Dangerous Music Convert-2 DAC Review - Stream of Consciousness

Seems the price of the Convert-2 has recently increased to 3000$ (and even more in Europe).. I have no chance of hearing one, but have the Dangerous Source and I understand/like the Dangerous sound philosophy so the Convert-2 has me interested.. but now at 3000$ I have to wonder if Holo Audio Spring V3 KTE is simply better-er

* I have no chance of demoing either of these two first.

 

That's a lot for a blind buy for sure. My recollections of commentary regarding either lead me to believe the sound of those two DACs is quite different from one another, like they would be unlikely to be cross-shopped. But that's just attempted triangulation, I've never heard either.

 

There's some new competitors on the market now with Apogee Symphony Desktop for less than half the price of the Convert-2. It's difficult to understand the value proposition without hearing them both side by side - I only mention Apogee as I have the Element series and for 500$ or so they punch well into the 1000$ competition and beat RME/Qutest/Dangerous Source - it has the slightly dithered beautified sound, but it's still vivid, lifelike and precise with almost all sabre characteristics removed - like d/s r2r hybrid. If theIR Desktop doubles up on the Element SQ wise it can probably punch above it's price point again which bring it within Convert category potentially..

but without hearing any of these I might as well be talking out of my bum, so i'll shut up.

This thread has been really great in providing sound impressions, i have a good picture of what the convert-2 may sound like.. in my search of a final dac to replace my vinyl setup. I appreciate the analog section of Dangerous Source - it almost decomposes and puts back the sound going through it in it's own way, it's transparent, but there's alway the Dangerous sound flavour going out no matter the DAC input - dynamic, but with some small details/reverb tails dampened/simplified out a bit, and lack of ringing in the treble (why it sounds good with rock)