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Bargain DAC Suggestions?

Sal1950

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He's politician and a commoner, I'm a Lord. That makes all the difference.
Ha ha ha ;)
Did ya ever hear the one about the Queen and the ---------------
 

watchnerd

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i suspect the $100 dac market is a rapidly changing landscape, it's really great to have them tested here and I'm sure we will find some compelling performance stats from one of them soon.

There are transparent DACs available for $150. Anything more and you best be paying for nifty features.
 

Sal1950

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There are transparent DACs available for $150. Anything more and you best be paying for nifty features.
I think the DAC/Preamp/Headphone amp combo, plus good remote have become the defacto standard today for a Hi Fi systems digital component. Combine that then with a good power supply and a reasonably attractive case puts the $500 (+/- a bit) in what is IMHO the sweet spot of today's market. A bit extra can be added if you need a phono amp or maybe additional analog line level input switching. Top of the mark should be no more than $2k for something like a Benchmark, anything above that is well into the audiophool, luxury goods market.
Just the Cheapskates opinion. LOL
miniDSP has a few boxes the can do the above and apply DRC in a number of different ways at various pricing levels that make attractive alternatives.
 

March Audio

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Man it is ugly looking:

51jVzlOn7QL.jpg


:)

How is the driver install? And resale market after I am done testing it?

I had no problems at all with drivers.

You would have no problem selling it, they are popular and well regarded.

Yeah most of the Chord stuff is somewhat challenged in its aesthetics to me too
 

Blumlein 88

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I had no problems at all with drivers.

You would have no problem selling it, they are popular and well regarded.

Yeah most of the Chord stuff is somewhat challenged in its aesthetics to me too
Well unusual styling for sure. The Chord Hugo is a more appropriate comparison to the Benchmark DAC2 anyway in price and the fact it isn't a portable.
 

Nightlord

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Well unusual styling for sure. The Chord Hugo is a more appropriate comparison to the Benchmark DAC2 anyway in price and the fact it isn't a portable.

"Appropriate comparison" ? In my book there is only one relevant parameter - performance. The fact that it's portable should not prevent people from using it in a stationary fashion. Where's your sense of adventure, man? :D
 

watchnerd

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miniDSP has a few boxes the can do the above and apply DRC in a number of different ways at various pricing levels that make attractive alternatives.

I have a miniDSP OpenDRC box. The all digital version was fine. When I converted it to to a DAC by replacing the IO board....no bueno.
 

Sal1950

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I have a miniDSP OpenDRC box. The all digital version was fine. When I converted it to to a DAC by replacing the IO board....no bueno.
What went bad on it.
Installer error maybe. :p
 

watchnerd

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What went bad on it.
Installer error maybe. :p

It's so simple, the installer error is pretty binary -- either it works or it doesn't.

It worked for a bit (although it had audible noise when cranked up more than about 3/4) and it eventually fritzed the XLR input on my preamp, and itself, in an apparent suicide bombing attack, when I tried to use it as a volume control with the preamp in HT bypass mode.
 
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watchnerd

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And the four outputs would be useful if someone is using a sub or two.

I don't quite follow the thinking -- aren't the four Playback outputs on the back tied to the TRS inputs? The A/B switch would usually indicate that it's intended to be used with a monitor loop or DJ cueing.
 

fas42

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Speaking of low cost, the audio friend down the road just uses the palm size media players - has been doing this for years. So, you get the whole shebang: music storage, interface for selection, streaming, and DAC in a package costing a couple of hundred dollars. Zero bling, fairly inconvenient to use in an audio rig situation - but fed into a decent power amp and speakers it gets the job done. In SQ terms this is way in front of most the setups I heard at the last audio show ...
 

Sal1950

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"Appropriate comparison" ? In my book there is only one relevant parameter - performance. The fact that it's portable should not prevent people from using it in a stationary fashion. Where's your sense of adventure, man? :D
Where do you hide it, behind the amps?
Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly is to the bone. :cool:
 

Sal1950

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fas42

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