Budget DAC - worth it?

[Gerrardasnails]

Richer Sounds:
Hi all,

I wanted to give my feedback in response to your rather unfair comments about the Cambridge Audio Dac Magic.

Due to the pound weakening with horrendous exchange rates, a number of our supplies have implemented significant cost price increases on many of the lines we stock including the Cambridge Dac.

Having said this although there has been a price increase I do believe the product still represents incredible value for money which is born out by the fact no one else can manufacture anything nearly as good for the money anywhere else in the world!

I hope this clarifies our position here, if I can be of any more help please contact me directly via the below email address ..

john.p.clayton@richersounds.com

Many Thanks

John Clayton

Operations Director

Richer Sounds

I'll give Chebby an hour, tops.

 

[chebby]

Sorry to disappoint Gerrard, but I cannot possibly comment on what Richer Sounds have said.

 

[Anonymous]

realmassy:

My experience with cheap DAC: I have a V-DAC, paid £129 one month ago. Initially I was surprised by the sound: my laptop connected through the airport express really sounds good...well, if you compare it to the analog output! But this week I've used my headphones for some nightly listenig and I compared the laptop streaming through iTunes connected to the V-DAC and the same music played through my Roksan CD player: the difference is clear, much clear using the headphones. The sounds from the laptop (or better, from the DAC) is flat, harmless while the CD is exciting, dynamic, vibrant. Then I made the same test using an old Alchemist CD player (15 years old, but pretty good at time), and again the sound coming from the laptop is lifeless. So my idea is: there's no giant killer, a £100 dac will sound as £200 cd player, I doubt that a V-DAC (I havent heard the DACMagic) will sound better then the squeezebox DAC. If you want a quality DAC have a look at BelCanto or Benchmark.

Massimiliano

I think Itunes rather than the DAC could be your weak link here, I would try using something like J-River Media Centre along with AISO4ALL drivers so that you bypass any upsampling that Windows may be making. The problem with Itunes on Windows is that its not bit prefect. I too was also dissapointed initially with my DM's performance when playing through Itunes but as soon as I switched to JR Media with the ASIO4ALL driver I was more than happy with the performance.

Give it a try, you have nothing to loose and may be suprised..

 

[Anonymous]

chebby:Sorry to disappoint Gerrard, but I cannot possibly comment on what Richer Sounds have said.

Maybe you could just sent RS your CV instead haha!!

Only messing, and as to the RS response - fair point - but I cant help feel if there was more competition in the market place the price would not have gone up so sharply. And yes it's a great product but a £50 increase is a hard one to stomache!

 

[idc]

Andy Ford:realmassy:

My experience with cheap DAC: I have a V-DAC, paid £129 one month ago. Initially I was surprised by the sound: my laptop connected through the airport express really sounds good...well, if you compare it to the analog output! But this week I've used my headphones for some nightly listenig and I compared the laptop streaming through iTunes connected to the V-DAC and the same music played through my Roksan CD player: the difference is clear, much clear using the headphones. The sounds from the laptop (or better, from the DAC) is flat, harmless while the CD is exciting, dynamic, vibrant. Then I made the same test using an old Alchemist CD player (15 years old, but pretty good at time), and again the sound coming from the laptop is lifeless. So my idea is: there's no giant killer, a £100 dac will sound as £200 cd player, I doubt that a V-DAC (I havent heard the DACMagic) will sound better then the squeezebox DAC. If you want a quality DAC have a look at BelCanto or Benchmark.

Massimiliano

I think Itunes rather than the DAC could be your weak link here, I would try using something like J-River Media Centre along with AISO4ALL drivers so that you bypass any upsampling that Windows may be making. The problem with Itunes on Windows is that its not bit prefect. I too was also dissapointed initially with my DM's performance when playing through Itunes but as soon as I switched to JR Media with the ASIO4ALL driver I was more than happy with the performance.

Give it a try, you have nothing to loose and may be suprised..

I second this. Spotify and now I am using Windows Media Player it as well, beat itunes. I too find it sounds a bit dull, particularly with lower bit rates. However, realmassey, have a play with itunes EQ settings and the sound 'enhancement' and check which you will find under edit, preferences and the playback tab. You can radically alter the sound with that.

 

[The_Lhc]

Andy Ford: Only messing, and as to the RS response - fair point - but I cant help feel if there was more competition in the market place the price would not have gone up so sharply.

Competition hasn't helped any other sector of the market, price increases are across the board at the moment.

 

[idc]

Furthermore, if you go to ebay and search under DAC you will find lots of competition, from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand. There they are enjoying the benefits of a strong local manufacturing sector with low wage and production costs. Also, they then enjoy the benefit of the week pound. British companies have to buy the parts and get the product made with the week pound working against them.

 

[Anonymous]

Good news! DacMagic is officially back down to £229.95.

