Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 21, Multistandard 96-192kHz, 24-Bit Tubed DAC

**Please click here to check out our newly launched SkyFi Audio website with additional items for sale**

Limited edition DAC from Musical Fidelity that is an exact fit for the matching A308cr upsampling 24-Bit CD player that we also have available for purchase, along with the matching amplifier.  

Click here to view all three matching pieces on our site.

From a head-fi.org review:

The Tri-Vista 21 was a limited edition DAC sold in late 2004, early 2005. It was massively overbuilt - great power supply and output stage, and ran extremely long life 5703 milspec tubes, which are good for 100,000 hours. The unit is hefty, 20 lbs, and it has toslink and SPDIF inputs, and RCA outputs. The power supply is heavily regulated and has great chokes - Musical Fidelity built this unit to a spectacular degree. The feet of the unit feature LEDs that light up first orange then blue to signal when the unit has reached ideal warmup.

Compared to DACs of the day, the Tri-Vista outpunched its rather modest price - you had to spend about $5k to get DACs that bettered its sonic quality. The DAC upsampled redbook to 192k, and it dramatically improved redbook sources. If used with a CD transport, it favored high quality transports. Like all DACs of that era, it had no DSD support, nor could it take a USB input."

The front panel has a power on indicator LED, power on/off switch, discrete 96kHz indicator light, discrete 192kHz indicator light, digital coaxial input indicator light, optical input indicator light, and data locked indicator light (see below).

"The LOCKED data indicator LED on the front panel will light to show that the Tri- Vista 21 DAC has successfully locked on to the incoming data stream, and either the CO-AXIAL or OPTICAL LED shows which input has been selected."

The rear panel has stereo analog outputs via unbalanced RCA connectors, one optical digital input, one coaxial digital input, one coaxial digital output, a 96 / 192kHz selector switch (see below), and a power input so you can use your favorite power cord if you desire.

"The appropriate 96kHz or 192kHz light will indicate which sample rate is in use, but this can be changed by pressing the SELECTOR push-switch at the rear of the unit as required."

Tested in our lab and functioning right at manufacturer specifications.  Some light scratching and some scuffing on the top panel which we've reflected in our physical condition chart in this listing.  

*Please note that the Power LED does not function and it's missing the physical power button, but is completely operable.  Most audiophiles would leave the power on all the time anyway.

Technical Specifications:
DAC Architecture:  24-bit Delta-Sigma (Bitstream),dual differential, 8 times oversampling, 96 / 192kHz switchable
Sampling Frequencies:  8 to 108kHz
Data Types:  16, 20, 24 bit word lengths
Inputs:  RCA 75Ω, S/PDIF TOSLINK optical
Outputs:  RCA left and right analog audio, RCA digital loop out
Output Impedance:  50 Ohms
Frequency Response:  10Hz to 20kHz ± 0.0dB
Signal / Noise Ratio:  114dB “A”- weighted
Total Harmonic Distortion:  < 0.0025% 10Hz to 20kHz
Total Correlated Jitter:  < 135pS
Channel Separation:  < 109dB 20Hz to 20kHz
Linearity:  < 0.2dB down to -100dB
Audio Output at Digital 0dB Level:  2.17 Volts RMS at 1kHz nominal
Dimensions: 440mm, 17.3 inches wide, 105mm, 4.13 inches high (including feet) 375mm, 14.8 inches deep (including terminals)
Weight: 13.15 kg, 29 lbs. unit only, unboxed 15.2 kg, 33.5 lbs. in shipping carton

Click here for a PDF copy of the Owner's Manual

Thanks for looking and please click here if you would like to receive a list of the equipment we receive from time to time.  We promise not to bombard you with junk email.

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PURCHASING FROM SKYFI

This item will be professionally packaged and insured for safe transit to your home. 

Please click here for detailed specifics regarding our specialized packing process that separates us from the rest.

