[wilsynet]

Ordered the RWA Signature 30.2 integrated a couple of weeks ago, and based on Vinnie's past comments, I'm also thinking of taking the plunge with a NOS DAC.  The forthcoming Isabella is a bit too rich for me at present.

I use a Modwright SWL Pre, and will likely use the pre, but might run the DAC directly to the 30.2 if it was somehow better.

Some DACs under consideration:

Ack! Dack 2.0 (with ultra-resolution option)
Scott Nixon USB UFO JFET
Scott Nixon USB UFO Tube version

I really like what people have to say on this forum, and am wondering what thoughts people might have as to what might work well with the 30.2, if there any other suggestions in the < $1K range, etc.

[pardales]

In that price range I would also put on your list the Audiosector DAC. It is available in SPDIF and USB versions. If you can go up a bit the Altmann Attraction DAC is superb.

[TONEPUB]

the Channel Islands DAC for 599, its awesome....

[DHT_2A3]

The Altmann Attraction DAC. 

[Jampot]

If you can come across one, Vinnie used to sell a DIY Paradise Monica in a Clari-T style case with battery power. Don't see them very often though.

The latest incarnation (now version 3,) is available direct from DIY Paradise as a finished item or (of course!) for DIY.

http://diyparadise.com/shop/

It is a slightly 'wacky' site, but nothing wacky about the products

Jim

[DHT_2A3]

In that price range I would also put on your list the Audiosector DAC. It is available in SPDIF and USB versions. If you can go up a bit the Altmann Attraction DAC is superb.

I found the Audiosector DAC to have a bit of noise due to the layout on the PCB with the powersupply right there next to the digital circuits; good for the price, but not a great overall solution.  The Attraction DAC is likely a much better choice and being battery powered a great "off-the-grid" match.  Of course it always comes down to price/performance.

[wilsynet]

The AudioSector sounds nice, but going to their web site, you can't seem to actually buy it.  Very little information except a few pictures on a diy forum.

The CIAudio DAC is very well regarded.

Consensus seems to be the Altmann Attack is the hot thing to get.  But at 750 + (250 jisco) = 1000 euros = USD 1570, it's quite a bit over budget.  I suppose saving my pennies might be in order here ...

[DHT_2A3]

Or just skip the jisco and buy the base model, and add a Monarchy DIP later when budget allows.  Monarchy is different topology and not battery powered, but if budget is a concern it is a solution, and it works as advertised. 

[R Browne]

I've used both the 47 Labs 4715 Shigaraki DAC and the MHdt Laboratory Paradisea DAC (original model, not the Paradisea +) with excellent results with the RWA Sig 30. Both were used with a 47 Labs 4716 Shigaraki transport.

The 47 Labs DAC is within your price range if purchased used. There are upgrades available with regard to power supply (Pure Power battery PS and 47 Labs Power Dumpty) but these add considerably to the cost. Right now that is the DAC I currently use with the Sig 30 and I'm happy with it.

The Paradisea DAC falls within your price range at $599.00 and is a very solid performer in its stock form but is easily upgraded by swapping the stock GE 5670 tube to that of a better one (WE 396a, GE 5 Star 5670 or Bendix 2c51). It also is a good platform for modification as seen on the AudioCircle 39 page Paradisea thread at:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=33534.0

Some have experimented with upgrading various caps, op-amps, etc. The original Paradisea and the newer Paradisea + (USB version) do have some parts changes between them with regard to transformer, caps and op-amp so there are likely some sonic differences between the two. My experience has been only with the original Paradisea model so I can't comment on the newer version.

A couple of contenders to add to your possible choices in addition to the other suggestions. Good luck!

[Bucky]

The Altmann is not that much better than the Audiosector DAC, and its a fraction of the price.  When I owned it I didn't notice any noise due to the power supply.  Audiosector is one hell of a bargain if you are good at DIY.

[Flashman]

I really like what people have to say on this forum, and am wondering what thoughts people might have as to what might work well with the 30.2, if there any other suggestions in the < $1K range, etc.

