DAC choices - Please help, my head hurts!

[Overdose]

I'm having a bit of a dilemma at the moment. I'm soon to be receiving some Dynaudio BM5As and want to do away with my MF A3, but would need to replace the preamp capability.

I am going to be streaming music (FLAC files) from my NAS, wired to a netbook and here is where my choices begin.

Do I get a 'Pro audio' interface - Edirol UA-25ex which has optical input as well as USB, or go for a Beresford Caiman.

Both are USB DACs and both have preamp capability.

The UA-25 has balanced outputs from 1/4" jacks and the Caiman, standard RCA phono sockets.

The UA-25 is powered by the USB connection and will rely upon the netbook being on.

The UA-25 looks 'industrial', the Caiman, well, quite nice I think.

Connectivity is better with the UA-25, with the monitors also accepting XLR connections

Caiman would appear to have more inputs, so a DVD player could be hooked up with ease.

Have I missed anything that either of these two pieces of equipment may offer?

I know that I will be losing remote funtionality, but I don't know of anything else remotely near this price bracket that has remote function in a DAC/Pre package.

 

[amcluesent]

If it was me, I'd go for a Squeezebox Touch. Far easier to get a bit-perfect stream than using the OS sound drivers, plus you have loads of radio streaming options without needing the netbook on, plus a remote control for the 24-bit digital volume on the Touch.

 

[oldric_naubhoff]

Hi

wrong sub forum if you want your threads to be seen smile

I'm having a bit of a dilemma at the moment. I'm soon to be receiving some Dynaudio BM5As and want to do away with my MF A3, but would need to replace the preamp capability.

I am going to be streaming music (FLAC files) from my NAS, wired to a netbook and here is where my choices begin.

Do I get a 'Pro audio' interface - Edirol UA-25ex which has optical input as well as USB, or go for a Beresford Caiman.

Both are USB DACs and both have preamp capability.

The UA-25 has balanced outputs from 1/4" jacks and the Caiman, standard RCA phono sockets.

The UA-25 is powered by the USB connection and will rely upon the netbook being on.

The UA-25 looks 'industrial', the Caiman, well, quite nice I think.

Connectivity is better with the UA-25, with the monitors also accepting XLR connections

Caiman would appear to have more inputs, so a DVD player could be hooked up with ease.

Have I missed anything that either of these two pieces of equipment may offer?

I know that I will be losing remote funtionality, but I don't know of anything else remotely near this price bracket that has remote function in a DAC/Pre package.

first of all. BM5As have XLR input only. none of the above machines offer XLR outputs (this UA-25 has balanced outs but through TRS outs) so to connect BM5As with either Caiman or Edirol you'll need RCA to XLR converters, which is not a good think to do because you loose all the benefits XLR offers (mainly low noise and if you have balanced electronics higher gain by some 6dB).

cheapest device that I'm aware of that would do you good that I'm aware of is Audiolab CDQ, which is DAC (5 inputs), preamp with XLR outs and also CDP if you needed one smile

if I were you I wouldn't go for cheap recording devices for amateurs. if you want pro gear go for studio grade devices and not toys for teenage garage bands.

 

[GK]

google for Matrix mini-i dac. It has a XLR outputs, price is about 200 pounds.

 

[pwiles1968]

If you are looking at a DAC with Pre amp capability can recommend the Audiolab CDQ well worth an audition but is costs a lot more than the units above so may be over your budget.

 

[Overdose]

Thanks for all the replies.

The UA 25 was a choice brought about by recommendation and offers balnced outputs into the monitors. It is being bought for it's interface and DAC capabilities rather than for recording.

The mini DAC is something that I had not seen before and will consider this in the future, but that really depends on how the new system sounds when set up.

The SB Touch, whilst looking nice, does not integrate well with my NAS and doesn't really offer me much more than a Sonos. For much less than the price of a Sonos, I have bought a nearly new UA 25 and netbook, so a total system cost of less than £700 including balance interconnects, granted second hand, but all good as new.