DAC owners sound off!

bhd812

i have a few but on my pc i have a benchmark dac1

bhd812

i also have a lite ah dace but most of my listening is from the g08 or scout vpi

blakeh

Main system has a Monarchy NM24 tube DAC which I really like.

I also have an ADCOM GDA-600 and GDA-700 on other systems. They're not quite up to the level of the Monarchy, but they're a very close second.

Yashu

MHDT Dialogue II... great budget NOS DAC... looks and sounds like way more than it costs.

sucks2beme

So far,there's more DAC guys than I would of expected.
Looks like we could have the starting point for meaningfull
DAC comparisons. Time for some head to head DAC
shootouts!

Gaara

Yashu, Dialogue II eh, isn't that like a Constantine but with a different chip? Ever compared it to anything else?

Blakeh, do you use any add-ins with Foobar for your PC rig? Can't remember if I have asked you yet.

Sucks, I have done a DAC shootout a while back, thats how I ended up with the 3 that I have.

sucks2beme

I went with the USB Monica because I've committed to pc as a source.
That alone eliminates most older DACS unless I want to do a double
conversion. The bulk of affordable USB DACS are those small shops
offshore, except maybe the Scott Nixon stuff. So far, I gather that the Monica holds it's own pretty well. I see you still have it in rotation.
The next step up gets risky. BIG bucks. And that was the point
steveinaz was making with his DAC swap idea. What do you get for the big bucks. Like I said before, I trust Polkies to give a better answer than most forums. I've already gotten some ideas from this thread.
The new Citypulse USB DAC/preamp/headphone amp da2.03e.
I'm thinking this might be the next step.

Yashu

Yeah, the Dialogue uses the chip more common in other NOS dacs... TDA1543, a good chip, the Constantine uses the 1545, not sure what makes it better. I have compared it (Dialogue II) to some burr brown DAC chips, but I have not compared this DAC to other NOS DACs.

I would like to hear a scott nixon DAC sometime though.

rskarvan

heiney9 wrote: »

Adcom GDA-600 in da main rig

The Adcom is a surprising sleeper and the AMC while inexpensive holds it's own against my cdp and trounces the soundcard in the computer.

H9

I have the Adcom GDA-700. I agree that is a surprisingly great DAC.

Yashu

Weird, I almost got one of the adcom CDPs that had a digital in on it. What a great feature... but I never even considered an adcom DAC by itself, it's like one of those brands that doesn't immediately come to mind.

steveinaz

sucks2beme wrote: »

What do you get for the big bucks. Like I said before, I trust Polkies to give a better answer than most forums. I've already gotten some ideas from this thread.

I think the improvements are relatively subtle--but over time, significant. A few months ago, I tried my CDP without the DAC for about 2 weeks, and although it wasn't an earth shattering difference, I wanted the DAC back in the system. There's a alot of little things that good DAC's do, that when summed up---make a big overall difference. I hate using the cliche, but I can't think of anything else to describe it--it's like lifting a veil--but across the entire frequency spectrum. Everything changes slightly; blacker background, clearer treble, quicker transients/attack, more slam---but the sum of all these small changes makes everything just sound more "real."

Let me try to explain better; if you already have a respectable CD player, you'll have to be a fairly intense listener to note the differences with a DAC. People who are background music/casual listeners IMO probably shouldn't bother with the extra expense. To be honest, I don't know why anyone who claims to hear no difference in cables, should bother with an external DAC either (assuming that they have a good standalone CD player). I'm not trying to start a debate, I just saying that IMO an external DAC is just a notch above a significant cable upgrade---at least in my experience.

Is it worth the price? Tough question that really depends on how you listen to your system.

heiney9

The biggest improvement I found with a DAC is much clearer music. The instrument seperation is much better, the bass is much better both in terms of accuracy and extension. There is much more "air" around the instruments, the depth and clarity can be startling in certain recordings. Natural decay of instruments is much more apparent. The soundstage is much wider and more defined.

As Steve noted it can be subtle to begin with, but once you really listen and then take the DAC away, in my experience, the music sounds flat and lifeless in comparison. The texture of the recording and the instruments really shines thru a good DAC with the appropriate recordings. Garbage still sounds like garbage however. Many times the DAC will really show the flaws in a particular recording.

H9

steveinaz

Exactly. Everything just sorta spreads out and sounds more natural, easy. Almost a feeling like you could walk thru/between the performers.

rskarvan

The biggest improvement by installing an Adcom 700 DAC was gaining HDCD decoding. That makes a HUGE difference in sound over 16-bit cd's.

Face

Too bad there are very few HDCD's available. My DAC has that feature also, but I've never used it.

Yashu

The NOS DAC really shocked me with what digital could do. I never knew it could sound so liquid. NOS dacs aren't for everyone, you need a very low jitter source... very, because the dac takes the bits and immediately converts them into sound with no type of correction... and so jitter really has an effect on these dacs. I bought a monarchy DIP, and it seems that it doesn't matter what source I have anymore. If you want to improve your NOS dac's sound, and you have a source that is not thousands of dollars, I would definitely recommend a DIP of some kind. The 24/96 one is great, and would be probably the best buy, but I only have the 16 bit "classic" version, since the Dialogue II is not really meant for 24/96 (even though I think it supports it).

heiney9

........

rskarvan

Yashu wrote: »

The NOS DAC really shocked me with what digital could do. I never knew it could sound so liquid. NOS dacs aren't for everyone, you need a very low jitter source... very, because the dac takes the bits and immediately converts them into sound with no type of correction... and so jitter really has an effect on these dacs. I bought a monarchy DIP, and it seems that it doesn't matter what source I have anymore. If you want to improve your NOS dac's sound, and you have a source that is not thousands of dollars, I would definitely recommend a DIP of some kind. The 24/96 one is great, and would be probably the best buy, but I only have the 16 bit "classic" version, since the Dialogue II is not really meant for 24/96 (even though I think it supports it).