Check out the Monarchy NM24, which is a tube DAC, solid state DAC and tube preamp all in one package.  While it lists for $1,590, you can get it new from Monarchy www.monarchyaudio.com for $1,080 via Audiogon or by contacting Monarchy directly in San Francisco.  I am using one with my Signature 30.2 and Omega speakers.  It's only a few weeks old but the tubes are starting to sound magical.  Monarchy's owner, C.C. Poon, has been designing DACs since I was a puppy and, as he is financially comfortable, he sells his stuff at a significant discount to what you would normally pay for stuff of this quality.  One reviewer said the NM24 tube DAC beat out the Dodson DAC-263 ($2,800), the Benchmark DAC1 and compared nicely to the Combak Reimyo ($17,000).  Okay, that's just one reviewer's opinion, so check out the other reviews and the posts from people on this board.  Best of luck!

[kbuzz3]

I really like what people have to say on this forum, and am wondering what thoughts people might have as to what might work well with the 30.2, if there any other suggestions in the < $1K range, etc.

Check out the Monarchy NM24, which is a tube DAC, solid state DAC and tube preamp all in one package.  While it lists for $1,590, you can get it new from Monarchy www.monarchyaudio.com for $1,080 via Audiogon or by contacting Monarchy directly in San Francisco.  I am using one with my Signature 30.2 and Omega speakers.  It's only a few weeks old but the tubes are starting to sound magical.  Monarchy's owner, C.C. Poon, has been designing DACs since I was a puppy and, as he is financially comfortable, he sells his stuff at a significant discount to what you would normally pay for stuff of this quality.  One reviewer said the NM24 tube DAC beat out the Dodson DAC-263 ($2,800), the Benchmark DAC1 and compared nicely to the Combak Reimyo ($17,000).  Okay, that's just one reviewer's opinion, so check out the other reviews and the posts from people on this board.  Best of luck!

wish this product came as a stand alone dac.....as im long on pre amps right now have been really curious about the dac section since reading about it in bound for sound a while back

[tanchiro58]

I am running the Promitheus DAC to my preamp and to RWA Clari-T dual mono amp which drives my modded VR1. The sound is superb and I like it a lot.

[Vinnie R.]

Some DACs under consideration:

Ack! Dack 2.0 (with ultra-resolution option)
Scott Nixon USB UFO JFET
Scott Nixon USB UFO Tube version

I really like what people have to say on this forum, and am wondering what thoughts people might have as to what might work well with the 30.2, if there any other suggestions in the < $1K range, etc.

You can't go wrong with the SN USB UFO JFET dac connected to an 12V SLA battery.... amazing bang for your buck!  Keep in mind that it requires the use of a computer transport (USB port), but SN also offers versions that have a coax spdif input.  For best results, go USB! 

The Ack dAck is another great match.  It features internal SLA batteries and is also a well-designed NOS dac.  You can usually get a good deal on them on Agon.  If you are planning to use a computer as a transport, you'll need a USB to SPDIF converter.  The Ack dAck's input is coax spdif.

Other dacs posted in this thread are also worth auditioning!

Vinnie

[low.pfile]

Check out the Monarchy NM24, which is a tube DAC, solid state DAC and tube preamp all in one package.  While it lists for $1,590, you can get it new from Monarchy www.monarchyaudio.com for $1,080 via Audiogon or by contacting Monarchy directly in San Francisco.  I am using one with my Signature 30.2 and Omega speakers.  It's only a few weeks old but the tubes are starting to sound magical.  Monarchy's owner, C.C. Poon, has been designing DACs since I was a puppy and, as he is financially comfortable, he sells his stuff at a significant discount to what you would normally pay for stuff of this quality.  One reviewer said the NM24 tube DAC beat out the Dodson DAC-263 ($2,800), the Benchmark DAC1 and compared nicely to the Combak Reimyo ($17,000).  Okay, that's just one reviewer's opinion, so check out the other reviews and the posts from people on this board.  Best of luck!

wish this product came as a stand alone dac.....as im long on pre amps right now have been really curious about the dac section since reading about it in bound for sound a while back

....kbuzz, the Monarchy NM24 does function as a stand alone DAC--that is how I use it. The Tube stage section has a separate input. They (tube stage + DAC) can be used together if desired, but it seems that a coupling transformer is welcome addition (a NM24 was set up that way in Mr. Poons facility- I actually picked min NM24 directly at Mr Poons office. Cool to see all his "stuff")- I don't have any personal experience with that set up.

