you‘d eventually move onto a carefully curated collection of CDs, or better still, LPs. Streaming can be higher resolution, but misses the organic character, a property that can only be felt, not explained.

Though at a lesser budget point than yours, I started similarly three years ago. And its been a hugely educative as well as belief-changing journey since then. When I started, I was insistent upon new equipment from reputed brands. I‘ve since come to realise the power of vintage equipment when I heard my Cambridge CXC transport + CXN (streamer DAC) getting trashed by the sound from an old vintage (TD1541A based) CD player I acquired at less than 10% cost of the above combine. Also, for any serious listening I can only think of CDs, though I continue to explore newer music (new to me, not necessarily contemporary) through the feature-rich streamer. (I am convinced LPs would be better, but keeping that for phase 2 of the journey few years down the line)

Further, the sound improvements I could get through continually experimenting with speaker placements, exploring different ICs and cables, and equipment isolations have been eye openers. Also important learning has been the discovery of the kind of sound signature I like and don’t like.

What I am saying is that there’s going to be a lot of learning - about sound, about equipment and about your own self as you go along. That’s the beauty of this hobby in a way. And looking at how studiously and conscientiously you are going about your decision making, I can see that happening with you too.

Another important learning has been that the wise members of this forum provide far better advice than dealers ever can. And it’s not just the advice, but constantly reading various threads, discussing individually with them, and so on, that helps you greatly shape your own knowledge and understanding. You have to be able to filter out personal sound/equipment biases though.

So, while I can understand your state of mind: “let me get the best possible rig and then sit back and enjoy my music for years, if not decades”, seeing your personality disposition from your threads, you’d start enjoying the ever-new explorations, findings, learnings and paradigm shifts that constitute the audiophile journey as much as discovering and enjoying your favourite music.

I hope this post doesn’t irk or disconcert you. At least it’s not meant to. Enjoy the journey! There’s perhaps no destination.

Hey Sachin

I will reply to you aaram se on this. Btw you got my nerve

 

[bornfi]

There’s perhaps no destination.

There is in fact, lol, if you do not control the urge and that is 0 bank balance and/or heavy debt and/or divorce if you are married.

 

[mpw]

Hey Sachin

I will reply to you aaram se on this. Btw you got my nerve

Nerve ??

Which one ??

Or pulse maybe...

This is un-nerving

)

Regards

 

[keith_correa]

Nerve ??

Which one ??

Or pulse maybe...

This is un-nerving

)

Regards

I think he meant "nas/nus pe haath rakha"

 

[Vivek Batra]

I think he meant "nas/nus pe haath rakha"

Lol yes nus nus is what I mean.

 

[mpw]

Lol yes nus nus is what I mean.

Good on you to take a bit of banter by the side..

 

[Vivek Batra]

Good on you to take a bit of banter by the side..

Yes after too much bashing

 

[Vivek Batra]

Then, what are you going to feed the DAC with? Or is that another thread?

I am gonna stream from Laptop.

 

[prem]

Get yourself a simple sparkler dac

Sparkler Audio | Products | model S504 "unison"

If I were getting back into digital, this is what I would buy.

 

[Vivek Batra]

Get yourself a simple sparkler dac

Sparkler Audio | Products | model S504 "unison"

If I were getting back into digital, this is what I would buy.

Interesting. Will check this out. Thanks Prem

 

[prem]

You’re welcome. I don’t think it should cost more than 50-60k landed in India

 

[arj]

ESS Sabre chips can sound etched and with speakers like yours they can sound bright. I would suggest the Luxman

 

[keith_correa]

I am gonna stream from Laptop.

Why haven't you connected your amp to the laptop yet? Play via the inbuilt soundcard. A good DAC is going to be an improvement on this but the difference is not night and day no matter what people would want you to believe. Many people I know with decent equipment are quite happy with not having a DAC at all and using their laptop soundcard. Buy a decent (yes, there are many out there!) $25 Chi-fi DAC first. Use it for some time. That will get you 80% there. Let the bug bite again. If it does, go for the big one. At least that's what I would have done if I were you. The journey is most of the fun rather than the destination.

 

[Vivek Batra]

Why haven't you connected your amp to the laptop yet? Play via the inbuilt soundcard. A good DAC is going to be an improvement on this but the difference is not night and day no matter what people would want you to believe. Many people I know with decent equipment are quite happy with not having a DAC at all and using their laptop soundcard. Buy a decent (yes, there are many out there!) $25 Chi-fi DAC first. Use it for some time. That will get you 80% there. Let the bug bite again. If it does, go for the big one. At least that's what I would have done if I were you. The journey is most of the fun rather than the destination.

Hi Keith

Why I have not connected my amp with laptop is because the amp has not landed yet its expected somewhere end of this month or early next month max. I had the same plan in my mind to have a stereo to RCA connector and get going.

The distributor confirmed today that Luxman dac is not going anywhere. I have enough time now to think and experiment. I totally second to "start with something inexpensive and then take the bigger plunge". Frankly I am not a rationale thinker so.

Even I am now thinking to start with "used" dac and cables as well. I know you helped @panditji to tweak his laptop and he is very happy with that. Though I am a IT guy and will try to tweak my machine but surely would come to you for some more domain knowledge on this.

Thanks again.