DAC question

[bay24]

I have a Cambridge audio 740C which has digital inputs so I could connect an airport express or similar (getting soon) through the onboard DAC. would this give me similar sound quality to a DAC magic/ Beresford? I was wondering as looking at the CA website it looks like they are the same DAC?

I am also thinking about music in my bedroom (this would be starting from scratch so I am not sure how quickly funds would be available) and was wondering if this system would work; Beresford TC-7520, squeezebox classic (or aiport express) and a pair of AVI neutron 5s with amp packs attached (AVI are doing these for £549 at the moment, is this a good deal?), there is talk on the website that I would need a preamp, is this the case or would the set up described work on its own?

 

[John Duncan]

The 740 has pretty much the same DAC as a DACMAgic yes, though I think the DM upsamples higher off the top of my head. Results should be very similar - I certainly wouldn't be buying a Beresford or DM in addition to a 740c.

The 7520 has a volume control, so yes it'll work as a preamp. I think the Amp'd Neutrons seem great value yes, since you're getting the amps for £150 - I think they used to be a £4/500 aftermarket option.

 

[bay24]

Thanks for your knowledge and advice as always John, glad to hear that my 740C was a good choice for a DAC for the money (I only paid £250 for it new!). Sounds like the Neutrons are good value, it says they only have one line level input, would that restrict me from using other sources eg CDP or would they go through the DAC? sorry if these questins are silly, I don't know much about DACs and amp packs.

Yet another question; for streaming if I was to get a squeezebox classic would I need to get another one for the second room or would I be able to use one the recievers as in the Squeezebox duo (this is much cheeper than a second classic)? I have an iphone to use as a control.

 

[lordmortlock]

Hi Bay24. Ok - I'm a bit of a newbie on this site but this is well and truly in my territory! I have the Cambridge 840c and the beresford dac and I have to say the beresford seems to do as good a job as the onboard dac to these ears - in fact I actually prefer it to the cambridge. The dacmagic is technically very similar to the 740a so I don't think you'll see much difference there. You may want to audition the Vdac too - others speak highly of it on here.

I connect the dac to my Hifi kit and then connect my apple airport to the dac via a good quality optical cable and stream everything. I actually have two airports and use the other one upstairs with a acoustic energy aego M (good enough for now). I then use the free remote software on the iphone to control itunes - and it works a treat. You can switch between rooms or have the whole lot playing at once. If you don't have an iphone buy a second hand touch off ebay - the remote software works on that too. I love this set up - it works so well - and much cheaper than a sonos!

 

[lordmortlock]

Ah sorry youve posted since I started typing - I see you have an iphone

 

[John Duncan]

bay24:
Thanks for your knowledge and advice as always John, glad to hear that my 740C was a good choice for a DAC for the money (I only paid £250 for it new!). Sounds like the Neutrons are good value, it says they only have one line level input, would that restrict me from using other sources eg CDP or would they go through the DAC? sorry if these questins are silly, I don't know much about DACs and amp packs.

Yet another question; for streaming if I was to get a squeezebox classic would I need to get another one for the second room or would I be able to use one the recievers as in the Squeezebox duo (this is much cheeper than a second classic)? I have an iphone to use as a control.

I think you only need the receiver, now that iPhone/Touch work with it.

But re the amp-paks, yeah they're only single-input power amps so you need either a DAC with volume (like the beresford) or a bog-standard preamp, both of which'll take multiple sources. The Duet receiver is pretty hot on its own, I hear, if you wanted to go down the latter route.

 

[bay24]

It is much cheaper than the sonos! the iphone control sounds really good i think the Beresford DAC sounds like the best one for me in terms of a second room so I can use it as a pre amp. Thanks for the recomendation lordmortlock

I am thinking more about the squeezebox duo receiver so I can easily get internet radio while the computer is swiched off, is this possible/ easy to do with an airport express? Does anyone know if the interface for the squeezebox control is similar to the airport express one and have they found it easy to use/ set up?

John: did you mean that the Duo receiver would be good enough just with a pre amp ie without an external DAC? would I be able to get a pre amp for much less than the Beresford?

