Does DacMagic sound better after time?

[admin_exported]

Because I just bought one and I'm really quite dissapointed in the sound - it's got nothing on my azur 540C!

 

(Yes lossless), also could a cheap optical cable be the culprit ? 

 

[chebby]

I think the 'DM' have sent you to Coventry

 

[nads]

not surprised.

 

[Hendy00]

'WOW' a disappointed DacMagic owner. A very Rare breed indeed. (only messing)

More details is required though as the explanation is a bit sparse.

How have you got it all connected up and using what cables?

Is the 540c connected to the amp and ipod/ID10 to dac or both to dac?

You said the 540c sounds better. This suggests you have or had it connected directly to the amp. Did you do the same for the ipod?

I'm using an old optical cable which came with my PS2 and it sounds great. I had bought a more expensive cable but could not tell any difference whatsoever. It may be the problem but somehow doubt it.

 

[Anonymous]

Phew, the panic is over! ÿThe problem was iTunes 'sound enhancer' was switched on, made it sound awful. I couldn't work it out for a while as the Equalizer in iTunes was switched off so I thought it was being played as it should be, apart from that stupid 'enhancer'.

ÿ

I'm using the DAC with my Macbook Pro, and it sounds better than my iPod through CA dock, and about the same as my 540C (but with slightly tighter bass and treble, but slightly less open), maybe I need to play with the filters a bit. I'm using Linear atm.

ÿ

I want to buy an Airport Extreme very soon, which one should I get? There's one with a plug on it as part of the block, and the other one that has a lead to power it, is there any difference?

ÿ

Thanks and sorry for my panic posting!ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

Seriously I think the beresford sounds fantastic, this isn't some placebo effect and the Q range of sony cd players was held in high regard. However if the result is about the same as your cd player, maybe slightly improved then it's still a good thing because you have the audio quality of the cd player along with the ability to change song at will.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes the DM definitely sounds better with time, I made a point of leaving mine on ~6hours a day initially and it definitely kept improving beyond the 1 week mark. If you are only an occasional user it might take a long time to get to the 40hour mark...

I'll probably get shot down for this, but if there isn't much difference to just using a 3.5mm-RCA adaptor or lead then something doesn't sound right. ÿIs the computers output bitrate & frequency at its maximum?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Pmaninit:
Phew, the panic is over! ÿThe problem was iTunes 'sound enhancer' was switched on, made it sound awful. I couldn't work it out for a while as the Equalizer in iTunes was switched off so I thought it was being played as it should be, apart from that stupid 'enhancer'.

ÿ

I'm using the DAC with my Macbook Pro, and it sounds better than my iPod through CA dock, and about the same as my 540C (but with slightly tighter bass and treble, but slightly less open), maybe I need to play with the filters a bit. I'm using Linear atm.

ÿ

I want to buy an Airport Extreme very soon, which one should I get? There's one with a plug on it as part of the block, and the other one that has a lead to power it, is there any difference?

ÿ

Thanks and sorry for my panic posting!ÿ

The panic is still on! It should sound way way way way better than a 540C with lossless files. I don't know if it's your amp not producing the goods but there is no way in this world that a 540C is even close to the DM with lossless files. I know Chebby just loves any negativity towards the DM (does he work for Stanley??), but I have had mine since before Christmas and it's so brilliant I have to defend it. And before you retort Chebster, this if the first CA product I've bought from RS (my 840A was bought on ebay) and I have no allegiance to anyone.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry to jump in the thread, Gerrardasnails - which filter do you use on your DM? I'm not saying mine doesn't sound awesome but just want the best out of it!

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Blunny89:Sorry to jump in the thread, Gerrardasnails - which filter do you use on your DM? I'm not saying mine doesn't sound awesome but just want the best out of it!

I use Linear.

And I know by using XLR cables, the DM might have an extra 5% on unbalanced connections but the 540C should be trailing far behind.

 

[Anonymous]

I may have missed it but I really am curious about the setup... how is it connected to the source and to the amp. What cables etc???

 

[nads]

I love this.

