Bargain DAC Suggestions?

[solderdude]

I am DAC-deaf. There... I said it and dare to admit it.
As long as it plays the file formats I have (MP3/320 to 24/96) and has no issues with the source playing the file, I am fine with it, regardless of price.
Oh... they should not roll-off in the audible range (< 16kHz) otherwise I can hear it, even in blind tests, so no filterless NOS DACs for me.
My transducers already bring me enough coloration

 

[janderclander14]

I was looking for a cheap alternatives to the Speaka or Xtremepro USB DAC dongles (which are impossible to find at reasonable prices) and I found this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/PCM2706-ES...sacat=0&_nkw=PCM2706+++ES9023&_from=R40&rt=nc

It uses the same ES9023 chip as the Speaka, but replaces USB receiver by the lower spec PCM2076 (16/48khz max). What do you think?

 

[sophie smith]

@Jandeclander:
Newegg still has XtremePro for $32. Bought from them a few weeks ago. Still available as of now.

 

[yue]

You don't really need a DAC. the DACs in your computer and phone are good enough. It's 2018, and the DACs in consumer devices (either my iPhone or Macbook Pro) exceed my hearing limits. If you buy a sub $100 DAC, probably you won't see any improvement (perhaps you see more distortion).

 

[andreasmaaan]

You don't really need a DAC. the DACs in your computer and phone are good enough. It's 2018, and the DACs in consumer devices (either my iPhone or Macbook Pro) exceed my hearing limits. If you buy a sub $100 DAC, probably you won't see any improvement (perhaps you see more distortion).

Mac products are notable for having excellent on-board DACs though. PC and other users may not enjoy the same privileges, depending on the components in their devices.

I certainly agree that you're unlikely to have anything really awful in whatever device you have though; that honour is generally reserved for some of the most expensive audiophile units

 

[amirm]

I was looking for a cheap alternatives to the Speaka or Xtremepro USB DAC dongles (which are impossible to find at reasonable prices) and I found this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/PCM2706-ES...sacat=0&_nkw=PCM2706+++ES9023&_from=R40&rt=nc

It uses the same ES9023 chip as the Speaka, but replaces USB receiver by the lower spec PCM2076 (16/48khz max). What do you think?

I can buy and test it but the problem is that these no-name products come and go so the review won't be useful much past the time it is written.

 

[claudioguillermo]

I would be curious to see measurements of the Colorfly BT-C1. It's another one of those smartphone DACs --- the ES9311 used in this model is probably overflow stock from BBK Vivo the smartphone company. It represents the latest iteration of ESS SoCs, along the lines of the SABRE9018Q2C, ES9118, ES9218p. Despite its higher numbered moniker, its spec sheet is closer to that of the ES9118 than the ES9218p. My guess is that it's only a single DAC per channel rather than the two DAC per channel design of the ES9218p.

The BT-C1 seems pretty cheap, priced at less than the SMSL iDEA, and is more full-featured (has BT output support as well). I can't imagine having a great quality BOM, but if it matches or exceeds the performance of the iDEA, it could be a good, more affordable alternative. Colorfly has been at this game for a long time, so it's hard to imagine the product to be absolutely terrible, especially considering how it relies heavily on plug-n'-play ICs. At the same time, however, Colorfly has been known to put out a lot of products with flash but little substance.

Anyhoo, it'd be good to pit this thing against the iDEA, the Audirect Beam, and the Shanling M0.

 

[amirm]

Ask them to send me one for testing. It is not a common enough product for me to purchase especially since there are not that many places that sell them.

 

[azif]

Looking at a cheap DAC for a pixel 2 and massdrop plus iems. Is there any audible difference going from my sabaj da3 to an smsl idea/topping nx4?
When i bought my sabaj didnt realise it would only really work as a desktop dac
And based on the xda measurements it seems like the pixel 2 usbc adapter would be okay but have to root to avoid the high gain distortion =/

 

[Zerohour]

just a heads-up on the Weiliang/Breeze Audio SE4 USB DAC, seems they've released an SE version:
https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.3-c.w4002-15493940501.70.763e1cfaRvjmOk&id=568408593852

verbatim from the site:
"The difference between SE4 and SE4-SE is that one receiver uses SA9226 and one uses TI's PCM2706."

188 yuan (27 bux) vs 143 yuan (20 bux), I dunno, I'd just pay the extra 7 bux, lol. Unless the PCM chip is even easier to install and doesn't need a hard-to-find driver like the SA chip (which Breeze Audio luckily provides).

Liking the SE4 so far, even if the volume control is a bit messed up on my Galaxy S5

 

[amirm]

That's amazingly cheap. Does someone want to order and send it to me for testing? If so, start a conversation with me. I would order it myself but hate to buy things outside of Amazon.....

 

[sophie smith]

Have you heard of any of those companies? Any comments on their quality? Seem like great parts for the price, but not sure about the whole package. Any of their stuff has ever been tested here?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Fin...trol-Support-32bit-384K-DSD/32857981675.html?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/AK4...axial-USB-Input-Support-DSD/32867003738.html?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/201...With-remote-control-support/32856786662.html?

 

[amirm]

I have not. At these higher prices, I would not buy them without advance measurements.

 

[cheungtsw]

Is the iOne review coming?
Would like to know how well it performs as USB -> spdif (coaxial) converter

 

[amirm]

Is the iOne review coming?

The person who promised it has not yet sent it.

 

[frogmeat69]

The person who promised it has not yet sent it.

Yeah, sorry about that, been a busy week. Will get it in the mail to you this Monday or Tuesday, should get it by Friday, I would think.

 

[Ron Texas]

Get a D30 for $120 from Parts Express. It's a proven unit which measures well and has no bad behaviors.

 

[decayed.cell]

That's amazingly cheap. Does someone want to order and send it to me for testing? If so, start a conversation with me. I would order it myself but hate to buy things outside of Amazon.....

I can order it and send it over to the States. Actually I ordered one of these for a friend, sounded pretty good, worked straight off an S8 with a type C to USB converter. I'm eyeing this for myself, its a little shorter and doesn't have a cap.

That shop has a few other USB DACs actually, PCM2706+ES9023, PCM2706+TDA1305. Which do you think would be worth for a review?

 

[Veri]

I can order it and send it over to the States. Actually I ordered one of these for a friend, sounded pretty good, worked straight off an S8 with a type C to USB converter. I'm eyeing this for myself, its a little shorter and doesn't have a cap.

That shop has a few other USB DACs actually, PCM2706+ES9023, PCM2706+TDA1305. Which do you think would be worth for a review?

I'm definitely interested in performance of one of the Weiliang/Breeze Audio SE4 USB DAC, one has Savitech USB other has a chip from TI (the SE version, also a bit more expensive). Both use the ES9028Q2M which is a step above most USB DACs of the same size using the older 9018.

 

[amirm]

I can order it and send it over to the States.

That would be great. Personally I am not too interested in the thumbdrive ones since there are so many available locally. The breeze audio stuff is more interesting in that regard. Please start a conversation with me when you want to send it and we can coordinate.

And oh, welcome aboard!