Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2013 20:46:26 GMT
To me it makes sense..... However, if you budgeted for an KSC75 + C'Moy it will be hard to find a decent DAC for that remaining 5% ... I think you should spend what you think it is worth to YOU instead of using rules of thumb. See if you can audition a DAC at home (or buy one with a return policy) that you are interested in and compare it (BLIND if possible) to the one you have. When done blind you may find you can spend the money for the DAC on other things in life.... Nahh... it will always be 'nagging' and will wonder if there is something even better. Other peoples opinions/findings/reviews will always say so. i am shocked, was not expecting anyone to agree with the theory, let alone you Frans. i had planned a home trial of the chord quteHD-ex (the dxd one). not sure i will bother now. i did trial the m2tech young when it was 1st released in the uk. it looked nicer but sounded no different to my stagedac, so i returned it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2013 20:22:44 GMT
ok so if the dac is only recommended as 5% of the system cost, where does that leave a usb to spdif adaptor ?
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Nov 8, 2013 22:01:21 GMT
When the DAC is an USB version (most are these days) you don't need a converter...
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2013 18:48:43 GMT
When the DAC is an USB version (most are these days) you don't need a converter... that depends on the quality of the usb input on any given dac.
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Nov 9, 2013 20:25:46 GMT
The modern USB inputs (even the adaptive ones) are excellent these days and jitter rejection is better than SPDIF DAC's of old.
Afterall, a USB to SPDIF converter is simply built in receiver chips and does a better job as well.
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Post by musicman1806 on Dec 12, 2013 3:09:25 GMT
Hi everyone, this is my first post on this forum. First I'd like to say this is the best audio forum I have seen on the web and the one I trust most. I am glad to see that Fiio is generally well regarded brand. I have a Sunrise II and bought a Fiio Taishan DAC connected through toslink for the basic task of connecting my MAC to the amp and for 30 bucks I have to say it does a very decent job. From what I have read on this thread and others, DACs seem to have the worst case of "diminishing returns" in the audio chain however, if Javier's DAC quality is anywhere near as good as the Garage1217 amps (and I'ms sure it will be), I certainly see myself buying one in the near future.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Dec 12, 2013 6:09:29 GMT
Hi. Welcome to DIYAH. Small but perfectly formed!!! We haven't been around that long so it's slowly growing. I have an Ember which I really like a lot.
Funny thing about DAC' s is how angry I've seen people get about them on some other sites. It kind of makes them a difficult thing to talk about sometimes which is a bit daft!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2013 20:29:43 GMT
"bit daft" !!!!, pun intended? ;-)
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Dec 12, 2013 20:39:28 GMT
yes .... sorry!!
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Post by musicman1806 on Dec 17, 2013 23:49:07 GMT
I am a prime example of a noob with electronic equipment, so I'd like someone's opinion: Im looking to replace my Fiio D3. I have been trying to follow the threads about Javier's DAC and his thread says it can only be paired with an Amanero board. I can't solder anything and am looking for a stand alone DAC that I don't have to assemble. My search for the best quality/no bells and whistles DAC has led me to the ODAC or this Javier's DAC.
Should I hold out for Javier's product or get something else like the ODAC which comes pre-assembled ? Or are there other "plug and play" quality DACs I missed ?
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Dec 18, 2013 5:56:12 GMT
It sort of depends on what you are looking for in a DAC. This depends on a number of things: What is the source ? PC/laptop/tablet/streamer/other source What is your preferred connection ? USB/SPDIF using RCA/BNC or TOSLink (fibre-optic) or a combination ? USB powered or mains powered ? Which type of files do you want to play native. In other words if you have a few 192/24 files and the rest is MP3 or CD quality do you want the DAC to play those files in the original format as well or like to have the PC re-sample for you ? Do you like to play DSD in the foreseeable future ? Are you looking for a DIY project and does this mean soldering the lot or just slapping a PCB into a nice case ? Do you mind installing drivers ? Do you only use Windhose or other OS's too ? Personally I was eye-balling this: jlsounds.com/sells them on fleabay too: It seems well received in the DIY community and works directly under Linux but needs (supplied) XMOS drivers under Windhose. It is isolated and upgradeable and can work from USB only or fed from an external power supply and plays all formats (depending on DAC board) is small and looks well thought out/built and seems to perform well (jitter almost as good as the Buffalo). Haven't pulled the trigger myself though but the price and features are right.
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Javier
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Post by Javier on Dec 18, 2013 8:26:32 GMT
My DAC proyect has been on standby for some time and, unfortuntately, due to many reasons it looks like it will stay like that for a while longer. There are thousands of DACs availble and they range from the very affordable to the über expensive, from the very basic to the extremely sophisticated, from low quality design/parts to almost jewelery build/boutique parts. It all depends on you budget, interest, desired functionality/performance and taste.
If you just want to play regular 16/44.1 (as in CDs) the ODAC is a very nice choice. The ones linked by Frans offers some extra flexibility as the DAC part can be upgraded later.
If you tell us some more about your system, preferences and approx. budget I'll give you more suggestions.
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Post by musicman1806 on Dec 18, 2013 16:37:31 GMT
OK, my setup is this: FLAC music converted to WAV stored on external hard drive/ USB to MacbookPro/ toslink to Fiio D3 DAC/ RCA to Sunrise II/ HD650 headphones. I do my major listening at home for several continuous hours. I tend to keep my music expectations low while traveling. (klipsch S4 earbuds with iphone/320 mp3)
I don't have a preference to USB or Toslink, I don't have an SPDIF port. Most of my music is 16/44, just a few tracks at 24/96. The option to go higher would be nice when I buy those tracks later. I have not heard of DSD music but I looked it up, it seems pretty cool. Sure I could play DSD in the future if there are enough good albums using that technology. I'm not opposed to up-sampling if the techies say it does not harm the music. I can't solder or build PC boards. Installing software drivers is fine with me. ( Im software literate but hardware illiterate) lol
I looked at the link Frans gave, that DAC looks interesting w/ good specs but it looks like it only comes as a board and at around $100, the Shiit Modi might be an option if you guys think that is a good DAC chip. I'm looking for a DAC that will convert the music as best as possible so that the only coloration will come from the amp or headphones. I was looking at the ODAC too because that guy, through his avalanche of information, seems pretty dedicated to its testing and quality (almost obsessively) but obsessive people seem to build great products. Plus, $150 is pretty much the maximum what Im currently willing to spend on a DAC.
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Dec 18, 2013 20:37:48 GMT
The setup you have now is electrically isolated from the Macbook.
When you are going to use it with USB most of them will not be isolated (the linked PCB is one of the few) In most cases this is not a problem (not being isolated) but in some cases it is needed.
It looks like the Modi (my preference) is one of the better deals, the ODAC will work well too. These 2 are in the same league performance wise even though the Modi is Asynchronous and the ODAC is synchronous. Truth is one is not better than the other in the sense that a well designed synchronous DAC can outperform a lesser asynchronous DAC.
For around $ 150.- the modi would be my choice followed by the ODAC or some Chinese fleabay DAC's.
I don't think they will offer a big improvement over the FiiO D3 though. They are roughly in the same league except the FiiO doesn't have USB but via TOSlink it is isolated which both USB versions are not.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Dec 18, 2013 20:47:36 GMT
Hi Frans, Slightly off topic (sorry but I'll be brief ) but as you know your opinions on audio technicalities is greatly appreciated round here, particularly by me. Do you have any (similar to your DAC thoughts) recommendations about MM Phono pre-amps? My budget is £150 ish and I have no problems with buying from HK/China via ebay. TIA, Dave.
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