DAC - Going Stupid Cheap

[watchnerd]

In my living room, my current DAC is built into my Wyred 4 Sound mPRE preamp/DAC.

I just ordered a Schiit Freya so I can finally have a preamp that combines passive, tubes, and solid state all in one.

But the Freya has no built in DAC. What do to do?

Then I remembered I had bought a $19.98 FiiO D3 for use with my previous (now dead) TV and it was lying in my parts drawer:

So can I live with a cheap as hell DAC?

My objectivist side says differences in competent DACs is minimal and that I likely won't notice a difference vs a more expensive DAC unless I do direct A/B comparisons. That in the long run, for casual listening, it really shouldn't matter.

The gear slut side of me will be neurotic and unsettled by using such a cheap piece of gear that it will be constantly looking for flaws.

This may be a life-changing (okay, hobby-changing) experiment for me, just like it was when I proved to myself I couldn't differentiate regular lossless from high resolution.

Anyone else want to join me on this trip? Only $20 to find out if DACs really make a difference or not.

 

[amirm]

I am there . Just did a one-click buy on Amazon. Will both listen and measure when it arrives next week.

 

[watchnerd]

For those who know a bit about semiconductors, the parts inside are better than you might think, as you can see in this detailed teardown.

 

[watchnerd]

I am there . Just did a one-click buy on Amazon. Will both listen and measure when it arrives next week.

Awesome!

 

[amirm]

Pretty positive reviews:

 

[watchnerd]

Pretty positive reviews:

View attachment 4148

I have to give them cred for posting specs with freq response curve, too.

Interesting stuff happening in the top octave...

 

[amirm]

Definitely credit due and something is wrong at the high-end:

 

[watchnerd]

Definitely credit due and something is wrong at the high-end:

What's weird to me is that the graph above is for 48khz input, but the graph for 96khz input looks different:

I can't think of any explanation why that look different just due to changes in sample rate...

 

[RayDunzl]

Those are distortion measures, which generally means measuring harmonics.

There are no harmonics to be associated with the fundamental above 12k in a 48k feed, so let's call it a "no data" measurement artifact until Amir does his test.

Note the 96k feed neasurement stops at 20k so it is slightly truncated with respect to the possible second harmonic to be associated with a fundamental up to 24kHz

 

[Blumlein 88]

Well just from the 1st graph I might have wondered about output stage bandwidth. The 96 khz allays those fears. So must be some sort of half-band filter oddity. Definitely one you want to upsample for it looks like.

 

[watchnerd]

Well just from the 1st graph I might have wondered about output stage bandwidth. The 96 khz allays those fears. So must be some sort of half-band filter oddity. Definitely one you want to upsample for it looks like.

Well, it could feed it with my Remedy re-clocker, which upsamples everything to 24bit/96khz. Which would be a funny case of a $399 de-crapifier feeding a $20 DAC.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Well, it could feed it with my Remedy re-clocker, which upsamples everything to 24bit/96khz. Which would be a funny case of a $399 de-crapifier feeding a $20 DAC.

I think I would just upsample all my music files offline, and keep them stored that way. Cheaper way to do it. On the other hand, your approach is more 'audiophile'. The other thing you might want to do is use an external $400 linear power supply for the 6 volts in to the $20 DAC. That way you have audiophile cred. Your $20 DAC could perform way out of its price class with $800 of accessories support.

 

[watchnerd]

I think I would just upsample all my music files offline, and keep them stored that way. Cheaper way to do it. On the other hand, your approach is more 'audiophile'.

Well, I already own the Remedy, so it's a sunk cost...

 

[watchnerd]

Your $20 DAC could perform way out of its price class with $800 of accessories support.

Weirdly, this actually fits my stance on what's worth paying for in expensive DACs: pay for better power supplies and a better analog section, not a fancier chip.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Well, I already own the Remedy, so it's a sunk cost...

No, you have to be more forward thinking. You start reporting how this little DAC is a giant killer if, only if , you feed it from the Remedy and use an LPS. Make the LPS you designed and profit. It then becomes not about cost, but about profit.

 

[watchnerd]

No, you have to be more forward thinking. You start reporting how this little DAC is a giant killer if, only if , you feed it from the Remedy and use an LPS. Make the LPS you designed and profit. It then becomes not about cost, but about profit.

And there should be a cable or two in there, too, right?

 

[Blumlein 88]

And there should be a cable or two in there, too, right?

After a high quality LPS is included you need a high quality way to connect it to the giant killer DAC. So sure you need some good cables probably at three levels of quality and price. After all not everyone can afford the very best.

 

[Thomas savage]

I though we had issue with schiit ... Not to say there's not good schiit and bad schiit but... ..

 

[watchnerd]

After a high quality LPS is included you need a high quality way to connect it to the giant killer DAC. So sure you need some good cables probably at three levels of quality and price. After all not everyone can afford the very best.

 

[watchnerd]

Here is a quick teardown video showing the guts inside. Pretty high density on the surface mount components: