Ten Audio TAD-1 DAC – £2500

Superb valve dac ex-dem.

Excellent, dynamic sound with 3 dimensional valve tone.

Upgraded GE output valves.

Later called VAD.

6Moons reviewing TAD 1 6Moons TAD 1 pages

HiFi Choice about DAC 10 DSD (2014)

HiFi Critic reviewing DAC 12 Enjoy the Music DAC 12 pages

Sounds superb even with basic computer audio set-up due to its tonal richness and scale.

Retail price £6995

Blacknote DSS30i tube DAC Streamer – £1500

Pre-owned

Fantastic-sounding balanced DAC / streamer, built on a Linux platform with silver pcbs.

Plays memory sticks directly with an unsurpassed sound quality. Also excellent as a DAC hooked up to appropriate modern day streamers such as AURALiC, Bluesound or even a classic Squeezebox Touch.

2 x 6922 valve output stage.

Output board upgraded with Clarity Cap output capacitors and non-inductive resistors.

£2995 retail

Review (https://www.dagogo.com/blacknote-dss-30i-tube-dac-review/)

This is a digital product that I can listen to for long periods without fatigue or boredom. The only other digital product that did this for me were purposefully smoothing over the rough edges and sweetening the tonal balance. Blacknote isn’t artificially smoothing or sweetening with the DSS: they have come up with a better way of reassembling the zeroes and ones back into an organic whole.

 

Transcription Audio 211 Low Profile – £2695

Beautiful 211 integrated 18w/ch minimum.
Pre-owned in solid American walnut
3 inputs.
Transformers below deck.
7kg output transformers.
DC heaters on driver stage.
Choke regulated.
Cryo valves.
Massive power supply 2kV oil capacitor.
Takes on £20K 211 amps with ease.
45 kg – over-specced components run cooler and quieter than competitors.