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Best dac >$300

djb

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I have 2 Schitt Modi + and a smsl su1 and suffer sever fomo. Is the Gishelli J3 or another $30/ dac going to be an improvement? Running Lintons with Emotiva separates for the system in question.

Any better dacs in this price range? No volume controls, balanced inputs etc needed.
 
You may find a DAC that measures better than the SMSL SU-1. I don't know if the difference will be audible for you.
 
I have 2 Schitt Modi + and a smsl su1 and suffer sever fomo. Is the Gishelli J3 or another $30/ dac going to be an improvement?
Unlikely.

Even if there is an improvement, it would be miniscule compared to what the same money can achieve in room correction, room treatment, or new speakers/headphones.
 
Thanks for these responses. I can't imagine what a $1k dac gets you.

I will say. I immediately noticed an improvement adding the Schitt modi to my Wiim mini. It was a very real improvement, especially in the bass. This makes me think an improvement is possible moving up the tier to a 'better' dac.
 
I can't imagine what a $1k dac gets you.
Absolutely nothing.

 
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I have 2 Schitt Modi + and a smsl su1 and suffer sever fomo. Is the Gishelli J3 or another $30/ dac going to be an improvement? Running Lintons with Emotiva separates for the system in question.

Any better dacs in this price range? No volume controls, balanced inputs etc needed.
The DAC with the best ratio of highest measured values to low price is currently the Loxjie D40 Pro. The following devices only differ in the measured values by a maximum of 0.8%.
However, it exceeds the budget by about $41.
 
The DAC with the best ratio of highest measured values to low price is currently the Loxjie D40 Pro. The following devices only differ in the measured values by a maximum of 0.8%.
However, it exceeds the budget by about $41.
Thanks. Do they have one with similar performance without all the fluff? I just want a spdf/coax in and rca out.
 
On which device is under consideration.

Devices like the RME ADI-2 DAC / ADI-2 Pro can bring various useful features beside just a transparent D/A conversion. It has been discussed here thoroughly.

The OP did ask what you can get from a $1k DAC (the question was a general one; they did not ask merely about analog performance), and the answer is a lot. Starting with unique DSP functions, hybrid volume control with four automatically switched analog reference levels, remote control, analyzer display, SOTA headphone amp, and concluding with long lifecycle and aftersales support. The Pro variant adds a top-notch ADC, a second identical headphone amplifier with a separate DAC and ability to use bridged ("balanced") mode, digital outputs, SRC, etc.

It's enough to look through the user manual to understand the huge value you get compared to any offering from Shenzhen or Guangdong.

I personally even don't use the DAC functionality most of the time (only when I use headphones I do), having my ADI-2 Pro connected digitally to my speakers. This is an endgame device. And over the course of my ownership (since 2021), it only got more appealing and feature-rich via several substantial firmware updates and the introduction of the remote control app.
 
The J2 still has me intrigued but further research makes the Topping E70 look really good and it has an internal power supply.
 
he OP did ask what you can get from a $1k DAC (the question was a general one; they did not ask merely about analog performance)
In the post I quoted, the OP stated:

I will say. I immediately noticed an improvement adding the Schitt modi to my Wiim mini. It was a very real improvement, especially in the bass. This makes me think an improvement is possible moving up the tier to a 'better' dac.
So I think it was fair to assume the OP was only thinking about analog performance
 
On which device is under consideration.

Devices like the RME ADI-2 DAC / ADI-2 Pro can bring various useful features beside just a transparent D/A conversion. It has been discussed here thoroughly.

The OP did ask what you can get from a $1k DAC (the question was a general one; they did not ask merely about analog performance), and the answer is a lot. Starting with unique DSP functions, hybrid volume control with four automatically switched analog reference levels, remote control, analyzer display, SOTA headphone amp, and concluding with long lifecycle and aftersales support. The Pro variant adds a top-notch ADC, a second identical headphone amplifier with a separate DAC and ability to use bridged ("balanced") mode, digital outputs, SRC, etc.

It's enough to look through the user manual to understand the huge value you get compared to any offering from Shenzhen or Guangdong.

I personally even don't use the DAC functionality most of the time (only when I use headphones I do), having my ADI-2 Pro connected digitally to my speakers. This is an endgame device. And over the course of my ownership (since 2021), it only got more appealing and feature-rich via several substantial firmware updates and the introduction of the remote control app.
only problem i have with it is the limited EQ
 
In the post I quoted, the OP stated:


So I think it was fair to assume the OP was only thinking about analog performance
Probably. But with this line of thought, they might as well hear an improvement to the sound as a function of DAC price :cool:
 
only problem i have with it is the limited EQ
We should understand that the EQ of the ADI-2 DAC/Pro was designed first and foremost as a tool for signal processing in the mastering chain, less so for EQing headphones to specific targets (this use case took off only recently; and it still works decently for this purpose, albeit not as streamlined for importing AutoEQ presets: I am generally able to EQ my headphones and IEMs to my preference, even the notoriously badly tuned Fiio FA7), and even less so for room EQ. For the latter I ended up employing other facilities.

But the most valuable DSP function for me seems to be the dynamic loudness, and too bad it's not more widely available; I really miss it for my miniDSP setup :rolleyes:
 
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