Preamp / DAC

[rwdv70]

I'm arranging a new system and have made a shortlist of speakers (in the €4K-€5K-ish realm) and a couple of power amps based on the Hypex Nilai (or perhaps NCx500) or Purifi modules. Power amps based on these modules seem to be of exceptionally high quality, offer all the power needed (I'll retire my Audiomat Solfege 2x25W Class A tube amp) and are relatively cheap. Now I have trouble finding a decent preamp/DAC. It needs to have:
- Volume control (I highly prefer this to be a proper analog control - not a software controlled rotation dial, I don't trust these things)
- XLR output
- DAC (of course decent and recent)

There are a lot of small (cheap) Chinese DAC's that have these features, but they seem to cater the laptop/headphone market. Also there are a lot of streamers with a digital volume control (Eversolo, etc.). However, I already have a Bluesound Node 2 that can be the streamer (I'll be using the digital out to the Preamp/DAC). Finally, I can find a lot of (sometimes very expensive) separate components. As I only have the streamer as my source it seems a bit crazy to buy a preamp just for the volume control (then it is just an expensive volume knob).

Hence it is the combo I'm looking for. I find it odd that this is so hard to find... It would be the perfect component to complement a power amp setup (be it stereo or a pair of mono power amps). Is there something decent without breaking the bank?

 

[Rednaxela]

There are a lot of small (cheap) Chinese DAC's that have these features, but they seem to cater the laptop/headphone market.

Could you perhaps elaborate on this objection?

 

[rwdv70]

Could you perhaps elaborate on this objection?

Only a few have XLR output and I'm not sure if a DAC costing € 250-ish complements the rest of the system (€ 6K-ish). I think (but this may be a wrong assumption) that the DAC in that case will be limiting factor by a mile.

 

[BDWoody]

Only a few have XLR output and I'm not sure if a DAC costing € 250-ish complements the rest of the system (€ 6K-ish). I think (but this may be a wrong assumption) that the DAC in that case will be limiting factor by a mile.

I'm terms of bling factor that may be true, but in terms of audible performance not at all.

If money isn't an issue by all means bling it up, but if you are isolating sound quality, think three digit pricetags not four.

 

[Rednaxela]

Only a few have XLR output

XLR output or balanced output?

and I'm not sure if a DAC costing € 250-ish complements the rest of the system (€ 6K-ish). I think (but this may be a wrong assumption) that the DAC in that case will be limiting factor by a mile.

What @BDWoody says.



In any case, how would an RME ADI-2 FS DAC fit?

RME ADI-2 FS Version 2 DAC and Headphone Amp Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the updated version 2 of the RME ADI-2 FS DAC and headphone amplifier. It was kindly sent to me by the company. The cost us US $1,149. The ADI-2 looks very nice in black with a bright, super responsive display (doesn't come out as well in the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[rwdv70]

XLR output or balanced output?

What @BDWoody says.

Thanks for the swift replies. Indeed I meant "Balanced output". Bling is not that important. The poweramps are ugly black boxes anyway and the Bluesound is not that fancy either. I (my wife and the bank) all like the three figures idea

 

[AnalogSteph]

Only a few have XLR output and I'm not sure if a DAC costing € 250-ish complements the rest of the system (€ 6K-ish). I think (but this may be a wrong assumption) that the DAC in that case will be limiting factor by a mile.

Quite the contrary, even the least expensive desktop DACs with balanced connections (whether TRS or XLR) around the 200€ mark already provide preamp-grade performance, but may not sport a volume knob. The first ones like that come in somewhere around the 300€ mark, and if you have 500-800€ to spend you're pretty much drowning in good candidates (and by good I mean pretty much state of the art).

DACs with means of actually varying analog gain only start north of 1000€ (RME ADI-2 DAC FS, Benchmark DAC3 L / HGC, and only the Benchmark actually sports an analog pot). When a DAC can deliver 130 dB of dynamic range straight without much of any "ESS hump" action, the need for analog gain control diminishes greatly.

 

[Roland68]

Only a few have XLR output and I'm not sure if a DAC costing € 250-ish complements the rest of the system (€ 6K-ish). I think (but this may be a wrong assumption) that the DAC in that case will be limiting factor by a mile.

There are plenty of balanced DACs between €/$200 and 500 that certainly wouldn't limit your system, quite the opposite.
Loxjie D40 Pro, D60, Sabaj A10D 2022, A20D 2022, A20D 2023, SMSL DO400, DL400, D400 Pro, Topping D50 III, E50, E70, and Velvet, etc.

But you could go a different route and forgo the analog path altogether.
With the Sabaj A30a, you don't need a DAC or a preamp; it's completely digital all the way to the output. Plus, it delivers over 2 x 200 watts at 4 ohms. It's already replaced amplifiers costing several thousand euros/$ for some users.

 

[Rednaxela]

Here’s an excellent balanced DAC with VC in the €200 price category.

SMSL D-6s Balanced DAC Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the SMSL D-6s balanced stereo DAC with Bluetooth support. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $199. I was pleasantly surprised with the new industrial design which while minimalistic, manages to impress with its modern style. Love the matt...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[JSmith]

Welcome to ASR @rwdv70.

I think (but this may be a wrong assumption) that the DAC in that case will be limiting factor by a mile.

Yeah as you suggested, this isn't correct... DAC's have been a solved "problem" for a very long time. That's not to say there aren't bad DAC's out there, there are, but the majority are audibly transparent. Just grab one that's been tested here, that looks alright to you visually, has the functions and connectivity needed... good to go.

The greatest improvements to audio are not gained by DAC's or even amps mostly, it's the speakers and room, measurements, EQ etc.


JSmith