What $200 or sub $200 DACs could you recommend with balanced outputs, and reliable build quality?

[BobbyTimmons]

What $200 or sub $200 DACs could you recommend with balanced outputs, and reliable build quality, and/or guarantee policies? (I.e. perhaps not something from Topping, which seems to be unreliable and prone to breaking down according to reports and reviews in places like Amazon).

I'm interested in getting a DAC with balanced outputs to use with active studio monitors. There seems to be a lack of choices in this category? I can see the Cambridge Audio Dacmagic Plus, but the £300 price tag is too high.

Alternatively, I was also wondering if any audio interfaces could fulfill this role?

 

[StevenEleven]

I have this at my computer and love it but it it could be technically awful and I'd never know the difference, and it only goes up to 24-bit/48khz. About $150:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...tor2usb_high_end_speaker_headphone.html/specs

https://www.behringer.com/Categorie...s/MONITOR2USB/p/P0BK8/Videos#googtrans(en|en)

https://www.behringer.com/Categorie...plifiers/MONITOR2USB/p/P0BK8#googtrans(en|en)

 

[oohlou]

(Mass)Drop Grace SDAC Balanced?

It fits your criteria. Now sure about reliability but mine works just fine.

 

[BobbyTimmons]

(Mass)Drop Grace SDAC Balanced?

It fits your criteria. Now sure about reliability but mine works just fine.

Thanks for the recommendation, but I don't think we can buy this in the UK, or get hold of it easily.

 

[LightninBoy]

Many computer recording interfaces in that price range that will serve the purpose. Check out the Focusrite or Behringer interfaces.

 

[BobbyTimmons]

I have this at my computer and love it but it it could be technically awful and I'd never know the difference, and it only goes up to 24-bit/48khz. About $150:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...tor2usb_high_end_speaker_headphone.html/specs

https://www.behringer.com/Categorie...s/MONITOR2USB/p/P0BK8/Videos#googtrans(en|en)

https://www.behringer.com/Categorie...plifiers/MONITOR2USB/p/P0BK8#googtrans(en|en)

Thanks for the recommendation. It's only up to 48khz and 16bit?
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/music-computers/1085174-behringer-monitor2usb-anyone-2.html
And one long-term bad review on reliability on Amazon with someone agreeing in the comments.
https://www.amazon.com/BEHRINGER-MO...ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&pageNumber=1

 

[BobbyTimmons]

Many computer recording interfaces in that price range that will serve the purpose. Check out the Focusrite or Behringer interfaces.

Thanks - do the Focusrite Scarlett interfaces have balanced outputs? That sounds tempting....

 

[StevenEleven]

Thanks for the recommendation. It's only up to 48khz and 16bit?
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/music-computers/1085174-behringer-monitor2usb-anyone-2.html
And one long-term bad review on reliability on Amazon with someone agreeing in the comments.
https://www.amazon.com/BEHRINGER-MO...ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&pageNumber=1

It goes up to 48 khz and 24-bit (verified by me). It can do any combination of 16 and 24 bit, and 44.1 and 48 khz.

If out of 19 reviews a reviewer says it's not reliable and someone agrees, I guess take that seriously. I have it used nearly every day for a few years and love it and have never had any problem with it in the least. It sure seems built well to me but I am just a sample of one.

I'm sure there are Behringers that do less that measure better and accept higher sampling rates, as well as other brands. I know intellectually that I wouldn't likely have any use for or perceive the extra measurable fidelity or higher sampling rates of other gear and that's good enough for me. I love the features and usability of this thing. I'm strongly tempted to buy another one all the time for my bedside but I always talk myself out of it.

If I were a career audio professional I'd get something with a higher grade of performance, no doubt, and I'd pay more too:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ADI2ProFS--rme-adi-2-pro-fs-2-in-4-out-ad-da-converter

The Focusrite Scarlett for under $200 does look cool, and based on the specs I imagine the measurable performance is much, much better than the Monitor2USB as well. Still I'll take the Monitor2USB for my personal daily use.

 

[LightninBoy]

Thanks - do the Focusrite Scarlett interfaces have balanced outputs? That sounds tempting....

