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Cheap DACs: Schiit Modi (current version) or JDS Labs Atom DAC 2?

Whichever one looks better on your desk.

Worth noting that the Modi can be powered from USB, and I don't see anything suggesting the Atom can be, which might be relevant if you don't enjoy dealing with a profusion of big power bricks.
 
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I'd go for the JDS too just for looks. Never cared for Schiit's bent metal style. I also detest the name. Worthy of a 10 year old's idea of cool.

Their black cases look alright imo, never really liked the silver/grey ones.
 
As others said, strictly judging by hard facts it's "jacket like trousers" as we say here, aka irrelevant. Most likely you won't hear any difference.

Practical aspects and looks are more important. And maybe a like or dislike for the brand as a whole. For whatever reason.

In the end both options are perfectly fine for their price.
 
I'm also thinking about a small DAC for my second system. I'm not interested in balanced because the preamp is only RCA. I would be undecided between SMSL PS200 or, listen up, FIIO K11 R2R, yes I know what you think, but I like to play. I have the opportunity to try an R2R without investing large sums, required up to now for such devices. It is then the curiosity to make some AB, or with rare enthusiast friends maybe ABX.... Can I run the risk of making this investment for my personal science.... or something else could be Schiit. I don't have a precise idea, I would just like something silent, clean, basic, without frills!!
 
Do I sense controversy around the FIIO K11? Sorry if I'm not familiar, I just looked it up and it seems to check the boxes? It even looks pretty good :)
 
Do I sense controversy around the FIIO K11? Sorry if I'm not familiar, I just looked it up and it seems to check the boxes? It even looks pretty good :)
Not that I'm aware of, other than maybe some eye-rolling among ASR folks for them cashing in on the R2R silliness. Its performance hasn't measured by any 3rd party, to my knowledge, but FiiO's stuff is usually pretty solid.
 
I'm also thinking about a small DAC for my second system. I'm not interested in balanced because the preamp is only RCA. I would be undecided between SMSL PS200 or, listen up, FIIO K11 R2R, yes I know what you think, but I like to play. I have the opportunity to try an R2R without investing large sums, required up to now for such devices. It is then the curiosity to make some AB, or with rare enthusiast friends maybe ABX.... Can I run the risk of making this investment for my personal science.... or something else could be Schiit. I don't have a precise idea, I would just like something silent, clean, basic, without frills!!
What do you expect to be different about R2R and why do you think that?
 
Do I sense controversy around the FIIO K11? Sorry if I'm not familiar, I just looked it up and it seems to check the boxes? It even looks pretty good :)
The choices were JDS vs Schitt. If you're going out of the box, look hard at the Topping D10s
 
What do you expect to be different about R2R and why do you think that?
I will tell you that I do not know what to expect: the R2R have always been accompanied by the fame of the most 3D sound and naturalness.
This is how the subjective world has always represented it. I have never had the opportunity to make good, somewhat serious comparisons.
If this project is well executed I expect a Dac that could be exactly transparent and clear as other Dacs that I have. And this would already be a good result.
The thing that could make differences is the possibility of choosing, if I read correctly, between Nos and Os.
But I have no idea what this could entail in terms of listening.

However I admit that I am curious, I repeat, it is for a question of personal science .....
 
I will tell you that I do not know what to expect: the R2R have always been accompanied by the fame of the most 3D sound and naturalness.
This is how the subjective world has always represented it. I have never had the opportunity to make good, somewhat serious comparisons.
If this project is well executed I expect a Dac that could be exactly transparent and clear as other Dacs that I have. And this would already be a good result.
The thing that could make differences is the possibility of choosing, if I read correctly, between Nos and Os.
But I have no idea what this could entail in terms of listening.

However I admit that I am curious, I repeat, it is for a question of personal science .....
That is okay, but that is how such designs stay in the marketplace when they really offer nothing.

Oh just for historical context. In the early days of digital. The subjective world described R2R just like they now describe sigma-delta dacs. Not being natural, having zero depth and space while being hard and unmusical. They did this for about 15 years. They decided one-bit dacs and later better sigma-delta Dacs were making headway against those problems. Then in the past 12 years what is old is now great and better than the current misguided DACs. You can guess from this what my opinion about it is. The subjective press is full of it and a most untrustworthy guide.

You can of course satisfy your personal curiosity that is your choice.
 
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Thank you for the comments so far. My use case for this DAC is to listen to tunes while I decide on a real DAC for my main system, which knowing me will take weeks if not months.

I will stream Qobuz and local FLACs from my NAS via the USB output of a PC and the DAC will output to a vintage preamp via RCA. I would also like a selectable, non-USB digital input for my CD transport. I won't be using headphones. If and when my main system is finished, this DAC will move to a secondary system. A wireless input could be useful at that time, but only if it is LDAC-compliant, and even then it's a nice to have not a have to have right now.
 
I will tell you that I do not know what to expect: the R2R have always been accompanied by the fame of the most 3D sound and naturalness.
This is how the subjective world has always represented it. I have never had the opportunity to make good, somewhat serious comparisons.
If this project is well executed I expect a Dac that could be exactly transparent and clear as other Dacs that I have. And this would already be a good result.
The thing that could make differences is the possibility of choosing, if I read correctly, between Nos and Os.
But I have no idea what this could entail in terms of listening.

However I admit that I am curious, I repeat, it is for a question of personal science .....
Many early CD players (domestically DACs didn't appear for a while) were R2R. I worked on them and listened to them. Done well, they are fine. R2R is generally trickier to get good results from, but there are quite a few R2R devices on ASR which have measured well.
 
Many early CD players (domestically DACs didn't appear for a while) were R2R. I worked on them and listened to them. Done well, they are fine. R2R is generally trickier to get good results from, but there are quite a few R2R devices on ASR which have measured well.
absolutely: I saw them and I saw the tests. In fact, I am curious to try a discrete R2R for 170 euros! In truth, I have tried some R2R over time but the craftsmanship of the creations left me perplexed... if I could, I would give a little thought to a Holo: however, I prefer to invest that amount of money in a pair of speakers or something else... however, maybe a used one...
 
In fact, I am curious to try a discrete R2R for 170 euros
If it's well implemented (including a properly implemented brick-wall reconstruction filter), you won't hear any difference between R2R and non-R2R. If it's well implemented and you do hear a difference, it will be because levels are not matched perfectly to within 0.1V.
 
Well folks I bought an open-box SMSL DO100 PRO on amazon for $131.40 + free shipping. Dual ESS chips and balanced XLR outputs are nice, and I'm sure LDAC bluetooth and HDMI inputs will come in handy.

Lots of features for the $ actually. I'm pretty pleased :)
 
Well folks I bought an open-box SMSL DO100 PRO on amazon for $131.40 + free shipping. Dual ESS chips and balanced XLR outputs are nice, and I'm sure LDAC bluetooth and HDMI inputs will come in handy.

Lots of features for the $ actually. I'm pretty pleased :)

bravo, excellent choice. You will definitely find yourself well with SMSL. I bought three of them last year. I then kept DO300 and SU-1. When I look around and think about a system update, I then go and check the measurements taken, and I have never found a reason to replace them, except for pure curiosity about different systems. The transparency of these devices always makes them a fixed point in the chain, and that is what every digital source should be. The game for me has now moved on to the speakers, their position and partly on the amplification that must be adequate to the characteristics of the speakers. but since I have a DAC system that really measure transparent, that aspect has become secondary.
 
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