If you want to experiment, just buy stuff you know you can move without a big loss, that generally means sticking to more established/available used brands.
There is a reason I owned a Chord Dave, even though I didn’t think I’d like it when I bought it (and it somewhat surprised me on that front) they are easy to get, buy low and you can move them later with little effort or risk.
There are other options with similar dynamics you can “try”.
But all this vacillating isn’t getting you anywhere, pick something and build a baseline opinion, almost anything in the 3-5K used range will be a step up over the P6P.
1 Like
Could be
Honestly, given the gear you have, and what you also aim for, it’s not really going to be all that worthwhile imo. You’re much better off experimenting in the range you’ll actually be buying in, because you’re just at the point where your setup almost demands that to get an accurate feel on what would go well
Likely both
Then it really does likely seem like a more neutral focused dac or at least a more forward one is where you’d want to end up. Then again, it’s really going to come down if you care more about the technicalities, or the signature. Another massive factor in tests is going to become digital sources, especially with the dacs you’re really looking in
True, it’s kinda something you just have to either hold out and wait for deals, or just go for and find out
??? They hold their value really well from my experience, and from a value perspective I’d suggest them even at new pricing. But I guess it does depend on the model, but for example, recent used pricing on core or singles just ends up being basically around msrp. At least in the us. The only ones that have seemingly had any depreciation are things like the dual, which are older discontinued designs, or strangely older d1 twelve lol. Granted, if you include the used market in comparison you could get more value per dollar for raw performance comparing how other units depreciate, but really imo with a lot of the totaldacs going new actually makes more sense than used given how infrequently they seem to come up, and when they do how high they hold their value
1 Like
Yah, the more established brands would be a given. TBH just something ive been toying with.
Yah, this is kinda what I have been feeling is the case after I got the M1SE. I just prefer to have dacs side by side with comparing and 2x 6-10k dacs is a bit more than I want to swing right now given my other rig priorities. It probably is the right way to go though.
[quote=“M0N, post:1388, topic:28, full:true”]
Likely both [/quote]
Very possible.
After writing up my canjam impressions I think I figured out a decent way to try and put it. I don’t really like stuff that is super forward with detail, but I seem to crave stuff that is super forward with texture instead (if that makes any sense). Looking back at all the things I really love, they all seem to do exactly this (P6P, 428, d8kp, LCD-R) and the things I have hated do this quite poorly (13R, sagra, sus on lower end gear, holo dacs).
As for digital sources, I realize they are going to be the own whole set of synergy, but if I get that totaldac would the d1-digital be a pretty solid base line?
I just realized that the last time I checked pricing it was like 1.2 USD to EUR making a core + live power something like 8 or 9k. With the current exchange rate that looks a lot more attractive. The digital takes a hit, but the dacs realy don’t too much. That’s good to know actualy.
1 Like
Yes
Yes seems like their accompanying gear is what drops, but not really the dacs themselves
1 Like
All this talk makes me want to listen to a totaldac lol
My Rockna is giving me looks of anger…
#rockna4ever
2 Likes
Offering my take on your preferences, based entirely in your posting here is mid/bass forwards with good dynamics.
I will point out while it’s detail you think you don’t like, for the most part components you don’t like seem to have prominent, or well extended treble.
I’ll be honest it’s often very difficult to describe what you like even to the point, what you think you like can be different than what you actually prefer. I’ve been listening to components for 30 years and I only recently realized that I liked a far dryer sound than I often professed to be looking for. That’s not because what I like changed, but more because when I actually looked at what gear I kept over other gear blacker backgrounds and treble extension won out in close comparisons.
6 Likes
I’ve been looking at totaldac new due to the stronger dollar. I don’t really see a ton of used data on the lower models. The issue with me is at the single level, it’s still a bit more than I’d like to spend. I’m not sure if core by itself is really worth it compared to something like a Meitner MA1 v2 (cause they’re roughly the same price)
1 Like
Completely agree, there’s also stuff that’s easy to move at the $6.5 to 10K level, it’s just that there’s a smaller market for it. A good deal is a good deal and they will move. It’s just that the market is not nearly as flush with cash now as it was a year or so ago.
1 Like
How are those Meitners? I’ve only seen magazine reviews, but they seem like they make a great product.
Based on this shouldn’t he have loved the Bakoon then?
1 Like
Truer words have never been spoken. 
2 Likes
That was one I expected him to like, I suspect the issue there was the dynamics.
Or what he’d probably describe as not forwards enough.
1 Like
I suspect synergy with the rest of the chain, but we both might be right or wrong tbh
1 Like
I stopped chasing… ordered my Abbas 3.2SE, Weiss DAC is finally in upgrade 4ch-stage and a Pioneer PD93 CD for Vintage/CD purposes.
So three very distinct architectures (R2R i skip for now, because with Abbas I expect a different league) and I just wanna compare the different sonics of certain genres.
My goal in the next year to focus more on tuning and to avoid the DAC-chase, the hifi market is for me overflowed with new models and you could get every month now a ‘better’ spec’ed model.
7 Likes
ha…good luck. I know 4 guys who have 3.2 now and they’re tube rolling like crazy.
3 Likes
Already started my NOS tube hunting 
3 Likes
Anyone familiar enough with Aavik gear to have a sense of general voicing? I’m curious about one of their higher end streamers, the S-280. I’ve mostly been keeping an eye out for a good deal on Antipodes, but come across other stuff once in a while that looks interesting or I haven’t seen before.
We gunna knife fight over the dual? Cause I’m down /s
I think how I would try and classify my preference is that I like airer/more ethereal stage presentations that come with decent extension, but I generally don’t like hyper extended treble (mostly because I am fairly sensitive to treble peaks and well extended sources can obviously exacerbate that). In terms of forwardness, idk how to address the mid-bass comment. I think I do like some level of elevation there as it often helps with tonal richness and giving good body, but an overelevation of mid-bass is one of the things I hate most, so its kind of a delicate balance. What I do like though is a forwardness/vividness in the texture its self.
Aint that just the damn truth. The deeper I get and the better I get at explaining sound, the more variations I hear and the more I realize my vocab cant keep up. Also, I 100% agree that its super tough to describe what you even like. For example, if someone explained the Meitner MA3 sound to me I would have told them to piss off cause it sounds vile. Well turns out, its integral to the most memorable audio chain I’ve ever heard…
I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t playing a role in my hesitation currently. Stuff being so much harder to sell is a bit of a tough pill to swallow when considering less well known brands. I would have 0 worries about selling emm/holo/rockna/etc, but totaldac/mojo/aries cerat? That seems like it will take a fair long while.
I was incredibly impressed by the MA3 when I demoed it. To this day the most memorable audio chain I have ever heard was MA3 → AIC (G73R black text) → Sus. That dac is what made me truly understand what “liquid” means. I highly recommend you try and find a way to try one.
I think it’s a couple things here. Synergy certain improves the amp (m1se makes me at least understand why people would like it, but still not my jam) but my biggest problem with it is that there is just 0 energy to the texture so I find it makes things sound far too smooth and rounded overall. Its thick, not vivid. My general preference seems to go towards an exaggerated level of vividness, not an exaggerated lever of body/thickness. My go to is always “does a clarinet honk sound nice?” if the answer is yes, I am almost guaranteed to really dislike the piece. I find most gear that sounds thicker fails this test with flying colors.
2 Likes
You take it and tell me how it is 
1 Like
Anyone here have experience with Wolf Ear Audio? Ive been diving deep into that $2-3k rabbit hole again. Namely the Makoyi and Natayo HP amps? I find them interesting as on their OTL page they recommend using it with an LCD-4.
1 Like