Cambridge Dacmagic 100 or other suggestions?

Ended up with another laptop yesterday, I got a integrated amp and extra pair of speakers lying around the house somewhere. I'm thinking of putting together a little laptop rig in the bedroom, what's the thoughts on this Dacmagic 100 or is there another one I should be looking at? I Want to keep it around $ 300 maybe $500 the Cambridge is currently $299
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Home Theater
Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

2 Channel
Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

Stuff for the Head
JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)

Comments

  • DollarDave
    DollarDave Posts: 2,575
    I recently looked into dacs in this price range and ended up with a schiit bifrost multibit...I like it a lot for what it's worth.
  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,056
    Thanks Dave I see Hi fi heaven has a used bitfrost multibit for $499 looks intriguing, I do have a Hrt music streamer hooked up to the 2 channel use the Oppos DAC in the HT, I'm just looking for something different for the laptop only source for the bedroom.
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,010
    I got my eye on the DacMagic 100 too. Seems to be the best deal at $300. However room treatments are to be purchased next for me, then the DacMagic. Share your thoughts if you get one.
  • marvda1
    marvda1 Posts: 4,862
    i have one of these, a great sounding dac.
    http://www.underwoodhifi.com/products/micromega
    Amplifiers: Norma IPA 140, MasterSound Compact 845, Ayre v6xe, Consonance Cyber 800
    Preamp: deHavilland Ultraverve 3
    Dac: Sonnet Morpheus 2, Musical Paradise mp-d2 mkIII
    Transport: Jay's Audio CDT2 mk2, Lumin U1 mini
    Speakers: Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II
    Speaker Cables: Organic Audio Organic Reference 2
    Interconnects: Argento Organic Reference 2, Argento Organic 2
    Power Cables: Argento Organic Reference, Synergistic Research Foundation 10 and 12 ga.
    Puritan PSM156
  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,010
    Thanks marvda1, that looks like a great deal.
  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,517
    DacMagic and done.... loved mine, just didnt work with the new system I have.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,032
    You should do a search for my DAC reviews from a few years ago.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,521
    It's hard to beat Cambridge when it comes to high value audio.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,053
    edited December 2016
    I'll throw the original Eastern Electric Mini Max dac out for consideration. They can be had for about 1/3 what they cost new these days. Probably at the top of your budget, but worth every penny.

    http://6moons.com/audioreviews/easternelectric/dac.html

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,042
    I take it your clothes are back in your dresser and you didn't have to sell everything?
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,056
    Thanks for the suggestions everyone I will check into all that were mentioned.
    Nightfall wrote: »
    I take it your clothes are back in your dresser and you didn't have to sell everything?

    It's all good again, I got rid of some empty boxes and made a little space. I got to keep the man cave the way I want except for the laundry room she wants that space to herself, might have to set up a laundry room rig for her!
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
  • I use the musical fidelity V90 dac. It sounds damn good to me, and looks great too.
    Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,903
    The standard dacmagic sounds better than the 100, and I'm pretty sure you can pick those up on the used markets for under 300 bones now.

    Entry level dacs have come along way as Skip said, but I might be more inclined to buy a better dac on the used markets for the same price as those entry level units.

    Brock's suggestion of the mini max is one, also depends on what you want it to do. Don't forget Tech dacs either. I'm still using a Cary Xciter and have no desire to move up.

