[TheWuss]

Thanks rixlbig and fantoon for the news. Good excuse for a thread bump, for sure.
I will likely try out the new meier dac, as the stagedac is the best in its price class that i have heard...

 

[Fantoon]

Np, I'm looking forward to this dac!

 

[rasmushorn]

Interresting news!
I will squeeze the last life out of my Stagedac then and look forward to a future upgrade

 

[rixlbg]

You are welcome, TheWuss. I am planning on buying a DAC and I am indecisive between the Audiolab M-Dac and the "Future-Unnamed-Corda-DAC" (or a used StageDAC, perhaps). Have someone heard the Audiolab M-Dac and has some comments on it? How it would compare to the StageDac? The M-Dac has that new chip, the Sabre 9018, that it would suppose to be excellent, they say, and the StageDac has the Wolfson WM8741, if I remember correctly. Any suggestions or comments will be appreciated, don't be shy!
 
I am curious about the name of the new Corda DAC, maybe will be the Corda PolkaDac or the EmoDac or the HardBopDac, something like those.
 
Thank you very much!
 
Quote:

Thanks rixlbig and fantoon for the news. Good excuse for a thread bump, for sure.
I will likely try out the new meier dac, as the stagedac is the best in its price class that i have heard...

 

[zenpunk]

I previously owned a Stagedac and while it is quite a good DAC it  can't compete with the M-DAC. I owned few other cheaper Dacs between those two and to be very honest the Stagedac was quite poor value for money.

 

[rixlbg]

Quote:

I previously owned a Stagedac and while it is quite a good DAC it  can't compete with the M-DAC. I owned few other cheaper Dacs between those two and to be very honest the Stagedac was quite poor value for money.

Thank you, zenpunk. Your post was very direct and helpful, I guess I will go for the M-DAC. Do you have (or anyone here) any experience with the Audio-GD dacs like the Reference-5.2, for example. I guess they are supposed to be great and a quite good value for money too. Hummm... a little off topic maybe...
 
Best regards!

 

[cooperpwc]

rixlbg, I think that you should jump out a 12th story window. I trust that you find my post to be very direct and helpful. Whatever you do, don't get another opinion. Listen to the first thing you hear and act on it.  

 
However I have no opinion on the StageDAC versus M-DAC as I have not compared them.  

 

[Argo Duck]

I have not heard the M-DAC either but I (still) find the StageDAC very, very good - 'better than' my more expensive Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC for example.
 
To be fair, there are many variables in this game. Because of this, no one opinion - mine included, of course! - is decisive.

 

[uelover]

Quote:

I have not heard the M-DAC either but I (still) find the StageDAC very, very good - 'better than' my more expensive Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC for example.
 
To be fair, there are many variables in this game. Because of this, no one opinion - mine included, of course! - is decisive.

 
I find the Minimax DAC to be miles ahead of the StageDAC. The StageDAC is only slightly better than the Maverick D1 when the Maverick D1 is used correctly.

 

[Argo Duck]

^ Well, that's why I put ' around better than 

 
I extensively reported on differences I heard between the two in a comparative review I did which included the Bifrost as well.
 
TBH, it seemed nonsensical to pick a 'better' or 'best' DAC among the three within the methodological limitations of the testing.
 
In your case though, I'm pretty sure the Minimax you characterise as "miles ahead" is not stock-standard. Worth mentioning perhaps.

 

[uelover]

Quote:

In your case though, I'm pretty sure the Minimax you characterise as "miles ahead" is not stock-standard. Worth mentioning perhaps.

 
It is in its stock configuration that the Minimax performed much better than the StageDAC.
 
There is no point in making a statement comparing a stock StageDAC against another modded DAC fwiw.
 
I have nothing against the StageDAC but I am with zenpunk that it is pretty poor value for money.

 

[zenpunk]

The Stagedac was my first expensive DAC ( I only had a STX before) and while I enjoyed it a lot,  I realised after trying various DACs that there was to my ears something flawed in that it sounded "too nice" and lacked realism. A bit  like looking at a glossy picture rather that at the real thing. Instruments didn't seem to occupy their own space, depth and  imaging wasn't very accurate. I can easily understand why people would enjoy that type of presentation, but to me it just lacked immediacy and "teeth".
I was quite sad when I realised I preferred the  TC Konnect 6 (£150) to the Stagedac 

 

[Argo Duck]

^ For sure zenpunk and (what I could understand) uelover - points well taken.
 
But what I was getting at was all the variables involved. To mention a few: HRTF, listening preferences; sample variance from the tracks one happened to use at the time.
 
There is so much variance I wouldn't even begin to take any one person's report (mine definitely included) very seriously. At least a scientific study can be scrutinised: its methodology, measures, data and analysis. However, too much is hidden in what we report about our equipment findings, from ourselves as much as from others.
 
That said, I find your (zenpunk's) impression congenial. I found the StageDAC sat between the minimax and bifrost in voicing, neither plumbing the minimax's depths of bass nor reaching the (slightly) top-tilted clarity of the bifrost. Tonal texture and presentation, however, was something else: voice and solo instruments were highlights.
 
This might just be me...
 
It no doubt contributes to our different perceptions that I'm not sensitised to soundstage with headphones. I find my speakers much better in this area.

 

[331516]

.

 

[Argo Duck]

Jan did or does have one under design. However, I learned recently (Quickstep thread IIRC) he's also planning a DAC/amp desktop unit.
 
I hope but don't know he still plans a standalone DAC. The Stagedac I find very good.