The very best DACs today...

[wisnon]

The Aries Cerat Kassandra dac is visually and sonically a beast.
This device uses 24 AD1865N-K DACs - 18bit R2R converter (one of the very best) : 12 converters per channel. Paralleling converters is said to improve the total SNR thus linearity and channel separation.
It's indeed the best sounding DAC I know and visually impressive !

My 2 cents...

Joel,

Their Dac is by far the least visually impressive product in their range. The amps are way more blingy. The Dac seems like a dull cube in comparison. http://www.aries-cerat.eu/images/pics/dacbig.jpg

It also does not seem very big compared to say the Big7.

I attach some pictures of the Big7 to try to illustrate…for example against the Direct Stream.

 

[Joel]

Hummm....
You obliged me to browse my private librarys....
I insist : it's rather big.... I know their amps are bigger but let's say it's almost impressive for a small french guy !

 

[wisnon]

Yup, Those amps are rather big!

And you can see the lovely tubes. In comparison, the Dac is a boring cube.

 

[Joel]

The dac is the big cube at the rear in fact...

 

[edorr]

Joel,

Their Dac is by far the least visually impressive product in their range. The amps are way more blingy. The Dac seems like a dull cube in comparison. http://www.aries-cerat.eu/images/pics/dacbig.jpg

It also does not seem very big compared to say the Big7.

I attach some pictures of the Big7 to try to illustrate…for example against the Direct

That Aries logo on the Dac is absolutely atrocious. What were they thinking?

 

[Joel]

That Aries logo on the Dac is absolutely atrocious. What were they thinking?

Perhaps about their favorite zodiac sign...

 

[Alrainbow]

There is no best but merely what is best at the time one is using it. BUT there clearly is audio products that are just above most else . And the lampi seems to fit that bill. Also the new head dac I am plYing with for me as of right now is the best amp inown or have heard . And it rolls tubes. A truly amazing new lampi product.

As I get to know it better I'll do a few post,s.
Al

 

[Alpinist]

Having auditioned a lot of different DACs, I'd have to say my favorite DAC is the Esoteric D-02. A very accurate and lifelike sound with many different settings. I went with the K-01 so I could spin my SACDs too.

 

[Worldcat]

What other dacs?

Having auditioned a lot of different DACs, I'd have to say my favorite DAC is the Esoteric D-02. A very accurate and lifelike sound with many different settings. I went with the K-01 so I could spin my SACDs too.

 

[c1ferrari]

It is the superbness of the Lampi power supply that really sets it apart. Not sure if any other brand can touch that...and I have heard many of the big brands, TotalDac, MSB, Trinity, Zanden, Chord, PSA, PSD, EMM, CH, Lindemann, Devialet, Bricasti, etc. The size of the Big7 chassis says it all ...it is huge and its mainly power supply.

The other thing about the Big7 as AL said is the versatilty of tubes it can take. There are like 12 classes of rectifiers allowed (5u4g, 5AR, 5r4, U52, GZ34 and 37, 5Y3, 5v4g, 274b, 422a and type 80 and 83 with adapters). Then for output tubes, it can take, 2a3,6a3 (and 6b4g with adapters), 45 globes and ST, 101d globes and ST, VT 52, 300b 5v, 300b 2.5v....with different brands sounding quite different to each other!

Quite fun and maddening if you dont take your time and do it systematically. You basically can completely change the presenatation at will and to satisfy the mood of the moment. With rectis, you can even roll on the fly!

No kidding -- wow

 

[Worldcat]

Question is is it better. Doesn't matter how big power supply is, its how it sounds!

No kidding -- wow

 

[wisnon]

Sounds great! Otherwise, what would be the point!

 

[c1ferrari]

Perhaps, I'll listen to one someday -- other than show environments. It fascinates me that it is so tube adaptable.

 

[jpetek]

The Aries Cerat Kassandra dac looks very impressive. What is the price?

Joel, did you heard the dac against more known brands like lampi or totaldac?

 

[LL21]

The Aries Cerat Kassandra dac looks very impressive. What is the price?

Joel, did you heard the dac against more known brands like lampi or totaldac?

The webiste says it has 2 FARADS of capacitance? That's 2,000,000 microfarads of capacitance, no? That's 2x more than a pair of Gryphon Mephisto monoblocks which are roughly 1 Farad of capacitance (1,000,000 microfarads).

 

[Jazzhead]

The webiste says it has 2 FARADS of capacitance? That's 2,000,000 microfarads of capacitance, no? That's 2x more than a pair of Gryphon Mephisto monoblocks which are roughly 1 Farad of capacitance (1,000,000 microfarads).

..... Crazy !!! Misprint ?

 

[LL21]

..... Crazy !!! Misprint ?

I have no idea...but the DAC certainly looks like it might be as big as a massive tube amp...

http://www.aries-cerat.eu/

"...The converter is equipped with an internal super-clock, which reclocks the converters, making the processor virtually immune to transport changes. The jitter is attenuated to < 80psrms , whatever the jitter level is present at the transformer coupled spdif input. With the internal clock, there is no need for a work clock input. All digital logic is designed and optimized in-house. The super-clock reclocker can be bypassed on the fly by remote control, so you can hear the effect of jitter elimination in your system. The converter’s power supply is a complex system of a total of 8 torroidal transformers, for full separation of digital section, analog supplies, clock supply and the tube circuits. A total of > 2F of capacitance is present in the system, with more than adequate local de-coupling, using top line capacitor, such as OSCONs, WIMAs and Nichicons...."

 

[wisnon]

the smaller of their 2 dacs weighs 55kgs!

the preamp uses negative output impedance like Rowen in Switzerland.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Wow cool brand , if heavy relates to good sounding and it does in a way , then this is the real deal
What is quite clear to me is that in tube designs big powersupplies have everything to do with unitcontrol /basscontrol , the Cat poweramp i have now quite regularly trips the circuit braker on start up

 

[wisnon]

Wow cool brand , if heavy relates to good sounding and it does in a way , then this is the real deal

No mention of price anywhere...they could make the likes of fm acoustics look cheap!