Mine has been used for a few months (Ex demo) and i even left it on over night. the only connection i have not used yet is the USB in.

what i seem to read is people whos music is mainly PC/Pod or other "mp3" player see big improvements.

Using the dac as a replacement dac for my disc spinners i hear the same or a very very small difference.

As yet with the media streamer i am undercided as to what i hear.

It works and does a good job but i am still looking for whjat you are all going on about.

Maybe I connect my laptop to it over the weekend.

 

[Anonymous]

Gerrardasnails:Blunny89:Sorry to jump in the thread, Gerrardasnails - which filter do you use on your DM? I'm not saying mine doesn't sound awesome but just want the best out of it!

I use Linear.

And I know by using XLR cables, the DM might have an extra 5% on unbalanced connections but the 540C should be trailing far behind.

Sweet, Linear it is! Thanks maaan

 

[Alec]

"Filter"?

Hehe.

You mean one of these?

 

[Anonymous]

WestCoastFun:I may have missed it but I really am curious about the setup... how is it connected to the source and to the amp. What cables etc???

ÿ

I'm in the process of buying & selling stuff, at the moment I use my Macbook pro with USB or optical connection (both cheap non-branded cables), into the DacMagic. Though soon I will have an Airport Express. Then I have a Cambridge Audio interconnect from the DacMagic to the amp (RCA), I don't know the name of the cable but it was £30. ÿ

I will be selling my 540C as I never really use it, and am trying to minimize due to space and my headache of tangled cables.

ÿ

The idea is that i can play all my files on my computer and external HD through firewire 800, and internet radio through the DAC.

Then i have my iPod as another source should my internet fail, and my DAB (which I don't use much), will probably go through the DAC too, (I haven't tried it yet).

ÿ

I am happy with the DacMagic sound, though I wouldn't say it's a substantial upgrade from the 540C, I did a lot of testing earlier (playing the same songs through the CDP & DAC (lossless) at the same timeÿand switching inputs on the amp to hear the difference. I have disconnected the CDP now and will be on ebay very shortly, it don't know how but I think that player sounds incredible IMO, so this is not a diss on the DacMagic IMO.

ÿ

I suppose for once I believed the hype.ÿ

ÿ

EDIT: This is the cable I'm using

ÿhttp://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=CAMB-PACIFIC

P.S. It never makes a link when I tell it to, I don't get it! ÿÿ

 

[John Duncan]

Pmaninit:The problem was iTunes 'sound enhancer' was switched on, made it sound awful.

I saw this at 3am, and this was my first thought - I had a slight bass boost on mine when I first tried it, so I thought it was bassmungous.

As for Airport choice - you need an Express, not an Extreme, which is the one with the plug built in (though it's actually removable and you can use a figure-of eight mains lead, if that's more convenient).

 

[John Duncan]

nads:
I love this.

Mine has been used for a few months (Ex demo) and i even left it on over night. the only connection i have not used yet is the USB in.

what i seem to read is people whos music is mainly PC/Pod or other "mp3" player see big improvements.

Using the dac as a replacement dac for my disc spinners i hear the same or a very very small difference.

As yet with the media streamer i am undercided as to what i hear.

It works and does a good job but i am still looking for whjat you are all going on about.

Maybe I connect my laptop to it over the weekend.

Yup, that's exactly what I've been saying - don't buy it to improve a disc player (though it made my 50 quid pioneer DVD player sound better, it wasn't a giant killer, though I know gerrard's v pleased with it on his BD player), use it as a means to get to lossless files. And I mean any DAC, not just a DACMagic, I suspect they're all fairly close.......

So seeing as your Soundbridge is playing lossless files anyway, I'd be surprised if there was that much diference - I've plugged it into an Airport Express, which doesn't have a great analogue output (v noisy).

 

[Gerrardasnails]

JohnDuncan:nads:
I love this.

Mine has been used for a few months (Ex demo) and i even left it on over night. the only connection i have not used yet is the USB in.

what i seem to read is people whos music is mainly PC/Pod or other "mp3" player see big improvements.

Using the dac as a replacement dac for my disc spinners i hear the same or a very very small difference.

