Matchstickman,
I'm thinking about upgrading my DAC from a ZDAC. We might be able to work something out here. Of course my ZDAC is broken at the moment, I really need to send it back to the Mother Ship to get it fixed before it's warrenty runs out.
But then I will need to figure out what to get to replace it. Any ideas out there? I guess I need to come up with some kind of budget for the next DAC.

Donnie, have you looked into Wyred for Sound DACs?  A friend of mine has one (I've never heard it, he's in Chicago now ans I haven't gotten to visit him yet) and he's really impressed and happy. I have to say that reviews I've read have been intriguing.

As for upgrades, I do okay for a while, then get the bug. Now I don't have money to spend as I did before and I'm hoping I can stay away from the bug. I'm VERY happy with both of my systems and it should be easy to stand pat. My last upgrade, moving to the very expensive PS Audio PerfectWave Transport and PerfectWave DAC has been such a flexible option that I am still discovering all I can do with it. There are five different digital filters to play with, there are all the different unpsampling modes (and the option I use most, NON-oversampling mode), and there is the subtle and not so subtle differences that can be explored by using the DAC full out into the amp and varying volume at the amp, or vice versa, and shades in between. Remote volume and switching is also a very satisfying aspect of this and one that has me feeling as if I have the convenience of a mass market set up while getting all the wonderful sound possible from the Decware amp and speakers. SHOULD keep me from upgrading for some time to come.

Matchstik,
My ZDAC has been a up and down deal. When it works it is wonderful. The bad thing is that it has worked less than 3 weeks total since I got it last May. I sent it back once, got it fixed and it ran about another week. Right now I'm stuck between the thought of returning it to be fixed or shooting it full of holes. I once had it sitting at the hot end of my shooting range, but $875 is a lot of money just blow up. So now it sits on my desk taunting me. I've went as far as printing out a return form, but I haven't sent it back yet.
As far as a new one, I don't know yet. How much I'll spend? However much as I think a DAC is worth at the time, somewhere between $400 and $5000. I figure that $1200 or there abouts should be a pretty good price point, but if my bank account is charged up at that moment, who knows what I would spend!
I really do love how my ZDAC sounds and functions, but I can't be sure that my problems aren't self inflicted, the same problem twice sounds like I'm doing something wrong. Who knows?
So I might send it up and get it fixed then sell it, or shoot it for New Years Eve.

I still figure it is something I'm doing wrong. It just doesn't like to lock on to my equipment. It sounds wonderful when the stars are aligned.

You're right RR, it's not like we don't have something to show for our money, AS WELL AS so many hours of enjoyment and discovery.

I've decided a lot of my "upgraditis" was because I had killer killer amp and speakers and there was no disguising my front end could have been better. Since I've upgraded my front end, I've found my "upgraditis" is at least in remission for a while. . . .

Lon quipped:
Quote:


Yesterday, I put together some nice new barstools my wife got me for Christmas. Well made, and I enjoy the "some assembly required" thing, especially since I can listen to my system while doing so. As I did the final rotational tightening of bolts—you know, tighten one bolt, and then move in a pattern, because each tightened bolt produces a little looseness elsewhere—I was reminded of the "upgrade merry-go-round."

Lon is right, the Decware equipment is exceptionally revealing, and in my system, when I do a direct comparison of the same file read on my Oppo player versus my PerfectWave DAC, you can hear the difference. The Oppo incorporates a remarkable DAC for its price, but it's no PWDAC. And the Ultra & Torii combo is quite revealing of those differences, not unkindly, but quite clearly.

I went on a bit of a "tube bender" over the holidays, and it will be interesting to see what comes out of the new NOS tubes I bought. The good news is that my wallet is DOA, and so my upgradeitis is also temporarily in remission.

Heh, we'll see if I may have overtightened my own bolts when the Siemens-Halske tubes arrive.