Modius unavailable - Alternative DAC recommendations

[Deleted member 48086]

Hello,

i was about to get a Asgard 3 AMP / Modius DAC stack from Schiit but unfortunately the Modius wont be available anytime soon and in the future probably only with a different chip/design.

So im looking for a good or better alternative to the Modius DAC. 200-300$ +- . I do NOT want to get anything that sounds boring, flat and has a bad or worse soundstage and imaging than the Modius. Can you give me a good recommendation for a good DAC that pairs well with the Asgard 3 ? If you have other stack ideas with different AMPs let me know too. I pair it with a DT880 600 Ohm for now. Sometimes i use the DT990 too.

Thanks in advance for the help

Best regards
—

 

[rubley00]

There is no such thing as "paring" a DAC with an amp. Electronics don't work that way.

There is no such thing as a "boring" DAC, and DACs do not have a "soundstage".

DACs do not "pair" with headphones.

Just buy a Topping E30.

 

[Deleted member 48086]

Thank you for your reply. I dont know a lot about AMPS and DACS. Does that mean it totally depends on the headphones capabilities ? Why do people claim that different AMPs and DACs sound different ? Almost everyone says that i spend last days looking at reviews, videos and i preceived it that way.

Not sure if „just buy“ is really what im looking for. Are there no differences between for example a Modi3E, THX789, EL DAC2+ and a Topping when it comes to the sound ? That doesnt make any sense at all.

Best regards
—-

 

[staticV3]

here are a few RCA DAC options:

-Khadas Tone Board (109dB SINAD) for $80
-Topping D10s (113dB SINAD) for $110
-JDS Atom DAC+ (112dB SINAD) for $120
-Schiit Modi 3E (114dB SINAD) for $130
-SMSL Sanskrit 10th MKⅡ (114dB SINAD) for $140
-Topping E30 (115dB SINAD) for $150
-SMSL SU-6 (118dB SINAD) for $170

 

[Joe Smith]

I like and use both the Schiit Modi 3 and the JDS Atom+, both are good buys. From USB, the Atom+ goes up to 32 bit and does DSD as well as PCM, and has upgradeable firmware. I wish the Atom+ had a metal case like the Schiit models, but oh well.

 

[NiagaraPete]

Thank you for your reply. I dont know a lot about AMPS and DACS. Does that mean it totally depends on the headphones capabilities ? Why do people claim that different AMPs and DACs sound different ? Almost everyone says that i spend last days looking at reviews, videos and i preceived it that way.

Not sure if „just buy“ is really what im looking for. Are there no differences between for example a Modi3E, THX789, EL DAC2+ and a Topping when it comes to the sound ? That doesnt make any sense at all.

Best regards
—-

I think what is being said is that DAC’s should be transparent. A DAC that colours the sound is a bad DAC at any price.

There is a review index that can help greatly in finding what you want. Concentrate on features that you may want down the road.

Personally I never thought I would want a balanced system but it ended up being the most important feature. Who knew.

 

[rubley00]

Thank you for your reply. I dont know a lot about AMPS and DACS. Does that mean it totally depends on the headphones capabilities ? Why do people claim that different AMPs and DACs sound different ? Almost everyone says that i spend last days looking at reviews, videos and i preceived it that way.

Not sure if „just buy“ is really what im looking for. Are there no differences between for example a Modi3E, THX789, EL DAC2+ and a Topping when it comes to the sound ? That doesnt make any sense at all.

Best regards
—-

People claim they can hear differences for various reasons. They're trying to convince you that they know more than you. They're trying to justify the money they spent. They're being paid to say it. Its always a lie. The audio world is full of b#llshit, which is why this site exists, to cut through the b#llshit.

The goal of a DAC is to convert bits to an electrical signal in the most precise way possible. That's it. And we now have many (as recommended in this thread) inexpensive DACs that do it well enough that *no* human can tell them apart.