Skunk Wrote: > What is the biggest difference using the NOS dac, compared to the analog > output of the SB? PRAT? Dynamics? Imaging? > > Just curious, as I read that another member prefers the sound of the SB > DAC to his audio mirror NOS DAC (can't remember which member, or if it > was a daydream).
Let me say this. After finally upgrading my amp last week, after which I noticed a huge difference in sound, it made me realize the DAC does not make nearly as much a difference. I do feel the NOS DAC has a slightly less fatiguing sound, maybe a little more laid back, with a little more slam in the bass. But those differences pale in comparison to the difference with my new amp. Therefore, to my mind, it make more sense to spend the bulk of my money on a better amp and speakers, and then perhaps, worry about the DAC later, if the sound still leaves something to be desired (of course, I didn't do it this way and hindsight is 20/20 etc). To put it another way, I was missing "something" before I got the DAC. The DAC did not fix it, so I was still searching for that missing thing. With the new amp, I feel like I found "it". I am content now. I could go on listening to my current system forever (I think) without a burning desire to upgrade again. Now, I don't want anyone to think I'm saying that it is specifically Parasound amps that are so great. Rather, it is probably the case that there is some threshold above which an amp can be really good, and you can hear a tremendous improvement. Once you get an amp above that threshold, and similarly speakers above a certain level, I'm sure the DAC makes an additional improvement, but not nearl as much. If I had to make a pie chart of how much each component contributes to the sound, my guess after my recent upgrades is it would go something like this (assuming no pre-amp): speakers: 65% amp: 25% DAC/source: 10% So, in the future, I will allocate my resources accordingly. For example, if I were given (or earned, I suppose) $10,000, I would spend $6500 on speakers, $2,500 on amplification, and $1000 on a source/DAC. -- ezkcdude SB3->Derek Shek TDA1543/CS8412 NOS DAC->MIT Terminator 2 interconnects->Endler Audio 24-step Attenuators (RCA-direct)->Parasound Halo A23 125W/ch amplifier->Speltz anti-cables->DIY 2-ways + Dayton Titanic 10" subwoofer He's not hi-fi, he's my stereo. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ezkcdude's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2545 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=22000 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
