DAC's

[Lawrenzini]

Could people help me compile a list of DACs? They seem incredibly difficult to find... Not many people seem to sell them, if you know of a DAC could you please provide a link to it .

Cambridge Audio DAC Magic

Music fidelity X-DAC

The new NOS DAC

Bel Canto DAC2

DCS Delius/Elgar Plus

Benchmark DAC1

Apogee MiniDAC

Storm Digital DA02

Lavry DA10

Ack Dack!2.0

Chord DAC64

Headroom MicroDAC

Aqvox USB2 D/A

CIAudio VDA-2

North Star Audio Model 192 DAC

Cyrus X-DAC

Zhaolu D 2.0 DAC

Xindak DAC Series

ART DI/O DAC

"SXD2" USB DAC

TC-7500

SRS DAC

Firestone Fubar II USB

Firestone Spitfire DAC

MONAURAL D/A CONVERTER D-01

DAC8 MKIV 8-channel

4715 Shigaraki DAC

[Mr Cat]

the new Nos Dac - http://www.sigtone.net/ which I have just bought - I'm busy comparing it to my -
Musical fidelity a3 24 -
http://www.musicalfidelity.com/produ...ved/a324.html#

reviews here -
http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/561/

http://www.audio-ideas.com/reviews/d...2-mf-a324.html

http://www.gcaudio.com/newsletter/2002_summer4.html

[doctorjuggles]

Off the top of my head:

Bel Canto DAC2

Benchmark DAC1

Apogee MiniDAC

Storm Digital DA02

Lavry DA10

Ack Dack!2.0

Chord DAC64

Headroom MicroDAC

Zhaulou d02

Aqvox USB2 D/A

CIAudio VDA-2

North Star Audio Model 192 DAC

There are a lot more, but many of them start to hit silly money, so I've stopped under the £2k mark.

[Knightshade]

http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk - CHord DAC64
http://www.dcsltd.co.uk/ - DCS Delius/Elgar Plus
http://www.diyparadise.com - Various NOSDACS

[steve-p]

http://www.cyrusaudio.com/product.asp?ProductID=5 - Cyrus DAC X

[bertha]

Good thread Lawrenzini - this is exactly what I've been investigating too..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Xindak-DAC-3-D...QQcmdZViewItem

I've been looking at this sucker - it does seem to be a bit of a challenge if you are new to this and fancy a dabble in the dac arts, finding the right dac that suits your needs is extra tricky as there seems to be very few UK retailers that cater to the novice end of the budget...


Cheers


Berth

[Timmy C]

Originally Posted by Mr Cat

the new Nos Dac - http://www.sigtone.net/ which I have just bought - I'm busy comparing it to my -
Musical fidelity a3 24 -
http://www.musicalfidelity.com/produ...ved/a324.html#

reviews here -
http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/561/

http://www.audio-ideas.com/reviews/d...2-mf-a324.html

http://www.gcaudio.com/newsletter/2002_summer4.html

Tell us more about your Nos Dac. I'm considering buying the same one so would be very interested in your thoughts.

[Mr Cat]

Originally Posted by Timmy C

Tell us more about your Nos Dac. I'm considering buying the same one so would be very interested in your thoughts.

ok, just a quick review as it takes about 3 week before it opens up...(according to derek shek) - and i like it...! on accoustic stuff etc the sound is amazing - better than my mf a324 - but at the moment there are certain kinds of sounds where it fails - this is on bassy stuff and where the bass is complex...but I hope this will get better...but there are sounds I can even hear that I couldn;t on my MF..!!

if you can hang on a few weeks I will be selling one of my Dacs...not sure which one yet as I'm waiting for my oak hifi rack to be delivered and that may alter the sound a bit as presently I have an alphason metal one with glass shelves (which will also be for sale soon )

[Timmy C]

Keep me posted as I'm in no rush to buy. Maybe I'll take one off your hands.

[Mr Cat]

Originally Posted by Timmy C

Keep me posted as I'm in no rush to buy. Maybe I'll take one off your hands.

no probs - where youy based..? - maybe you could come for a demo

[cwick]

I'd add the ART DI/O DAC. It's a good modders DAC.

[Jammyb]

Of the budget Hong Kong Ebay type DAC's are there any that you would recommend more than others for Rock, Dance, Hip Hop? As I've read that this is where some of these are let down a bit?

Am I better not going down this route for that type of music?

I have a Pioneer DV-737 I'd be using it with, connected to a Denon 3802 and Ruark Speakers.

[CJROSS]

Originally Posted by Jammyb

Of the budget Hong Kong Ebay type DAC's are there any that you would recommend more than others for Rock, Dance, Hip Hop? As I've read that this is where some of these are let down a bit?

Am I better not going down this route for that type of music?

I have a Pioneer DV-737 I'd be using it with, connected to a Denon 3802 and Ruark Speakers.

Stereo amp upgrade first Jammy IMHO. You may even be surprised how your 737s sounds via a stereo amp, then consider DACs. Until then your not going to hear what a DAC does in stereo.

