[OzarkTom]

Read the feedback on the AMR dac online. Then report back.

Heard a complete AMR system by Darrin and it was OK at best. My friend and I walked out in disbelief on how it was just OK. And it had 23K speaker hooked up to it. His Zu/Atma/Lamp is way better sounding.

Those speakers are the weak-link, not the electronics.   

Now hook the AMR electronics up to the 24K Zellaton Emotions, and you have a world-class system. That should beat the $400K MBL system, or close to it.

I have directly compared the AMR to the Weiss 202, Zodiac Gold+Voltikus, Zodiac +, Eximus DP1, Lampizator 3, and Tranquility SE; none of those will equal the AMR.

[glory]

 I do believe you are right about the speakers hooked up to the AMR. They could have killed the AMR gear from having one hear what they can do.

Also you are right on the 2 year old Dac's and the price break off retail. Speakers/amps and cables my apply better than Dac's do on the 2 year wait.

[wushuliu]

So now all the Walmart shoppers come on a thread like this and take over with the prices are dropping daily remarks.

Ford Focus and Lexus 460 gets you to the Walmart store with 4 rubber tires. Big difference in ride and $$$. For those who have the $$$ the Lexus is the ride of choice.

Let this thread move on without the smell of the Walmart buyer. Let us listen to it for sound sake first.

Oh come on. Walmart? Really? Someone balks at $8000 DAC and that makes them welfare queens?

Never mind the point being made has absolutely jack zero to do with whether a mega buck DAC is worth the cost. Maybe you haven't been keeping up with the situation, but the point is the rate at which the technology is changing. So yeah that Lexus will get you there, but oh snap what if that Lexus just lost most of it's value with next year's model. So unless you are really rockin' a lifestyle where pissing away $70k every year is not a problem, then taking a second to consider whether that $8k DAC is going to be a $2k DAC in 18 months time makes perfectly good sense.

[Gopher]

It was not battery powered, and I'd actually disagree with you on the 'battery powered anything sounds better' comment.  I don't know what it is--I like the idea of being off the grid, but all of the battery gear I've experienced has had an unnatural quality which has worn on me over time. 

[Gopher]

Guys,

lets get over the price thing--its not for everyone at its retail, myself included.  But theres no reason this thread needs to get binned over silliness.  Lets be adults.

[Quiet Earth]

Gopher,

One thing you might want to consider at that price is dealing with a company (and a dealer) with a history to back up their product should you ever need help, even several years after the original purchase.

Another thing that I immediately thought of when you described the sound and construction of the DAC was the Audio Note Dac2.1x\ll, which cost less than 8k. The AN dacs are also transformer coupled directly after the D/A chip, so you might want to hear one of those before you settle on your friends design. The AN Dacs have been refined over many years of production, so you are getting a truly finished production quality product for your money. Just something to consider.

I personally don't think 8k is too much to spend on a dac, I spent that much on mine (Dac3.1x/ll). If I could afford to upgrade to the 4.1x signature (28k) I would do it in a heartbeat.

I also agree with the sentiment behind glory's comments, though I certainly don't wish to offend anybody. There is a tendency for many AC'ers to mock people who are willing to part with the large green to get a nicer piece of the pie. And then they say that it isn't worth the money having never even owned the product. I guess we are supposed to buy the 1500 dollar killer dac and pretend that we love it as much as they do.

[medium jim]

Ozark:

I must be a decade behind and loving it.  I still play CD's via a real good tube CDP.  Some day I will take the leap into server stored playback.  When I do, it will be used and will have to be better sounding than than my highly modified Marantz tube CDP.

I agree that there is something valuable about having all of ones CD library available in a way to just dial it up and it is ready to play.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying used and maybe someone should propose a circle on buying on a budget that doesn't conflict with cheap and cheerful.  It would need to be about scoring high end used on a beer drinkers budget.

Jim

[Gopher]

QE,

Good points you raise, which I have been considering/why I haven't pulled the trigger yet.  This would essentially be a finished product in a prototype chasis and resale would be difficult until the company established itself. That said, I wouldn't even be chewing on it if it weren't offered to me for well under the contemplated retail. 

Right now, for a few hundred bucks more then my Lampizator sold for, it is a great deal in terms of upgrade/sound quality, but somewhat of a risky one if I ever need to pull money from my rig. 

[Gopher]

That said, Gary may make the decision for me by purchasing the unit on its way to him.  I suspect it will be the better dac over his L5 and I AM a LampizatOr fan/former owner.

[earflappin]

I have this dac coming to me on Wed.

ASR Emitter 1 Exclusive

Lamp L4/transport

Purepower 1050

Lamp L5 being built to replace L4

Will report my findings.

Glory, what are you replacing your ASR Emitter with?  I see it for sale on the GON.  Also, does the GOTO DAC have a built in PRE ?  Thanks.

[toddbagwell]

Guys, please remember to take it easy while discussing things. Please avoid personal attacks and other inflammatory generalizations...

Todd

[OzarkTom]

Ozark:

I must be a decade behind and loving it.  I still play CD's via a real good tube CDP.  Some day I will take the leap into server stored playback.  When I do, it will be used and will have to be better sounding than than my highly modified Marantz tube CDP.

I agree that there is something valuable about having all of ones CD library available in a way to just dial it up and it is ready to play.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying used and maybe someone should propose a circle on buying on a budget that doesn't conflict with cheap and cheerful.  It would need to be about scoring high end used on a beer drinkers budget.

Jim

Everyone should be happy with what they own, Jim. No matter if it is 40 years old or one day old. I still miss my Acoustat Monitor III's with DD servo amps from 32 years ago, no ESL built today still will not touch it.

If people want to spend $1K, $8K, or $35K for a DAC, I sure won't stop them. Life is too short to worry about it.

[glory]

I was going to move to the BMC C1 amp but have decided to hang on to it. To good of an amp to give it away. Not to many buyers out there for audio gear.

[Rx8man]

Since some top tier Dacs are being mentioned here, figured I'd throw this out for some consideration, around the same $$

Bergdorf Goodman, Dollar General shoppers, you can both participate, no discrimination.

www.danishaudiodesign.com/index.htm

[Gopher]

I've been thinking about it for a few weeks and living with a very nice Metrum which is excellent for the money...   I think I'm going to take the plunge and buy a protype.  He'll have to make me another as I don't think the one I passed along will be coming back...  Its looking like late August unless I come to my senses.