Just to let you know that we have recently worked with Richer Sounds to reduce the price from the recently increased £249.95. We can't get back down to the £199.95 that we achieved at launch, prices have risen too much and even at £230 are absorbing significant increases.

To answer earlier posts, I would hate people to think we have been arrogant increasing the price in tha past "because we could get away with it due to lack of competition". In fact we see significant competeion in the market, both from other DACs and from the endless list of other ways for you guys to spend your money, so I can assure you that no price rise decisions have been taken lightly and there has been no profiteering!

I challenge anyone to put DacMagic up against hi-end DACs and double/treble the price and if anyone is wavering over whether it really will transform your digital music (or not) contact me via the Cambridge Audio support website and I will personally arrange a loan unit for you to try.

James Johnson-Flint, CEO, Cambridge Audio

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Cambridge Audio CEO:
Good news! DacMagic is officially back down to £229.95.

Just to let you know that we have recently worked with Richer Sounds to reduce the price from the recently increased £249.95. We can't get back down to the £199.95 that we achieved at launch, prices have risen too much and even at £230 are absorbing significant increases.

To answer earlier posts, I would hate people to think we have been arrogant increasing the price in tha past "because we could get away with it due to lack of competition". In fact we see significant competeion in the market, both from other DACs and from the endless list of other ways for you guys to spend your money, so I can assure you that no price rise decisions have been taken lightly and there has been no profiteering!

I challenge anyone to put DacMagic up against hi-end DACs and double/treble the price and if anyone is wavering over whether it really will transform your digital music (or not) contact me via the Cambridge Audio support website and I will personally arrange a loan unit for you to try.

James Johnson-Flint, CEO, Cambridge Audio

You can't say much fairer than that!

 

[Anonymous]

My MF V-DAC arrived from action gate audio today and I am very impressed. Is there a more cost effective hifi product on the market?

My system is, Audiolab 8000CD into a Naim Nait 5i through B&W CM2 speakers. I don't think the CD player works too well with the amp as it is very honest and can become fatiguing after a while, but apart from that the sound is excellent.

I hooked up the v-dac to the optical output of my new Pioneer bdp-320 and used the same interconnects from dac to amp as i did with the CD player (Chord Chameleon silver plus) and the same CDs. Bearing in mind that my cd player was a £600 five star product just two years ago the V-dac compared very well indeed! No question in my system I prefer the sound from the V-dac! It has added the warmth I was after now making my system very balanced and sweet sounding. There is only one area where the cd player has a slight edge over the dac and thats timing. Everywhere else the dac matches or betters the audiolab! Detail levels are to close to call and this is one area the audiolab was ment to excel! I think that the dac has a bit more space around instruments. My overall verdict is a very musical sound! I think it adds a smidge of colour when compared to the audiolab which adds nothing but I really like it.

When you consider that nearly everyone in the country has a dvd player just waiting to be converted into a very competent CD player for a mere £129 this has to represent excellent value for money!

I am now parting with my cd player and hopefully making some money at the same time!

 

[Anonymous]

Andy Ford: I think Itunes rather than the DAC could be your weak link here, I would try using something like J-River Media Centre along with AISO4ALL drivers so that you bypass any upsampling that Windows may be making. The problem with Itunes on Windows is that its not bit prefect. I too was also dissapointed initially with my DM's performance when playing through Itunes but as soon as I switched to JR Media with the ASIO4ALL driver I was more than happy with the performance.
Give it a try, you have nothing to loose and may be suprised..

Andy, that's a good point. I'll give it a try tonight and I'll keep you posted.

Massimiliano

 

[Anonymous]

Cambridge Audio CEO:

Good news! DacMagic is officially back down to £229.95.

Just to let you know that we have recently worked with Richer Sounds to reduce the price from the recently increased £249.95. We can't get back down to the £199.95 that we achieved at launch, prices have risen too much and even at £230 are absorbing significant increases.

To answer earlier posts, I would hate people to think we have been arrogant increasing the price in tha past "because we could get away with it due to lack of competition". In fact we see significant competeion in the market, both from other DACs and from the endless list of other ways for you guys to spend your money, so I can assure you that no price rise decisions have been taken lightly and there has been no profiteering!

I challenge anyone to put DacMagic up against hi-end DACs and double/treble the price and if anyone is wavering over whether it really will transform your digital music (or not) contact me via the Cambridge Audio support website and I will personally arrange a loan unit for you to try.

James Johnson-Flint, CEO, Cambridge Audio

There is no getting away from the fact that the Dac Magic is a great product and the reduction in price I am sure will be greatly appreciated by those currently considering buying a DAC. I know I am very happy with mine but if I may make a suggestion - when you come to revise the unit with a new model can we have bluetooth connectivity please like the Chordette Gem??