Low-cost DAC (to be connected to a 500 integrated amp)

pyrocyborg

Hi!

I will probably buy a 500$ integrated amp in a near future (NAD/Cambridge Audio/Marantz...) to step in the entry level hi-fi world. I currently own two Polk RTI6, and for now, I plan to keep them as I got them for 200$ brand new and I can't find anything near in performance for less than 350$, and even there, I'm not sure if it's worthy (if I could put that 150$ in a better amp for the same effect).

To use my computer as a media source, I want to get a DAC but I don't know what to choose. Ideally, it should be able to have an optical input and be able to swap between PC and my PS3 for "2 ch HT use" or gaming (I don't know how, nor if it works on lower-end DAC. I know it works on the V-DACII, but don't know for others). As I'll have a 500$ integrated amp, what would be a "correct" price for a DAC? I don't want anything overkill or worse, a DAC that will taint my sound.

Sure I'll buy some quality interconnects when this time comes.

Thanks for your help!

P-S: As I live in Canada, prices may and will be different... same goes for my future integrated amp price. Some products cannot be purchased here, or can only be purchased on ebay which increases the cost when compared to american prices.

EndersShadow

pyrocyborg wrote: »

As I'll have a 500$ integrated amp, what would be a "correct" price for a DAC? I don't want anything overkill or worse, a DAC that will taint my sound.

I would spend at least 100 or more on the DAC so say 100-200ish (minimum). A couple suggestions are the V-DACII, Musiland Monitor 02 (or 03, I just dont know anything about that one), HRT Media Streamer, and I am sure there are some others I have forgotten.

HoweverI think its going to be a bit hard to find one besides the V-Dac II that has both USB AND optical within your price range. Most folks would say for HT use to just use the DAC's in your integrated (since it will most likely have coaxial and optical inputs), and leave your computer connected via the USB DAC all the time.

heiney9

Musiland Monitor 02

HRT Music Streamer II

coolsax

+ 1 on the HRT MSII works great especially for the price.

Big Dawg

I have the Musiland Monitor 2, and it's not bad for the price!

pyrocyborg

EndersShadow wrote: »

I would spend at least 100 or more on the DAC so say 100-200ish (minimum). A couple suggestions are the V-DACII, Musiland Monitor 02 (or 03, I just dont know anything about that one), HRT Media Streamer, and I am sure there are some others I have forgotten.

HoweverI think its going to be a bit hard to find one besides the V-Dac II that has both USB AND optical within your price range. Most folks would say for HT use to just use the DAC's in your integrated (since it will most likely have coaxial and optical inputs), and leave your computer connected via the USB DAC all the time.

Thanks! I was looking at those already, but not even one integrated amp offered here has coax or optical inputs (at least for around 500-600 CAD)... so if I still want to use my speakers with my ps3, it's better that I get the V-DAC...

EndersShadow

pyrocyborg wrote: »

Thanks! I was looking at those already, but not even one integrated amp offered here has coax or optical inputs (at least for around 500-600 CAD)... so if I still want to use my speakers with my ps3, it's better that I get the V-DAC...

The HK3490 you mention in your other thread does I believe. I know it has digital coaxial since thats what I use to connect it to my computer

heiney9

Why would the integrated amp need coax or optical? You won't find many, if any, that do. The dac you will buy should handle all the digital inputs. If you need more than a USB then the HRT is out since it's a simple USB connection.

H9

heiney9

EndersShadow wrote: »

The HK3490 you mention in your other thread does I believe. I know it has digital coaxial since thats what I use to connect it to my computer

That's not an integrated amp, it's and Audio/Video receiver. The water is starting to turn murky.

Does the OP want an integrated amp or a receiver? There is a difference.

H9

EndersShadow

heiney9 wrote: »

Why would the integrated amp need coax or optical? You won't find many, if any, that do. The dac you will buy should handle all the digital inputs. If you need more than a USB then the HRT is out since it's a simple USB connection.

heiney9 wrote: »

That's not an integrated amp, it's and Audio/Video receiver. The water is starting to turn murky.