If we don’t have the original manufacture's packaging, we use heavy duty double ply corrugated boxes with Instapak expanding foam custom inserts.  In many cases this has proven to be better than the original packaging.  We also use high quality fiber reinforced tape to seal our packages.  Lightweight items will be bubble wrapped and shipped in a high-quality box. 

This item is available for pickup in Ridgewood, NJ or Union Square, NYC (with convenient parking in the building).

NJ Residents or anyone picking up without a resale certificate will need to pay NJ Sales Tax.

Use the Buy It Now button and we will cover the PayPal fees.

Thanks for looking and be sure to call or text 201.879.0000 with any questions. 

Please also click here to visit our Audiogon store to see the rest of the items we have for sale.

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WHO WE ARE 

SkyFi Audio is a small startup business specializing in the purchase, reconditioning, and reselling of select high-end audio equipment.  We only buy equipment the we admire and are passionate about. No mid-fi, no gimmicks, no junk. 

Each piece of equipment is cosmetically restored and fully tested in our well-equipped lab by an engineer with 30+ years of experience in the HiFi world. If it does not meet or exceed the original manufactures specifications, it will not be sold.  We are very selective about the equipment we purchase, focusing on mostly analog, high-build quality, American, and European built units.

Through our sister company, which is an authorized dealer for McIntosh, Audio Research, Sonus Faber, ClearAudio, Pro-Ject Audio Systems, and Sony ES, we have access to OEM parts, service, and support.  If you are local and looking for new equipment from the above-mentioned manufacturers, please drop us a line as we can arrange both sales and professional installation in the tri-state area.

PURCHASING GUIDELINES

We do not accept or review any offers that do not go through the official Audiogon system. We have too many items for sale and it’s nearly impossible to keep track of offers outside of the official system. Please don’t message, email, or text any offers. 

If you do not see a “Make an Offer” button, it means we are not considering any offers on that item.   

PAYMENTS

We prefer working through PayPal which allows you to use a credit card or bank transfer. We do not charge extra for any payment fees if you purchase the item at the asking price.  You can also send us a personal check (which will need to clear before shipping), certified check, money order, or wire transfer. International clients without access to PayPal should use a bank wire transfer. 

If you are picking up an item we do not accept PayPal.  You must pay in person with cash, certified or bank check, or wire transfer.  If you make a PayPal payment and are picking up the item, it will be returned. 

TRADE IN POLICY 

We accept trade-ins of equal or lesser value under certain conditions.  Simply ask and let us know the exact model, condition, and the accessories that are included (such as the original box, remote, cables, manual, etc.).  We will only consider high-end equipment from mainstream manufacturers such as McIntosh, Mark Levinson, Audio Research, Krell, etc. and will typically pass on displays, projectors, receivers, dated surround processors, and mid-fi equipment of any type.  We will offer a fair value for your equipment, but keep in mind we are running a business and will need to be able to resell the equipment at a profit after investing a great deal of time and resources in testing, certifying, repairing, cleaning, and packaging the incoming equipment.  If you are looking for top dollar we suggest attempting to sell it directly to an end user on your own.

SELL US YOUR GEAR (Working or Broken)

We will also purchase your used or broken gear and arrange pickup if you are in our local market. Just drop us a note for a quote but be sure to include the condition and what is included. 

HOW TO VISIT US                                                                                                        

We are currently operating from a residence in Ridgewood, NJ.  You are welcome to make an appointment if there is a piece of equipment you would like to see in operation before or after purchase.  We have a well-equipped, dedicated listening room with tons of equipment of all makes and models.  We are not a store, so please don’t make an appointment if you are just curious as to how a speaker or piece of equipment sounds.  In essence, no tire kickers please.

If you are in NYC and cannot make it out to Ridgewood, we can arrange pickup in Union Square (14th Street) after the purchase.   You can call or text 201.879.0000 with any questions or to schedule an appointment.  We can also arrange to install, calibrate, and tune the gear in your listening room if you are local to the area.  This is super useful when purchasing large speakers or heavy amplifiers.  It is also great for ensuring your new turntable is setup correctly in its final resting place.  

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