Unfortunately, I cannot provide specific input to the OP in at this time, though I am awaiting my Sig 30.2 AMP and also a Modwright SWL 9.0 pre! Coincidence!  When they arrive and are properly broken in I should be able to give a report on the NM24 DAC vs. my Wavelength Brick. The 30.2 should be here in May....then break in time....then some compros.  FWIW, My use of the NM 24 has been with a Denon AVR and it is a definite improvement.

enjoy your music, ed

[CSI]

I'd like to second the recommendation of the Channel Islands VDA.2 DAC. You can use it with the stock power supply or tweak it a little with the VAC.1 PS for a few extra bucks. I've had mine for almost 18 months and compared it to some pretty pricey competitors - so far, nothing has laid a glove on it. If it was in a bigger fancier box and/or sold for five times the price there would probably be a huge industry buzz. As it is, it is an amazing bargain - truly a DAC for music lovers.

[kbuzz3]

Check out the Monarchy NM24, which is a tube DAC, solid state DAC and tube preamp all in one package.  While it lists for $1,590, you can get it new from Monarchy www.monarchyaudio.com for $1,080 via Audiogon or by contacting Monarchy directly in San Francisco.  I am using one with my Signature 30.2 and Omega speakers.  It's only a few weeks old but the tubes are starting to sound magical.  Monarchy's owner, C.C. Poon, has been designing DACs since I was a puppy and, as he is financially comfortable, he sells his stuff at a significant discount to what you would normally pay for stuff of this quality.  One reviewer said the NM24 tube DAC beat out the Dodson DAC-263 ($2,800), the Benchmark DAC1 and compared nicely to the Combak Reimyo ($17,000).  Okay, that's just one reviewer's opinion, so check out the other reviews and the posts from people on this board.  Best of luck!

wish this product came as a stand alone dac.....as im long on pre amps right now have been really curious about the dac section since reading about it in bound for sound a while back

....kbuzz, the Monarchy NM24 does function as a stand alone DAC--that is how I use it. The Tube stage section has a separate input. They (tube stage + DAC) can be used together if desired, but it seems that a coupling transformer is welcome addition (a NM24 was set up that way in Mr. Poons facility- I actually picked min NM24 directly at Mr Poons office. Cool to see all his "stuff")- I don't have any personal experience with that set up.

Unfortunately, I cannot provide specific input to the OP in at this time, though I am awaiting my Sig 30.2 AMP and also a Modwright SWL 9.0 pre! Coincidence!  When they arrive and are properly broken in I should be able to give a report on the NM24 DAC vs. my Wavelength Brick. The 30.2 should be here in May....then break in time....then some compros.  FWIW, My use of the NM 24 has been with a Denon AVR and it is a definite improvement.

enjoy your music, ed

thank you for the info - i was aware you could use the monarchy as a stand alone dac. What i ment to say was, it would an even better value proposition, if one did not have to pay for the line stage as well....

CSI, interesting thoughts re the CI dac. Could you give us an idea of what other dacs you have had chance to listen to in comparison...

[Flashman]

....kbuzz, the Monarchy NM24 does function as a stand alone DAC--that is how I use it. The Tube stage section has a separate input. They (tube stage + DAC) can be used together if desired, but it seems that a coupling transformer is welcome addition (a NM24 was set up that way in Mr. Poons facility- I actually picked min NM24 directly at Mr Poons office. Cool to see all his "stuff")- I don't have any personal experience with that set up.

Ed,

You're right that a coupling transformer is a welcome addition to the NM24 but I believe that is only if you wish to compare the tube DAC to the solid state DAC.  Then, you simply connect the solid state output to the line input with a coupling transformer and then you can bounce between the tube DAC and the solid state DAC via a front panel push button switch. 

You have a few options on the NM24:   You can use only the tube DAC output or only the solid state DAC output.  And, if you use the coupling transformer (instead of the less effective RCA-terminated connections) you can jump between the two.  Or, you can use the line output that adds the tube preamp to the tube DAC or solid state DAC.  Really intriguing setup options.  Right now, I am waiting for a used Promitheus TVC passive amp to cut down on the transparency loss when accessing the tube preamp section.  This was recommended by Lynn Olson of Positive Feedback. 

[low.pfile]

Another interesting option with the NM24 is to use the SS output to drive a (powered)sub, while using the tube DAC output for amp/speakers.

