[randog]

Time to make a little noise in this forum!  

Both Al and Ravi were kind enough to share their opinions with me about these speakers requiring a good DAC for my cdp and I thought I would get the opinion of others here as well.

The speakers will be driven by Odyssey MBs with the Tempest pre. For now, my cdp will be my JVC dvd XV-SA600 at least until I can afford to add a higher-end component... that is, unless the DAC does some real magic with what I've got.

I understand the ART DIO is really cheap right now and I'm not afraid to dive in on modifying it myself, but in looking at all the info available I don't even know which mod to make! In addition, I've been warned that the ART may not be the best match here anyway.

Thanks!
Randog

[Jay S]

Reviews have indicated that the 1801 can be very revealing of poor quality recordings.  You may want a dac that has a hint of smoothness and warmth rather than being overly analytical and lean.

My DI/O has been modified by Bolder Cable to "Mensa" level.  It is very smooth but is still detailed and nuanced.  The smART level of mods (cheaper than the Mensa) is also very detailed but is noticeably less smooth and may not be as good a match with your 1801.  

There was a nice DAC shootout held recently in NC.  You may want to read up about it.  The Scott Nixon Tube dac sounds like a terrific dac that also happens to not cost very much (just $350 assembled!).

[EProvenzano]

Hi Guys!
Update: Twins are keeping me very very busy.
I'm going to scoot in and out occasionally and I think I may have something to contribute here.
Randog, I am in a very similar situation. Looking for a good dac to compliment my 1801's/Stratos/555es/IRD LLC-P(arriving soon). I will not make any final decisions untill I have the LLC-P for a few weeks, but so far I'm leaning towards the Nixon Dac. Everything I read in the review, mentioned by Jay, tells me that it would be a terrific addition to my system. Your system may be very similar sounding to mine. With recent changes (new tile flooring YIKES, and upgrade from SFL-1 preamp to the LLC-P) I think I will be craving a tube in my system again.  I hope the Nixon dac is just the ticket. As others have stated, the 1801's are brutally revealing and tend to make much of my music collection sound like ...um...not so good. The SFL-1 was very noisy and colored, but made things very listenable, I'm not expecting the LLC-P to contribute all that coloration, nor do I want it to. The Nixon Dac will hopefully add the musicallity I like while preserving as much detail as the rest of my system can deliver.
I have nothing good/bad to say about the other dacs mentioned in the review. My comments are only my assuptions based on how my system sounds and the qualities of the Nixon Dac that I think will offer a synergistic match.
Gook luck,
...time for another diaper change...
BR,
EP

PS, new tile floor has thrown me a curve ball. I'll be asking some questions soon...need some anti-reflection tips badly!

[Jay S]

One thing to keep in mind about the Nixon tube dac is that it reverses polarity since it omits an output stage in the pursuit of transparency.  To maintain correct polarity, you can just interchange your speaker cables.  This will work great if the Nixon dac is the only source connected to your preamp.  

But, if you want to play SACD/DVD-A (can't use the dac for this), or will use other sources than the Nixon dac, then you won't be able to maintain the same polarity for all your sources -- the Nixon dac will always be opposite of the other sources (unless they reverse polarity as well).  

An easy way out is if your preamp has a polarity switch, esp one controlled by remote control!  

I don't know to what extent this will affect sound quality, but it is something to keep in mind and to investigate.  I would love a chance to listen to the Nixon tube dac myself since it is so simple and so reasonably priced.

[BikeWNC]

One thing that I remember about the Nixon Tube Dac from our review is how it produced a very liquid almost holographic midrange.  Brad's preamp was indeed able to invert polarity which made swapping sources much easier.

Andy

[Ravi]

Randy, I agree with the advice to go with the Nixon DAC.  In an all tube system, I wouldn't recomend it, as it would smooth things out till it was dull.  But with a very revealing amp like the Stratos, you may want this DAC to make your bad recordings listenable.

[randog]

Thanks for all the responses!  

I neglected to tell you guys that I'm an audiophidiot (nice coin, eh?   ) and trying to educate myself here and all I can say is Holy buh-jeeez this is getting complicated! I do not want to limit myself on source componentry dependent on the polarity of the DAC!... do I????    My plan at this time is to allow the use of phono, cd, tuner (maybe) and the option and flexibility of futures...

The Odyssey Tempest doesn't have a polarity switch but it also doesn't have an HT bypass and I was planning to send it to Klaus for this mod. Perhaps the switch would also be a simple mod...

or maybe... I should be investing in a tube cdp like the Jolida and go without a DAC (but I've also read about tube cdp's also benefiting from a DAC)... I already have a rough idea what to expect to hear from my current setup without any additional help and I'm banking I'll want to do *something* in short order especially since a fair amount of the music I listen to is of bygone eras that could use some technological encouragement where possible.  

or maybe... I invest in another preamp which has all the things already built in that are important to me and allow maximum flexibility like HT bypass, polarity switch, phono, etc... (how common is it to find a pre with a polarity switch anyway???)

 

Thanks again for your suggestions. I am building this system from scratch and my current plan is to begin with what I've already pieced together in foundation componentry, evaluate the gaps and plug them where needed (such would be the case for a DAC). However, while I wait for my speakers to be completed I am able to do some homework to head off some of these anticipated issues at the pass and try and educate myself enough to avoid making costly mistakes down the line.

I am grateful for the help.  

Randog

[randog]

Could you guys elaborate a little more on the polarity issue of the Nixon DAC? That seems a little bizarre to me unless your intention is strictly for cd playback which is too limiting for me.

Perhaps I'll move this discussion to the digital forum since it's becoming more specific to a single DAC...

Thanks,
Randog

[Rocket]

hello randog,

i have a perpetual technologies p3a dac which is excellent.

it can be had thru hello simply hifi (audiogon) for about $450 us which is a good price.

regards

rod