I need a new DAC...well, maybe?

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Comments

  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
    edited March 2014
    heiney9 wrote: »
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Musical-Fidelity-A3-24-DAC-Perfect-9-condition-/291087324324?pt=US_CD_Players_Recorders&hash=item43c62814a4

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/MUSICAL-PARADISE-MP-D1-24Bit-USB-Asynchronous-Digital-to-Analog-Converter-DAC-/271410069451?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item3f314cffcb

    http://www.acoustic-fun.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=85

    The last one I posted is the "newer, upgraded" version from the same designer (David Keces) as my Keces DA-151 I use in the office rig. Superbly built with great parts, I would seriously consider it for my main rig if I ever decide to part with my modded Adcom GDA-600. Occasionally they are sold new on EBAY but you can buy direct.

    Just some Saturday morning suggestions.

    H9

    Great info there Brock. I never realized there were so many companies out there that you never really heard of. The more research I do the more companies keep popping up. My head's spinning.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,287
    edited March 2014
    ...............My head's spinning.

    Yeah that's the crappy part hope you have a cheap fix for the Cal and be done with it, unless you are now bitten by the upgrade bug.
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
  • Mike Reeter
    Mike Reeter Posts: 4,315
    edited March 2014
    heiney9 wrote: »
    If it's anything like the EE Mini Max pre, it should be superb! There is a lot of on-line info on that unit. I bought my EE Mini Max pre based on all the positive user and professional experiences, and they were right on the money.

    H9

    The Mini Max also has the ESS Tech. 9018 Chip, I had one and sold it, not one of my better moves I must say. I rolled some various op-amps in it, it was a "fun" DAC and sounded damn good.
  • eclypse
    eclypse Posts: 595
    edited March 2014
    It would be hard pressed to beat that emotiva dc-1 at that price range! Just fot one the other day and ita awesome!
    Full 5 channel set of Polk Audio
    Fronts - LSiM 705
    Center - LSiM 706c
    Sides - LSiM 703
    Mits WD-82842 82" DLP 3DTV
    Denon AVR-3313CI Receiver
    Emotiva stealth DC-1
    Emotiva XPA-2/Fronts XPA-3 Center-surrounds
    Oppo 103

    Loving the new Family! :)
  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
    edited March 2014
    DSkip wrote: »
    I'm really hoping the same. You know you like the CAL DAC, and finding a DAC you like is almost as bad as buying a house.

    Well my babies in the shop now...I should hear something this week. On a lighter note I'm fascinated by what's out there as far as DAC's go. I've actually strayed a bit of the reservation & am quite impressed in what I've read about the CHORD DAC's. In particular the Chordette Quat EX DAC. A wee bit over my budget but deservers some more serious consideration. But there's still a lot of great DAC's to choose from if in fact my CAL is toast????
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,967
    edited March 2014
    Chord makes some darn nice sounding gear, though it's been awhile since I had an ear on them. When I did though, impressed at what I heard. I gotta say though, the quat ex dac at 1700 clams seems overpriced. Especially when you look at the inside. I know they have proprietary stuff going on in there, but looks like an empty case with little inside to warrant that price. But....how it sounds is what matters right.

    BTW Phil, a little over budget ? LOL ....That's triple your budget. That's getting into Cary 100t category or PS Audio Perfectwave. The extra bells and whistles the Chord offers with dsd is going to be useless if you still want to use the Sonos as your streaming machine, isn't it ? I'm thinking to take advantage of that Chord you'd have to move to a more computer based unit for digital files.
    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
  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
    edited March 2014
    tonyb wrote: »
    Chord makes some darn nice sounding gear, though it's been awhile since I had an ear on them. When I did though, impressed at what I heard. I gotta say though, the quat ex dac at 1700 clams seems overpriced. Especially when you look at the inside. I know they have proprietary stuff going on in there, but looks like an empty case with little inside to warrant that price. But....how it sounds is what matters right.

    BTW Phil, a little over budget ? LOL ....That's triple your budget. That's getting into Cary 100t category or PS Audio Perfectwave. The extra bells and whistles the Chord offers with dsd is going to be useless if you still want to use the Sonos as your streaming machine, isn't it ? I'm thinking to take advantage of that Chord you'd have to move to a more computer based unit for digital files.

    Tony, math was never my strong suit so my budget can come & go like the wind LOL!!!! As far as the Quat being overpriced, I just don't see it that way. You're paying for technology that leads to 1st class sound. And according to all the reviews & there are plenty of them and I mean plenty of them. The Quat DAC is nothing short of amazing...and that's the same theme throughout all the reviews. And also not one mention of it's size vs price. It's all about the sound & apparently this DAC brings it in spades. Now I'm also looking at others & the Schiit Gungnir is also on my radar.

    As far as DSD goes that wouldn't be any problem at all with the Sonos. I would simply download DSD music to my computer & run a USB cable to the DAC along with the digital cable coming from the Synchromesh. The DAC recognizes which input is receiving the signal, no physically switching at the DAC. You simply stop whatever you're listening to & DAC looks for the next signal feeding it. I doubt that I would do a lot of DSD (read... very expensive to download) at least for now until it becomes more popular (if it does, remember SACD) This all might be for naught because I haven't heard back from Stephen yet on the CAL's prognosis.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    edited March 2014
    Thats actually a very nice feature. Most DACs I have played with don't do that. You have to select your input.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.