[CSI]

Check out the Monarchy NM24, which is a tube DAC, solid state DAC and tube preamp all in one package.  While it lists for $1,590, you can get it new from Monarchy www.monarchyaudio.com for $1,080 via Audiogon or by contacting Monarchy directly in San Francisco.  I am using one with my Signature 30.2 and Omega speakers.  It's only a few weeks old but the tubes are starting to sound magical.  Monarchy's owner, C.C. Poon, has been designing DACs since I was a puppy and, as he is financially comfortable, he sells his stuff at a significant discount to what you would normally pay for stuff of this quality.  One reviewer said the NM24 tube DAC beat out the Dodson DAC-263 ($2,800), the Benchmark DAC1 and compared nicely to the Combak Reimyo ($17,000).  Okay, that's just one reviewer's opinion, so check out the other reviews and the posts from people on this board.  Best of luck!

wish this product came as a stand alone dac.....as im long on pre amps right now have been really curious about the dac section since reading about it in bound for sound a while back

....kbuzz, the Monarchy NM24 does function as a stand alone DAC--that is how I use it. The Tube stage section has a separate input. They (tube stage + DAC) can be used together if desired, but it seems that a coupling transformer is welcome addition (a NM24 was set up that way in Mr. Poons facility- I actually picked min NM24 directly at Mr Poons office. Cool to see all his "stuff")- I don't have any personal experience with that set up.

Unfortunately, I cannot provide specific input to the OP in at this time, though I am awaiting my Sig 30.2 AMP and also a Modwright SWL 9.0 pre! Coincidence!  When they arrive and are properly broken in I should be able to give a report on the NM24 DAC vs. my Wavelength Brick. The 30.2 should be here in May....then break in time....then some compros.  FWIW, My use of the NM 24 has been with a Denon AVR and it is a definite improvement.

enjoy your music, ed

thank you for the info - i was aware you could use the monarchy as a stand alone dac. What i ment to say was, it would an even better value proposition, if one did not have to pay for the line stage as well....

CSI, interesting thoughts re the CI dac. Could you give us an idea of what other dacs you have had chance to listen to in comparison...

CIA VDA.2 DAC vs. others. These listening tests draw conclusions based on my system and my sonic tastes only (as foolish as they might be). Your mileage may differ and probably will. Of all the DACS mentioned in this thread, of those I've heard, they are all good choices and I could live with most of them. My system: sources - Qsonix music server, Empirical audio modded Sony S7700, Sonos ZP80. Preamp - Dodd Audio Battery Powered. Amps - CIA D100's and, more recently, RedWine Audio Sig 30.2. Speakers - ACI Sapphire XL's with Force XL Sub.
Comparisons:
Bel Canto DAC2 - This was the unit that my CIA DAC replaced. It served me well for years but was getting long in the tooth and I didn't feel I could afford the new DAC3 (which I haven't heard but I'm sure is better). I was actually shocked at how much better the CIA sounded vs. the older BC.
Stello DA100 Sig. - I bought this DAC thinking to replace my CIA with USB capability and something clearly better. It wasn't. It was hard and edgy compared to the sweet and analog-like CIA. I decided I could live without USB and went the Media Server route rather than store music on my computer.
Benchmark - an extremely popular DAC. A friend brought his over and we had an evening shoot out. He prefers the slightly more analytical sound of the Benchmark. I don't - it is too forward in my system. He likes in your face rock I like laid back jazz. These are clearly questions of taste, not whose better.
Paradisea - A very good DAC but, in the end, the CIA won again. It just has less of a sonic "signature". My friend with the Paradisea said he would have bought the CIA if he'd heard the two together. He's rolled a few tubes but agrees that, at least in my system, the CIA does a better job of disappearing. And, for me, the gear really needs to get out of the way of the music.
LIte DAC Ah (modded) - This is a beautiful, musical DAC and a bargain. I bought mine used and it lives in a secondary system. Not a fair comparison since it is cheaper, but a fair example of a good DAC vs. a great one. The Lite is softer on top, less detailed throughout, and the bass sounds like an older tube amp compared to the tight detailed bass of the CIA.
Conclusions: I think maybe I don't like upsampling DACS. I think I'll keep the CIA DAC and stop looking.

Bill (CSI)