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Audio Note DAC 4 or 5. Just how good R they?

RichardAusten said:
And when you attended CES 2009 or 2010 and auditioned the AN E at the Flamingo Hotel - what music did you play?

When you auditioned the Acapella Triolon (or other Acapella speakers), what did you play?

Please list the 5 best loudspeakers(with equipment if possible). I am always willing to try new stuff that will excite my passion for audio reproduction.
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I attended the Lisbon Audio Show in 2010 and listened to a digital-fronted all-AN system. The room was empty for a while so I was able to listen a couple of CDs I had taken with me, Ivan Moravec playing the first two movements of Beethoven's Op.27 No.2 (Supraphon), and the last movement of Beethoven's Op.125 by Giulini and the BPO (DG).
The sound was, well, bad-ish...

Best three speakers I've listened to? TAD Reference 1s, B&W Nautilus and Vivid Giya G3s.
 
scotty38 said:
But it does end with:

"The CD-4.1x is a paradox: does it sound good because of how it measures or despite it?"
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Who does it sound good to? An important point that often goes unnoticed. Hardly any DAC will please all listeners.
 
Woodface said:
I quite like the top ones but you would need a massive room, they could be considered stylish in the right context but probably completely irrelevant for the vast majority of us.
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Agreed, they are irrelevant for vast majority. BTW they are the same speaker, Cessaro Omega's.
 
tuga said:
I

Best three speakers I've listened to? TAD Reference 1s, B&W Nautilus and Vivid Giya G3s.
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I have heard all three - If you deem these as being the best then I can't help you.

I've heard a smaller Giya most recently being powered by the top-of-the-line D'Agostino amplifiers. I was hoping the smaller pair might sound better than the bigger ones - sometimes it happens. 3 minutes into the "audiophile-grade" recording and it sounded thin and edgy like all B&W speakers - but then it's the same designer so it is not much of a surprise there. I was a huge B&W fan (and owner) and booster boy back in the day - man was I ever that young and silly.

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I liked the TAD CR-1 Compact Reference monitors at an audio show I covered in 2012 but at $42,000 USD back then - umm I didn't love them that much that's for sure. The bigger brothers are here in Hong Kong.

I note that Zesto Audio now shows with Joseph Audio Speakers and no longer TAD. Zesto sounds about as good for a lot less money.

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Fortunately, I have heard all three lines of speakers in multiple locations. The Nautilus at of my Audio dealers in British Columbia.

I have had direct A/B comparisons with several B&W speakers directly against AN models - I wanted to buy the N805 and the dealer put in the AN K/SPE a Paradigm flagship standmount at the time, and Reference 3a MM De Capo. The B&W came in last. Rather disheartening because the B&W looked cool - as does the Nautilus as does Vivid. They look cool. If only the sound matched.
 
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Ref3a da capo, on the end of msb class a amps and platinum dac combo is still the best sound I've heard at a show. Just music, in a great room setup by Paul Benge.
 
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sq225917 said:
Ref3a da capo, on the end of msb class a amps and platinum dac combo is still the best sound I've heard at a show. Just music, in a great room setup by Paul Benge.
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Reference 3a was a top 5 room at CES - the Grand Veena - I often recommend this second hand because most people don't know the brand all that well and so unfortunately for the owner, the second-hand value is pretty poor - fortunately for the keen used buyer you can get these $9,000 speakers for around $2,500. I almost bought a used Midi-Master that came before the De Capo - I like the balance a little more than the De Capo i. But the price was a little too high in HK for a 30+ year old speaker. It might be tough to get parts if something fails. So I worried myself out of buying them.

The AN K/SPe I ultimately chose over the De Capo but it wasn't a blowout - these two were vastly better than the N805. The K and De Capo sounded fuller and more fleshed out with better treble. Soundhounds was such a good audio dealer - they would bring speakers like EPOS in at a customer's request to compare with stuff they carried. Plus dogs were welcome too.

They also made great cappuccinos for customers or browsers and had some great pastries and donuts. And because they sold so so so many brands of different design types they never had to hard-sell anyone because you'd be bound to like something they carried. And the used section at times could be excellent.
 
RichardAusten said:
I have heard all three - If you deem these as being the best then I can't help you.

... They look cool. If only the sound matched.
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Can't you accept that we don't all have the same tastes? You clearly have lots of experience of different systems, but why diss what other people have just said they like?
 
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