Suggestions for new DAC under $500 - details in post

[jmmaher]

Looking for a DAC to replace my OPPO 105 D for streaming. I current use the Allo Digi for Spotify. Power is provided by Hypex amps with a old but pre-amp to very nice tower speakers
Would like to spend less than $500.
Having read many forum discussion and related ones it seems some of these are excellent choices:
Schiit Audio – Modi for $99
Topping DX3 Pro - $220
Topping D50 - $249
All the above have good specifications and seem to test well. One friend with similar tastes and equipment has recently purchased a Gungnir multibit and a Topping DX7 and prefers the Gungnir. It seems there is no love for multibit here but I throw this out for reference as it is a friend whose tastes seem to be similar to mine. In any case this is above my price range.
Would one of the above be a better choice than the others or is there something I am missing in my price range.
The other question would any or all of these be better than my OPPO?

 

[vitalii427]

I think you are still pretty good with OPPO, why replace?
OPPO 105 measurements: http://archimago.blogspot.com/2017/04/measurements-oppo-bdp-105-rca-xlr-hdmi.html

 

[jmmaher]

Just figuring that the OPPO is now more than a few years old and newer solutions might show improvement. Thanks for the link.
Jim

 

[dragonspit4]

Looking for a DAC to replace my OPPO 105 D for streaming. I current use the Allo Digi for Spotify. Power is provided by Hypex amps with a old but pre-amp to very nice tower speakers
Would like to spend less than $500.
Having read many forum discussion and related ones it seems some of these are excellent choices:
Schiit Audio – Modi for $99
Topping DX3 Pro - $220
Topping D50 - $249
All the above have good specifications and seem to test well. One friend with similar tastes and equipment has recently purchased a Gungnir multibit and a Topping DX7 and prefers the Gungnir. It seems there is no love for multibit here but I throw this out for reference as it is a friend whose tastes seem to be similar to mine. In any case this is above my price range.
Would one of the above be a better choice than the others or is there something I am missing in my price range.
The other question would any or all of these be better than my OPPO?

Your in luck!! (on sale right $425 USD, if u want to wait for massdrop which is around $380 USD, but u have to wait months for it)
https://www.shenzhenaudio.com/toppi...sb-full-balanced-dac-headphone-amplifier.html

Topping DX7s, fully balanced DAC with really nice looking OLED screen (very informative screen).
Topping DX7s, measures really really really well, also has the advantage of being a balanced DAC.
Personally, I think the case it comes in is very beautiful and high quality. (I love it a lot)
1 year warranty.

I don't think there is a balanced DAC better than Topping DX7s under $500 PERIOD! (I could be wrong, correct me in the comments, thx...)

Note1: oh, let me add, there is a Linear power supply inside DX7s, also since it's balanced u will have less possible ground loop issue! (ERM.... I HATE ground LOOP)
Note2: since it's balanced, u can also use RCA and XLR output at the same time, meaning u can drive a solidstate AMP and a tube AMP at the same time, and u can switch it on the fly too. (so depending on the music, u can switch between tube amp and solidstate amp by just unplugging the headphone and replugging it)

For un-balanced I recommend Topping DX3 Pro, massdrop sell it for $179.99 USD, it has a lot of features like blue-tooth.
Topping D50 is also really good, massdrop sell it for $199.99 (very well measured)

Almost every single topping product is really good, and DX7s is their flagship DAC.
There is a person on this site selling a unbalanced DAC for $449, I think it's overpriced, don't buy that.

 

[Wombat]

"Don't buy that".

You are projecting your opinion on someone you don't know and being snide about a product that we all know you are referring to. The product has impeccable published test results. If you don't find it meets your needs, fine. Don't bag it because of that. It also has aesthetic design qualities that may not matter to you but to others may be of interest.

This forum is sinking into 'personal opinionness'.

 

[andreasmaaan]

@jmmaher the units you’re looking at all measure slightly better than the 105, but any objective differences are very unlikely to lie above thresholds of audibility.

Your friend’s preference for the Gungnir may be due to its being an objectively inferior DAC that actually does produce audible noise/distortion (I’m not sure), or more likely IMO due to it being a beautiful piece of gear with a compelling story behind it vs a pretty austere-looking piece of chi-fi. Hard to know without a controlled test, and I wouldn’t laugh at/dismiss them if it were either reason (DAC performance is so good that these factors usually are what determine listener preference).

