• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Bargain DAC Suggestions?

OP
amirm

amirm

Founder/Admin
Staff Member
CFO (Chief Fun Officer)
Joined
Feb 13, 2016
Messages
44,368
Likes
234,394
Location
Seattle Area
OK, I ordered it. It says it will be here next Tuesday (Amazon Prime). https://smile.amazon.com/TOPPING-De...F8&qid=1503074136&sr=8-1&keywords=topping+dac

upload_2017-8-18_9-38-31.png


I have 30 minutes to change my mind according to Amazon. So you have to be nice to me for that duration. :D
 

Thomas savage

Grand Contributor
The Watchman
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
10,260
Likes
16,298
Location
uk, taunton

Reamonnt

Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2017
Messages
15
Likes
3
@amirm , some praise but is it worth €120 ? :D

There's a excellent dac that's been tested here and it's only $80 . :)

http://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/budget-dac-review-behringer-umc204hd.1658/

Thanks for reading, that even more so for contributing.

Thanks, Its easy to get sucked into nice pictures, far out specs and general marketing and over here in Ireland its not easy to get dacs to listen to and return like it appears you can do in the usa. I compared the ODAC and my old Behringer UCA202 the other day and I believed that I heard a fuller sound from the odac and that the uca202 was brighter and lacked a bit of depth but I was only using my ears but they are probably the best test equipment in the long run.
 

Reamonnt

Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2017
Messages
15
Likes
3
OK, I ordered it. It says it will be here next Tuesday (Amazon Prime). https://smile.amazon.com/TOPPING-De...F8&qid=1503074136&sr=8-1&keywords=topping+dac

View attachment 8189

I have 30 minutes to change my mind according to Amazon. So you have to be nice to me for that duration. :D

Im very interested in reading a proper review and test of this unit so I wish to thank you for reading my post and having the interest to actually order the unit for testing and I only just joined. Thanks
 
OP
amirm

amirm

Founder/Admin
Staff Member
CFO (Chief Fun Officer)
Joined
Feb 13, 2016
Messages
44,368
Likes
234,394
Location
Seattle Area
My pleasure. FYI I don't return the gear I buy from Amazon. To the extent I get some use out of it, in this case measurements, I don't feel good about returning them. The only time I do that is when they are flat out broken.

On Odac, I thought I tested one DAC that was based on it??? It is all a blur now. :)
 

Reamonnt

Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2017
Messages
15
Likes
3
My pleasure. FYI I don't return the gear I buy from Amazon. To the extent I get some use out of it, in this case measurements, I don't feel good about returning them. The only time I do that is when they are flat out broken.

On Odac, I thought I tested one DAC that was based on it??? It is all a blur now. :)

I was of course speaking in general terms about the ability of consumers in the usa to return items easier than over here. The choice thats available to you guys is amazing. Of course the internet has levelled the field a bit but with customs duty etc I have never ordered from over there. The ODAC continues to divide opinion is the impression I get from reading forums for the last few years.
 

Blumlein 88

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
20,524
Likes
37,057
I see it has an external power supply. You can measure it so many ways with that option. ;)
 

Jinjuku

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 28, 2016
Messages
1,278
Likes
1,180
No worries.

I remember reading about ODAC during its development. Did anyone find out what happened to NWAVguy who designed it?

Nope. I've wondered if Archimago was his reincarnation.
 

Ron Party

Senior Member
CPH (Chief Prog Head)
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
411
Likes
559
Location
Oakland
Amir (and others), if you're interested, I have a Musical Fidelity V-DAC II collecting dust.
 
OP
amirm

amirm

Founder/Admin
Staff Member
CFO (Chief Fun Officer)
Joined
Feb 13, 2016
Messages
44,368
Likes
234,394
Location
Seattle Area
Amir (and others), if you're interested, I have a Musical Fidelity V-DAC II collecting dust.
Love to measure it. If you are game loaning it to me, please PM and I will give you the mailing info.

Thanks.
 

Palladium

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Aug 4, 2017
Messages
630
Likes
769
No worries.

I remember reading about ODAC during its development. Did anyone find out what happened to NWAVguy who designed it?

I heard he got taken out by Behringer hit squads. :p
 

Sal1950

Grand Contributor
The Chicago Crusher
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
14,073
Likes
16,609
Location
Central Fl
Noticed the new <$100 AudioQuest DragonFly Black claims MQA...
Well shoot, where's my credit card?
How can I ever live without one of the little POS's :p
 

Sal1950

Grand Contributor
The Chicago Crusher
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
14,073
Likes
16,609
Location
Central Fl
Noticed the new <$100 AudioQuest DragonFly Black claims MQA...

Hey @amirm , don't you think it time to hook one of these little miracle workers up to the Audio Precision?
 
OP
amirm

amirm

Founder/Admin
Staff Member
CFO (Chief Fun Officer)
Joined
Feb 13, 2016
Messages
44,368
Likes
234,394
Location
Seattle Area
Hey @amirm , don't you think it time to hook one of these little miracle workers up to the Audio Precision?
JA has already done that. See: https://www.stereophile.com/content...lack-usb-da-headphone-amplifiers-measurements

Odd thing there where his Audio Precision analyzer showed noise that was not in Prism Sound measurements by AQ. He then resorted to an external ADC which showed lower amount of noise. Would have been good to have had that specific unit re-tested by AQ to make sure it worked to spec.

Regardless, it seems to output decent performance.
 
Top Bottom