To DAC or not to DAC

I posted this experience over on AA. A friend who's been using a new and very popular USB DAC found what looks like a DIY DAC housed in a generic aluminum chassis dated 2005. My friend says the output stage seems way over built.

By comparison this old DAC with one coaxial input sounds noticeably better than the modern design.

Musical Fidelity's V-DAC II might be a perfect example. An asynchronous 24bit 192kHz USB DAC under $500 seems to be the current goal. While the V-DAC II now passes 192kHz through its USB input I still question their definition of asynchronous.

Unfortunately, the ability to make these claims does not automatically mean it's going to actually sound good. As with many of the components we already use the overall circuit design and the analog output stage have a great deal to do with the sound of a DAC. Tonyangel seems to have found out first hand that there's no free lunch.

The one thing I lose sight of is that 99% of my digital listening will be of ripped CD's which are 16-41kHz limited just how important is the future of hi-res downloading to me.

Not exactly in the sub $1K DAC market but some interesting reviews regarding overall sound quality.

nekoaudio.com
http://dhost.info/mhdtlab/

Not trying to steal your thread but was wondering if any of you have compared the DacMagic to the PS Audio DL III?

Vicdamone,

A lot of people focus on the chip being used - especially if it's an ESS Sabre chip - and asynch. The power supply and output stages are critical in a DAC. I own an old Theta Cobalt DAC that's about 15 years old. Using coax or optical and redbook files, it sounds quite a bit better than these entry level DACs. People keep saying digital gets far better everyday, and I think it's a load of crap. The Theta DAC was a sub $1k DAC back then. The power supply is pretty big for a DAC, and their are no op-amps.

I think the only areas where newer DACs have seperates themselves from the older ones are jitter reduction, high-res capability, and USB input. High-res is gaining more and more titles, but hardly anywhere near contending with redbook. I highly doubt high-res will be mainstream and/or the standard any time soon. People get way too hung up on it.

The budget DACs all have wall wart power supplies and op-amps. IMO it doesn't matter what features/gimmics they have. In the DAC, the digital bits get turned into analog. Just as in amps or CD players, better power supplies and output stages flat out sound better.

No such thing as a free lunch, indeed.

Well, I took the DacMagic that I borrowed back to the shop last night, and the guy was like, "so soon." I told him my experience and he didn't question it. He simply asked about what I was trying to do, and, of course, I told him that I wanted to make my system sound better.

He told me that, when upgrading, you should always do it from the perspective of attacking the weakest point in your system.

I told him what I had and what my listening habits were and he flat out told me that I'd get the biggest bang for the buck by getting a better preamp. He suggested an Audio Research LS-3. Once I do that, then I'll turn my attention to first my digital source and then the DAC.

He suggested that, with my budget in mind, the Aragon/Audio Research combo will take me a long way before either is the limiting factor in my system.

I hope he's right because all of the equipment swapping that I've done in the last few months is starting to be a PITA and I'd really like to get to a point where I'm listening to the music rather than the equipment.

Up-selling at its finest