Separate DAC's

[Intamin]

I guess this goes here...

Anyways, I had some questions as far as not so much how they work, but how important the cd player is if you buy a quality dac. I ask because the signal being sent out is just the digital signal, so are you still better off having a high quality cdp hooked up to an external dac, or does a standard cdp hooked up to the same dac sound the same? Thanks for the info.

[Halcro 1]

Usually a beter player has a better transport either phillips or sony .... and the usual construction issues...some even use top loading as opposed to front loading....the theory being a top loader can use a clamp to hold the CD down better

[mdabb]

It would be a good idea to have a good quality CDP as well. It wouldn't necessarily have to be expensive but being a good transport is considered important as well.

I had been toying with the idea of using an external DAC with my PS3 or laptop because I have quite a few songs ripped to a hard drive and then let the PS3 and external DAC handle it.

Quite a few people enjoy the Cambridge DAC Magic which is relatively inexpensive. I think it is also reviewed in the newest Stereophile.

[Intamin]

I know a lot of the quality DACs have an internal clock that resets the signal (I think, I dunno how it works) but basically it removes the problems associated with jitter due to the master clock inside the dac fixing the problems. I was looking at the PS Audio Digilink III or the Bencmark DAC, favoring the PS Audio. After doing some listening to cd players the other day, I think the bigger issue in my system, or where I'd notice an upgrade more would be a more powerful amp. Decisions decisions, but man I love this hobby! I also figure I could get a DAC first and then add a quality cdp at a later time.

[Gossioii2]

Good post! I plan to move into this stuff after I’m done with school, as most of it is time consuming. It’s a great post to reference back to. My blog needs more time to gain in popularity anyway.

[Johnny Vinyl]

As a general statement, I think that anytime you seperate out componants from one another, the end result is usually an improvement. Before you start doing that however, you should try to isolate the weakest link in your system and work towards upgrading that first. If you don't address that issue first, any componant seperation may not yield the auditory result you felt it should.

John

[mdabb]

I am still looking at DAC's for my laptop and PS3. Lately I have been looking at NOS (non-over sampling) DAC's. I have this one in mind as well as a few other ones.

http://www.geocities.com/mhdtlab/havana.htm

Link is down at the moment but I am looking into this one.

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazin...abs_havana.htm

[Audiophile_At_Birth]

High qaulity DACs are nice and everything..but the Loudness war sucks! However, good post OP.

[FreddieFerric]

Originally Posted by mdabb

I am still looking at DAC's for my laptop and PS3. Lately I have been looking at NOS (non-over sampling) DAC's. I have this one in mind as well as a few other ones.

http://www.geocities.com/mhdtlab/havana.htm

Link is down at the moment but I am looking into this one.

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazin...abs_havana.htm

So am I. I have an HP xb2000 expansion base for my notebook which, oddly enough, has an SPDIF output. I've been looking hard at the Cambridge DacMagic as it seems a perfect gateway from PC music files to my audio system. Apparently the DacMagic is geared to use via USB. Notwithstanding the fact that it upsamples, USB can only transmit 16/44.1. I've read through the DacMagic manual, and it indicates that it is a true plug n play device that Windows XP will recognize. Apparently while it is connected it disconnects the volume control on your PC allowing the dac and your amp do all the work. What I can't figure out (the manual is silent on this point) is if I connect from the SPDIF output on my expansion base to the SPDIF input on the dac, will I get the same result? The manual that came with the the expansion base indicates a setting to enable through the windows volume control under the advanced tab that activates the SPDIF output on the back of the base. (It's the checkbox for "digital speaker.") Still, I'd like to know exactly what to expect before I shell out the 400 bucks for the dac. Anybody here have ANY experience with this type situation?

The importance of this to me is that I would like to start downloading the high resolution audio in 24/96 from some of the newer sites MusicGiants, Itrax, etc. It would be a major disappointment not to be able to pass a pure signal through the dac to the amp that is not affected by the pc's volume control. This is getting over my head technically. I need some help here guys.

[mdabb]

Originally Posted by BluRayFred

So am I. I have an HP xb2000 expansion base for my notebook which, oddly enough, has an SPDIF output. I've been looking hard at the Cambridge DacMagic as it seems a perfect gateway from PC music files to my audio system. Apparently the DacMagic is geared to use via USB. Notwithstanding the fact that it upsamples, USB can only transmit 16/44.1. I've read through the DacMagic manual, and it indicates that it is a true plug n play device that Windows XP will recognize. Apparently while it is connected it disconnects the volume control on your PC allowing the dac and your amp do all the work. What I can't figure out (the manual is silent on this point) is if I connect from the SPDIF output on my expansion base to the SPDIF input on the dac, will I get the same result? The manual that came with the the expansion base indicates a setting to enable through the windows volume control under the advanced tab that activates the SPDIF output on the back of the base. (It's the checkbox for "digital speaker.") Still, I'd like to know exactly what to expect before I shell out the 400 bucks for the dac. Anybody here have ANY experience with this type situation?

The importance of this to me is that I would like to start downloading the high resolution audio in 24/96 from some of the newer sites MusicGiants, Itrax, etc. It would be a major disappointment not to be able to pass a pure signal through the dac to the amp that is not affected by the pc's volume control. This is getting over my head technically. I need some help here guys.

