DAC group purchase? Tell me your thoughts

steveinaz

dorokusai wrote: »

Steve, with all due respect, this simply isn't a good idea. I applaud you for the effort but it won't payoff, participant wise, no matter how noble the concept.

The Cable Swap Program failed due to a $60 cable, and you want to "invest" folks into a DAC? The used market is flush with DAC's, buy one, experience and move on....how hard is that?

There are alot of external DAC's available, at every price level, and folks can....at will, choose to buy it, or not. Welcome to Club Polk.

Yeah, after some thought tonight, I agree.

steveinaz

Deal me out, if someone else wants to step up to the plate...go for it.

danger boy

good idea Steve, sorry it won't work out. and i'd hate for you or anyone in good standing to go out on such a limb and have it somehow bite you in the **** in the long run.

steveinaz

I think it could work, but so many things have to fall in place; choice of DAC, respected members, colors, connections...the list goes on and on. I thought about trying this in the past with a tubed preamp--same concept; you get a group that could agree on everything, make the purchase, when everyone has had their audition--you raffle the thing off between the contributing members.

It is very difficult to get a consensus to even get the idea off the ground. More than I'm willing to put up with right now.

Anytime you try to coordiante something like this, you attempt to give participants as many choices as possible--but other things have to be written in stone or you'll never get an agreement. I figured the Benchmark has so many positive attributes; it's relatively inexpensive, and is extremely flexible, it would make a very good candidate---add to that, I already have one so I wouldn't be involved in the raffle; lending some credibility (one less risk factor) to the whole project.

I think people got more caught up in the "raffle" aspect of this, when the intent was to give people a chance to hear an external DAC and decide if it's worth the price of admission.

sucks2beme

steveinaz, although this is now a dead deal, it served a useful purpose.
It has shown that DACs are being used by quite a few members.
The more we talk about it, the more impressions we get of DACs.
The guys at headfi talk all the time about it, but many of their
views on what's good are suspect. I value the views here much more.
Guys with a decent CDP and gear are not going to give a thumbs up to just
any POS DAC. If Polkies know who's got a decent DAC, I'm sure they will get
around to visiting members for a little listen time.

Yashu

Hah, I didn't even know about the raffle, I got caught up in trying something new... the raffle makes it LESS interesting. That means that eventually I wouldn't be able to play with it anymore I never win anything, so chances are, I would get to hear it, and then that is that... no more fun with the DAC for me.

ohskigod

maybe a small group in on a used DAC. I picked up a California Audio Sigma tube DAC for about 300.00 and was stunned at the difference it made in my Jolida. I bought it as an experiment and it still pulls duty in my 2 channel.

5 people, 60 bones each using that example. in terms of usb and the rest, forget about it (no offense to the guys that want it). too much of a PITA to find one cheap for not many people who need it. gotta stick with the basics on something like this, throw a DAC in an established 2 channel rig (for appropriate comparison) and see whats what kind of thing.

Yashu

Well... USB doesn't put the cost up on many DACs... (like MHDT), however, most people with PC audio systems, serious ones, have high quality s/pdif out of some sort, making USB more of a convenience element than a performance once. It DOES reduce jitter, but with a good digital output, that is not an issue anyway. I suggested it because I know that it would allow people with a PC to get into PC audio, that otherwise wouldn't try it. PC easier to try with a DAC that has USB.

I have a PC audio system, but do not need the USB option, but it would be nice not to have the extra link in the chain, however not necessary for me to enjoy the DAC.

It might be interesting to look for a type of DAC that is harder to find, hand made, or otherwise, for some reason, out of reach for most people. Other components like this too, would be neat... but then someone will ultimately want to keep it, and then I, and others, would feel like we lost money.

Remember that Simpsons episode where Bart and his friends put their money together to buy a rare comic book, and suddenly, they all wanted it and in the end, they lost the book and their friendships? (early simpsons, probably 15+ years ago)

reeltrouble1

dorokusai wrote: »

The Cable Swap Program failed due to a $60 cable,

Mark I would not call the cable program a failure by any means, I see your point about one POS ruining a great thing plus all the effort and time, but so many people were exposed to the differences in cables through your efforts with the cable program.

RT1

steveinaz

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

Mark I would not call the cable program a failure by any means, I see your point about one POS ruining a great thing plus all the effort and time, but so many people were exposed to the differences in cables through your efforts with the cable program.

RT1

Exactly, couldn't have said it better myself.