Anyway, none of the DACs you’re looking at have any known potentially audible flaws IMHO. My pick would be the Schiit since it’s cheaper and doesn’t have the distortion hump associated with ESS9038 (unlikely to be audible but looks ugly on graphs), unless you need specific features offered by one of the others.

 

[jmmaher]

There is a person on this site selling a unbalanced DAC for $449, I think it's overpriced, don't buy that.

That particular DAC would not work for me in any case. My current streamer is the ALLO Digital One which only has SPDIF output.

 

[jmmaher]

Interesting comments on the Gungnir.
The Schiit looks interesting for the price. While I have balanced inputs on the pre-amp I am not totally convinced that balanced would be a deciding issue for a short cable run (could easily be wrong here). The DX3 Pro seems to be an interesting choice for the price as well. I looked at the measurements but still wonder if I would hear a difference between these two or a $1500 or $200 DAC.

 

[helloworld]

If you could wait 6 months, there will be a DAC aiming for better performance than SMSL D1 while under $500, maybe much lower than $500

 

[Sal1950]

The DX3 Pro seems to be an interesting choice for the price as well. I looked at the measurements but still wonder if I would hear a difference between these two or a $1500 or $200 DAC

If listened to under level matched bias controlled blind listening conditions, NO, you wouldn't.

 

[andreasmaaan]

I looked at the measurements but still wonder if I would hear a difference between these two or a $1500 or $200 DAC.

There are various pieces of software available online that allow you to test yourself to determine what level of nonlinear distortion, phase distortion, noise etc are audible to you. Can link some if you like? These DACs all operate at under -100dB THD+N which I can tell you now will be completely inaudible But it might be interesting to hear and put this kind of thing into perspective?

 

[jmmaher]

There are various pieces of software available online that allow you to test yourself to determine what level of nonlinear distortion, phase distortion, noise etc are audible to you. Can link some if you like? These DACs all operate at under -100dB THD+N which I can tell you now will be completely inaudible But it might be interesting to hear and put this kind of thing into perspective?

sure - why not - It will be interesting.

 

[Sal1950]

Maybe we can have a thread dedicated to hearing software? Together with the distortion related stuff, I have links to a couple of online hearing tests, etc. What do you think, should I start the thread for anyone to add to?

 

[andreasmaaan]

Maybe we can have a thread dedicated to hearing software? Together with the distortion related stuff, I have links to a couple of online hearing tests, etc. What do you think, should I start the thread for anyone to add to?

Absolutely would be a valuable resource to have available.

Will post what I have once that’s going.

 

[Sal1950]

Absolutely would be a valuable resource to have available.

Will post what I have once that’s going.

I started a thread here,
Tests of Hearing Loss, Distortion Audibility, etc.
Feel free to add contributions, I will now go back and populate my OP with the links I have.
Also remember there is the "Official" thread that we are locked out of for adding to, but you can contact Amir or Thomas if you have something that deserves being up there.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?forums/audio-reference-library.30/

 

[amirm]

While I have balanced inputs on the pre-amp I am not totally convinced that balanced would be a deciding issue for a short cable run (could easily be wrong here).

Its benefit here isn't for long cable runs but rather the fact that it doesn't use ground as the signal reference. That can help immensely in reducing the chances of ground loops. While ground loops are not common, once you get hit with them, they are very difficult to deal with if at all.

 

[dragonspit4]

Its benefit here isn't for long cable runs but rather the fact that it doesn't use ground as the signal reference. That can help immensely in reducing the chances of ground loops. While ground loops are not common, once you get hit with them, they are very difficult to deal with if at all.

I hate ground loop!!!

I finally destroyed 95% of my ground loop, but I still hate it.

In fact, I have 2 ground loop. First loop is computer USB cable caused, 2nd loop is my RCA cable caused.
I fixed my usb cable, so no ground loop anymore, but the RCA I don't know how to fix.

 

[jsrtheta]

Maybe we can have a thread dedicated to hearing software? Together with the distortion related stuff, I have links to a couple of online hearing tests, etc. What do you think, should I start the thread for anyone to add to?

Not sure I could take the resultant depression.

 

[Sal1950]

Not sure I could take the resultant depression.

It only hurts for a little while. LOL

 

[jsrtheta]

It only hurts for a little while. LOL

I'm sorry - could you say that again? Louder?