I believe it is 20x or 25x, not 200.
The DAC in question is a mytek stereo 192 dsd
I am running balanced, not single ended.
Ah, that explains it. From my perspective it is irresponsible to sell a dc coupled device which effectively has enough dc at output as to cause inconvenience or even damage. Then again, when one takes into account the sound and flexibility for the price... we all have to compromise somewhere. It's just a pity as there are many cheap ways to ensure low offset with a proper design - i guess analogue is not their forte.
So, yes a microfarad or even less will sort you out with the Encores. I would probably choose my favourite Mundorf S&G but there are lots of good caps around the same price range. Not much point to try out any bargain basement caps - you will be disappointed on DSD material.
Source impedance is a low 50-300ohms (should be on your spec sheet) and this makes transformer selection a lot easier. It is just my anecdotal experience for never hearing a gapped transformer that i liked and i certainly haven't heard them all.
As far as sonic comparisons go, my preference is for ungapped nickel transformers ahead of any cap, but only if the circumstances allow.
If i were you i'd just buy a quad of Auricaps, probably bypass them with something more noble and be done with it. Very expensive caps require too much matching to ancillaries.
The transformer would be designed/built for this exact reason by somebody who has been in the transformer game for a very long time.
I believe the myteks output impedance is about 200 ohms.
Also what do you mean by buying a quad of auricaps and "bypass them with something more noble"?
For the record, i'm not against using caps at all, just trying to weigh my options and go with the right choice, unfortunately it is a bit too expensive to listen to both before making a decision since I would need to own both for my particular circumstances.
I guess i'm trying to find something that will sound invisible and have as little negative affect on the signal path as possible. That being said though, since both my dac, preamp and amp are VERY neutral I maybe wouldn't mind a LITTLE extra flavour/colour to the sound to help improve upon some awful recordings that really show through such a neutral system..
Decisions, decisions.
A friendly advice: don't do it. An off the shelf transformer will keep some residual resale value, especially if you go for something nice, while a custom unit turns into a boat anchor the minute you decide it's not to your liking. Unless it carries Dave Slagle's name on it, or someone equally well known.
The Auricaps are generally what i feel is the absolute minimum for hifi reproduction. Cheap, easily available and easy to sell. If you feel they are too bland, bypassing them with something nicer, maybe 0.1uF Sonicaps Platinum or some other teflons will improve them quite a bit.
Maybe someone in your neighbourhood can lend you a couple of caps to try...
That was exactly my other thought with the transformer, I realized if I ever change/upgrade dacs it ends up becoming useless and would be hard to sell. The piece in question would have Dave Slagles name on it but it would still be hard to sell if it isn't matched for anything.
Well, talk to Dave and see what he thinks. It won't be that exotic anyway. Something like 600:600ohm, centre tapped and capable of taking a milliamp or two of dc should in fact attract some interest - your situation is certainly not unique. Plus, it may be used as a single ended to balanced converter too.
Offtopic - does the Mytek use the 9018 on-chip digital volume control? IME, this is the best way to control volume and in case you have no need for other sources, the preamp becomes redundant. If the analogue stage is sufficiently capable, the lack of an active preamp will certainly make up for the extra caps/transformers in the signal path.
Offtopic - does the Mytek use the 9018 on-chip digital volume control? IME, this is the best way to control volume and in case you have no need for other sources, the preamp becomes redundant. If the analogue stage is sufficiently capable, the lack of an active preamp will certainly make up for the extra caps/transformers in the signal path.
dave was the one who recommended the transformer, well he suggested it as an alternative to caps if I wanted to go that way. Because i'm full balanced it would be a 1+1:1+1 made according to the dacs output impedance.
Not sure what the mytek uses for attenuation, as you can probably tell i'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to electronics. I previously used the mytek for volume control but have since bought a bent audio tap-x preamp which completely blows away the mytek. It has been discussed quite a bit how the mytek sounds so much better in bypass mode and now that I have tried I fully agree. That's a completely different topic though.
Not sure what the mytek uses for attenuation, as you can probably tell i'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to electronics. I previously used the mytek for volume control but have since bought a bent audio tap-x preamp which completely blows away the mytek. It has been discussed quite a bit how the mytek sounds so much better in bypass mode and now that I have tried I fully agree. That's a completely different topic though.
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