Basically the PC will be a source player and then on to the receiver or pre-amp. Your PC will not effect the volume. Is this what you are wondering ???

As for what it sounds like ??? I haven't heard it yet, but I don't imagine it will sound bad. Cambridge builds a decent product and another DAC with all the features of the DACmagic is going to be more expensive. Another DAC you might want to look at is from Musical Fidelity, V-DAC ...........

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/produ...ries/vdac.html

http://www.musicdirect.com/product/84139


No biggie for me if the DACmagic doesn't up-sample from USB. Main thing to me is that it sounds good and does a good job !!! Problem for me is actually choosing one.

[FreddieFerric]

Originally Posted by mdabb

Basically the PC will be a source player and then on to the receiver or pre-amp. Your PC will not effect the volume. Is this what you are wondering ???

Yes. What you suggest is actually what I hope would happen. I'd just like to be sure of it before I order the thing.

BTW, Stereophile reviewed the Cambridge DacMagic in the March issue and the Music Fidelity V series in the May issue.

[naturephoto1]

Originally Posted by BluRayFred

Yes. What you suggest is actually what I hope would happen. I'd just like to be sure of it before I order the thing.

BTW, Stereophile reviewed the Cambridge DacMagic in the March issue and the Music Fidelity V series in the May issue.

You may want to look at the Lavry DACs as well. I have the DA10 (upgraded unit) but it does not have a USB port, but optical and coaxial connections:

http://www.lavryengineering.com/index_html.html

DA10:



Lavry also has the DA11 which does have the USB port:



Rich

[mdabb]

Originally Posted by BluRayFred

Yes. What you suggest is actually what I hope would happen. I'd just like to be sure of it before I order the thing.

BTW, Stereophile reviewed the Cambridge DacMagic in the March issue and the Music Fidelity V series in the May issue.

Perhaps you might have a dealer near you that would be kind enough to let you take home the DACmagic for a test drive !!!

I also did read the articles you are talking about and in the newest (I think) Stereophile. The reviewer stated he liked both DAC's, but for different reasons. Maybe check out this article as he does give his thoughts on how they sounded compared to each other. I'll have to look again to make sure which issue.

We are in the same boat though as I keep going back and forth between various DAC's. I have a Cambridge dealer near me, maybe I can ask to borrow one and then post my findings. I'll give them a call tomorrow and see.

[Clark Kent]

I would love to hear impressions of any DAC's you listen to. The available options seemed to have exploded in the past couple of years and which are the best ones seems to be a cloudy issue.

[mdabb]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I would love to hear impressions of any DAC's you listen to. The available options seemed to have exploded in the past couple of years and which are the best ones seems to be a cloudy issue.

Will do !!! First I have to call for a weekend appointment or get to the shop during the week during business hours to ask if I can borrow the Cambridge DACmagic. The store has limited hours of operation so most times it conflicts with my schedule. Hopefully they let me take it home for a test drive.

So far there are about 5-6 DAC's I'm looking into, most are tube DAC's. Too bad there aren't any DAC's made that have a firewire input or at least one I can afford. There seems to be issues with using the USB input and SQ. So my plan is to use the Toslink connection on the DAC.

[mdabb]

Originally Posted by naturephoto1

You may want to look at the Lavry DACs as well. I have the DA10 (upgraded unit) but it does not have a USB port, but optical and coaxial connections:

Rich, hows come you don't use a two channel preamp in your system ??? I know your DAC has a preamp stage built into it but I'm wondering why not a dedicated two channel preamp for your TT setup. I'm not bashing your Onkyo pre/pro but a nice two CH preamp will destroy that Onkyo in terms of SQ.

Unless I'm not understanding things properly, but you are going TT > phono stage > Onkyo ??? How about a nice two channel preamp with a home theater bypass circuit ???

What are you using your DAC with, computer or "???" and you have it going directly to an amp(s) using the DAC's preamp stage ???

[naturephoto1]

Originally Posted by mdabb

Rich, hows come you don't use a two channel preamp in your system ??? I know your DAC has a preamp stage built into it but I'm wondering why not a dedicated two channel preamp for your TT setup. I'm not bashing your Onkyo pre/pro but a nice two CH preamp will destroy that Onkyo in terms of SQ.

Unless I'm not understanding things properly, but you are going TT > phono stage > Onkyo ??? How about a nice two channel preamp with a home theater bypass circuit ???

What are you using your DAC with, computer or "???" and you have it going directly to an amp(s) using the DAC's preamp stage ???

Hi Andrew,

We feel that the 2 channel performance of the upgraded Onkyo 885 is just that good (confirmed by listening tests) and we think that it is un-necessary. From my and Dave Schulte's and other peoples experience, the upgraded 2 channel performance of the Onkyo 885 sounds better than stock 2 channel Preamps in the $5,000 to $20,000+ range. You can read about Chris Brady's (Teres Audio owner and designer) and my audio performance impressions of my new Teres Audio Certus 450, Teres Audio Reference Tonearm, Soundsmith Strain Gauge Cartridge and Soundsmith Strain Gauge 410 Phono Preamp in the link below. Both Chris and I were shocked by the sound:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...24#post1851024

I only use my upgraded Lavry DA10 DAC with my upgraded Denon 5910 for listening to CDs. The Lavry runs directly from the Denon 5910 into the XLR analog inputs for the Onkyo 885.

Rich