How many of you agree with spending money on a good quality DAC

[square_wave]

Coming down to personal preferences on sound & its presentation aspects, I dont like the ES Sabre's presentation. I am more into Burr Brown's laid back presentation. Its also softer to the ears than the sabre. Mind you, NOT at the cost of resolution, no way! The Antelope Audio Zodiac dacs are on the Burr-Brown camp while W4S is on the ES-Sabre camp.

hope this brief helps.[/QUOTE ]


If you want a taste of what wolfson can do, try the AP Thyaga dac. The dsigner tried the ESS sabre and burr brown before settling in the wolfson camp.

 

[square_wave]

deleted multiple post

 

[Dr.Bass]

At this point when the OP is almost done shortlisting the DAC I guess I am not suppose to add a new product to the mix. That way, the W4S is a good product. They generally make good products. Their amps are also nice.

However if there is still a scope to add a new product to the mix, take a look at this:
UnitiQute | All-in-one Player | Uniti | UnitiQute | Naim Audio

You can probably buy it within GBP1k (including shipping) from:
Lintone Audio, Specialist hi-fi and home cinema - Naim Audio, B&W, Cyrus Audio, Arcam, dCS

They are running some offers these days and 24/96 version should be well within your reach.

This is not just a DAC but a package of DAC + integrated amplifier + network streamer. I have heard it in action couple of times now. You may not be in the market for an amp but:
1. This product has a "proper" Naim DAC inside. Till this day, after listening to various CDPs and DACs, Naim sounds closest to analog to my ears. This I am saying after listening to Naim CDP and a good TT side by side for the last 6 months at my home. So the DAC inside this product is a star.

2. The internal amp inside this unit is very good, possibly it may replace your exisitng amp unless you own something very very good already.

3. The network streaming ability of this device looked quite intriguing to me, works flawlessly and ripped files sound astonishingly good. I still believe a good CD transport is better but this device doesnt let me think that way while playing music.

These days even if someone asks me about a washing machine, I tend to recommend Naim:lol:
Honestly though, even though it is a all in one product, the performance is absolutely Naim class.

 

[john_k_antony]

Hi,

I have a Denon 2310 AVR and looks like they use Burr Brown. The stereo output from Denon is nothing great for my ears. May be because of the version of the DAC used in 2310 AVR and other related components and my speakers - Kef Q7. I find the stereo sounds pretty "thin" and lacks the finer details. The clarity is lacking when I play CDs The separation between instruments and vocals are not good. They sound un natural. Now when I use 2310 for listening to my LPs in Pure Direct mode, the clarity is much better and much more enjoyable.

I will definitely listen to AP DAC. But its out of my budget now .

Thanks,
John.

 

[Staxxx]

Hello John
I see that you are in Bangalore. Interestingly I do have the Oppo-93 in my HT system. I keep the audio system separate. The 95 as you know has better DACs apparently. I have been through many external DACs over the last 15 years and can tell you that it does take a very good DAC nowdays to hear significant differences. Unless your amp and speakers are very neutral and revealing I am not sure that you would get much benefit from an external DAC. PM me if I am not clear or if you would like to chat.

 

[corElement]

The brand of the DAC doesnt mean much if the DAC is implemented badly. Have noticed most of the DAC performance in consumer budget avr's to be sub par on sound quality compared to the dac implementation on soundcards like xonar d2x and stx.

 

[tirthankar]

A good dac coupled with a poor analog output stage and a jittery clock may sound much worse than a lesser dac with a much better implemented analog output and digital stages.

The dac chip is just a part of the entire dac. The effect on the final sound quality which the analog output stage, power supply, clock have is no less than the actual dac chip.

Also there are many Burr-brown chips. Not all of them are equally good.

 

[hydra]

I missed this thread earlier.

I use a Rega DAC and can't recommend it highly enough. I imported it about a year back from the UK, when it was not available here at all. The price listed in Hifimart is very good, and is lesser than what I ended up paying for mine (with shipping and customs). And in any case, the way the DAC makes music sound like, represents great, great, value at this price point.

I like my music the same way you do -- dark and laid-back. The Rega DAC, with the rest of my system, sounds just right to me. It sounds quite organic and relaxed, but foot-tappingly swift at the same time. Crazy, I know.

My overall setup is a bit source-heavy, but I personally think that the first thing one needs to get right is the source.

You'll also be interested to know that the DAC sounds quite similar to the RP3 -- both presentation-wise and tonality-wise.

I must say that the DAC sounds it best with the coaxial digital input, and not with the USB input. The USB input is limited to 16/44.1 | 16/48, and it sounds less fluid (to my ears) when compared to coaxial digital input. But, then again, the Rega DAC with Amarra on a Mac Mini connected via USB, sounded far far superior to my Music PC (Win7 + Foobar + WASAPI + Xonar STX digital output) connected via Coaxial Digital. (I'd done a pretty detailed comparison in my setup a few weeks back, when a friend came over with a brand new Mac Mini, fresh from the shop.)

 

[sunder]

At this point when the OP is almost done shortlisting the DAC I guess I am not suppose to add a new product to the mix. That way, the W4S is a good product. They generally make good products. Their amps are also nice.

