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Which DACs would you recommend for connecting digital solid-state sources (CD Player [Coax], Digital Streamer [AES/EBU] and Laptop [USB]) to a tube integrated?
Tube integrated would be either Unison Research or Line Magnetic or Triode Labs or PrimaLuna.
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The place to look for good value DACs is DIY Audio. Long threads right now on DDDac and Soekris R2R dacs. They come as part built kits or fully built boards. You can easily get somebody to build them by joining in the forum. You save a lot of money anyway.
I've heard the DDDac and it's impressive.
As for built Dacs, I have heard and like the Schitt stuff, like the Gugnir.
Northstar 192 + Northstar Extremo + Northstar I2S (+ Unison Research Performance)
If you can live without DSD (Arguably marketing BS hype) then consider the Line Magnetic 502CA - and the $1800 might be the best part.
Don't know if it has all the connection options but it has a lot of em. And it also has both a dedicated Solid State and Tube section with both EI and torroid transformers.
This review outlines the features and under the hood looks.
then DSD is not just "marketing BS hype". I think you'll find quite a bit of very nice content that happens to be recorded in DSD.
I hope to update my DAC in the future to support that format so that I won't be missing some really nice music! Meanwhile, I have a SACD player.
No if you're interest is music you buy the machines that play MOST of the music available - that is CD and vinyl. On Computer it would still be redbook and 24/192.
And then there is DSD and DSD - true DSD with very few titles and some sort of upsampled BS just to be able to put the DSD label on it.
Then there is the player that has a chip that can natively play the file versus the player with say 16 or 18 bits that can't read the file natively but never the less still sounds a lot better.
I can be convinced - if there is a DSD player that sounds good and there is a BIG BIG list of titles recorded in "true" DSD (not some quasi - upsampling version) then it might be worth looking at (and I want pop and rock and trance not just the umpteenth Cafe Blue remake) then you can convince me.
I've never been impressed with SACD.
Why not support all the various formats on which music is released?
"... if there is a DSD player that sounds good and there is a BIG BIG list of titles recorded in "true" DSD "
I heard the Bricasti DAC in inmate Brian Walsh's super system playing a wide range of high resolution recordings both in PCM and DSD and was very impressed with the sound quality. All source material was file based and readily accessible via iPad remote.
As for me, I'd rather not be limited to PCM. :)
Why not...? If one has a budget constraint, then, in my limited experience, typically adding more formats compromises the sound quality compared to a unit dedicated to less formats.
In my case, my best transport, which is very old, does not even play DVD-A discs, so I made another compromise of formats for sound quality.
As far as my music, I only play discs, and, as far as music that I actually listen to on SACD, I only have Way Out West and Paranoid (on SHM) which sound great. Others that I have don't impress me much either in terms of sound quality or music. I don't use wireless equipment such as iPads, so am limited there.
I refer to computer based music where the "transport" is file based. In that case, all formats are pretty much treated the same as opposed to disk formats where differences in the laser pickup can vary the quality of the output.
that he gets from original record labels like Channel Classics who record in DSD and go direct to SACD without conversion to PCM.
He played some of best stuff I've heard at Audio Shows (California Audio Show and RMAF over the last few weeks/months or so).
Thanks, I'll have a closer look at Yulong and Line Magnetic.
Specification:
● THD+N less than 0.0002%, dynamic > 130dB, Idle noise 1.5uV
● USB supports 32bit, 384KHz PCM signal, DSD support
● Crystek CCHD-950-25-100 Low phase noise clock
● 5 different filter mode
● Invertible phase
● Jitter eliminator switch
● Filter, phase, jitter control switch. Different style of sound under different combination
● High precision bandwidth-auto-set DPLL
● 80 steps volume control
● Single/Balanced pre-amplifier output
● Balanced pre-amplifier output with driver, can be used as balanced headphone amplifier
● Work as pure DAC when headphone amplifier and pre-amplifier circuit turned off
● Class A single end headphone amplifier
● TFT LED display. Easy operate. 80% dim after 5 seconds
● Auto-save configuration
● Thickened aluminum case. Aluminum button, volume knob and feet
● 100v-240v global voltage range
Technical Specifications:
· USB Input format support: PCM 16-32bit, 44.1Khz、 48Khz、88.2Khz、96Khz、176.4Khz、192Khz、352.8Khz、384Khz、DSD64, DSD128 - On Windows DSD256, DSD512
· Operating system support Mac OSX Linux with UAC2 compliant kernel. KS/Wasapi/WDM/ASIO Drivers for MS OS XP to Win8 32-64bit 。
· Inputs: Optical、Coaxial、AES/EBU: 16-24Bit, 44.1-192KHZ。
· SNR: -135dB
· Dynamic Range: > 130dB
· THD+N: 0.0002%
· Frequency Response: 20-30KHz-0.2dB
· Crosstalk -135dB
· balancedOutput level: 4.2V
· Headphone amplifier output power: 600? 70mw 300? 150mw 150? 280mw 32? 1W
· Power consumption: <30W
· size: 250*200*60mm
· weight: 2.68Kg
'been using it for almost 2 years now with excellent results and it's in the bottom of your budget.
If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing well
(Proverb)
Buy it from Rachel at Grant Fidelity.
You won't find better people to do business with.
Link below:
lute truth...
Totally satisfied with the Yulong...The hunt stopped here.
JM
Somewhere between $2,000 - $4,000 US.
The lower end of my budget would be better but I would be looking for a good quality DAC that provides the following connection options (see below) and that supports 16-32 bits / 44.1-384 kHz and DSD 64/128/256.
Digital Inputs:
- AES/EBU x 1
- Coax RCA x 2
- Optical x 1
- USB x 1
Analog Outputs:
- Unbalanced RCA x 1 pair
- Balanced XLR x 1 pair
There are several great DACs out there but if you truly require ALL of those INPUTS -and- DSD256 support, you are severely limiting your choices.
OK, I'll revisit my requirements and post an update.
nt
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