Dac

B Run

I'm looking for a decent DAC for my living room setup to go between my Airport Express and Rotel. I'm looking at the Tubemagic D2 for $250 but wanted to check here first and see if anyone had one they wanted to let go for a good price. It doesn't have to be a tube dac even though that might be best, and it must have a Toslink input. Open to all suggestions, thanks everyone!

tonyb

Maybe a budget ? Look at the Grant Fidelity tube dac 11, Music Hall, used it's wide open. Cambridge, PS Audio digital link 3, Peachtree, it's endless. You just missed the Cambridge with the upgraded power supply Phil was selling for 3 bones.

thsmith

I went old school 18 bit California AUdio Labs Sigma 2, used 12AX7 tube in analog section. They can be had for $300 or less if you look and pounce.

I also use an Airport Express.

zingo

You can also get a good deal on older MSB units.

B Run

Yeah sorry my budget is around $300 I forgot to add that. My short list was Tubemagic d2, G.F. tube dac 11, and the Schiit Bifrost. I'll look into all the others too, this will be my first standalone dac so i've been trying to learn as much as I can. Thanks for all the help.

AsSiMiLaTeD

Personally I'd pass on the TubeMagic. It's ok but I think you can do better in that price range. I get that every component colors the sound, but I'm not a big fan of tube DACs, I've never heard one that I really like.

I'm of the opinion that the DAC really should be a staple in the system and color the sound as little as possible, it should be transparent IMO. If I want to change my sound I feel like the speakers or preamp are where that is better accomplished.

I'm not saying tube DACs are bad, that's just my approach.

It also depends on your other gear and how revealing it is. When I originally tested the AEx DAC against a couple others I had laying around I didn't really hear that much difference, but that was on my previous tube gear driving my PSB speakers. On the new Magnepan setup the difference is quite obvious, and with the Oppo 105 vs the AEx it's night and day.

Keep an eye out for the Peachtree DAC-IT, they're releasing a new model and the original may come down to your price range. I still think that's the best DAC I've heard under $500 or so.

AsSiMiLaTeD

I would also pass on the BiFrost (and keep in mind I own and love their amps), as I feel like the sound is a little too lean, at least for my tastes it's not quite musical enough.

zingo

There are plenty who enjoy the Grant Fidelity unit, but never heard it myself.

B Run

Hmm now I'm more confused than ever on what to do. Basically I have $600ish birthday money that I'd like to put into my living room system, the only things that are permanent are the Omens and the Mission speaker cables. I've considered trying to get $300 for the Rotel and find a better integrated like the Nad 326 etc. I could also keep the Rotel as a preamp but I feel like its already got more power than ill ever need for those speakers. I figured a dac would improve the sound since I'm having to use the one built in to the Rotel and doubt its a good one. The last option is upgrading to the Zu Soul Superfly drivers, tweeters and clarity caps. The only reason I'm hesitant on that is Zu told me they really sound better on tubes with 16ohm output taps and are very sensitive to amplifiers, especially SS gear. Once again any advice is always appreciated, I'm just reading myself in circles about dacs and integrated amps.

AsSiMiLaTeD

So do you need all the functionality of that Rotel, or could you move to a 2 channel configuration for that setup? Given your setup, I think a good 2 channel front end would have a bigger impact than a $300 DAC over the AEx DAC.

B Run

Don't need the Rotel at all. I use a toslink input from the Aex to the Rotel and an Analog input from the tv to the Rotel. I think I'd be much better off with a 2 channel front as well. The only thing is if I get something like the Nad or Cambridge ill still have to buy an external dac, but it doesn't have to be a $300 one by any means. The only requirements I have is it needs to be under $900, have a remote and a subwoofer output and preferable a removable PC. Being that the speakers are 12ohms and 97db sensitive I'm sure I could use about anything to drive it.

B Run

Only other thing is I think I need to keep it solid state since its in the living room and gets used on and off all day. Don't have time to let tubes warm up or cool down and need to be able to leave it on/ flip it on and off as needed. A hybrid integrated with a tubed pre would prob work just fine though. I've been eyeing the Outlaw, Nad and Cambridge integrated's

PSOVLSK

I'll add to the confusion because I don't even know if what I'm about to suggest would even meet your needs.

Peachtree Nova and sell the Rotel.

