Dac Shootout! Cary Dac100t vs Dac100 vs NAD M51
bobsauto49
Posts: 975
I've been fortunate enough to have a HiFi shop to let me listen to a few Dac's before I purchase them. And I'd like to post my non-biased review on the 3.
1st up; Cary Dac100t
Great Dac! Very refined, liquid sound! This is a tube dac, with 2)6922 output tubes. The music flows effortlessly, with a great soundstage. There's a magic with this dac. It just sounds so lifelike. Clear defining highs, with liquid smooth mids, and seamless, crisp Bass! The music easily surpasses my Rega Cd player in overall sound quality. This was the 1st Dac I tried, and figured I couldn't get much better than this. It just portrays the music the way I think it should sound! It has all the detail, but doesn't scream in your face, when turning up the db's! Just pure tubey goodness all around, without getting lazy at the bottom! The one thing I could complain about was the brightness of the lights on the front of the dac! They were so bright, that I had to put a piece of cardboard in front to enjoy the music! THAT BRIGHT! This Dac was listed @ $3000. So I wanted to try a couple others out, but I loved the sound! I ran this with balanced outputs, and a Kimber USB cable, of my computer using ITunes. And next,,,,,,,
NAD M51;
Read lots of reviews on this dac, and they were very positive. $2000, Decided to give it a whirl. Was a little disappointed in this dac. The mids were good, and the highs good also, not great, but good. The bottom end was where I got stuck in the mud! A little boomy, muddy sounding. I honestly disliked the lows enough so, I didn't give this a listen for more than 3 hours. This was a demo unit/lots of hours on it. The overall presentation was average to my ears. As a matter of fact, I would say I may prefer my old DacMagic+ over this dac, @ 1400 less! Just didn't blow my skirt up!
Cary Dac100
The solid state version of Cary's new Dac lineup. This is listed @ $2500, and I was really curious to hear the difference between the 2! This is a nice Dac, and if I hadn't already heard it's tube sibling, I probly would have kept it! Refined all the way through, High's, mids, lows. A little more punch, or maybe a more forward presentation than the tubed version. Just a honest sound, no coloration. A great Dac for someone looking for nuetral sound! Dynamic, fast, and true.
But I knew I was gonna pick the Dac100t the 1st time I heard it!(as well as my wife knew also! She said it was the most expensive, so I was gonna get it:-)
1 problem, how the hell am I gonna work around those halogen lights on the front! 4 blue lights! So bright, its distracting! No BS!
Well after a few weeks gone by, my buddy at Sound World called with some good news! Cary was listening to their customers, and fixed the extremely bright lights! Yahtzee! Neesless to say, I've been enjoying my new Dac100t for a couple weeks now! Sublime sound! If ur interested in a mid/highfi Dac, Give the Cary a try
I don't think u'll be disappointed!
1st up; Cary Dac100t
Great Dac! Very refined, liquid sound! This is a tube dac, with 2)6922 output tubes. The music flows effortlessly, with a great soundstage. There's a magic with this dac. It just sounds so lifelike. Clear defining highs, with liquid smooth mids, and seamless, crisp Bass! The music easily surpasses my Rega Cd player in overall sound quality. This was the 1st Dac I tried, and figured I couldn't get much better than this. It just portrays the music the way I think it should sound! It has all the detail, but doesn't scream in your face, when turning up the db's! Just pure tubey goodness all around, without getting lazy at the bottom! The one thing I could complain about was the brightness of the lights on the front of the dac! They were so bright, that I had to put a piece of cardboard in front to enjoy the music! THAT BRIGHT! This Dac was listed @ $3000. So I wanted to try a couple others out, but I loved the sound! I ran this with balanced outputs, and a Kimber USB cable, of my computer using ITunes. And next,,,,,,,
NAD M51;
Read lots of reviews on this dac, and they were very positive. $2000, Decided to give it a whirl. Was a little disappointed in this dac. The mids were good, and the highs good also, not great, but good. The bottom end was where I got stuck in the mud! A little boomy, muddy sounding. I honestly disliked the lows enough so, I didn't give this a listen for more than 3 hours. This was a demo unit/lots of hours on it. The overall presentation was average to my ears. As a matter of fact, I would say I may prefer my old DacMagic+ over this dac, @ 1400 less! Just didn't blow my skirt up!
Cary Dac100
The solid state version of Cary's new Dac lineup. This is listed @ $2500, and I was really curious to hear the difference between the 2! This is a nice Dac, and if I hadn't already heard it's tube sibling, I probly would have kept it! Refined all the way through, High's, mids, lows. A little more punch, or maybe a more forward presentation than the tubed version. Just a honest sound, no coloration. A great Dac for someone looking for nuetral sound! Dynamic, fast, and true.
