Have your say & ask the experts

I have one and its Excellent once its run in ,dont know what its like compared to the others though

But like all Hifi  though u  only get out what u put in ,it wont work miricals with low bite files or poorly produced Cds

Hopefully gettin the latest power supply at the end of the momth which is supposed to make it even better

I think u get that power supply automaticly if u buy a Caimen now

Mark

spacious soundstage, excellent buy for the money. with decent headphone amp too.

 never heard the magic and vdac though :)

You could read the recent WHF 5 star review for another opinion...

http://whathifi.com/Review/Beresford-Caiman/

vinod_david:

Yes, been reading whfsv review and various thread in AoS wrt to Caiman, but just confused so much. I'm wondering if whfsv has to award DAC's which one will take the honor, and i might surely buy the award winner, but without a top spot all three sounds good to me. any thoughts ?

AoS is extremely 'partisan' given that is where Stanley Beresford tends to hang out. The Caiman (TC-7520SE) actually started off life as a 'limited edition' in response to those AoS contributors who wanted the best of all the DIY mods but did not/could not want to do them themselves.

The Caiman has now taken on a whole seperate existence as part of the Beresford product offering and is no longer a 'one-off limited edition' item.

I take what is written on AoS with a shovel full of salt (despite my preference of the TC-7520 over the DacMagic). There are a lot of silly claims made for the Caiman along with the sane ones.

There is no answer to your question other than try both. Beresford and Richer sounds both have good returns policies and this should enable you to compare for yourself.

If you want someone to tell you - definitively - what to buy, then I am sure 'he' will be along soon. There are fans of all three DACs here on the forums and at least one of them will oblige you.

Yes I have heard the DacMagic. For about 6 - 7 hours every fortnight - on average - since late last December. (With iMac 20" optically connected and through a Primare i30 and Focal floor standers with a mixture of Apple lossless and Radio Paradise mostly.)

I cannot help you with your "which will win" question.

I simply prefer my TC-7520. (With LM4562NA opamp upgrades) It suits my system and what I need.

I have not heard the Caiman but would expect it is a refinement on what I have already.

OP I have the Beresford Caiman and the 7520 version with op amp upgrade. the Caiman also shipped with an improved PSU . I found it a worthwhile 30 more than the 7520 . And I have listened extensively to the Dac Magic. IMO the Dac Magic is over rated.

The Caiman is a remarkable little machine it gives my other hi fi / av it kit a good run for their money . And if you really like the convenience of music streaming then it's a relatively inexpensive route to go.