However if there is still a scope to add a new product to the mix, take a look at this:
UnitiQute | All-in-one Player | Uniti | UnitiQute | Naim Audio

You can probably buy it within GBP1k (including shipping) from:
Lintone Audio, Specialist hi-fi and home cinema - Naim Audio, B&W, Cyrus Audio, Arcam, dCS

They are running some offers these days and 24/96 version should be well within your reach.

This is not just a DAC but a package of DAC + integrated amplifier + network streamer. I have heard it in action couple of times now. You may not be in the market for an amp but:
1. This product has a "proper" Naim DAC inside. Till this day, after listening to various CDPs and DACs, Naim sounds closest to analog to my ears. This I am saying after listening to Naim CDP and a good TT side by side for the last 6 months at my home. So the DAC inside this product is a star.

2. The internal amp inside this unit is very good, possibly it may replace your exisitng amp unless you own something very very good already.

3. The network streaming ability of this device looked quite intriguing to me, works flawlessly and ripped files sound astonishingly good. I still believe a good CD transport is better but this device doesnt let me think that way while playing music.

These days even if someone asks me about a washing machine, I tend to recommend Naim:lol:
Honestly though, even though it is a all in one product, the performance is absolutely Naim class.

Dr.Bass, which bookshelf speakers will aptly match this UnitiQute? You heard this unitiQute with which speakers?
Cheers,
sunder.

 

[Dr.Bass]

Dr.Bass, which bookshelf speakers will aptly match this UnitiQute? You heard this unitiQute with which speakers?
Cheers,
sunder.

With Neat speakers.

 

[sunder]

With Neat speakers.

Dr.Bass, please specify the model name. Thank you.

 

[2chFreak]

These days even if someone asks me about a washing machine, I tend to recommend Naim:lol:
Honestly though, even though it is a all in one product, the performance is absolutely Naim class.

U sound jus' like a NAIM salesman ..

and I see many arnd da place I live

 

[Dr.Bass]

Dr.Bass, please specify the model name. Thank you.

Neat Motive 1,2 and IOTA

 

[square_wave]

These days even if someone asks me about a washing machine, I tend to recommend Naim:lol:
.

Good one !

Do Naim have a dac with a well implemented usb or capability to play from hdds? I am looking for standalone product without any amplfier etc...built in.

What prices do they go for ?

 

[Dr.Bass]

U sound jus' like a NAIM salesman ..

and I see many arnd da place I live

It is normal with this brand I guesshyeah:

 

[Dr.Bass]

Good one !

Do Naim have a dac with a well implemented usb or capability to play from hdds? I am looking for standalone product without any amplfier etc...built in.

What prices do they go for ?

Of course, these are the three products that you might like:
DAC | D to A Converter | Classic Series | DAC | Naim Audio
HDX | Hard Disk Player / Server | Classic Series | HDX | Naim Audio
NDX | Network Player | Classic Series | NDX | Naim Audio

Prices, try to get them from Lintone Audio (UK). They have good deals.

 

[square_wave]

@Dr Bass,

Thanks bro. I will look them over.

 

[Nikhil]

Good one !

Do Naim have a dac with a well implemented usb or capability to play from hdds? I am looking for standalone product without any amplfier etc...built in.

What prices do they go for ?

square_wave, I thought about you when Naim was mentioned.
The Naim SuperUniti might something you should look at. List price is about 3250 UKP (Rs 2.8L)

SuperUniti | All-in-one Player | Uniti | SuperUniti | Naim Audio

Another great option would be the Naim UnitiLite. List 1650 UKP (Rs 1.4L)

http://www.naimaudio.com/hifi-products/unitilite

 

[corElement]

Heard a cambridge audio azur 640c vs xonar stx the other day, other than the sound being a tiny bit leaner on the stx, they were not much different.

 

[Staxxx]

Hi,

I have been following up with Oppo digital regarding the launch of their new BDP, Oppo-105. This BDP also uses dedicated ESS Sabre 9018 for stereo and another ESS 9018 for 7.1 analog out. Oppo-105 supports external digital inputs as well. This enables the Oppo-105 to be used as a DAC. Oppo-105 will be priced at $1200 and will be available by end of this year.

New features anticipated in Oppo-105

• Fanless (unlike the BDP-95)
• Headphone Amplifier
• Asynchronous USB DAC (24-bit/192KHz)
• Optical, Digital Coaxial Input (24-bit/192KHz
• Properly oriented XLR outputs
• 2 HDMI digital inputs

What do you guys think? I have read rave reviews on Oppo-95 for its 2 channel stereo performance. Do you guys think the ESS Sabre 9018 based DACs under discussion surpass the quality of Oppo-105?

This will workout to be the cheapest option for me as I can sell of my unopened and unused Oppo-93 I got last month and get a new Oppo-105 .

Thanks,
John.

John, as I read through this thread I was going to recommend exactly the above. I may be controversial, but I doubt that you are going to hear a real difference between having an external DAC and using the new OPPO as a 2 channel source with the new internal DACs, which I hear are very good. Although I have the Oppo 93, I only use it in my HT system and I am not too fussed by the SQ to fiddle with it. (For my audio I use the internal DAC on my CD player or play my digital files through the DAC in the preamplifier. But that is OT.)
I think personally, unless you spend a lot of money and upgrade all the other components in your system, plus you maintain a sense of synergy, I would be hesitant in upgrading to an external DAC. Don't forget that if you go the external DAC route you will also have to budget for a good SPDIF cable (or some sort of digital interconnect) and believe me that these too make a difference. Hope this helps.