DAC around INR 100k

[ranjeetrain]

For most part I only need a DAC. Over 90% of my listening will be through digitally stored music. The part about CDP is coming into picture because if I get a pre-owned CDP at roundabout the same price as a new DAC (in case I can't lay my hands on a used one), it is worth considering. Because in that case I'll be getting the transport in return of buying used.

But again, I would totally love to save money. So an used DAC is my first choice. But if not, I'll prefer a used CDP over a new DAC.

 

[prem]

If i remember correctly, the Esoteric X03 SE cannot operate as a separate dac. So your purpose will not be solved.

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

Also consider AMR DP 777. I have heard it in a different form, as a CD Player, rather than dac, and in a avant garde speakers plus air tight pre power set up and it was outstanding. I later ditched the idea of a CD player but AMR has never been far from my thoughts.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Ranjeetrain, did you ever get an in-India price for the Prism Lyra? Went through first 60 posts, and couldn't see a number.

Just... Well, I was doing a bit of dreaming.

 

[arj]

Just... Well, I was doing a bit of dreaming.

This is getting hardcore now




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I'm thinking about a new audio interface for the PC, but my budget is more like 1/4 of where Ranjeet started. And 1/8 of the subsequent increase.

It really is a pain, though, to find the right (ie simple, not bristling with things like mic pre-amps and studio-relevant-only-format i/o) functionality, whilst giving the best possible sound within the budget. Or setting for O without I, getting a hp-amp/dac, and handling occasional recording jobs some other way. This USBPre 2 bristles a bit, and is too expensive, this curious thing might do the trick, and is just expensive. All coming not only with the question what will it sound like, but the even bigger one will it work with Linux?

Anyway, sorry ... this is all a bit down market for this thread :lol:

 

[ranjeetrain]

If i remember correctly, the Esoteric X03 SE cannot operate as a separate dac. So your purpose will not be solved.

Very true that. I hate how Esoteric builds such beautiful machines but cripples it by not allowing digital inputs. What extra does it take? Just a receiver chip and an extra clock for re-clocking. And there you go, you have an excellent CDP cum DAC. But no, they want you to buy the specialized DAC.

But I understand their point. When they mean uncompromised builds, they truely mean specialized devices.

Also consider AMR DP 777. I have heard it in a different form, as a CD Player, rather than dac, and in a avant garde speakers plus air tight pre power set up and it was outstanding. I later ditched the idea of a CD player but AMR has never been far from my thoughts.

Thanks GtM! I will try to have a listen of it as I don't have any idea how it sounds like and where is it positioned in the sophistication/value chain. Any FM has it? May be I can go hear it next time I am in India!

Ranjeetrain, did you ever get an in-India price for the Prism Lyra? Went through first 60 posts, and couldn't see a number.

Just... Well, I was doing a bit of dreaming.

Thad, Lyra-1 isn't affordable either, though relatively affordable at 1.6 lacs. But the availability? You will perhaps need to make a 100% advance payment before the dealer will get it for you. If you order it from overseas, you can slash some 20-30 thousand off it.

This is getting hardcore now

Hehehh

I'm thinking about a new audio interface for the PC, but my budget is more like 1/4 of where Ranjeet started. And 1/8 of the subsequent increase.

It really is a pain, though, to find the right (ie simple, not bristling with things like mic pre-amps and studio-relevant-only-format i/o) functionality, whilst giving the best possible sound within the budget. Or setting for O without I, getting a hp-amp/dac, and handling occasional recording jobs some other way. This USBPre 2 bristles a bit, and is too expensive, this curious thing might do the trick, and is just expensive. All coming not only with the question what will it sound like, but the even bigger one will it work with Linux?

Anyway, sorry ... this is all a bit down market for this thread :lol:

Thad, if I were you I would look very seriously at Wadia power DAC, which is available at a discount now and is a serious machine.

Some time ago I found Swan desktop speakers on sale (good discount), but didn't buy it, because they are active speakers and deep within my heart somewhere I have decided to build a desktop system for the study around the Wadia.

Another DAC I can recommend wholeheartedly is any entry level Nuforce. Trust me, saying this from personal experience, they punch above their weight.

Next one is PS Audio Digilink III. Another very good DAC and real world prices.

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

Ranjeet. Sorry. I heard it in a friends place in Singapore. Don't know any fm who has.

 

[square_wave]

Here is some update: I am also looking at CDPs now. I know I didn't wish for a complete CDP in the beginning. I just wanted a DAC. But I am unable to get any good value for money option around estimated 2 lacs.

Just curious why do you think so ?

No to ruffle any feathers but I can see many of the assumptions veering more towards mainstream audiophile assumptions rather than based on actual experiences precisely while engaging the equipment that you currently own and your preferences in sound. Keeping the cost factor aside, I am sure you can find many fine dacs which are worthy of the Accuphase amp. I am sure you can find many costing right from " much less than 2 biggies" to sky is the limit. You will find them if quality of sound and music enjoyment is your only criterion.

 

[ranjeetrain]

SW, fair point. I know what you mean. The problem is we are dealing with some "situations" here.

Situation 1 - most products we are talking about here are not available for auditioning. So, we have to make do with whatever collective knowledge we have about these equipment. And that's the core objective here; to pool the as much knowledge as possible of high-end DACs to put together a high-end digital rig on a budget.

Situation 2 - Economics. I started with a very a really small aspiration. As I have been looking at the stuff that are coming my way, the aspirations are taking a flight. In my mind I have already upped my budget by 200%. And there still is no joy, looks like I may end up coughing up even more. Here you have a valid question, why? Afterall there are tons of products that will meet my need (a good match to Accuphase within 1-2L).

