Hi Johnzm
It is really tuff to chose a DAC, and some of it as stated really has to do with your preferences and gear. If its your first offical outboard DAC, at least from my experience I was more than thrilled with my purchase of a used Birdland Odeon Lite. It handly beat what was in my CDP easily.
Basicly I was not in a position to audition 3-4 DACs and made a decision based on my endless reading on the internet of peoples opions on such piece, it you have to go about it this way it is very helpful to note waht kind of gear the people have (ie analitical speakers (this can easily be an area of disagreement for many - but generally as a loose rule of thumb there are people who prefer one group to the other, smoother speakers, tubes, SS and so on)
A good way to get some handle on different presentations (speakers are often the most influintial in a systems presentation) is to check out TNT audio they did a shoot out on 4-5 small speakers. and went to great lengths to compare and contrast their presentations. ie if you like Dynaudio speakers you may not want the Stello (meaning I think I understand both are etremely revealing) here you may wind up with too much of too much?
So for me it is not really just reading it is researching in a very analitical way. If B likes Stello and A likes Stello but A and B have 2 entirely differnt likes in presentation and have completely diff gear one tube one SS one spkr x one speaker y, I got a whole lot more research to to. I hope this is helpful not confusing.
It is my feeling if you do enough research you will not be disapointed. I have read many who say dispite the importance of the DAC there are other things more important and not addressed properly (possibly meaning many people do not have speakers that even jive with what they like much less their other gear)
Many of todays choices are so far past what my Birdland (980. new in 2000/2001) could deliver. So there is always a lot of improvement in digital in 4 yrs all of the mentioned ones play on very similar turf when it comes to being of very good quality and up to date efforts. So remember about 4 yrs or say 2 generations and you'll probably research a new crop that can outplay what you buy today.
I just recently got a Monarchy NM24 1108. shipped. the slightly older version M24 sells for 980. and 30. shipping. that one can be had used for less if you watch Agon. I think the thing is incredible fastantic, its musical, detailed and recreates the tone of real instruments extremly well.
mid range is rich and the body is there bass is tight stage is excellent.
i won't be doing anymore searching I will wait 1-2 generations and then catch up again. My system is a tube amp PP with smooth speakers this does not mean they are not without detail. with the cable I am using I would call MS pretty revealing.
anyway thats the one that floats my boat YMMV, you can find the review links on Monarchy Audios website. Once I studied the reviews then I researched the reviewers (do they like what I like are they tubes SS yada yada yada) We all have to be careful almost nothing gets a poor professional review these days.
gee long winded, junk that I hope helps you on your journey
I would try to get some handle on what various people like about
Stello, Larvey, Paradisia, Benchmark, PT, Monarchy, Altman, Promi DAC, Lite DACs, I believe GR has a modded DAC60 and use it as a learning exprience- its best to get some handle on 3 or 4 and be careful not to just study up on 1.
I can say my new DAC just embaresses my old DAC but to be fair the Birdland has changed it 3 times since then. mine old one was the contemporary of the Bel Canto DAC1 they are now on DAC3.
