DAC less then 50$

[vigneshprabhu]

Hi,
I am looking for a DAC to connect my laptop to my Topping TP20, It should also have a good headphone amp to drive my SOL republic tracks HD headphone. I am not looking at anything very expensive. I saw a few in ebay under the 50$ budget but need help in choosing/suggesting me.

ELE EL-D02 PCM2704

MUSE Mini 24Bit 192Khz

NEW MUSE DA20 PCM2706

Thanks in Advance !!! Any other DAC suggestions around this price range are also welcome.

 

[wishihadtubes]

I'd add the Hifimediy Sabre USB DAC to your list. Haven't heard it personally but rather good things being said about it on many forums.

 

[madbullram]

if you can bump it to 100$ you will have very good options. For headphones, i actually liked SMSL+ DAC

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I'd add the Hifimediy Sabre USB DAC to your list. Haven't heard it personally but rather good things being said about it on many forums.

I think I heard this one, but it was modified by FM LinuxGuru. The result was excellent

 

[madurai1974]

do check out the stoner acoustics u110 dac pls contact them at [email protected] its 49$ very compact as large as a pendrive

 

[vigneshprabhu]

if you can bump it to 100$ you will have very good options. For headphones, i actually liked SMSL+ DAC

I was not able to find any SMSL model with USB input along with both headphone and line out on ebay. Which model r u referring to ?

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

We could say that beggars can't be choosers, but better to say that "beggars" have never had it so good. Hifi has not been only for the rich for a decade or three, and components like DACs are available at ever lower prices.

There may be things that I want that cost vastly more, but I am still very happy with the DAC/HP-amp setup I have put together this year, and I don't doubt that something very listenable could have been done with even less.

 

[madbullram]

i am using "SMSL 1955+". Its does not have a headphone out, rather R and L which i use a Y cable to connect to my headphones. After this, I have stopped using Fiio and uDac. I loved the body and sound stage of this dac. I bought this from Amazon though, but i am sure ebay has enough

 

[wishihadtubes]

better to say that "beggars" have never had it so good.

I think computer audio has been the great leveller in hi-fi, especially a lot of small manufacturers who jumped into the fray with DACs and amplifiers before the majors could begin pushing out over-priced stuff.
I'm a little tired of websites like Stereophile and Sound & Vision that keep reviewing gear priced in thousands of dollars, stuff that can't be afforded even by most Americans.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I think you are right, although I cannot claim that I don't ever desire any of that thousands-of-dollars stuff . Leaving aside the audiophile-market stuff, there is some very high priced professional kit that is very desirable indeed. There is also some far from cheap, but also far from bank-breaking pro stuff from companies like Lynx and RME that make (and record) very high quality sound.

NwAvGuy used one of the Benchmark DACs as his ...err, benchmark for the ODAC. His aim was to make something that sounded as good, and, at reasonable price, measured as close as possible. There remain features, though, about which he says, the extra $1,500 (for the Benchmark DAC) does buy you something.

I guess that, at prices even half, or a quarter, of the ODAC, China happened...

 

[greenhorn]

I had read the behringer UCA 202 had some very nice reviews. I wonder why nobody has mentioned it yet?

 

[vigneshprabhu]

I had read the behringer UCA 202 had some very nice reviews. I wonder why nobody has mentioned it yet?

Isnt that a ADC ? Seems like its for recording stuff onto your PC from a analog device.

 

[greenhorn]

It has both. And it's DAC section also has some good reviews.

The reviews point to some people getting devices with some HF noise, but that seems to be an isolated manufacturing problem

 

[manniraj]

I had brought some time back a DAC for $20 + shipping to use it for my TV with my Bose Companion 2 active speakers. It is a nice DAC and I am currently using my V-DAC so planning to sell this DAC. If you are interested then please PM me. Here is the link to the item.

 

[vigneshprabhu]

I had brought some time back a DAC for $20 + shipping to use it for my TV with my Bose Companion 2 active speakers. It is a nice DAC and I am currently using my V-DAC so planning to sell this DAC. If you are interested then please PM me. Here is the link to the item.

@manniraj This DAC doesnt seem to have headphone amp and a USB input. Thanks for the offer anyways !!!

 

[manniraj]

@manniraj This DAC doesnt seem to have headphone amp and a USB input. Thanks for the offer anyways !!!

Yes it does not have a USB input. For the headphone you can use the RCA out to a headphone jack cable. Anyway if you are want USB input then this is not the right one for you.

 

[vigneshprabhu]

I am finally confused between Behringer UCA-202 and Hifimediy Sabre USB DAC.

Can someone help me out as to which one is better for driving a SOL republic tracks HD headphone and for providing input to my topping TP20 via my laptop ???

I read in nwavguy's blog that Behringer UCA-202 is not so capable of driving low impedance headphones. Not sure if its the same with Hifimediy Sabre.

I assume SOL republic tracks HD is a low impedance headphone. Could not really get the official impedance of the headphone but when i tried to measure its resistance via multi meter it shows about 32 ohm. Not sure if this is a write way to measure impedance though

Recording from analog device via USB is not really something i need.

I also see there is a model HiFimeDIY Sabre U2 Async. Is this better then other two for my use-cases ?

 

[vigneshprabhu]

Any Help guys ???

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Have you seen the Headfi reviews/posts? Hifimediy, UCA-202.

I haven't read through them to see which might be favoured, but it's one site I always look at for any similar gear that catches my eye.

 

[wishihadtubes]

I haven't heard either the Behringer or the Hifimediy but if I was making a blind buy, I guess I'd put my money on the asynchronous version of Hifimediy (the one with optical out).