Here lies the answer as well. I don't know what is an ideal match (in stature/sound quality-wise) to the amp I am mating it with, hence the thread. Secondly, I did think of not upgrading my amp for at least 10 years while I was paying for it, but now I feel may be I will need more power on the tap (for some speakers I am considering, remember the speaker hunt is on too?). Means the amp also may be upgraded.

Another consideration is resale value. I am trying to go for something which will hold a good resale value should the circumstance arise. It means staying on the well-trodden path. I am ticking off equipment which are not hugely popular/well-regarded. That is leaving me with even fewer choices.

The thought about getting a CDP was inspired by a deal I came across on an Esoteric. Price was good and that had me tempted. I asked myself why not go for this stuff now, sale after a year and go for something solid later.

Situation 3: There isn't really anything likable within my budget in my sight. If I come across something good that promises to meet my criteria without breaking the bank, I'd lap it up immediately. But I am raising the bar because I am unable to find anything good enough. I am looking at other well known sites for pre-owned stuff. My search is going in the direction of availability. Ideally I should make a shortlist and go by it. But here its the opposite. I am making a list of what's available, ticking off items that don't interest me, studying the items that seem to be under my reach, and then talking to the seller.

I have spoken to Prism, Antelope, PS Audio dealers in multiple geographies by now. I had nearly bought the Ayre QB-9 and then the Antelope Zodiac. But both the deals fell through due to different reasons.

When there is a search like this going on, there are a lot of currents in the mind. Some going in one direction, others going in other direction. I am at the same stage. Apparently, it will take a lot of beating around the bushes before I bring something home to sit atop the Accuphase.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Thad, if I were you I would look very seriously at Wadia power DAC, which is available at a discount now and is a serious machine.

My requirement differs from yours in that I need a good headphone amp as well as a good DAC. I am actually unable to find my dream machine at any budget! The Prism, or the USBPre 2 comes closest.

Then, of course, if I did invest in such a thing, I'd be left facing the fact that they are feeding cheep, entry level, monitor speakers and I'd no doubt want better headphones too.

 

[prem]

Hi Thad e ginathom


Burson HA160D should be a very good bet. Alternatively you have Grace M903 at a higher cost.

 

[Staxxx]

Very true that. I hate how Esoteric builds such beautiful machines but cripples it by not allowing digital inputs. What extra does it take? Just a receiver chip and an extra clock for re-clocking. And there you go, you have an excellent CDP cum DAC. But no, they want you to buy the specialized DAC.

Ranjeet, I have the Esoteric K-03, which is a stand-alone CD player, and it offers a plethora of inputs (and outputs), and the DAC section on its own is considered to be rather good:
Outputs: Stereo balanced analog, stereo balanced single-ended
Other connections: Coax, TosLink, and USB digital inputs; word clock input
Therefore not sure about the above statement in your post, unless I have misunderstood it.....

 

[prem]

Hi Staxx

I think Ranjeetrain was referring to the X03 machine. The K series allows operation as a DAC. The X01 and X03 do not.

 

[prem]

Hi Ranjeetrain

If budget no issue, then APL Hifi makes good stuff. I have never heard their machine but they are supposed to be pretty much top of the line. In the past they took apart an Esoteric cd player and modded it completely and sold it as a APL cd player. The only thing they retained was the transport. The story goes that even Esoteric was so impressed that they sent their team to Alex to learn a few things. Alex makes a standalone DAC too. You could check that out.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Burson HA160D should be a very good bet. Alternatively you have Grace M903 at a higher cost.

Had come across Burson, on the net, only yesterday. The Grace has been on my dreaming list for a while now; Burson looks good. The 160DS is almost afordable, but has no line out.

 

[ranjeetrain]

Prem, I have read that Alex's focus has changed drastically and he isn't anywhere as customer focused as he used to. In other words, his work has been commercialized and he is too busy to pay attention to individual customers like he used to.

Everyone who has got their stuff from Alex is happy with the product, but in case something goes wrong, only Alex can fix it. So, for 3rd world people like us, he is not a viable option. Wish he and his products were easier to access for us.

 

[ranjeetrain]

Ranjeet, I have the Esoteric K-03, which is a stand-alone CD player, and it offers a plethora of inputs (and outputs), and the DAC section on its own is considered to be rather good:
Outputs: Stereo balanced analog, stereo balanced single-ended
Other connections: Coax, TosLink, and USB digital inputs; word clock input
Therefore not sure about the above statement in your post, unless I have misunderstood it.....

Yeah, you missed some part of the conversation. I was mentioning X-03 as Prem rightly mentioned. I was looking up X-03 was thoroughly disappointed that it didn't have digital inputs.

I'll have to look up K-03's pricing and availability. The motivation for X-03 was that it's relatively easier to find in pre-owned market. I am yet to see a K-03 for sale. May be some patience can help here. Either K-03 or a D-03 could be my ticket.

 

[ranjeetrain]

+1 to Burson Audio headphone amp. Srajan Ebaen never gets tired singing praises of them. Should be good stuff. Sensibly priced, too.

 

[prem]

I agree Ranjeetrain. I would never buy from Alex. His track record is not the greatest. And its not that his stuff is cheap. It costs an arm and a leg and imagine not being able to have it serviced in case there is any problem. When it comes to digital stuff i prefer buying from companies that have been around for years. One of the reasons i will never buy a Playback Design is that the unit manufacturing it is a small one. What happens, god forbid, if they wind up? Chances of an Esoteric, Wadia, DCS winding up are much less.