Musicality defined!
Bought to temporarily replace a modded MF Trivista (a dac + mods that is around £1800's worth) which needs repair. I've not even sent off Trivista for repair yet as this Dac3 is a lovely listen. Great separation, and soundstage well defined within speakers. Very natural sounding cymbals, vocals are stunning. I'm hearing more character and the room acoustic around the voice on some songs. Delightful with fuzzy guitars. Somehow there seems to be more 'tune' going on-delicate variations in playing are easy to hear giving a zest that makes you feel very close to the performance. Bass goes very deep and sounds rounded, warm and natural but lacks a little 'kick'. Such a good listen overall. If you have a dac up to around £500 I think this will surprise you, and certainly the NOS/filterless approach gives a different and (to me) appealing sound.
(From memory and as a comparison I'd say the Trivista has more 'slam' on rock music, a better defined top end and gives a wider soundstage outside of speakers and a better placement of instruments across the image).
The unit is small and feels solid and very well made. A simple interface with tiny jewel like led indicators add to the aesthetic of the dac. Clearly the maker (Christophe) is man who appreciates attention to detail in both design and technical implementation.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: New