u/Audiophily1

First off, apologies for my English (I'm from Italy) and to be clear: I am not a seller, just an audiophile. I previously used a Chinese DAC with a salvaged original PCM58 chip (for reference, the one in the attached photo is the exact one I owned). I immediately swapped the stock op-amps for genuine Mouser NE5534s. It sounded great for the money, delivering that thick, tube-like warmth and forward vocals I love. However, I hate a soft, rolled-off sound, which is why I use highly dynamic cables and rhodium connectors to keep transients fast and punchy. Now I feel like I’m hitting a glass ceiling because I'm craving more micro-detail and resolution. My question is: is it worth throwing more money at this basic Chinese board for high-end boutique components, or should I just pony up and upgrade to a product like the Denafrips Enyo (Ares)? I want to keep the analog warmth but gain resolution. Would love to hear from anyone who has A/B tested this.

Hunting down this SACD/DAC player still sealed in its box is becoming a real treasure hunt, but I assure you it's not impossible if you have a bit of patience monitoring retailers. And if you find it new, it's a phenomenal purchase.

What left me speechless is the chip implementation. It uses a Sabre ES9026PRO, but it pulls off such an analog representation that I had never heard before on Sabre DACs, even at significant price points. I had the chance to compare it directly with the previous Gustard line, and the Pioneer came out clearly on top.

What makes this even more shocking to me is the output stage: it uses classic op-amps like the OPA2604 and the NE5532. Having played around with these extensively in the past on DIY DAC projects, I know these chips very well—but achieving this level of performance and musicality out of them completely blew my mind.

To give you an idea of the level of this machine: to match the quality of the Pioneer playing a physical SACD, I had to use digital playback going through a SOtM streamer (powered by an Sbooster) connected via USB to a Metrum Onyx DAC3. Having to bring in a setup like that and an R2R DAC of that caliber just to tie the score really shows the true pedigree of the PD-50AE.

If you add a rock-solid build like a true high-end machine and meticulously engineered internals, the price-to-performance ratio is simply off the charts. If you find one, don't let it slip away.

Hey everyone. I’ve been thinking a lot about small monitors lately, especially the Falcon Gold Badge. I absolutely love how they handle the midrange and put the vocals right in the foreground.

But I’m genuinely curious about your experiences. Has anyone here directly compared them to other small monitors (like ProAc, Harbeth, Spendor, etc.)? Did you find something that you think just flat-out beats them or offers a better overall experience in this size category?

Hey everyone. I recently swapped my speaker cables and noticed an interesting technical shift I'd love to get your thoughts on.

My setup is a Pass Labs INT-25 running into Falcon Gold Badges. For 6 years, I used Duelund DCA16GA wire. I always liked it, but I always perceived a very faint floor of distortion or "fuzz."

I just switched to Tellurium Q Black II. Despite reading online that they can sound "compressed," my experience is the exact opposite: the background got dead quiet and that distortion vanished completely.

My theory: the unshielded Duelunds were basically acting as antennas in my room, while the Tellurium's geometry actually filters that junk out. Or is it simply a better electrical match or the Pass amp?

Anyone have any experience with these cables?"