I didn’t have enough time to really assess it so I didn’t add it (only show conditions basically), would need more time to feel comfortable putting it on the list
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Ahh, gotcha.
What would a brief description of it be?
I ask because the Wolfson chips intrigue me. I’m really digging the W2 and I know that it’s a Cirrus chip made post Wolfson acquisition.
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Really it was so brief that I don’t have a description for it tbh, it was pretty neutral and well balanced, sort of a middle ground of old vio and new, really can’t say much more, id probably take it over a v590 but again too brief to really give much of any impression. Didn’t really get a chance to fiddle with it’s features either. Pretty sure I heard it with a 800 but can’t remember
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I may soon be able to give a decent answer, as I think I might use some downgrade funds to pick one up I’ve been watching for a while.
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Sweet.
Looking forward to your impressions. Thanks.
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Said I wouldn’t do it soon, but I don’t have anything to do this weekend so I’ve started on a brief speaker section. Includes bookshelfs, integrateds, preamps, and power amps. No floorstanders, and only have the names up now but think it’s mostly there and mostly ranked. Will likely change a bit but think it’s mostly there for now. Still need to add descriptions though
I know my picks likely seem all over the place, but there’s a lot more that goes into speakers, and I also don’t have as much experience and developed tastes as I do for headphones and such lol (and I’m also pulling more distant experiences with some of them)
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Holy crap you’ve added stuff! I’m going to have to put aside an entire evening to read all of the nee content! And some of your WIP according to the headers are going to be juicy.
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I don’t know if I added that much (I should have added more but lazy lol), but slowly chipping away at it
this list has taken up my week lol
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@M0N where would you rank the Pacific in the DACs?
Probably right below the Kassandra
For the chart above keep in mind that was for the gg2, and I’d say that it probably needs to be redone with proper digital sources (which is why pt1 is unlisted)
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Wow, i forgot about that and didnt check. Just basicaly assumed it was pacific.
Was the following dacs top to bottom:
AC Kassandra II Ref
Totaldac d1 direct + drivers
Lampi GG2 Discrete
Audio Note DAC 5 Special v2
Berkeley Ref 2
Nagra HD + MPS
Tambaqui
Mojo Mystique Evo pro 21
Bricasti M21 plat
BAT rex 3
Etalon dreamdac
Waversa wvdac
lavry quintessence
Concert fidelity 010
Aqua formula xhd v2
But again that’s really with improper digital sources so would be different if I did it again especially in my current more balanced and non handicapped setups
I should note that the pacific is a more technically capable dac than the kassandra in a number of aspects, although I think I was more long term satisfied with the kassandra for what I listened to
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With Berk Ref 2s pretty regulalrly aroud 7k, how low would the tambqaui need to go for you to consider it alongside/over the berk? TBH With so damn many on the market im kinda expecting it to plummet (v2 dropping soon maybe?) and am currious how hese two stack up since there is a lot of readin between the lines when trying to compaire those two in your article (but honestly, I feel like both get described similarly sound wise…)
Well I think it’s a bit unfair to use the berk stuff as a comparison point considering how cheap they get used lol (you typically can’t get that level of technical ability for that price from most other dacs, but truly older berks just tend to drop like a rock), but I think I’d personally consider a tambaqui at 6-7k as well. Then again I’d get the ref 2 9/10 times unless I 1. absolutely needed something with a built in streamer 2. wanted something more polite and less potentially raw for an already very forward and aggressive chain. A rs2 is a definite step head in most all aspects compared to a mola mola
Again that first dac comparison is flawed, I wasn’t giving the berk the upstream chain it deserved. Both are a bit cleaner and a bit more forward leaning, but the biggest difference for me is that the berk is just a whole lot more honest and raw, whereas the mola mola does have that extra embellishment (not exactly like chord stuff but in a similar vein) and is a bit more forgiving and softer with a bit more bloom, not as organic and more artificial because of that, ignoring the technical difference between the two
I think my most accurate description of the berk sound is really in pt3
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I didnt realize this. Makes the choice easier then. TBH im realy just enticed by the tambaqui cause of size. Maybe ill pick one up to play with if they do hit 6 or if berk is too raw but ill ignore it for now. TYVM.
Yalll have me scared for the berk tbh. I feel like every review of tambaqui I have seen goes “holy shit too raw” mean while yall (litteraly every person that has hands on one) are over here going “So raw its still mooing and trying to stab you.” “Look, I know this sound description sound horrible, but its actually fantastic and you just have to try it”
Sounds good. IIRC youve said it before, but ref2 to ref3 is a fairly linear step up as opposed to the presentation/flavor changes you can get in other lineups?
This really is assuming you put a lot of work in making both your chain downstream and upstream well suited for it
Do you mean rs3 or berk instead of tambaqui, because I feel like every review I’d read on the mola mola noted it’s smoothness lol. But yes I see a lot of people complain about the berk being bright and harsh and whatever
I think that’s one of the reasons why the berk gets so cheap on the used market though. By most aspects, it’s an unremarkable overpriced dac if you’re only basing on the most public reviews. And I can see how someone might think that if they have significant handicaps in their chain, if they don’t give it time, and put garbage though it, it’s really a great exercise in garbage in garbage out. Awesome when you let it be awesome, but bad when you don’t
Yes basically more/better of the same thing, no real voicing differences. Given current pricing I think rs2 is the way to go unless rs3 come below 10k
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I’m guessing my antipodes stack is good enough for the input…
what’s a good amp to match with the rs2?
btw @M0N you forgot the wavedream sig in your list a few messages back
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d1-digital mk2 not a high enough step up to play around with (genuine question)?
No. I mean tambaqui. Maybe I need to look back into reviews but I remeber people calling it fairly sharp tbh.
Honest question, just how brutal is it on DDCs and source music? I dont plan to running any 2005 garage ska through it, but I dont always listen to nothing but the best masters and I dont realy plan on upgrading my DDC too much higher than the digital mk1 in the immediate future.
Just FWIW I am still tentative on this one, just entertaining the idea since there is that one for so cheap in SF right now.