[murf]

Hello Audio Experts!
  My cdp is at it again.
  In case I get sick of messing & $ on it, what can anyone say about an Insight + DAC (ss) with a Fet-valve Ultra + amp?  Odds on it beating my hot cdp with a crystal cs4390 dac chip (circa ~'04)?  I know this is a question which might not be answerable, but...why not try?

TIA!  Murf

[avahifi]

Remember, 30 day satisfaction guarantee on AVA electronics.

Try it, you wlll like it. 

Best regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[murf]

I guess I could phrase my question better (i'm so tired & frustrated).  I know most folks here like the ava tube or hybrid stuff probably better than the ava ss stuff (Vision dac being the exception?).  Since I have a hybrid ava amp & a "tube-like" Cary (ss) pre/pro, would the hybrid ava dacs be as much a step up over the ava ss dacs for me as for owners with all ss or all tube stuff?  ie: synergy vs balance?

Another great (yeah right) question, but...points for trying!

Murf   

[Tone Depth]

Here's my expansion on Frank's comments:

The Insight+ DAC does everything about right on 16/44.1 CD signals and would probably have good synergy with your SS pre/pro.  The Ultra+/II DAC with it's tube line stage might have a slightly smoother sound than the Insight+ DAC.  You may or may not notice a difference in your system.

Frank has previously said that the Basic/EC Vision SS DACs outperform the Ultra II DAC.  I think the Vision Hybrid DAC outperforms the Vision SS DACs, but I've never heard an AB comparison between the Vision Hybrid and SS DACs.

If you were to get the Insight+ DAC, you could return it if you didn't like it within the 30-day Satisfaction Guarantee period.  If you like it, you can use it until you are ready to upgrade.  I would think the Insight+ would blow out your CDP DAC section.  The Insight+ DAC can also be upgraded to a Basic Vision DAC, if you don't want to sell it in the future, when you are ready to upgrade and/or add High-Res music to your system.

Hope these comments help!

I guess I could phrase my question better (i'm so tired & frustrated).  I know most folks here like the ava tube or hybrid stuff probably better than the ava ss stuff (Vision dac being the exception?).  Since I have a hybrid ava amp & a "tube-like" Cary (ss) pre/pro, would the hybrid ava dacs be as much a step up over the ava ss dacs for me as for owners with all ss or all tube stuff?  ie: synergy vs balance?

Another great (yeah right) question, but...points for trying!

Murf   

[Brett Buck]

If you were to get the Insight+ DAC, you could return it if you didn't like it within the 30-day Satisfaction Guarantee period.  If you like it, you can use it until you are ready to upgrade.  I would think the Insight+ would blow out your CDP DAC section.

   No doubt about that. I have a Marantz CD5001 player, and it has a pretty well-respected internal DAC, and I was reasonably satisfied.  But it took about 30 seconds with the Insight+ to blow it out of the water. It wasn't subtle, it wasn't minor, it was a complete blowout for the Insight+. Switching back and forth, when I switch to the CDP analog output it's like someone put a 80's Yamaha receiver in the loop, no dynamics, no punch and terrible fuzzy high end.

   I wrote a review somewhere on audio circle, "2 minutes with an Insight+DAC" or some such drivel.

    Brett

[rcag_ils]

I can't comment on the Vision, or the Insight since I have neither, but the experience I have with AVA DAC, SS or Hybrid, have always been great.

I have an Ultra DAC and a SS DAC built in 2002, not the Omegastar, since it says "parallel processing something..." on the label, and I like them both. They both have different characteristics, I switch them in and out of my system every month or so, and they sound great.

[murf]

Thanks Brett!  This cdp has a cs 4390 dac chip, but I also have a Marantz cc4001 which has the same cs4392 chip as the cd5001.  Not to dis anyone or any equipment, but this Berendsen cdp1 blew away my cc4001.  Like you say, a 30 sec listen was all that was needed!
 I am trying to see if a diy is possible with this cdp, but I like comparos like wot you gave, & what Tone Depth said:
"I would think the Insight+ would blow out your CDP DAC section." 
  I may have to go DAC!

Murf

   I have a Marantz CD5001 player, and it has a pretty well-respected internal DAC,....

[oneinthepipe]

Get the Vision DAC.  It is sweet.  Then use your computer as a music server.  With the right gear, it gets as good, if not better, than analog, in some respects.

[trebejo]

My DAC experiment was pretty conclusive. Squeezebox and Dacmagic seem to sound pretty much the same as using my Mac's onboard DAC (there were differences but it required "critical listening" to spot them).

Then I got an Ultradac did an a/b against the Dacmagic. It was not close. Like Brett, it took me less than the length of one song to notice the improvement.

I like everything I have that's made by AVA--an Avastar, a u70, a couple of 550s... but of all these, the one piece that was the most noticeable and immediate improvement was the Ultradac, and that was not what I expected.

I think that similar comments should apply if it's the Insight DAC, modulo the usual tube/ss contrast. The output stage of Frank's DACs should have much better performance  than the output stage of 99.n% of all CD players out there...

[Brett Buck]

Thanks Brett!  This cdp has a cs 4390 dac chip, but I also have a Marantz cc4001 which has the same cs4392 chip as the cd5001.  Not to dis anyone or any equipment, but this Berendsen cdp1 blew away my cc4001.  Like you say, a 30 sec listen was all that was needed!

    There's a lot more to it than the D/A chip, of course.

    Brett

[murf]

True about that, and my berendsen has been modded with 3 black gates & maybe an elna cap. 

Folks, is an Insight+ dac 3.5 inches high?

Murf

[martyo]

Yep, 3.5.

[floresjc]

Hello Audio Experts!
  My cdp is at it again.
  In case I get sick of messing & $ on it, what can anyone say about an Insight + DAC (ss) with a Fet-valve Ultra + amp?  Odds on it beating my hot cdp with a crystal cs4390 dac chip (circa ~'04)?  I know this is a question which might not be answerable, but...why not try?

TIA!  Murf

I use an Insight DAC with my Fet Valve Ultra Double 550+ in my main system. Sounds great to my ears.