BEST DAC

[leifchristensen]

I´ve used this in a couple of applications with great success:
http://www.national.com/ds/LM/LME49723.pdf
it´s now a part in my rod elliot based "Project 84": 8 band constant Q parametric eq unit that controls my dual bd-30 quattro bd-15 woofer towers from Bert Doppenberg and they´re lightening fast and super transparent and an absolute joy to listen to
highly recommended!
best
Leif

[Marcin_gps]

Anyone heard (about) dB audio labs Tranquility DAC? It's a USB NOS DAC, 16/44 only, but looks good.

http://www.dbaudiolabs.com/

Here's a lot about it - http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=74816.0

The DAC received great reviews and is considered to be better than e.g. Ayre QB-9. Right now I'm trying to estabblish whether it supports KS or not. To be or not to be for me and you guys

Best regards,
Marcin

[PeterSt]

Oh, but I don't think this is really "special" so to say. One thing though : it is NOS and filterless, and anyone listening to an e.g. DDDac (which is quite known overhere) will experience similar.

Supposed it is very well designed, it always will give you more pleasure than whatever other (no matter price) OS DAC. But ...
it will measure 15% distortion, and this is audible too. Please notice : this is nothing about "thus you like distortion" (which is what everybody will say), it is the the NOS thing, and the distortion just makes it not 100% as could be. But still preferrable over 0,00001% THD+N whatever OS, which is no real figure for OS DACs.

That's why I have been working so hard on the NOS1. So, NOS *and* 0.005% THD+N (worst case at 1KHz), but this time a real figure.

Look below what happens with a normal (but ery good) NOS filterless DAC. Test tone is at 10KHz, THD+N is in-(audio)band only. Distortion is 15% for this frequency.

So, that bad it is. But still better than any OS DAC.

[ivo]

Just need some opinion about this:

http://www.audio-gd.com/En%20audio-gd.htm

Ivo

[Marcin_gps]

there's a huge topic at head-fi and small at computeraudiophile. Reference 7 is their best offer and supposedly better than Prism Orpheus or Resolition Cantata (as the comments say). I also found a comparison to the above dB audio labs Tranquility which "is in another leage than audio gd Ref 5" (better). What is the reality? That you won't know until you try one in your system. Audio-gd has many inputs and balanced outs, but you need a good s/pdif interface (integrated usb input isn't any good). Ref 7 can't be slaved to external clock. dB audio labs tranquility dac is usb only, filterless nos dac. No drivers needed, KS capable. I'm gonba try it since it's below 1k for ex demo unit.