Looking for good USB DAC & phones/desktop speakers preamp, < 200 euros

[petitchaton]

Hello,

My current PC has an M-audio 2492 PCI card driving a Marantz PM7200 amp and two Cabasse Jersey columns.
My new, not-yet installed motherboard has no PCI slot (long obsolete), and the card is no longer supported anyway (no windows 10 drivers).

I'm very ignorant to the world of DACs so read plenty of reviews lately, but difficult to pick one form the myriads of units available today.

I'm therefore looking for a good USB DAC/phones preamp with the following specs, in no particular order:

• No need for coax/optical inputs. USB only.
• Separate power line preferred.
• Will use only RCA out (save for pre-amp phones out of course). Again no need for other output types.
• DSD support is not necessary.
• Desktop use, won't ever be moved, so no battery.
• No bluetooth/wireless.
• Under the 200 euros mark.

Use: drive the Marantz to listen to music, drive phones or small desktop speakers to play games.

What units would you advise?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Veri]

No need for coax/optical inputs. USB only.

• Separate power line preferred.
• Will use only RCA out (save for pre-amp phones out of course). Again no need for other output types.
• DSD support is not necessary.
• Desktop use, won't ever be moved, so no battery.
• No bluetooth/wireless.
• Under the 200 euros mark.

Honestly, the schiit modi3 seems to hit all your requirements just fine.

If you order it in black you can always order a magni heresi in black at a later point in case you'd need a desktop headphone amplifier. Would make for a pretty pairing.

Otherwise, a Topping DX3 is the go-to recommendation for general DAC and speakers use, with its included volume control. Available in Europe here:
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/search?search_query=dx3

 

[petitchaton]

Thanks Veri - like the Schiit, but no integrated headphone amp which is a pity. Same for the Topping D30 which I also like.
The DX3 is a little above my budget, and also has bluetooth which I don't want/need.

Would there be anything like the Modi3 or the D30, BUT with an integrated headphone amp, at a reasonable price? Or am I just asking too much?
(I could of course use the onboard soundcard output for the desktop speakers/headphones, and use the DAC to drive the Marantz only... would require switching audio equipment in windows)

Thanks!

 

[Veri]

I'm not sure if I'm overlooking things. if not, I'm convinced your best bet is the DX3, you can simply not install the antenna and voila, you have your desired product with no bluetooth capability

Nothing else comes close within the budget as far as I know! Good audio gear is pricy.

 

[Not Insane]

I just bought one in your price range yesterday from Amazon. I was all ready to pull the trigger on the Schiit Modi 3, after reading way too many reviews.

However, when I went to amazon to search on DACs "one last time", something called the SMSL M100 popped up. In USD, the Modi 3 would have cost me $125 while the M100 was around $75. So I did a whole new review search. That led me to the discovery of the SMSL Sanskrit 10th. That one interested me because a remote control was a HUGE benefit in my particular situation. Well, after reading review after review as well as nuanced information - and this one REALLY APPLIES to your situation - that USB performance goes from mediocre to fantastic if you use a separate power supply (this applies to the SMSL as well as the SCHIIT), I pulled the trigger for the Sanskrit - at $95 including shipping. And it even includes DSD and higher bit rate/depth playback for many of the inputs. If all I cared about was sound quality for basic digital, I would probably have gone for the SCHIIT, but the specs (and testimonials for each) are so darned close I'm not sure there is enough difference for most of us to notice. And the actual feature's that come with the Sanskrit are a game changer for me.

But some people don't care about the remote.

If you are on a real budget, I'd consider the M100 (at $75) and get a separate headphone amp.

BTW, one interesting advantage of the remote volume control for the Sanskrit is that it makes it a useful pre-amp as well.

And yes, this is my very first post on this forum. I discovered the forum looking for DAC reviews.

 

[Veri]

If all I cared about was sound quality for basic digital, I would probably have gone for the SCHIIT, but the specs (and testimonials for each) are so darned close I'm not sure there is enough difference for most of us to notice.

Right.

 

[petitchaton]

Thanks all!
So... Let's say I'll do without the integrated amp and can switch between onboard audio and DAC when necessary... with your input, I can consider:

• Schiit modi 3.
• SMSL sanskrit 10th (with dedicated USB pwr cable).
• Topping D30 (close to the Schiit).

Those 3 are clearly in my price range.
Splitting hairs now, I don't really need the remote (on the contrary - already drowning in clutter, no need for additional objects ), and I don't like the blue/red colours of the SMSL (sorry rather boring & conservative on looks, of course I could hide it ). Looking at specs they all look fairly close to one another (excluding DSD support which I don't care much for right now).

 

[petitchaton]

Splitting even more hairs - the Modi doesn't seem to have a power switch, which is a bit of a pity because I like turning things off. So I think you've helped me quite a lot understand what I want and why I like the D30. But if you've got other ideas I'm all ears

Thanks again!

 

[Not Insane]

The SMSL M100, due to its low price and it's inclusion of an on/off switch may be worthwhile as well. But for raw sound quality I'd go for the Schiit, remembering that the difference in sound between all of these just may be virtually non-existent in real world listening.

 

[petitchaton]

Absolutely right I've overlooked the M100 which you mentioned in your first post. And I shouldn't have as it looks very decent indeed and fairly cheap!

Thanks a lot for your pieces of advice, greatly appreciated!

 

[MrPotatoHead]

Thanks a lot for your pieces of advice, greatly appreciated!

May I ask what you ended up getting? I'm looking for a budget desktop DAC as well.

 

[petitchaton]

In the end I got... nothing.
I hooked up my old pci m-audio to a pcie-to-pci adapter and it worked like a charm, until a cap died, so now have to use y motherboard audio until I get the cap replaced!
But I had set my mind on the Topping D30.
cheers