[Jammyb]

Blast! I thought you'd say that! Thing is I can get away with spending £100 or so on a DAC then hiding it out the back my kit.

Whereas a decent stereo amp is going to be a lot more of an investment and a lot more noticeable. Plus it won't integrate with my sub very well.
What if I got a power amp for the fronts? I was considering the flying moles.

Ah well....

Thanks

[Timmy C]

Originally Posted by Jammyb

Of the budget Hong Kong Ebay type DAC's are there any that you would recommend more than others for Rock, Dance, Hip Hop? As I've read that this is where some of these are let down a bit?

Am I better not going down this route for that type of music?

I would be very interested in an answer to this question too. I contacted one of the sellers (Derek Shek) and he reckons his DAC would be better in the bass department than the ringDAC im my Arcam Alpha 9 and CD23. Any thoughts on this?

Also, would anyone experienced like to comment on the reliability of these Hong Kong ebay DACs?

[Knightshade]

I would say he would be right about the bass. They always did tend tend to lack in the bass but that's compared to much more expensive players.
I've had a few DAC's from afar and all are still going strong. A DAC is a pretty basic component. There's not much that can go wrong. It either works or it doesn't.

[Cable Monkey]

Originally Posted by CJROSS

Stereo amp upgrade first Jammy IMHO. You may even be surprised how your 737s sounds via a stereo amp, then consider DACs. Until then your not going to hear what a DAC does in stereo.

Got to disagree here I am afraid. I have no doubt stereo amplification is the best way to listen to stereo sources, but very good results can be had if your AV amp is flexible enough and of decent quality. I definately heard improvements and I look forward to further improvements should I add stereo amplification. For me, DAC first and any further changes later was a better way to go.

[Mr Cat]

Originally Posted by Timmy C

I would be very interested in an answer to this question too. I contacted one of the sellers (Derek Shek) and he reckons his DAC would be better in the bass department than the ringDAC im my Arcam Alpha 9 and CD23. Any thoughts on this?

Also, would anyone experienced like to comment on the reliability of these Hong Kong ebay DACs?

I'm busy testing the new nos dac and the bass is a lot tighter and the sound (depending on what type) can be a bit more in your face than my mf a324 - both have their pros and cons and I'm still deciding which one to keep...

[sharger]

Originally Posted by Lawrenzini

Could people help me compile a list of DACs? They seem increadibly difficult to find... Not many people seem to sell them, if you know of a DAC could you please provide a link to it .

Cambridge Audio DAC Magic

Music fidelity X-DAC

The new NOS DAC

Bel Canto DAC2

DCS Delius/Elgar Plus

Benchmark DAC1

Apogee MiniDAC

Storm Digital DA02

Lavry DA10

Ack Dack!2.0

Chord DAC64

Headroom MicroDAC

Aqvox USB2 D/A

CIAudio VDA-2

North Star Audio Model 192 DAC

Cyrus X-DAC

Zhaolu D 2.0 DAC

Xindak DAC Series

ART DI/O DAC

Lawrenzini

I gotta say, we've had our differences in cables threads but this thread is spot on thanks.

Makes life so much easier when doing research.

Mods..... any chance of a stickie?

[CJROSS]

Originally Posted by Cable Monkey

Got to disagree here I am afraid. I have no doubt stereo amplification is the best way to listen to stereo sources, but very good results can be had if your AV amp is flexible enough and of decent quality. I definately heard improvements and I look forward to further improvements should I add stereo amplification. For me, DAC first and any further changes later was a better way to go.

What stereo amps have you heard in your listening room & with your current system to think that you are hearing your DAC at its best Cable ? I have no problem disagreeing BTW. I have played around with a few DACs and was quite surprised what my old transports sounded like into superior stereo amps as I have went on in this hobby, but if your placing a stereo based component into a system (DAC) I would always get the amp that will do it justice in their first.

[CJROSS]

This looks interesting : If you have a PC in your setup too.

http://www.perreaux.com/product.php?idp=52

Another one that would be interesting me would be the Stello DP-200 is a DAC, Pre-amp and has connections on it that are pretty well future specced. Good shout from KS on the AV5103, If I had £800-900 and was looking for a DAC upgrade pre-amp that is one that would be on the buy now list.

[Jammyb]

Does anyone make a relatively cheap DAC that can be fed with an I.Link cable?

It would seem to me that would be a good idea as this would be a jitter free signal to begin with if I've understood it correctly.

Probably requires a lot more processing power or something though to make it impractical.

[CJROSS]

Originally Posted by Jammyb

Does anyone make a relatively cheap DAC that can be fed with an I.Link cable?

It would seem to me that would be a good idea as this would be a jitter free signal to begin with if I've understood it correctly.

Probably requires a lot more processing power or something though to make it impractical.

