Cheap pro-ject DAC is it any good?

[admin_exported]

hello everyone,

I have spotted the pro-ject usb box dac on the superfi website here - only £75 http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/4817

It is only for use with a computer as the only input is usb so it is more like an external soundcard. This is all I would want my dac to do (computer to amp ) I would think that this would be alot better that my current soundcard but would it be as good as my rotel rcd-06 cd player when feed with lossless wma or would I need to get a better dac to meet the cd players standard.

thanks

 

[fatboyslimfast]

I would say (and I'm wildly guessing here) that it would at least match the rotel - whilst the DAC may not be the same high quality as the Rotel (and again, I'm not sure about that), you are giving it the best possible chance by feeding it with bit-perfect lossless files - something the rotel can't do.

Find a dealer that will let you dem it...or failing that buy it and ebay it if you don't like it!!!

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for the advice and quick reply. I would be interesting to know the quality difference between the project dac and something like the fubar usb dac at around£130. If anyone has listened to either one and could recomend if they were good or not that would be great. I know the CA dacmagic is supposed to be the best for the money but the project seems tempting at just £75.

 

[chebby]

I have the Fubar II USB. It is excellent.

I have upgraded the opamp inside (manufacturers use an 8 pin socket for the opamp to make such replacement easy without any need for soldering) and I also have the dedicated Firestone Audio 'Supplier' power supply.

Bear in mind that lot brought the price from the basic £123 to about £250.

I have no knowledge of the Project Audio USB DAC but I dare say it does not differ too much in design.

 

[Anonymous]

Haven't heard the Project but it got a very good, four star review in the Jan 09 issue of Hi-Fi Choice. Can't find my copy but should be easy enough to source.

 

[Anonymous]

You'll find a review at http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/accessories/pro-ject-usb-box-dac-483623/review.

I agree with Chebby about the Fubar. I have the Fubar III which includes a headphone amp and it is excellent.

 

[Anonymous]

Haven't heard it either, but the pro-ject rated well behind the Cambridge Audio and Musical Fidelity DACS in the German Audio magazine. The MF actually won the test (Reference class was their rating) so that might be worth a look.

 

[chebby]

Tarquinh:Haven't heard it either, but the pro-ject rated well behind the Cambridge Audio and Musical Fidelity DACS in the German Audio magazine. The MF actually won the test (Reference class was their rating) so that might be worth a look.

Well, yes. But the Project is £75 and the DacMagic is £200 and the MF V-Dac is £160 so that is not a totally suprising result.

Interesting news about the MF V-Dac winning that group test though. I hope it is the same design as the DAC module that Musical Fidelity use in their A1 Integrated amp.

 

[John Duncan]

Is it the V-DAC though? They do more expensive valve ones.......

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, it was the v-dac. The CA only rated a bit behind, thought. Here's the link:http://www.taurus-high-end.de/infomaterial/cambridgeaudio/test/test_dacmagic_audio0109.pdf.

I'd love to translate, but my German is really rubbish. There's always babelfish, thought.

 

[PJPro]

Had a look at that article. I can't read german but I thought it was funny when you scrolled down to the Project USB box and the picture shows that it is mainly box and no components.

 

[chebby]

According to Google translate the V-Dac has...

"Enormous potential Klang for the money, high-end statement for Underworld Fans."

Excellent. Can never have enough Klang!

 

[Nadeac]

I got one of those Project Dacs for xmas .Excellent bit of kit ,got it for use with my laptop and have it linked to my Nad amp

Very good sound ,but like all digital music files the higher the bit rate the better the sound

Mark

 

[Terryff]

Klang is gud, ya?

 

[Anonymous]

hello mark (nadeac), Have you compared the pro-ject using lossless files to your cd player. I would be interested to know the results for just a £75 dac rather that the ones twice the price.