We're you at LSAF? Skip had my Nova there so you may have already heard it and may not care for it.

11tsteve

not to add to the confusion, and it looks like this will go another direction, but I do have a non-USB Bifrost I would sell for $250 + ship. Just for information's sake.
one year old, average use. In my system, it was marginally beat out by the Dac-It, which was a tad warmer and had a little deeper low end. But i myself enjoyed the Bifrost.

AsSiMiLaTeD

11tsteve wrote: »

not to add to the confusion, and it looks like this will go another direction, but I do have a non-USB Bifrost I would sell for $250 + ship. Just for information's sake.
one year old, average use. In my system, it was marginally beat out by the Dac-It, which was a tad warmer and had a little deeper low end. But i myself enjoyed the Bifrost.

Your comparison matches what I found as well. In my comparison write up I probably make it sound like the Bifrost is a bad DAC and its not and the differences are not ginormous, but they are there nonetheless and mine mirror what you found

B Run

Yep definitely still confused haha. So I can either get a good dac now and upgrade to a two channel integrated later, or vice versa. If I get the Nad 326 or something similar ill need a dac anyways so I might as well get one now and see what it does. The Schiit definitely looks nice and that's a good deal, I'd just like to think on it a little bit before I pull the trigger if that's ok, ill let you know as soon as I can. However if I got something like the Peachtree it would have a dac built in and that might be a bigger improvement over using an Avr for music even though it is a pretty nice one. The only thing I'm noticing is a lot of integrated's don't have a Sub output, is that something people don't really use anymore or what? I still use it for movies too so I'd like to be able to run a sub to cover 50hz and lower, I was surprised by how hard it is to find one.

AsSiMiLaTeD

Yep, a 2 channel setup is just that, 2 speakers. With good speakers and for music you typically don't need a sub and alot of 2 channel setups don't have outputs for one.

It all really comes down to your bedget now and in the future. If you want the biggest bang for your buck NOW then a better integrated would probably be best. If you want to start thinking about the future then you may be better getting a good DAC now that you won't have to replace later, and dive into a really good int or seperates down the road when you have more to spend.

B Run

Well just wanted to follow up and say thanks again. I ordered a Nad 326 integrated today, it'll be in next week. I'll temporarily have to use the dac in the airport until I find a decent one for a good price. The Nad had good reviews, should have plenty of power for my Zu's and had a subwoofer output.

Devlon

The more I learn about DACs, the more I understand that a they are a complicated animal and there are many factors, some of which that are not completely understood, on what makes for a really good one. I thought that 24/192 was better than 24/176, and that 24/176 was basically better than 24/96 and so on. The ODAC (159.00 RCA model) has been gaining a lot of attention lately. Nwavguy, the designer of the ODAC, seems to have made some enemies by being so outspoken and critical of other manufacturers over priced DACs. He has been getting a lot of attention because of his no non-sense approach to DAC design.

http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=39

http://xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html

http://blog.jdslabs.com/?tag=odac

http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2012/04/odac-released.html

B Run

Still looking for a dec, my budget is around $250-$300 max with shipping. If I can't find one used i'm going to check out the Tubemagic D2 or the Arcam Rlink. All I need is one toslink input, I don't care about usb, volume controls or headphones. If anyone has one to get rid of let me know, unfortunately I missed out on the Bifrost previously offered in the thread. Thanks everyone.

eclypse

Plenty of Emotiva XDA-1 used amps with transferable warranties on ebay to be had for around $2-250.

For $360 free shipping currently on sale you can score a new Emotiva XDA-2. http://shop.emotiva.com/collections/processors/products/xda2

B Run

I almost bought a used XDA off ebay, but ended up going with the Arcam rLink. It has pretty good reviews and does exactly what I need, with nothing extra I don't. Hopefully it's what i'm looking for, but for my 1st standalone dac i'm sure it'll be a nice upgrade. Thanks for the help though!

danz1906

You can't beat this Teac Dac for this price!

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/da-converters-teac-ud-h01-dac-headphone-amp-free-shipping-us48-save-2013-06-15-digital-28277

B Run

Man that is a good deal, I checked Audiogon before I ordered yesterday but they posted that today. I wonder how it compares to the rLink, if I don't like the Arcam's sound i'll probably just order that and return it. Thanks for the heads up!