Recommended dac/amp

[skrull]

As a newbie here, I would like to say thanks to many of you. I have read this forum for the past 6 months trying to choose dac+amp setup for my home use and I learned a lot here.

I already read about the D50 hump, the DX3S quality issues. I am inclined/willing to buy Topping D50S and THX 789 AAA.

Why D50S? Because I am changing my car audio setup, and I could use on the car also. Then if it is up to the Alpine 9887's 24-bit burr-brown dac I will retire the head unit and buy one more for home use.

D50/D50s are small, works from usb power and works with iOS using the camera (OTG) cable.

I'm about to retire my Alpine 9887 HU because I don't use it nowadays, only its preamp stage (the iPod connection of the 9887 is analog). I listen to iPhone music (foobar2000, tidal). My car amp is a McIntosh.

Is my choice right a good one? What is your thoughts?

Regards,
(and sorry for my rusty english)

Rodrigo

 

[Tks]

The Topping D50S is perhaps my favorite current standalone DAC, and I would say pairs real well with the 789 if you don't care about balanced.

What it pairs better with in my opinion though is a JDS Atom. Reason being the 4-fold price difference. A 789 costs $400 easily, and ordering one now, you will need to wait until November (though I distrust Massdrop, and don't have faith they will deliver on the nearly 2,000 units currently they need to make for the current drop going on now, when in the past they have had delays just simply delivering 500 units on time).

So with a D50S (sometimes can get it for $200 maybe, but even at 250 it seems really nice) and a $100 JDS Atom, you have essentially all the clarity and power you would ever need (unless you have those wierd 600 ohm headphones or something) if performance is what you're seeking.

But of course if you really need more power, I believe you can still use the balanced output on a 789 even if you've got a single-ended DAC connected to it (seemingly due to the 789 not being "truly balanced" as some have said), and you would still have some power output increase even without a balanced DAC.

Either way you decide to go, you're basically looking at top tier sound quality that you could be content with for years (if not for your whole life).

 

[jmwant]

I like the Topping D50S, the latest DAC/AMP from topping