Bargain DAC Suggestions?

[mindbomb]

I don't know if things are still like this now, but I remember older motherboards tended to have really high output impedance, which wasn't good for headphone users. I think it was done to help crosstalk performance.

 

[astr0b0y]

This probably goes outsude the bargain category at least in terms of low price but given its support for DSD512 maybe $399 isn’t too bad?
http://www.pro-jectusa.com/en-us/pr.../dac-s-and-sources/s2-line/pre-box-s2-digital

 

[Wombat]

They just keep coming. It is never-ending. Test budget target growing like earlier Bit Coin?

Why does a user need 7 selectable filter options? Do they allow 'audiophile' tinted sound preference over the best transparent design result?

 

[astr0b0y]

More filters = more betterer.
I’m surprised that more vendors don’t offer a no filter option give the seemingly high use of software with DSP capabilities in use by their target market.
If there’s no option to turn off hardware filters, is there a preferred filter to select in a DAC when using software upsampling/dsp?

 

[amirm]

They just keep coming. It is never-ending. Test budget target growing like earlier Bit Coin?

It is an incredible explosion of them. With of course next to no data to pick from them and hence my testing.

 

[amirm]

This probably goes outsude the bargain category at least in terms of low price but given its support for DSD512 maybe $399 isn’t too bad?
http://www.pro-jectusa.com/en-us/pr.../dac-s-and-sources/s2-line/pre-box-s2-digital

I have been searching for this for months but it was not available in US until I saw your link above! It was designed by JohnW (active on pinkfishmedia forum). So thanks for posting it. I see it on Amazon too which is nice. Given that I am way over budget for this month, I will consider purchasing it come the new year.

BTW, there was an issue with early units where the contract manufacturer substituted parts without permission from John. I wonder if that is fixed now.

 

[Dialectic]

This probably goes outsude the bargain category at least in terms of low price but given its support for DSD512 maybe $399 isn’t too bad?
http://www.pro-jectusa.com/en-us/pr.../dac-s-and-sources/s2-line/pre-box-s2-digital

I already wonder how the performance of this unit will vary across different 5V power supplies.

 

[Wombat]

I was thinking that measuring the non-DC stuff coming out of separate PSs may be worthwhile but many wall-warts are anonymous products and even if one was found to be outstanding it may not be possible to confidently find one to purchase.

 

[amirm]

I was thinking that measuring the non-DC stuff coming out of separate PSs may be worthwhile but many wall-warts are anonymous products and even if one was found to be outstanding it may not be possible to confidently find one to purchase.

I do have a project to quantify mains leakage through switchmode power supplies.

 

[Jinjuku]

That may be a better project: Bargain power supplies.

 

[Blumlein 88]

That may be a better project: Bargain power supplies.

Or a simpler area to apply a little DIY effort.

 

[jacobacci]

I have been searching for this for months but it was not available in US until I saw your link above! It was designed by JohnW (active on pinkfishmedia forum). So thanks for posting it. I see it on Amazon too which is nice. Given that I am way over budget for this month, I will consider purchasing it come the new year.

BTW, there was an issue with early units where the contract manufacturer substituted parts without permission from John. I wonder if that is fixed now.

Hi all
John Westlake confirmed here that the correct components were used in all units of the Pro-ject Pre Box S2 digital. A review of this unit would really be interesting. The specs tick all the right boxes, incl DSD512.

 

[stunta]

Hi all
John Westlake confirmed here that the correct components were used in all units of the Pro-ject Pre Box S2 digital. A review of this unit would really be interesting. The specs tick all the right boxes, incl DSD512.

Thanks for sharing. On the same forum, John also said this about the USB input - "Yes - true, no galvanic isolation like the MDAC and 95% of DAC's I guess...". Can someone shed some light on how important galvanic isolation of USB input is? My main PC for instance spits out crap through its top USB ports which translates to audible noise on my USB headset; is this a problem galvanic isolation would solve? If so, why is this absent in 95% of the DACs as John claims?

 

[Jinjuku]

Thanks for sharing. On the same forum, John also said this about the USB input - "Yes - true, no galvanic isolation like the MDAC and 95% of DAC's I guess...". Can someone shed some light on how important galvanic isolation of USB input is? My main PC for instance spits out crap through its top USB ports which translates to audible noise on my USB headset; is this a problem galvanic isolation would solve? If so, why is this absent in 95% of the DACs as John claims?

Because they solved it by other means?

 

[Sal1950]

Thanks for sharing. On the same forum, John also said this about the USB input - "Yes - true, no galvanic isolation like the MDAC and 95% of DAC's I guess...". Can someone shed some light on how important galvanic isolation of USB input is? My main PC for instance spits out crap through its top USB ports which translates to audible noise on my USB headset; is this a problem galvanic isolation would solve? If so, why is this absent in 95% of the DACs as John claims?

No evidence but I believe it would remove the ground loop hum issue I experience with my PC > Emotiva DC-1. I use Toslink to work around.

 

[amirm]

Thanks for sharing. On the same forum, John also said this about the USB input - "Yes - true, no galvanic isolation like the MDAC and 95% of DAC's I guess...". Can someone shed some light on how important galvanic isolation of USB input is? My main PC for instance spits out crap through its top USB ports which translates to audible noise on my USB headset; is this a problem galvanic isolation would solve? If so, why is this absent in 95% of the DACs as John claims?

It might lead to issue demonstrated in this video:

BTW the initial wording that iPurifier fixes that was not correct according to his later posts.

This is noise that is being picked up by the USB ground and travelling to the output of the DAC whose ground is connected to the shield of USB. Once there, it will keep going downstream.

 

[beeface]

is that Pro-Ject S2 DAC the cheapest commercial unit on the market with a ES9308 chip? i am very keen to hear about how it measures

 

[March Audio]

It might lead to issue demonstrated in this video:

BTW the initial wording that iPurifier fixes that was not correct according to his later posts.

This is noise that is being picked up by the USB ground and travelling to the output of the DAC whose ground is connected to the shield of USB. Once there, it will keep going downstream.

Thanks for posting this as the ADC caught my eye. I dont really want to keep using my Motu as the input device to my measurement system as it drives my main speakers. That QuantAsylum seems to perform pretty well and is a good price......mmmmmmm......

 

[amirm]

My pleasure. And yes, that is a very low cost measurement system from Quantum Asylum: https://quantasylum.com/collections/frontpage/products/qa401-audio-analyzer

 

[stunta]

FYI... SMSL M8A DAC is on MassDrop right now for $180.