Ive played about with a USB M-Audio Transit DAC Jammy, IIRC there are also Firewire DACs in the same fahsion from the likes of M-Audio. Do a search of USB/Firewire soundcards, only problem is that you need to use a PC as your transport. Not a problem to many, I ran the USB Transit into a TAG DAC 20 with some stunning results. But they are more PC based solutions. I-link digital output is encrypted to be used between same company kit if your thinking a DVD player say a Pio or Denon sending to a firewire DAC.

[Karlmac]

I am also considering buying a DAC.

I have a DVD player in the front of my Renault Espace with an optical out and analogue RCA connections, the amp which is in the boot only has an analogue aux input. I have tried connecting using an analogue connection but the sound quality is not great and interference is a problem, I am now considering a 5 meter fibre optic cable hence the need for the DAC.

I am considering these as they are small enough to install in the vehicle and relatively inexpensive.

Does anybody have an experience/opinion on these>

http://www.homehifi.co.uk/products/TC-7500.htm

http://www.amabilidade2002.com/toslink.htm

[doctorjuggles]

Originally Posted by CJROSS

This looks interesting : If you have a PC in your setup too.

http://www.perreaux.com/product.php?idp=52

Gets a pretty good review in this months 'Hi Fi News' actually. Well spotted, forgot about it completely.
They shove a hefty premium for flying it out from New Zealand though. Head-Fi has a number of Perreaux headphone amp owners and their prices look more than reasonable, but when you check with the dealers here they jump to very expensive. It's a pity.

[gwc]

Here's another couple of good dacs.

http://www.teac.com/esoteric/index.html

http://www.emmlabs.com/

[Cable Monkey]

Originally Posted by CJROSS

What stereo amps have you heard in your listening room & with your current system to think that you are hearing your DAC at its best Cable ? I have no problem disagreeing BTW. I have played around with a few DACs and was quite surprised what my old transports sounded like into superior stereo amps as I have went on in this hobby, but if your placing a stereo based component into a system (DAC) I would always get the amp that will do it justice in their first.

I was looking to get the best out of what I have. I would probably have not gone the DAC route if I had a free hand to build a stereo only system. Ultimately I have one optical transport to do all disk spinning duties. My 3910's weakest aspect was its stereo performance when compared to the best I had heard and a DAC was the perfect answer. I am now happy with all aspects of my system, and while I don't rule out some 'changes' when me and the Mrs. buy our new house (she's promised me my own room!!!), I can live with it.

[CJROSS]

Originally Posted by Cable Monkey

I was looking to get the best out of what I have. I would probably have not gone the DAC route if I had a free hand to build a stereo only system. Ultimately I have one optical transport to do all disk spinning duties. My 3910's weakest aspect was its stereo performance when compared to the best I had heard and a DAC was the perfect answer. I am now happy with all aspects of my system, and while I don't rule out some 'changes' when me and the Mrs. buy our new house (she's promised me my own room!!!), I can live with it.

Hey Cable I am sure you can live with it, but your advocating to people to keep AV integrateds and to improve their CD sources before stereo pre-amp sections. Ive been on this forum long enough to notice a trend of AV Int owners liking what they hear initially, only to ditch the whole lot down the line. And then to go stereo amp wise.

PS So you have not heard a stereo amp running that DAC1 in your system then ? Well I tell you this, your in for a pleasant surprise when you do.

Best regards.

[Cable Monkey]

I'm advocating getting the best out of what they have! At the end of the day I am trying to prevent this becoming a 5.1 v 2.0 encounter. Much of my advice tries to strike a balance. For some, a shift back to stereo is absolutely the right thing to do, but for others money and time has been spent that can not be recovered and we have to make do. I have 300 DVD's and a Dolby Digital capable cable box. I also have around 250 CD's and some additional stereo music on my hard drive (lossless). It all has to be played back on the same system in the same room. It all now sounds very good, possibly the best I can expect from a 5.1 system. I can get better stereo but at the expense of 5.1. 2.0 or 2.1 might be very good also but I suppose it depends on where you wish to make the compromises. All we can do is make suggestions that cover most bases and let the originator make well informed decisions about what he wants.

[Ed Selley]

Originally Posted by Lawrenzini

Could people help me compile a list of DACs? They seem incredibly difficult to find... Not many people seem to sell them, if you know of a DAC could you please provide a link to it .

Cambridge Audio DAC Magic

Music fidelity X-DAC

The new NOS DAC

Bel Canto DAC2

DCS Delius/Elgar Plus

Benchmark DAC1

Apogee MiniDAC

Storm Digital DA02

Lavry DA10

Ack Dack!2.0

Chord DAC64

Headroom MicroDAC

Aqvox USB2 D/A

CIAudio VDA-2

North Star Audio Model 192 DAC

Cyrus X-DAC

Zhaolu D 2.0 DAC

Xindak DAC Series

ART DI/O DAC

"SXD2" USB DAC

TC-7500

SRS DAC

Firestone Fubar II USB

Firestone Spitfire DAC

MONAURAL D/A CONVERTER D-01

DAC8 MKIV 8-channel

We (Cambridge) don't make the Dacmagic any more so scratch that. You can however add 47 Laboratory and Audio Note who both produce DAC's- albeit at a price.