I've got a Monarchy 24/96 Dip also. I think the Classic re-clocks the signal from a master clock. Whereas, my DIP extracts the clock signal and then re-combines it. Anyway, it works, it helps, and its kind of cool.

Yashu

It's weird that this all got brought up... see, I just got a new pre, and previously, once I got a halfway decent usb s/pdif adapter, I had a very hard time justifying having the DIP in my system... I even thought about selling it. I packed it away in it's box and left it alone for a while... then I got this new preamp, and while I was very satisfied with it, since I could now put the tube buffer between it and the amp (while before, I put the buffer onto the DAC because it has a lower output voltage, and the NAD c350's pre section has no gain stage), well anyway, I was listening to some FLAC files and thinking to myself... "something is not right... it sounds good, but not right... what the hell is wrong?" I put the DIP back into the chain and boom... problem solved. Hell, I will go as far to say that it even makes mp3s sound better... I never noticed the difference before because, well, my system was simply not resolving enough to "show" it to me. Again, for the 2nd time, this DIP has made a night and day type of improvement, now that I have a real preamp. I am glad I did not sell it... and am surprised what can be wrangled out of 16bit audio, when everything is setup properly.

This example, to me, further shows how important jitter is with NOS dacs... The last time I wrote this, earlier, I did not have the dip in my system, I was speaking on memory, of when I did not have a proper source. Now, after I thought I had one, I am reminded once again how f'ing annoying jitter can be, when just on a lark, I tried the DIP again.

I am, though, running out of space to put all the gadgetry! I am now employing a pine step stool as a place for electronic overflow (the legs make great speaker cable routing devices) with the tube buffer and the Adcom GFS-3. The dac is on my desk, and NAD c350 has been demoted to poweramp duty (their amp sections are great, but NAD needs to work on the pre in their smaller integrateds, I have heard the c320bee and it suffers from the same problem) on the bottom shelf, Sansui T-417 tuner in the middle, and the NAD c160 on the top of the rack, with the hagUSB sitting next to it, and the Monarchy DIP resting on it's side in a little shelf overhang on the bottom of the rack. Christ I have electronics everywhere... my wife rolls her eyes when I talk of tube poweramps... haha... good thing we don't have a DIMMER!!!

sl33p

Beresford TC-7510 mk6/v2

The bass is too smooth and soft

sucks2beme

Wow. Just installed Asio for Foobar. What a PITA to find those instructions.
The websites for ASIO4all and Foobar seem to treat questions about it like
insults. I found a tech note on the Hagerman Technology site about how to set it up.
I'll be comparing against the straight up USB driver later.
I guess I'll never complain about not getting enough help here.
People here treat 101 how to questions with a more helpful attitude.

Gaara

Sucks, weird about the ASIO...the sites aren't to informative, if I remember correctly detailed instructions were on the HydrogenAudio forum. The next step is to see if you like Upsampling. That install should be easier, just install the plugin and put it in the correct folder, and then open Foobar and turn it on.

Thanks for the heads up on setting the SMPS to 16v. I thought I was underpowering my speakers as my amp is only 25wpc. Turns out the clipping I was hearing at loud volumes was being caused by the SMPS being set to 18v, at 16v the clipping goes away.

george daniel

I'm happy with my Adcom GDA 600,,,for a relatively small investment,, the payoff is much better than some tweaks I've made/purchased,,,seems like I get a little better "defination"and a more "solid soundatage",,if that makes any sense.

sucks2beme

Gaara wrote: »

Sucks, weird about the ASIO...the sites aren't to informative, if I remember correctly detailed instructions were on the HydrogenAudio forum. The next step is to see if you like Upsampling. That install should be easier, just install the plugin and put it in the correct folder, and then open Foobar and turn it on.

Thanks for the heads up on setting the SMPS to 16v. I thought I was underpowering my speakers as my amp is only 25wpc. Turns out the clipping I was hearing at loud volumes was being caused by the SMPS being set to 18v, at 16v the clipping goes away.

Many of the users of this DAC go with very high voltages. The high end definition picks up, but the low end goes to crap. A lot of Monica owners tinker a lot with the design. I can only assume that they are also modding
along with the higher voltage. I also notice that some mods find their way back into the design.
I'm a little unsure that a NOS DAC would respond well to an upsampled
input. I'm going to live with the asio a few days before making other changes.
Thanks for the link!

Yashu

If he has a hagUSB, it isn't going to support upsampling...

beardog03

You guys are making want to buy a DAC..!


Now I`m totally confused as to which one is "the one" to get ..

I had no Idea there were so many...


I have a tube CDP and a tube pre...is it worth getting one ?

reeltrouble1

Bear, only if your player does not already have a quality DAC.

RT1

beardog03

I am either going to upgrade the clock and caps on the Jolida, or get a MF (or somewhat equal) CD in the not-so-distant future, so I will probably pass on the DAC for now...


I just got wrapped up in the discussion about DAC`s and really tought it may be a good idea, but I have tubes throughout the chain already, so I wasn`t sure if it was a waist of time and money (both of which are scarce these days)

beardog03

I have been switching back and forth between my XM reciever and my Nak FM reciever, and never realized how"compressed" / lifeless (?) the XM was ....until now

I like the XM because of the variety.....would a DAC make it sound more like the FM (Nak)

Yashu

It may just reveal more flaws.

You can't "fix" compression errors. A NOS dac might make it less annoying, but you would still hate it.