DAC recommendation....

[admin_exported]

Hi all,

I'm about to buy a Kandy K2 amp with MA RX1 speakers and I'm wondering if anyone could give me advice on a good DAC to match. I've shortlisted the DacMagic and rDac because of the glowing reviews and the reasonable price point. I will try to demo both with my kit. However I'm wondering if others have some experience matching a DAC with the Kandy amp and have suggestions that will help me focus my search.

I'm happy to consider something more expensive like the Rega, however only if there will be a significant difference in SQ or capabilities. Music will be Classical, Funk/Rock, Jazz, Pop - in that order.

Any thoughts you have are very much appreciated - thanks.

RJT

 

[MUSICRAFT]

RJT:
Hi all,

I'm about to buy a Kandy K2 amp with MA RX1 speakers and I'm wondering if anyone could give me advice on a good DAC to match. I've shortlisted the DacMagic and rDac because of the glowing reviews and the reasonable price point. I will try to demo both with my kit. However I'm wondering if others have some experience matching a DAC with the Kandy amp and have suggestions that will help me focus my search.

I'm happy to consider something more expensive like the Rega, however only if there will be a significant difference in SQ or capabilities. Music will be Classical, Funk/Rock, Jazz, Pop - in that order.

Any thoughts you have are very much appreciated - thanks.

RJT

Hi RJT

I've heard the DacMagic and the rDac. I preferred the DacMagic as i thought its performance to be musical whereas the rDac was too upfront. If your budget allows then Rega's DAC is worth the premium regardless of the types of music you listen to. The presentation of the DAC is very reminicent of Rega's excellent turntables

At £500 Rega's DAC is a bargain

Btw, what source(s) will you be using please?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[the record spot]

As a counterpoint to Rick's post, I bought the DM based on the reviews as well and found it somewhat sterile in its presentation and detracted from the music played through it. Mind you, this was using it with a £600 CDP, so there's going to be some limitation in there. Other opinions suggest this may be something to do with my elderly amp (34 years old this year!) causing some RF interference, but I need to understand how the DACs in my CDP, my Airport Express and my DVD player don't cause such a reaction while the DM did. Either way, try it out, but try the Arcam as well if you can.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the excellent feedback guys. Sounds like I have some demo'ing to do.

My source will be a PC linked to the DAC via coax digital.

Regards

RJT

 

[mitch65]

It would be rude for me not to agree with Rick, the Rega is well worth the extra outlay IMO

 

[Anonymous]

Having noted your initial plan is to use coax from a PC, but should you wish to move on from that at some point the Rega has an issue with under-specced USB. OTOH if you don't think you will use any HD music sources a 16bit limit might not be an issue for you.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

putt1ck:Having noted your initial plan is to use coax from a PC, but should you wish to move on from that at some point the Rega has an issue with under-specced USB. OTOH if you don't think you will use any HD music sources a 16bit limit might not be an issue for you.

I really don't see USB being of any relevance soon. Most soundcards offer toslink via the headphone input and most other devices offer coaxial and/or optical.

Anyway, I would say that the DacMagic is perfect for the Kandy and RX1 price bracket. And I fully believe that lossless files through the DM, using good cables (XLR if possible), puts you in the £1k cd player range.

 

[Anonymous]

Gerrardasnails:putt1ck:Having noted your initial plan is to use coax from a PC, but should you wish to move on from that at some point the Rega has an issue with under-specced USB. OTOH if you don't think you will use any HD music sources a 16bit limit might not be an issue for you.

I really don't see USB being of any relevance soon. Most soundcards offer toslink via the headphone input and most other devices offer coaxial and/or optical.

Anyway, I would say that the DacMagic is perfect for the Kandy and RX1 price bracket. And I fully believe that lossless files through the DM, using good cables (XLR if possible), puts you in the £1k cd player range.

I guess it depends on what you think should be connected to the DAC and how much you should pay for it. In my ideal solution the attached PC should be ultra-low power, noise-free and very cheap. Its only job is to hook up to the network at one end and the DAC at the other - the PC then treats the DAC as the soundcard so PC processing is minimised in the audio file > > analogue audio chain. The whole setup can then be controlled by the remote software, including (potentially) volume levels.

 

[the record spot]

Have you also considered those DACs that are available in the pro-audio market as well? Depending on what you're using it with (i.e. is it a laptop or similar which is USB only?), you might get away with the likes of M-Audio's Transit, also, do check out the likes of Roland's Cakewalk UA-25EX both of which are powered off the computer when connected by USB. Others are available too and likely will perform easily as well as the ones already mentioned. Add to this the new Firestone Audio's Spitfire Mk-II which is on offer for £150, with free P&P from a range of dealers.

 

[manicm]

Gerrardasnails:putt1ck:Having noted your initial plan is to use coax from a PC, but should you wish to move on from that at some point the Rega has an issue with under-specced USB. OTOH if you don't think you will use any HD music sources a 16bit limit might not be an issue for you.
I really don't see USB being of any relevance soon. Most soundcards offer toslink via the headphone input and most other devices offer coaxial and/or optical. Anyway, I would say that the DacMagic is perfect for the Kandy and RX1 price bracket. And I fully believe that lossless files through the DM, using good cables (XLR if possible), puts you in the £1k cd player range.

I don't think USB is going away anytime soon. Firstly said laptops with digital outputs other than USB are becoming extinct. Secondly if Linn's upcoming devices will offer USB connectivity then it's here to stay. This came from a Linn engineer's mouth on their forum.

Third, from what I heard the rDac's USB sounds as good as its other inputs - as it should and a real bonus is that it handles 24/96.

The Rega seems an excellent DAC, and they've perhaps missed a trick by not specifying a higher order USB, but I guess some compromise has to be made at 500 quid.