As yet with the media streamer i am undercided as to what i hear.

It works and does a good job but i am still looking for whjat you are all going on about.

Maybe I connect my laptop to it over the weekend.

Yup, that's exactly what I've been saying - don't buy it to improve a disc player (though it made my 50 quid pioneer DVD player sound better, it wasn't a giant killer, though I know gerrard's v pleased with it on his BD player), use it as a means to get to lossless files. And I mean any DAC, not just a DACMagic, I suspect they're all fairly close.......

So seeing as your Soundbridge is playing lossless files anyway, I'd be surprised if there was that much diference - I've plugged it into an Airport Express, which doesn't have a great analogue output (v noisy).

Maybe, I have cloth ears. Maybe coaxial cables do make a difference (I use the Clearer Audio Silver Line). Maybe XLR cables make a difference and good ones (I use Chord Chorus 2) make a big difference. Most of all, I've said this before, I think you need to have a decent (£500 plus) amp and speakers (£500 plus) to get the most out of the DM. As I've mentioned before. If you added a Cyrus CD8SE to a PM6002 with BR2 speakers, you wouldn't hear the talents of the Cyrus.

 

[chebby]

Gerrardasnails:Maybe coaxial cables do make a difference (I use the Clearer Audio Silver Line). Maybe XLR cables make a difference and good ones (I use Chord Chorus 2) make a big difference. Most of all, I've said this before, I think you need to have a decent (£500 plus) amp and speakers (£500 plus) to get the most out of the DM.

Maybe, maybe not.

How about a £1500 amp (Primare i30) connected to a DM with Chord balanced XLR and Focal JM 716 being fed by a Mac and Apple Lossless via optical?

This is how I have been listening to the DM almost every other Saturday since just before Christmas on a friend's system. (Many, many hours now.) Even after all this time - I still find the DM sound overblown in upper bass and 'thick' (like my head is feeling hot and stuffed with cotton wool) and headache inducing, regardless of which filter is employed. I know it is not his system at fault because his Rega Apollo (and P3-24) both sound very musical and pleasant and well defined in the bass.

It is only fair to point out that my friend enjoys the DM and likes the extra bass so really it comes down to a matter of taste - as always. The DacMagic is not a 'wonder-product' that will suit everyone. It is not a 'giant slayer'. Even the most slavering reviews I have read in all the hifi mags over the last few months acknowledge that there are far better DACs. (More costly obviously.)

Enough people like it and enough people have favourably reviewed it to say it would be worth auditioning for anyone in the market for a good budget DAC. It would be silly not to as my friend (but not me) would testify.

Just don't doubt your system - or your ears - if you don't like it.

 

[John Duncan]

Seconded.

Though you should get your mate to check he hasn't got iTunes EQ set on 'small speakers'

 

[chebby]

JohnDuncan:Seconded.

Though you should get your mate to check he hasn't got iTunes EQ set on 'small speakers'

He is not very 'up' on iMac setup (or computers in general) so I set it up for him using best practice as published by Benchmark in their Wiki. (iTunes, Mac and 'Audio-Midi' settings all optimum.)

I set it up to get the very best sound possible (back then - before I heard the DM - I was seriously thinking of getting one so I wanted to hear it at it's best.)

 

[John Duncan]

Damn, had a slim hope of a Damascene conversion there

 

[John Duncan]

Though you'll notice the instructions only say turn off sound enhancer and sound check in Preferences, it doesn't say "click window/equalizer and turn off"

(crosses fingers nnnngggghhhh)

 

[chebby]

JohnDuncan:Though you'll notice the instructions only say turn off sound enhancer and sound check in Preferences, it doesn't say "click window/equalizer and turn off"

(crosses fingers nnnngggghhhh)

Bad luck

I found that in my own iTunes (Windows XP Pro on laptop) via a different route ('View', 'show equaliser' then untick box) a long time ago. I googled equalizer and rang my mate and talked him through it. He had the DM a couple of weeks by then. I did not notice any difference next time I was there.

 

[John Duncan]

Curses. I may just have to accept that I may not be right 100% of the time.

(sits in corner on rusty spike)