What features and specs do you want in a DAC?

[Mnyb]

At what point to do we cross over the line between a dac and mixing board/computer?

It's just my opinion, but I think a DAC should just be responsible for taking digital inputs, adjusting them (PEQ, DSP, etc ) as needed, before outputting them as analog signals. In other words all the digital devises (streamers, cd players, phones, tablets, pcs, tvs, etc) feed a digital signal into the DAC. The DAC then out puts the analog signal to a headphone amp or amp.

Ultimately the DAC is a comodity inside our active speakers that takes all these inputs from somewhere ( a digital controll center of sorts ) thats what i hope the future holds ?

I think the standalone DAC is a curiosity we have to live with for now ( i do have a toppiing D70 feading my headphone amp at my computer ) but ultimately i think its leftover from the high end hifi mindset of lets get this analog asap so it can feed my typical high end hifi .

imo it should never had been separated from the CD player like it happened in the 90's but then it was so we had multiple digital sources and needed to bring them together , the DAC , but i still think they are stepping stone to something else ?

Why i think the way i do , the DAC function can be realized for couple of dollars , but a complete supported product cost way more so why not also have a DAC inside ?
So it would be kind of a waste to design a complete product with case powersupply et all that only holds this limited function ?

 

[ZööZ]

For me it looks something like this.

Inputs

• USB - input form my pc (more than one would be nice)
• Optical - input from the office tv
• Bluetooth - for those occasions when I want to listen to something on my phone or tablet.
• Coax - just incase i ever need it

Outputs

• unbalanced RCA
• balanced XLR
• Bluetooth - for when I need to use Bluetooth iems or headphones because i can't be tethered to my desk

Features

• PEQ - the ability to save more presets than I should ever need, and enough bands per preset to not be limiting
• support for different output voltages
• a preamp mode that allows me to change the output levels
• the ability to have multiple input and output pairs in use at the same time. By that I mean something like optical in to BT out and USB in to XLR out at the same time, without loosing the ability to apply PEQ to the output, or adjust its level.
• the ability to route multiple inputs to one output. The ability to adjust the levels of each input before they are mixed, without loosing the ability to apply PEQ to the output, or adjust its level.
• 12v trigger in and out
• internal psu
• A nice large screen that shows the current settings. being able to control brightness would be nice as well.
• a none generic BT controller
• a nice app for setting up PEQ and saving presets.
• audibly transparent - hopefully that is an obvious requirement

I'd add 7.1 input through usb at least (or more for atmos output) for virtual surround using hesuvi, a sub out or two with separate PEQ filter, 48V phantom powered xlr input would be nice too so I don't need a separate mic amp. and And ofcourse aux in so I could PEQ anything I'd want through it.

 

[DLS79]

I think the standalone DAC is a curiosity we have to live with for now ( i do have a toppiing D70 feading my headphone amp at my computer ) but ultimately i think its leftover from the high end hifi mindset of lets get this analog asap so it can feed my typical high end hifi .

imo it should never had been separated from the CD player like it happened in the 90's but then it was so we had multiple digital sources and needed to bring them together , the DAC , but i still think they are stepping stone to something else ?

Why i think the way i do , the DAC function can be realized for couple of dollars , but a complete supported product cost way more so why not also have a DAC inside ?
So it would be kind of a waste to design a complete product with case powersupply et all that only holds this limited function ?

Personally I don't think it's a mistake, but a consequence of the drastically different wants/needs of consumers.

Just look at the range of wants/needs on this forum. We have people who want nothing more than usb in, unbalanced rca out, and a power stitch. At the other end of the spectrum we have people who want multiple inputs, multiple outputs, ADC features, up to 7.1 support, support for 3rd party applications etc. So some users want simple, tiny and thus cheap, while others want complex, large, and thus expensive. Everyone else is some place in the middle.

Imo the only way forward that meets everyone's needs, is if manufactures go modular (like the pc world) at the mid to high end of the market. From what I've seen, manufactures aren't anywhere close to modular though. For example the Topping D70 Pro Sabre is a monolithic pcb with almost every component directly attached to it. The only things that aren't directly attached are the display and the dial, that look to connect via ribbon cables.

If I was going to modularize the D70 Pro Sabre, It would something like this.

• module 1 : standard inputs - USB, optical, coax, BT
• module 2 : special inputs - AES input
• module 3 : 12v in/out trigger
• module 4 : internal power
• module 5 : standard outputs - unbalanced RCA
• module 6 : special outputs - balanced XLR
• module 7 : front display
• module 8 : front dial
• module 9 : control/processing module

each module would contain all the necessary ports, ICs, and internal connectors to connect to the control/processing module & the psu module.