[buckeyefanandy]

As an avid reader of the NTAJ circle I would like to know if there have been any other shootouts similar to the amp shootout?  

I am new to the hobby, only about 6 months in and need to find info that compares some budget gear head to head.  I am looking for DAC and Tubed Preamps, as well as a CDP.  Any ideas of good places to start.

Hard to find any gear to hear first hand in Ohio so I will have to rely on the experience of others for now.

Thanks

andy

[texasphile]

Hello Andy,

    There has not been another comparison besides the digital amp showdown as far as I know.  However, having owned low and mid-level components over the last ten years or so has led me to a few conclusions.  First, you have to decide on Solid State versus Tubes/Valves.  Personally, I prefer solid state amps and tube-based preamps.  Next, buy used.  I have purchased from dealers here on audiocircle.com and from folks on Audiogon.com without a problem.  Just be careful who you deal with (ask around or ask the seller for their ebay name so that you can read the sellers feedback on that website).  Currently, I own a Dodd Audio Intro preamp (purchased used on audiocircle), a integrated tube-based amp/preamp (purchased from Response Audio here on audiocircle), a California Audio Labs transport (purchased used on audiogon.com), a DAC-72 purchased from GR-Research ( http://www.gr-research.com/components/lite_dacs.htm).

I hope that helps,
Chris

[brj]

Hi Andy.

I don't know that anyone has ever organized an official DAC comparison event, although there have been some individual comparisons along the way.  With Danny Richie being a local (luckily for us), many of us have had a chance to hear the DAC-60 he imports compared to other offerings.  (It has always done well to my knowledge.)

I think Hoots has performed a few informal comparisons against his P3A, and I know Oscar has had his friend with the Meitner stack involved in a few comparisons as well.  As a matter of fact, he was trying to organize another such event here, although there hasn't been anything posted lately.

The catch is that none of the DACs involved were all compared in the same system, and I don't know that any one person has even been to all of these events.  Sorry I can't be of more help!