DAC’s, honest opinion’s please.

[Adrian]

Well boys and girls and whatever other gender you prefer to go by, what’s your opinions to date WRT DAC’s?

Musical Fidelity brought out one of the first HI FI DAC’s X-DAC for us hi Fi anoraks in the mid / late 90’s.

Since then there’s been a small universe born around this component, just about every manufacturer has released a DAC of some sort.

So the point being raised is what are the members of this forums thoughts on DACs, from different chipsets to upsampling, was there a difference to some or were most just roughly the same thing but in a different box?

For what’s it worth, I used to have a Unison Research Unico CD player, utilizing a Crystal DAC chip with valve output. It sounded sublime, and many others thought so too.

Currently using a Bluesound Vault 2 player, sounds great but not in the same league as the Unico, and now the Arcam Alpha 8 CD player, a strong performer, close to the Unico but not there entirely.

What’s been the DAC which just did it right for you?

[Fran]

Honestly - the best are the DIY ones that I've used - there is a longish thread over in the computer audio forum on it. However, its impractical for nearly everyone as its a pretty difficult build. I think the next best option are the USB dacs from John Kenny - they sound really sublime for relatively small money. I don't discount CD players as source or as players but I do think that the USB world has moved on greatly in the last few years. I find myself now only using 2 sources - DAC or else records.

Fran

[hudo]

My last one - Schiit Yggdrasil - really made a big difference and im not regretting the (expensive) purchase one moment!

But, somehow I find r2r DACs generally more musical. There are some really cheap r2r kits on ebay that can beat 5x more expensive ones, for those with little bit of diy skills (im not one, just heard them at friends place).
Also, Chord sounds good to me as well.

[markof]

Right now I'm fine with the integrated dacs in the Auralic Aires Mini streamer (main system) and the PS Audio Sprout 100 amp (office system).

But I am also curious about the Denafrips ARES II R2R dac.

Mark

[cybot]

Having just revisited the CD medium again after an absence of 20 years here's what I did.
Got myself an Audiolab 60000 CDT (Paul Rigby's review should be mandatory reading) and, after much tooing and froing, took the plunge on a cheapie DAC. The Schiit Modi no less. Result? The best sound I've EVER heard from this almost obsolete format......So now I have two almost obsolete formats which should see me out of this world before I become obsolete myself 🤓

[Adrian]

Thanks guys, it’s good to get feedback / opinions / insights into a piece of Hifi gear that we are using more and more, digital domain has certainly played a important part in HiFi.

WRT the ‘group buy DAC build’ it certainly has been a extraordinary road to take. Great teamwork / cross pollination of ideas have culminated in a “magnum opus”. But this project seems to aimed at SD card media and USB. Similar to but different from a stand alone converter with Coax or optical inputs.

In my own listening room, I have two systems, the main rig at one end of the room and a smaller set up with bookshelf speakers at the other end for near field low volume listening.

Both ends of the room have a amp and speakers, but I’m able to share the sources by running analogue outputs into one amp and then digital cables around the chimney breast to the other system.

Of course this then involves a DAC at the bookshelf end.

Which had me thinking, is there much difference in DAC’s at the sub 1K level, between musical fidelity, Rega, Audiolab , Marantz, Cambridge Audio, project audio, exposure etc etc. Or are they pretty much the same? Just a different badge with slightly different features?

The other impression I’ve gotten is that DACs are a bit like computer / camera gear. The pace of technological change is such that these items don’t hold their value for very long, particularly as Fran references with USB.

[Sloop John B]

Have yourself a listen to John Kenny's latest Ciúnas ISO-DAC. He does a free home trial.
If this seems no better than what you are using I wouldn't bother any further, with DACs, however I'd be surprised if you didn't hear an improvement.

John's designs are really good at eliminating the factors that fu*k with the sound. I demoed the previous battery Ciúnas DAC via a HUGO TT2 and it certainly wasn't embarrassed.

.sjb

[jkeny]

Thanks guys
Much appreciate your recommendations for my DAC

[Rayfi]

Topping D50 for 200 quid gets good reviews online. I also intend to get either that Audiolab transport or the Cambridge one and partner it up with a DAC. How much are the ciunas dacs?