Does the OP want an integrated amp or a receiver? There is a difference.

This is where I am getting lost. If he goes DAC to AMP, then he's got no volume control and he needs a Pre of some sort. I assumed we were talking something like a 2 channel stereo reciever fed via a DAC.....

heiney9

You are lost............LOL.

He said INTEGRATED AMP, not AMP, not AVR. Why are you talking about receivers and amplifiers?

An integrated amp is usually stereo and has the pre-amp built in, no tuner, no video switching, no digital conversion. A 2 channel piece of gear that controls and amplifies and most sound better than the average AVR because they are designed for better sound performance.

H9

heiney9

EndersShadow wrote: »

HoweverI think its going to be a bit hard to find one besides the V-Dac II that has both USB AND optical within your price range. Most folks would say for HT use to just use the DAC's in your integrated (since it will most likely have coaxial and optical inputs), and leave your computer connected via the USB DAC all the time.

The Musiland has all 3, also integrated amps generally don't have any digital conversion circuits. It's for sound quality not bells and whistles.

EndersShadow

I will gracefully bow out as it has become apparent I am totally lost and not helping anyone here lol....

heiney9

EndersShadow wrote: »

I will gracefully bow out as it has become apparent I am totally lost and not helping anyone here lol....

LOL, just busting your chops, but yes, you are confusing the issue a little bit. :cheesygrin:

Although I'm not sure what the OP is getting at when he says the integrated amp needs coax and optical. I suspect he's a bit confused too.

Luxman made a high end integrated in the 90's that had built in digital conversion. But that was a high end unit and certainly not the norm in the 90's even for AVR's.

H9

heiney9

I take that back some manufacturer's like Cambridge are starting to offer USB integrated amps to satisfy the computer craze. This is something relatively new.

H9

AsSiMiLaTeD

I would seriously look at the Musical Fidelity V-DAC setup. You could go with the new V-DAC II or go with the setup that I'm selling over here that gets you basically the same performance in a 2 piece setup.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?128639-Musical-Fidelity-V-DAC-nd-V-Link-Combo&p=1711344#post1711344

The advantage of the V-DAC II is that it's in one box and it has support for 192khz files.

The advantage to a setup like the one I'm selling is that it's more flexible. Since the USB to spdif conversion is in a separate box you could add any regular DAC to that mix. So if you decided you wanted an upgraded DAC later on you could still use the V-Link, sell the V-DAC and then put your new DAC in place after the V-Link.

pyrocyborg

heiney9 wrote: »

Although I'm not sure what the OP is getting at when he says the integrated amp needs coax and optical. I suspect he's a bit confused too.

:P Maybe I didn't explain myself correctly... I wanted to say that there is little to no Integrated amp that offer an optical or coax input, expecially in the sub 1000$ range, so that ruled out the statement to connect the ps3 directly on the integrated amp.

I guess I will have to go with the V-DACII as it's the only one to offer this kind of input at this price. The musiland 02 seems to offer a optical output, but visually, there is no input.

pyrocyborg

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

I would seriously look at the Musical Fidelity V-DAC setup. You could go with the new V-DAC II or go with the setup that I'm selling over here that gets you basically the same performance in a 2 piece setup.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?128639-Musical-Fidelity-V-DAC-nd-V-Link-Combo&p=1711344#post1711344

The advantage of the V-DAC II is that it's in one box and it has support for 192khz files.

The advantage to a setup like the one I'm selling is that it's more flexible. Since the USB to spdif conversion is in a separate box you could add any regular DAC to that mix. So if you decided you wanted an upgraded DAC later on you could still use the V-Link, sell the V-DAC and then put your new DAC in place after the V-Link.

Thanks for the offer, but I guess that shipping to Canada would kill the offer a lil' bit... And considerng that I'm buying anything right now (I'm waiting for more money).

heiney9

pyrocyborg wrote: »

:P Maybe I didn't explain myself correctly... I wanted to say that there is little to no Integrated amp that offer an optical or coax input, expecially in the sub 1000$ range, so that ruled out the statement to connect the ps3 directly on the integrated amp.