Yes, they are balanced 1/4in outputs (instead of the typical XLR).

 

[BobbyTimmons]

The Focusrite has quite a lot of complaints for its drivers though?

 

[Doodski]

The Focusrite has quite a lot of complaints for its drivers though?

HellO Bobby Timmins are you the real BobbY Timmons with all the great jazz on you tube from 1961'ish and onwards?

 

[BobbyTimmons]

HellO Bobby Timmins are you the real BobbY Timmons with all the great jazz on you tube from 1961'ish and onwards?

Thanks for recognizing the name - he was a great talent, who died so early.

I'm originally a classical pianist and I first became interested in learning jazz piano when I was about 14 years old after I heard Bobby Timmons on a free Blue Note Sample CD. At that age, I didn't know anyone could sound that cool on a piano (at 5:00).

 

[Doodski]

Thanks for recognizing the name - he was a great talent, who died so early.

I'm originally a classical pianist and I first became interested in learning jazz piano when I was about 14 years old after I heard Bobby Timmons on a free Blue Note Sample CD. At that age, I didn't know anyone could sound that cool on a piano (at 5:00).

I thought i was listening to Oscar, Ahmad, Thelonious, etc etc when I started surfing the Bobby Timmons (December 19, 1935 – March 1, 1974) tunes on youtube. I added dozens of the tunes to my bookmarks. I would have been amazed if you where him although alas I was wrong. I'll be busy for some weeks listening to the new music now >@^_*@<

 

[BobbyTimmons]

I thought i was listening to Oscar, Ahmad, Thelonious, etc etc when I started surfing the Bobby Timmons (December 19, 1935 – March 1, 1974) tunes on youtube. I added dozens of the tunes to my bookmarks. I would have been amazed if you where him although alas I was wrong. I'll be busy for some weeks listening to the new music now >@^_*@<

Alas he is one of the tragic stories in Jazz.

One of his impressive things, is when he improvises with locked hands block chords, a bit like George Shearing, Red Garland - but I think better than them, e.g. how is improvising in the part between 2:10 to 3 minutes in the track below

 

[BobbyTimmons]

OK I've ordered the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd generation, which should arrive in a few days.

Apparently its line outs are affected by the monitor volume knob on the front. My question is what level the volume knob on the front should be set at? Or how is it best to control the volume for active speakers? Using the volume setting on the active speakers themselves? Or on the audio interface? Or on the computer?

 

[Dogen]

I have this at my computer and love it but it it could be technically awful and I'd never know the difference, and it only goes up to 24-bit/48khz. About $150:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...tor2usb_high_end_speaker_headphone.html/specs

https://www.behringer.com/Categorie...s/MONITOR2USB/p/P0BK8/Videos#googtrans(en|en)

https://www.behringer.com/Categorie...plifiers/MONITOR2USB/p/P0BK8#googtrans(en|en)

hmmm...adjustable crossfeed! I’ve been wanting to try that out without spending much money.

 

[Kouioui]

I'd go with the new Motu M2 USB audio interface if I were buying today instead of the FiiO K5 Pro I'm using now for the flexibility it provides. Users on gearslutz like it and seems to test well. SSL also has the 2/2+ but costs more. I'd like to see both tested here but my limited budget won't allow buying either and sending to Amir.

 

[thefsb]

The Focusrite has quite a lot of complaints for its drivers though?

Not from me. It worked OOTB on Mac and now on Windows 10 I installed the (ASIO?) drivers with no problem.

 

[thefsb]

I'd go with the new Motu M2 USB audio interface if I were buying today instead of the FiiO K5 Pro I'm using now for the flexibility it provides. Users on gearslutz like it and seems to test well. SSL also has the 2/2+ but costs more. I'd like to see both tested here but my limited budget won't allow buying either and sending to Amir.

It has great specs, price and looks. Motu has a good reputation. But have we seen measurements?

For example, I might easily have chosen the Audient iD4 on the basis of reputation and hoping for lower noise at high gain on the mic input. With Amir's data I'm glad I didn't.

 

[artismo]

SMSL SU-8 V2