But I knew I was gonna pick the Dac100t the 1st time I heard it!(as well as my wife knew also! She said it was the most expensive, so I was gonna get it:-)
1 problem, how the hell am I gonna work around those halogen lights on the front! 4 blue lights! So bright, its distracting! No BS!
Well after a few weeks gone by, my buddy at Sound World called with some good news! Cary was listening to their customers, and fixed the extremely bright lights! Yahtzee! Neesless to say, I've been enjoying my new Dac100t for a couple weeks now! Sublime sound! If ur interested in a mid/highfi Dac, Give the Cary a try
I don't think u'll be disappointed! "Everything I ever did in my life worthwhile I caught hell for"
Post edited by bobsauto49 on
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2 Channel
Turntable - VPI Scout 1.1/Ortofon 2M Blue
Integrated Amplifier - Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II
Speakers - GoldenEar Triton 2
__________________________________________________
7.1 Home Theater
Denon AVR-X3300W; Rotel RMB-1066; Polk CS350ls, LS90's, FXi3's, RC60i; SVS PC Ultra; BenQ W1070; Elite Screens 120"
__________________________________________________
Man Cave
Turntable - 1) Pro-Ject 2.9 Wood/Grado Gold; 2) Sony PS LX410/Grado Green
Phono Stage - PS Audio GCPH, Parks Audio Budgie; CD - Marantz DV4001
Preamp - Dared SL2000a, Luminous Audio Axiom II; Amplifier - Parasound HCA-1500A
Speakers - SDA 2A (x-overs etc...); Epos Epic 2; Polk Audio Monitor 70 (my first)
__________________________________________________
Onkyo PR-SC5508 Sharp LC-70LE847U
Emotiva XPA-5 Emotiva XPA-2 Emotiva UPA-2
Front RTi-A9 Wide RTi-A7 Center CSi-A6 Surround FXi-A6 Rear RTi-A3 Sub 2x PSW505
Sony BDP-S790 Dishnetwork Hopper/Joey Logitech Harmony One Apple TV
Two Channel
Oppo 105D BAT VK-500 w/BatPack SDA SRS 2.3 Dreadnought Squeezebox Touch Apple TV
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Dynaudio Audience 72
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cary xciter dac
Cullen modded Sonos
Joule la-100 pre
B&k Ref 4420 amp
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Analysis plus crystal oval ic's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
B&k 1430
Tad 803 speakers
PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant 10
Rears Salk SuperCharged Surrounds
DAC North Star Design Supremo
Source PSA PWT & Oppo 205
Pre/Pro Integra DHC 40.1
LCD Samsung LN46B750
Mains Salk HT2-TL
Pre Cary SLP-98 F1
Center Salk HT2C
Wires MIT S3.3
PSA PC AC-12
Office: Roon * Sonore UltraRendu (LPS-1, WW Plat7, Iso Regen, Lush) * ProJect Pre Box S2 * Pass ACA * PSA Dectet * DH Labs Q10 * Brines Folded ML-TQWT RS 40-1354
Beach: Music Hall MMF5.1se * Speed Box II * DL103r * Lounge Copla/LCRIII * W4S Sonos * Schiit Yggdrasil * Belles 20a Pre * First Watt F5 Clone * PSA Dectet * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 2.3tl
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
Had a fancy boy Lawyer listening to my setup, and he listens only to a hi-res website with a monthly fee! He asked me close to a dozen times if this was a burned cd, or iTunes bought, and couldn't believe my answer! But it's all in the pudding!!!
Bob, try and get one and do a mini-review, seems we both like the same sound and I'd accept your opinions on it easily.
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Dynaudio Audience 72
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cary xciter dac
Cullen modded Sonos
Joule la-100 pre
B&k Ref 4420 amp
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Analysis plus crystal oval ic's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
B&k 1430
Tad 803 speakers
Haha...bone in Ribeye bro....my absolute favorite. We even have the same taste in meat. LOL
Would love to get an ear on that 100T, but I don't have a separate dac anymore, hence the hunt. I like a more analog sounding dac and Cary....Burson seem to fit that bill.
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Dynaudio Audience 72
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cary xciter dac
Cullen modded Sonos
Joule la-100 pre
B&k Ref 4420 amp
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Analysis plus crystal oval ic's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
B&k 1430
Tad 803 speakers
How much do you charge for frickin' auto repairs up there pal ? LOL
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Dynaudio Audience 72
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cary xciter dac
Cullen modded Sonos
Joule la-100 pre
B&k Ref 4420 amp
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Analysis plus crystal oval ic's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
B&k 1430
Tad 803 speakers
Well yes AND no.....but if your cooking and I'm sitting there listening to your gear and drinking your beer...then you are absolutely 100% correct
It's not some much the auto repairs its the oil changes and muffler bearing that are bread and butter...