    Though if a tubed Cary dac fell off a truck, I wouldn't pass it by. ;)
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,310
    Translation: If a driver carrying a pallette of tubed Cary DACs destined for a shop were to unexpectedly fall out of his truck en route, you'd coincidentally be there to make sure the truck made it to a safe destination in a quiet warehouse district where no one talks to the cops.
    I disabled signatures.
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,053
    If you can stretch your budget at all this would be killer. Probably too nice for a 2nd or 3rd rig, but it's a pretty good deal and it has the upgraded discrete op-amps which kick it up a notch or two. The discrete op-amps alone are over $300 retail.

    http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649304167-eastern-electric-minimax-dac-plus-upgraded-with-dexa-op-amps-in-excellent-condition/

    H9

    P.s absolutely no affiliation with the seller.
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • adb3da
    adb3da Posts: 506
    I have a Peachtree Audio DAC ITx. I like it and it's also in your price range.
  • If you can (and should be able to) find a Stream Magic 6, you will love it. I've thought about upping to the 851N player but the SM6 is a rocking unit. Check em out Steve!
    "if it's not fun, it's not worth it & remember folks, "It's All About The Music"!!
    *****************************
  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,056
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    0zku756aqov4.jpg

    Im considering maybe purchasing this I can take advantage of Adcom trade in program as I have some Adcom stuff sitting Idle thoughts anyone.
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,056
    edited December 2016
    http://www.adcom-usa.com/gia-275

    Here is the link to the GIA-275
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,310
    Would you be using this to drive speakers, or just for the DAC and connectivity?
    This looks like a nice little office/lifestyle piece. Interesting.

    Given the recent events at the homestead, should you even be on here talking about this stuff? You're probably being monitored.
    I disabled signatures.
  • voltz
    voltz Posts: 5,384
    For $500 you can get a Auralic mini Dac/Streamer and put a $130 SSD drive in it with all or most of your digital music - but you would need a apple ipod to control - not sure what that would run used? but if you already had one ...

    plus it comes with a free year of Tidal - and it handles DSD files :)
    2 ch- Polk CRS+ * Vincent SA-31MK Preamp * Vincent Sp-331 Amp * Marantz SA8005 SACD * Project Xperience Classic TT * Sumiko Blue Point #2 MC cartridge

    HT - Polk 703's * NAD T-758 * Adcom 5503 * Oppo 103 * Samsung 60" series 8 LCD
  • tophatjohnny
    tophatjohnny Posts: 4,162
    edited December 2016
    gudnoyez wrote: »
    http://www.adcom-usa.com/gia-275

    Here is the link to the GIA-275[/

    not familiar with this one. Don't see an Ethernet option???
    "if it's not fun, it's not worth it & remember folks, "It's All About The Music"!!
    *****************************
  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,056
    http://www.stereotimes.com/post/jolida-glass-fx-tube-dac-iii-w
    Think I found one I like a dealer here in town has jolida products and I think I'm going to schedule a demo on this one this week!
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
  • kevhed72
    kevhed72 Posts: 4,950
    DollarDave wrote: »
    I recently looked into dacs in this price range and ended up with a schiit bifrost multibit...I like it a lot for what it's worth.
    I scored a used one a year ago and like it much more that the Music Hall tubed DAC I had prior.

  • I would get the dac magic plus it's around that $500 range and it's quite a nice sound. I had one for a good year or so before I bought the azur851d
  • cvernon36 wrote: »
    I would get the dac magic plus it's around that $500 range and it's quite a nice sound. I had one for a good year or so before I bought the azur851d

    Owning and loving the Stream Magic 6 which can be had in that $500 range would probably serve better than the dad magic plus.

    My next move will be the 851N. No hurry though because the SM6 Is sure nice.
    "if it's not fun, it's not worth it & remember folks, "It's All About The Music"!!
    *****************************
  • cvernon36 wrote: »
    I would get the dac magic plus it's around that $500 range and it's quite a nice sound. I had one for a good year or so before I bought the azur851d

    Owning and loving the Stream Magic 6 which can be had in that $500 range would probably serve better than the dad magic plus.

    My next move will be the 851N. No hurry though because the SM6 Is sure nice.

    I meant the mom magic minus!! :smile:
    "if it's not fun, it's not worth it & remember folks, "It's All About The Music"!!
    *****************************
  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 10,862
    I'm waiting on the delivery of my dac magic 100. I bought it used. He is delivering it to my office today.