I guess I will have to go with the V-DACII as it's the only one to offer this kind of input at this price. The musiland 02 seems to offer a optical output, .

I donn't know af any integrated amps that have all 3. Some just recently started to accept a USB input, but I can guess it's a I/C chipset of minimal quality, not like a dedicated USB stand alone dac. Don't know what you mean by "but visually, there is no input".



3 inputs (coax, toslink, USB)



headphone out, L and R RCA out



I have the Musiland Monitor 02, so please explain what you mean.

heiney9

The Musiland has all 3, I already explained that earlier.

H9

heiney9

The nice think about the Musiland is it has some nice software with it.


H9

heiney9

Let me correct that. USB and Toslink input. The other is a digital coax output. Forgot about that.

H9

pyrocyborg

Oh, I tough the "Digital OUT" on the first picture was refering to both toslink and coax. If it's a digital coax input, then, it might be a great deal indeed.

EndersShadow

heiney9 wrote: »

Let me correct that. USB and Toslink input. The other is a digital coax output. Forgot about that.

H9

I think its ONLY USB input. From Musilands website:

Interface
A pair of RCA line output interface (stereo)
Two 3.5mm earphone output interface
One square-mouth optical fiber digital output interface
One RCA coaxial output interface
One B-type USB input interface
AC power supply input；Two-flat pin receptacle

Major characteristic
Stereo analog output
USB2.0 high speed transmission
24bit/192KHz Analog &digital output

mdaudioguy

heiney9 wrote: »

That's not an integrated amp, it's and Audio/Video receiver.

The 3490 is a stereo receiver. It probably holds its own against some of the more affordable integrated amps.

tonyb

mdaudioguy wrote: »

The 3490 is a stereo receiver. It probably holds its own against some of the more affordable integrated amps.

True, plus the OP maybe be able to save a buck and use the HK'S internal dac first before deciding if another outboard dac is needed.

timalan

Any experience here with the Audioengine D1 DAC? From what I've read over at Head-fi, it seems like it might meet the OPs needs since it has inputs for both USB (for the computer) and optical for another external source... price is right at $169, and I've liked the Audioengine products I've heard.

cnh

Those look like some nice units above. Personally, I've found the DACs in my HK HD 990--which can "also" be used as a stand alone DAC--it has toslink and coax inputs that lead you directly to it's converters and is 'asynchronous' as well--do a very good job as a stand in for a low cost DAC unit. In fact, some people think the unit sounds better as a DAC than in its CDP mode. I don't know about that.

This is also a "trend" of the kind that H9 is describing above: to put digital inputs on Integrateds, Stereo receivers and CDPs.

To digress back to the HK 3490 which UpstateMax has on sale at a bargain price. Those DACs and the supporting cast are actually quite decent and do not have much of that "digital" glare that cheaper CDPs are known for!

cnh

Drenis

heiney9 wrote: »

Let me correct that. USB and Toslink input. The other is a digital coax output. Forgot about that.

H9

Dude, edit button LOL. I see how your post count is staggeringly high.

pyrocyborg

anonymouse wrote: »

Just get a used Peachtree Decco and be done with it. It has a fine DAC, a tube linestage/pre and a wonderful sounding amp based in gainclone topology. I have one powering my SDA CRS+ speakers and its a nice piece. You should be able to get one used for under $500

Hell yeah, this peachtree seems quite a bargain, even new at 800 MSRP... too bad there is no dealer nearer than 200 miles around.

pyrocyborg

timalan wrote: »

Any experience here with the Audioengine D1 DAC? From what I've read over at Head-fi, it seems like it might meet the OPs needs since it has inputs for both USB (for the computer) and optical for another external source... price is right at $169, and I've liked the Audioengine products I've heard.

Seems like a great new option! Thanks for this link, I'll take that into account!

I guess it will take a good quality USB cable however if it's being powered by USB.