What would you buy Sub $350 Firewire/USB DAC

In my search, i finally decided on the Keces da-151 and i am very pleased. Even though it has the "pedestrian" burr-brown 2702 dac that seems to get flogged here often, the implementation won me over. This piece is a one input, usb only device and not a jack of all trades, master of none dac with multiple inputs. Getting the usb interface done right was the most important to me because that was the way i was going to stream the music out from my computer. I figured i had a better chance of meeting this requirement by going with a usb specific dac like the Keces. Also, i like the full sized ac inlet and power cord on the Keces, assuring at least an adequate power supply.

Like you music prof., my budget was very similar to yours when i pulled the trigger. Just watch the power supply in these units. Some are self-powered which are good for a portable unit to lug around, but not so good for a home-based set-up. Some even have a half-assed walwart power supply like the fubar III which could be better as well.

Good luck in your search and thank you for starting this informative thread for others to enjoy!

Regards,
Paul

An update--I am holding off on the purchase temporarily: I have a birthday in February, and that seems like a fine occasion for this purchase. I'm down to one of three choices:

1) Inexpensive: The Moon Dac at http://www.pacificvalve.us/GigaMoon.html seems in many respects similar to the Gigalabs and Keces models. Buying it domestically might offer certain advantages.

2) Moderate: I'll have to decide between the Cambridge Audio dacMagic or one of the new offerings from Scott Nixon. The former has fine reviews and offers many options. The latter, however, works with just one input type rather than many, and I can't help but wonder if that focus might yield a better product. His past DACs have been received favourably, and I'm eager to hear about the latest offerings.

Oh wow! I'm a student at UT. Hilarious to see a link to UT's website from an audio forum. I have the Blue Circle USB Thingee, if you would like to hear it, I'm sure we could arrange something, but it would have to be soon as I leave for my co-op residence on the 26th.

Prof,

I use a DacMagic with my digital piano via Mac into a quality stereo as a supplement to the piano's internal sound system. It sounds great! I use a Benchmark DAC-1 in my main system. In order for direct comparion, I hauled the DacMagic, (all 3 lbs of it) up into the listening room for a brief comparo. They sound quite different, but in that system both sounded wonderful. My preference changed with the source material! I'm afraid that personal taste will overwhelm other considerations in this decision. The only piece of advice I can offer - try to audition in your application before you buy. Always good advice, but really critical here - IMHO.

The comparison also leads me to blieve that the DacMagic (and perhaps many other current models in this price range)ofeer(s) excellent value.

Good Luck

Marty

Marty, thanks for the review of the DacMagic.

To the OP, add the Nuforce Icon to your list.