No one can really tell you what you’ll like/prefer.
For DAC’s at this price point I really would suggest getting demos of as many locally as you can, including those that are not popular on headphone sites. the hype trains on these sites (us included) are often generated by 1 person who is particularly exuberant about something.
There are a lot of flavors of good, for example I think the Chord Dave synergizes very well with the WA33, if you use a really good source (MScaler/NS01/DCS network bridge level). But I also liked it with the Amber3, LaVoce S3, and I sold the Dave after owning it for only 4 months, because it wasn’t my preferred signature, even though I can appreciate what it does.
The Wavedream is at a different price point that the Spring, the balanced version is $10K, the Spring is a $3K DAC, it’s not going to compete directly technically, the may is unlikely to be competitive TBH.
But that doesn’t mean that the Wavedream or Spring are going to be what your looking for.
Yup. Great exame of this is spring 3 → ahb2 for me. I dont love either of those items but the syngery as a chain is so good id actualy own the combo even though i have 0 interest in the individual items
On top of this i would req demoing stuff you have 0 interest in. Gaining context for higher end gear will make you better able to pin down what you want allowing for more accurate recomendations
All your feedback is true. There are still ways to answer what might synergize well based on previous experiences (like @Draaly did with the spring/ahb2) or based on what you know about each relevant component in the question.
For those curious to @M0N recommendation based on our messages:
Honestly that really sounds like totaldac to me, but I do think the rockna could do well too although I worry it could be slightly too forward although you could likely balance that out with other tweaks like tubes and cables a bit, the headphones you run are more relaxed generally anyways, I’d be more worried about that with something like a 1266 or utopia. The Baltic is more forward but that could also be adjusted with a tube swap imo. I think you might actually also really like a mojo mystique evo but that’s a little more than warmer than neutral, I’d call it fairly warm
Generally my first preference would be totaldac, then mojo, then rockna, then lampizator
Although none of those I’d consider overly smooth or forgiving, but none fatiguing either
In terms of what would also pair well with your 23r, I’d say the mojo or rockna pair well there. I did really like totaldac with the 13r but it was getting a bit too relaxed for my preference with the susvara since I typically like more energetic pairings with that headphone. Never got to try a Baltic 3 on the 23r, but I bet it would be good given the other experience I have with lampi + bakoon
Like what others have said, nobody can really tell you your preferences and especially your sense of value of the upgrade. Unless someone has heard both, it’s very hard to describe the differences.
If you wanted some generalities, I can help describe the equivalent tier upgrade in the same line (LampizatOr), but even at that, the adjectives are still very hard to describe.
With my Amber 3, which is what I am aligning with the Spring, I would hear a fairly defined stage. It is very wide and tall – better than a wall of sound. It’s more imaginative that it is a stage. The imaging is great as well. I can easily point out at voices and instruments. The timbre and microdetail allows you to imagine instruments and voices like they are real.
When upgraded to the $10k tier, you get all of that, but more. On paper, it doesn’t sound like much, but it really adds a lot to the sensation of listening to the real thing. The stage now wraps more around you and sounds holographic. The image is sharper and more defined. The timbre, macro and microdynamics gives the instruments a ton of texture. Now, when you close your eyes, you really get the sensation of a performance than before.
Again, generalities, but I hope it helps. I still recommend for you to demo it or at least be okay with reselling at similar value.
Note: I am primarily a 2ch guy, rather than a headphone guy, so the descriptions on presentation may be different.
For more context, this was in reference of what to pair with a susvara and verite with a wa33 with a slightly warmer relaxed bass focus around the 6k ish range
Again, thank you everyone. I think we all sometimes underestimate how much these conversations help shape one’s ideas on what to do next, what to audition, what you can probably pass on, what to buy and take the risk vs not etc.
Everybody tries to downplay their commentary and be cautious of overpromising or saying something that’s not true but I think all of us here have been in this game for a while, I can certainly take from it what I need and understand what only my ears can tell me on top of it.
Nope. You absaoutely dont want a total dac. At least not for oike 3 more weeks. That time frame certain isnt so i can buy yhe one on the used market. Nope.
I have a line on a mystique v3 if you want it though
Oh? I was under the imression that the totaldac was fairly enegetic tbh. @M0N should i be worried about the dual removing some of the energy the aic finally gave sus? Cause lack of energy within textre is my primary conplaint with sus tbh
I can agree on the bakoon stuff being a little more soft, I think that helps it be a very good speakers amp for some people. Some days I feel it’s a too soft for me with the Spring 3 and the Susvara hence trying the WA33 to balance things out a bit before I make decisions on amps to keep and/or upgrading the DAC
I personally like a more energetic and harder edged dac with the bakoon because of that when it comes to pairing, at least with the susvara on it. Although I still like it’s warmer lean, I just typically want less softness
I’m still looking forward to @orrman 's deeper dive impression of the Spring 3 with both the Oor vs 13R with Susvara but, I am already getting the feeling that I might just continue to enjoy the Oor/Spring & Susvara and stop looking for another amp, save money or rather put it elsewhere in the system. I told myself when I got the Oor that I would just use it if I liked it and not look at anything else unless Holo actually releases their planned amp sounded for the Susvara.
I mean if I don’t make the same mistakes as I did earlier and listen to better stuff, I’ll not know what I’m missing and can be happy with what I have, right
@Andy77 Kind of an unfair and impossible question, but did you have more a noticeable improvement when you upgraded your amp or when you upgraded your DAC?
If you put a gun to my head I suppose I have to say the amp showed a larger degree of change. Specifically, it contributed more of a change in dynamics and grip. The DAC added detail, resolution, and much more stage.
But which of those characteristics are more impactful to the overall sound? Which are simply more immediately obvious? How do you weight them? Those questions are still out of the my scope. I think you’re right, difficult to say.
Tough for me to answer as well, especially since my chain is pretty proportional to each other. If I had to guess though, and if the chain is up for it, an upgrade in DAC is probably more substantial than the amp.
My personal change in amp created changes in the grip and macrodynamics, but the DAC did everything else to fool me that I’m listening to realistic instruments/performance.
