Best PC USB DAC For Electronic Music

[zuffler]

Hi All,

I'm looking to buy a new dac for my PC, I listen to a lot of wav and MP3's, nearly all electronic dance music. I'll be outputting to some Acoustic Energy 2.1 speakers and would like to ensure the DAC handles low frequencies well. I don't need subtle nuance but I do need bass! If anyone has any recommendations I'd be greatful.

Cheers

Zuffler

 

[MajorFubar]

What's your budget? I'm not sure there's massive tonal differences between any of them tbh

 

[Overdose]

Hi All,

I'm looking to buy a new dac for my PC, I listen to a lot of wav and MP3's, nearly all electronic dance music. I'll be outputting to some Acoustic Energy 2.1 speakers and would like to ensure the DAC handles low frequencies well. I don't need subtle nuance but I do need bass! If anyone has any recommendations I'd be greatful.

Cheers

Zuffler

Notwithstanding the fact that most DACs sound similar, if not the same, the best DAC is a transparent one and as I have said elsewhere, can be had for less than £100.

An example of this is the Epiphany E-DAC, another example, but at a much higher price, is the Benchmark DAC1 at £1K.

The Beringher UCA202 is reputed to be very good also, at £30.

 

[CnoEvil]

Notwithstanding the fact that most DACs sound similar, if not the same, the best DAC is a transparent one and as I have said elsewhere, can be had for less than £100.

I must have missed the point at which this turned from being an "opinion" into a "fact".

 

[zuffler]

Thanks for that, my budget would be about £300 maximum. I was looking at the HRT and Audioquest Dragonfly. Any other suggestions are most welcome.

 

[mitch65]

Meridian Explorer, M2Tech HiFace DAC

 

[fr0g]

I would recommend Beresford. I doubt there is a dac for electronica, but I use 2 Beresford dacs and I listen to a great deal of electronic music, from house and trance, to ambient dub and idm... no complaints from me.

As suggested, a competent dac should change digital to analogue... The main differences will be in the quality of the analogue output...

 

[Overdose]

Notwithstanding the fact that most DACs sound similar, if not the same, the best DAC is a transparent one and as I have said elsewhere, can be had for less than £100.

I must have missed the point at which this turned from being an "opinion" into a "fact".

Then pay attention.

 

[CnoEvil]

Notwithstanding the fact that most DACs sound similar, if not the same, the best DAC is a transparent one and as I have said elsewhere, can be had for less than £100.

I must have missed the point at which this turned from being an "opinion" into a "fact".

Then pay attention.

:rofl:

Fair enough.

 

[Overdose]

Notwithstanding the fact that most DACs sound similar, if not the same, the best DAC is a transparent one and as I have said elsewhere, can be had for less than £100.

I must have missed the point at which this turned from being an "opinion" into a "fact".

Then pay attention.

:rofl:

Fair enough.

You made a valid point, but the 'fact' bit is relative to the differences being 'similar'. What one considers an insignificant difference could be described by another as 'night and day' in the subjective world of this hobby, but in any case, the differences when they exist in digital sources is by far and away the smallest out of any other component in the audio chain. So if a couple of DACs are night and day different, where does that leave us with speakers?

If you need to sit down in a quiet room with no distractions and listen very carefully and intently to separate the differences in a pair of components, then I would consider those differences to be largely inconsiquential. If a DAC is transparent, as some clearly are, then that is as good as it gets.

I consider it a higher priority to choose something like a DAC on its function and connectivity and see sound quality or its ability to be relatively transparent, a given

 

[MajorFubar]

Thanks for that, my budget would be about £300 maximum. I was looking at the HRT and Audioquest Dragonfly. Any other suggestions are most welcome.

They're certainly worth listening to. I use the HRT II+ which is at the top end of your budget. I bought it blind (or should that be deaf) on the strength of reviews, which of course is always a risk, but I'm perfectly happy with it. The only fly in the ointment is it's my second such unit in 18 months: the first one died four days out of its 1-year warranty. I had a battle-of-words with the retailer, trying to get it replaced for free, but I got there in the end. I was probably just unlucky though; searching online I haven't seen anyone else report a similar problem. But that figures, if there's a duff one in a batch of a million, I'll buy it. I always do.

 

[CnoEvil]

You made a valid point, but the 'fact' bit is relative to the differences being 'similar'. What one considers an insignificant difference could be described by another as 'night and day' in the subjective world of this hobby, but in any case, the differences when they exist in digital sources is by far and away the smallest out of any other component in the audio chain. So if a couple of DACs are night and day different, where does that leave us with speakers?

If you need to sit down in a quiet room with no distractions and listen very carefully and intently to separate the differences in a pair of components, then I would consider those differences to be largely inconsiquential. If a DAC is transparent, as some clearly are, then that is as good as it gets.

I consider it a higher priority to choose something like a DAC on its function and connectivity and see sound quality or its ability to be relatively transparent, a given

That is fine, and is your experience.

I hate the description of "day and night", which is so cliched and subjective, as to be almost meaningless.

My experience differs somewhat....though the better the source, the better the system has to be in order to make the most of it.

The expensive DACs I've heard were DCS Debussy, Chord QBD 76 and an Audio Note (NOS) 2.1x sig......IMO. They were all different, and all a big step up in SQ over more budget offerings....though I admired the Chord more than I liked the sound of it.

I think that not all DACs are created equal due to things like:

- Quality, type and implementation of the power supply

- How effectively the clocking is handled (asynchronous etc)

- How well the components are isolated from interference

- How they implement up-sampling / over-sampling and filtering

- Whether they are NOS types

I agree, that (unlike vinyl), a digital source can take up less of the system....and a streamer can take less than a CDP

 

[BigH]

What sound card do you currently have?

Behringer is OK but no better than my Xonar soundcard.

If I was looking to upgrade my computer sond I would try the Epiphany E-DAC.