DACS - Which one is the best?

admin_exported

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Hey guysIm interested in what DAC's people are using and which ones are the best in terms of sound quality. Im mostly interested in the USB connection as my laptop plays all my music through the DAC. I currently have a beresford 7520 (with upgraded op amps) and after browsing the net for a couple of days, it seems the most popular ones are :

DacMagic (can be upgraded with psu+mods)

Beresford 7520 + caiman ((can be upgraded with psu+mods))

Rega Dac

Arcam rdac

Music fidelity V-DAC

Im interested in peoples opinions on what they think about them and how they sound as im looking to buy a new dac soon as i cant audion any due to where i live! Do the more expensive dacs out perform a modded lower price dac? If you have a dac or have compared dacs please share ur opinon
 
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the record spot

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I've listed my thoughts on another thread (SA7001-KI v DACMagic) and recently returned mine to Richer Sounds as I was unhappy with the sound it offered. Many others rate it highly however, though I found it took more from the music than it gave.

You could also add to your list ROland's Cakewalk UA25EX which is powered off your computer, £160 or so and is apparently excellent. See also M-Audio's Transit, also USB only off your laptop. Firestone's new Spitfire 2 DAC which is on offer with £100 off on Ebay, so £150, including next day delivery.

If you're thinking about upgrades to £200 DACs though, you might as well go up a gear and have a look at the likes of Stello's DA100 Signature at about £600 or so.
 
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Anonymous

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I agree with the above. There's not a world of difference between the DACs, though the V-DAC isn't quite as bright as the others, especially with the upgraded power supply.

Be interested to hear your thoughts about the Firestone, the record spot. I had one on loan for a while.
 
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Anonymous

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Easily the Rega DAC. It's the only one with a sensible solution to combatting electrical 'noise' that most PCs/Macs are very guily of. As you will be running via USB (with a good cable, the WW is actually very good) you will have a direct electrical connection to the DAC so noise handling in the DACs USB stage is critical. The others offer acceptable sound but are nothing more than Chinese mass produced items, using reasonable components in crude layouts. The Beresford (in upgraded form) is a nose ahead of the rest, but it begs the question why not sell it in a complete form rather than doing upgrades? It's just a way of fleecing more money as it would be be cheaper to include the mods as standard.
 
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Anonymous

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Im starting to think after reading many forums that a upgraded beresford or dacmagic will outperform all the rest of the DAC's.
 
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Anonymous

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JezBaker:Im starting to think after reading many forums that a upgraded beresford or dacmagic will outperform all the rest of the DAC's.You'd be wrong. Remember:

- people love and will always recommend the gear they bought

- most haven't compared what's available

- hearsay abounds

- some mods may change the sound but aren't upgrades.

There's not a lot of point in the popular "upgrade" of changing the power supply of a Dacmagic, for example, since the existing one puts out 16v AC and is therefore more properly a transformer. This means there's no benefit from an upgrade, since DC conversion is done within the Dacmagic.
 

crusaderlord

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Generally speaking you get what you pay for really.

I have owned the V-DAC and demo'd the Cambridge Audio dacmagic.

The Arcam is in my opinion much better than both these and worth paying for. The Rega dac is more cost again but i have not heard one to compare as i consider the Arcam good enough for me.
 

SonofSun

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Imo, the dacmagic was no improvement over the squeezebox dac, and I was able to switch between the two dacs using my amplifier remote. However, the Rega dac is definitely an improvement, the music was more alive, better detail and made the dacmagic sound flat in comparison. I am not say the dacmagic is a bad product though, a lot of people rate it highly.
 

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