 

[lordmortlock]

I must admit I had a squeezebox but sold it when I got my airports as it just seemed much easier to keep it all apple/itunes (I'm not exactly a technical whizz.) If I want to listen to radio I use Airfoil. That beresford shouldn't cost more much more than £100 and Stanleys optical leads are excellent too.

If you don't mind me asking .... where did you get the cambridge from for that crazy price!?

 

[bay24]

It was a while ago on a very good richer sounds deal. I got the 740A and C for £500, it was advertised in another hifi mag think they only ran it for one month. When I went to get them the dealer didn't even know about it, he was very suprised and told me that they would be taking a loss on the sale. seems an even better deal now, I went into a store and the 740C was £650 on its own.

With airfoil does your computer need to be swiched on?

 

[John Duncan]

bay24:John: did you mean that the Duo receiver would be good enough just with a pre amp ie without an external DAC? would I be able to get a pre amp for much less than the Beresford?

I did, yes, but tbh I'd expect a half decent preamp to be on a par with the cost of a Beresford. I had in mind something like a Rotel preamp around the hundred/hundred and fifty quid mark - but then it's a question of how many inputs you need, and whether they're digital, which will drive you down a particular route.

You could (leftfield suggestion) get a high quality passive preamplifier quite cheaply via a well know auction site...

 

[lordmortlock]

Yeah thats an insane deal... Bargain of the century! Yup - PC on for Airfoil I'm afraid, but on the plus side it can stream all pc sounds with is quite useful for My space etc.

 

[bay24]

Now this shows how little I know, what is a passive preamplifier? I had a look on that well known auction site but didn't realy know what I was looking at. I also don't really want lots of boxes in the bedroom.

I Think that it is unlikely that I would need many inputs especially if I could get internet radio through the squeezebox/apple express, probably just a CD player and perhaps the tv. I am thinking that the beresford would probably be ok.

 

[John Duncan]

A passive preamp is basically a volume control - often just a very high quality potentiometer with a switching mechanism to allow you more than one input.

Creek and NVA are traditional exponents, but there are others - QED used to do a good cheap one when they were into switches (maybe they still are).

 

[Anonymous]

I use the Neutron 5 Amp Pak system with a MacBook and it sounds really good.

The whole system is literally the laptop and the speakers, so I do not see why much more needs to be added.

Something I might consider in the future is the 2.1 version in the sitting room and an Apple TV, but I need to "suss out" how it all works and if it offers the functionality I think it will.

 

[bay24]

Taylor74:I use the Neutron 5 Amp Pak system with a MacBook and it sounds really good.

The whole system is literally the laptop and the speakers, so I do not see why much more needs to be added.

Something I might consider in the future is the 2.1 version in the sitting room and an Apple TV, but I need to "suss out" how it all works and if it offers the functionality I think it will.

I was interested in the 2.1 sub for the living room as well but I am thinking of a bedroom system with the active AVIs, squeezebox and DAC to make the most of the streemed lossless music. do you not think I would need the DAC?

 

[matengawhat]

you could also look to add a littledot mk III head phone amp that would aslo work as a tube pre amplifier (volume control) and would add space and warmth to your ipod ect - only has one input though but if you add a dac with more inputs it would make a great little set up for you - then you can experiemnt in the future with some tube rolling

 

[Anonymous]

I am not a HiFi expert but understand that a "DAC" is an external device that improves the sound.

The results I hear at the moment are very good, so there is no need rush to add anything, especially when it is additional clutter - the whole point of choosing this type of system in the first place.

I believe that these functions are built in to the more expensive products, so maybe it is something to consider when I get to that stage.

 

[bay24]

matengawhat:you could also look to add a littledot mk III head phone amp that would aslo work as a tube pre amplifier (volume control) and would add space and warmth to your ipod ect - only has one input though but if you add a dac with more inputs it would make a great little set up for you - then you can experiemnt in the future with some tube rolling

The Little dot looks like a great looking piece of kit but I think it may be a bit of a strech especially if I needed a DAC as well.

Thanks very much for all the advice and info, the first thing to get is the squeezebox and then I will be working on the lady of the house for the AVIs for the bedroom......