a simple questions about the fubar2 usb dac

[smuggs]

hi there i have read various posts and i might be struggling to get £230 notes for the dac magic for about 7 weeks

so i noticed a member of the forum using a fubar2 usb dac at £120 i could get in three weeks.

all im trying to do is load about 180 cds onto my itunes and use spotify through accer aspire 7540 to my main hifi.So i guess this is about cheaper i know i would not be able to use my cd player but sounds good anyway.

so question 1 how is the sound quality compared to the dac magic.

and how big and heavy is it?(could it be put on to of my arcam alpha amp

is it upgradeable?

and it says on the web that it plays windows media/itunes etc does it only read off harddrive or does it play utube,spotify ect what is coming out the laptop?

can you get a 2m/3m usb cable?

it also says it has a headphone port would that be better than listen to the music through the headphone socket in the arcam alpha ?

many thanks simon

 

[John Duncan]

The Fubar II doesn't have a headphone socket, it's just a DAC. The III and IV do (the IV replaced the III as far as I can tell).

None of them are big and heavy, and they'd sit on top of an Alpha no problem.

Don't think you can upgrade anything - you can upgrade op-amps in the IV but AFAIA that's only for the headphone output stage.

It'll play anything that comes out of your PC - it acts like an external soundcard.

Yes you can get 3m USB cables

I didn't compare my Fubar IV side by side with my DM so can't comment.

 

[smuggs]

cheers john, a little gutted i noticed the 3 is over £200 so it will be the 2 model i go for. I can use my arcam at a latter date for headphones so not a problem. Just would like to know the sound quality compared to the dacmagic

 

[idc]

The Fubar can be upgraded by rolling a new opamp and it also benefits from The Supplier PSU. So that is a cheap and more expensive upgrade for the future. It is that small and light that if you have stiff interconnects and a tight bend on them, the Fubar will be lifted up into the air. But they are a very solid build and look great.

I have not had a chance to do a proper side by side comparison with the DACmagic. But after hearing the DACmagic in a Richer Sounds (no other customers, so had a good listen) I was confident I am not missing out. With the DACmagic you are paying for a whole load of extra connections I will never need. So USB to USB DAC, I would be inclined to say from my experience, there is no big difference at all.

 

[smuggs]

i think its a winner end of march im very keen on picking a fusbar2 up. The interconnets i will need a new pair of 0.5m so i will buy a nice set of ebay or something but ill be aware thanks.

I have listen to a dac magic in leicesters richer sounds but there was 5 people around and it good but to hard to tell. And im not bothered about the cd player going through the dac so usb dac is fine. idc what finish do you have

 

[smuggs]

And idc you said about the upgrades i saw a power supply on russ andrews for 95 quid how much would improve things

 

[idc]

Smuggs in my signature below the DAC is the small gery box on the right and The Supplier is the red one on the right. I use Silver High Breed ICs off ebay. But be beware they are a tight bend at only 0.5m and I had to manipulate them to get a bend that stays.

The addition of The Supplier adds dynamic and soundstage to headphones. Clarity, detail etc remained pretty much the same.

 

[smuggs]

i have been looking at the beresford tc7520 but not sure mate. i like the look of the furbar2 and like the way you have 4k worth of posts and recommed it that means alot. How much was your powersupply upgrade if you dont mind me asking and have you any other upgrades to uses