Best DSD DAC under $400

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  • BlueBirdMusic
    BlueBirdMusic Posts: 2,278
    @CH46E
    I ran into this article below and I remembered your thread.

    For whatever it is worth:

    At Long Last! Listen To Your (Physical) SACDs Through an Outboard DAC
    https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/at-long-last-listen-to-your-physical-sacds-through-an-outboard-dac-r971/
    "Sometimes you have to look to the past to understand where you are going in the future"

    Anger is just anger. It isn’t good. It isn’t bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters.
    You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice.     Jim Butcher




    Harry / Marietta GA
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Rick88 wrote: »
    ... Also, some universal players convert SACD/DSD to PCM before outputting from the analog outs...

    Most of 'em (at least the popularly priced ones) do this -- don't they?
    DSD to PCM before D to A conversion. Pretty brute force (IMO, and my O isn't particularly informed, in full disclosure).

    :|


    Pretty sure that the two cheapies here do that. :/

    This freebie pile Samsung, e.g.

    48976262107_fc1a755fcc_b.jpgDSC_7312 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
    What model is that Yamaha? Looks real familiar

    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • Irrenhaus
    Irrenhaus Posts: 1,089
    mantis wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Rick88 wrote: »
    ... Also, some universal players convert SACD/DSD to PCM before outputting from the analog outs...

    Most of 'em (at least the popularly priced ones) do this -- don't they?
    DSD to PCM before D to A conversion. Pretty brute force (IMO, and my O isn't particularly informed, in full disclosure).

    :|


    Pretty sure that the two cheapies here do that. :/

    This freebie pile Samsung, e.g.

    48976262107_fc1a755fcc_b.jpgDSC_7312 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
    What model is that Yamaha? Looks real familiar

    Seems to be RX-V1050

    Cheers
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,801
    edited February 2021
    mantis wrote: »
    ...
    What model is that Yamaha? Looks real familiar

    RX-V1050 (EDIT: Derp, shoulda read @Irrenhaus's response before posting!)

    Dump find -- I have (and this is a little embarrassing) been listening to it fairly often recently. Partly because, with a remote control, it come in kind of handy, e.g., for Zooms. It's hooked to the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 loudspeakers at the moment, but (truth be told) I've mostly had it hooked to a pair of Altec Santiagos and been rather
    enchanted by the pairing. This is serious apostasy for a tubes & horns guy.

    Sorry for the TMI answer to your question! :blush:

    50841680198_f6223a43e1_b.jpgDSC_0635 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 6,763
    I guess I'm late to this discussion, but I believe there is some benefit to getting a DAC with DSD. I went through a DAC search about 3-4 years ago. I was looking in the same kind of price range, but I was open to all DACs. I eventually settled on a refurbished TEAC UD-301 which came in well under budget. I didn't intend to use the DSD portion of it at first, but then I discovered the way to "rip" your SACD discs to the computer, which can then be played back through the DAC.

    SACD ripping using an Oppo or Pioneer, Yes its true!

    That is a VERY LONG forum thread that discusses a way to do this with many commonly available BlueRay/SACD players. The initial discovery was with some of the expensive Oppo models and older model Playstation 3 (both are hard to find now), but eventually, the folks at that forum discovered some very inexpensive Sony models that are capable of ripping. I grabbed a Sony BDP-S5100 for something like $25 off Ebay and ripped my collection of ~20 SACDs.

    I won't say that I can really notice the ripped SACD sounds better or worse than my SACD player. To me, they sound identical, but I do like the ability to queue them up without handling the discs. Less wear and tear on the mechanical player and laser unit. Also, if there is ever disc rot on those SACD, I still have a way to play them.

    Now, the ripping of SACD requires a fair bit of computer skills and a lot of patience, but once you do a few, it becomes easier and repeatable.

    BTW, there is also a lot of music that can be purchased as a DSD download if you are hungry for high resolution music.
    For rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore...
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  • RamZet
    RamZet Posts: 792
    Easy, FIIO
    FiiO BTA30
    90 bucks on eBay. AKM DAC.
    B&W CM9Classé Sigma
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