Who Are Your Favorite DAC Designers?

[Audire]

I’m really enjoying our EMM DA2V2 DAC. It is excellent. It bested everything we heard when we purchased it sometime back.

But we will probably be upgrading either to a Lampi Horizon or Ideon Absolute E + Time. So, far the Ideon is in our top spot. But the Horizon will be here soon for a demo.

 

[KrellFan1]

Bruno Putzeys, Mola Mola

I agree completely. I've become a huge admirer of Bruno and in particular the Tambaqui DAC which I just acquired within the past two weeks. All I can say is WOW. Game changer

 

[godofwealth]

As someone who has owned a lot of DACs over the past 30 years, beginning with Theta Digital and going over numerous other ones (dCS, Esoteric etc.), and now having half a dozen DACs in the house, I have learned that I need to have multiple references to calibrate my ears on their colorations. Every DAC is colored in some way, but you can’t hear its colorations if that’s the only DAC you listen to. It’s like listening to only loudspeaker. You don’t hear its colorations because you listen to it each day and you get used to the way it sounds.

 

[Lee]

Great replies here. Let’s not forget John Siau at Benchmark who creates innovation on a tight cost frame.

Or Andy McHarg and Chris Hales who did an amazing job on the Apex upgrades at dCS.

 

[gleeds]

That is an easy one for me! In tube based circuits, Lukasz of Lampizator and for solid-state Omata San of Sforzato. As soon as Sforzato completes their latest series of updates I expect them to be ready to take on the big boys at a more approachable price. I have experienced Sforzato's $20k two-box DAC/Clock solution and next to the Lampizator Horizon I have not heard better digital replay.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Past Madrigal ( i still use the Mark levinson 360S)
Present Wadax

 

[Steve Rowan]

Lukasz Fikus - Lampizator

 

[Jazzjunkie]

Another one isn’t with PS Audio anymore, Ted Smith.
Does anyone have background information or knows what he’s doing?

 

[KrellFan1]

Interested in you favorite DAC designers, and to a lesser extent Transport/Server/Streamer designers.

Designers and brands that come to mind include, to name a few, Odeon, Trinity, Zanden, Audio Tekne, Kondo, Audio Note, Esoteric, Cees Reutenberg, Stavros Danos (Aries Cerat), Lukasz Fikus (Lampizator), Slawa Roschkow (SW1X) Bruno Putzys (Tambaqui), MSB, EMM, Wadax, MBL, Burmester, APL, etc, etc.

I'm loving the Kassy and Tambaqui, but could use another winning horse.

Any thoughts on a short audition list to compliment the above two thoroughbreds?

Thanks

Kerry.

All I can add is that I am a HUGE fan of the Mola Mola group and in particular the Tambaqui DAC - as well as the Makua preamp - two components that for me have "made a difference."

 

[PYP]

All I can add is that I am a HUGE fan of the Mola Mola group and in particular the Tambaqui DAC - as well as the Makua preamp - two components that for me have "made a difference."

both designed by Bruno Putzeys: https://purifi-audio.com/about

 

[surfing_dude]

Dustin Symanski - MSB
Lumin engineers