I have had 8200CD and been very happy about it. Please guide me with a good new standalone DAC please !!

[admin_exported]

Hello

I have had 8200CD and been very happy about it. But because I rarely used them as a CD player. I usually had it set as a USB DAC with my MacBook Air. So I decided to sell them, and planed to get to the better headphone amp. Now I have some bucks and want to have new DAC to use with the Mac, and it should definitely cost less than the 8200CD do.

I love the sound of Sabre very much. Please guide me a decent DAC around $500 that sounds like the 8200CD.

Thank you

 

[Andrew Everard]

The Audiolab M–DAC would seem like an obvious route to explore...

 

[Al ears]

The Audiolab M–DAC would seem like an obvious route to explore...

Ineed it would. Can you get one for 500 dollars?

Looks like we are being ripped off again in the UK if you can.

 

[Andrew Everard]

I'm not sure of the price in dollars, but AFAIK the unit will be around £500 when it arrives in UK shops in the next few weeks.

True, that may not hit the $500 the OP mentioned, but it does fulfill the other criterion in being less expensive than an 8200CD.

 

[Al ears]

It certainly looks the business Andrew!

 

[nopiano]

The Audiolab was reviewed in the November mag on page 72.

It got 5 stars, and (reading between the lines) was the best sounding of those it was compared with. Or at any rate, at least the equal of the Rega at the same price.

However, though I too thought of the M-DAC at first, to meet the price specified and its purpose, surely the Musical Fidelity V-DAC II is a better choice? It is 200GBP here, so might be around 300 to 350USD, giving some change left for decent cables and a few HD tracks to test it with!

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you everyone.

Ahh, and what about DacMagic and rDAC? Would they be sonically competent to a DAC part of the 8200CD? Both of the models are available here but I'm not sure the VDAC is.

 

[Al ears]

I must admit I've not heard either of these DAC's but from reviews over here they are both losing ground to the more recent releases (V-DAC, Rega and M-DAC).

They are of course somewhat cheaper.

 

[dannycanham]

Thank you everyone.

Ahh, and what about DacMagic and rDAC? Would they be sonically competent to a DAC part of the 8200CD? Both of the models are available here but I'm not sure the VDAC is.

The Dacmagic is alright but it is a step down from the 8200CD.

The rDac is great through USB (it is better at getting the USB data from a computer than most DACs under £1K). Sonically the rDac and the 8200CD have their own sound, one of which you may favour. USB wise, the type of sound would be the big decider over which one you prefer.

The rDac does have limits. The power supply isn't as good as the 8200CD or any of the £450+ DACs, when used through a system capable of showing the best of a DAC, the none USB inputs are pretty much unanimously considered to be inferior to the £450+ equipment by a small margin. It would be 4 star to the others 5 star through none usb inputs. The power supply is external so it is easily upgradable.

The internal clock is also not the best. Although the rDac can clean up the USB input better than most DACs, it like all DACs adds its own internal jitter. The internal clock would need upgrading as well as the power supply if you wanted it to start comparing favourably with £700-£1K DACs.

It is not the all round step down from the £450+ DACs that some would have you believe. The price is largely due to a cheaper power supply and Arcam creating a mass market product. Much of the rest of the DAC compares parts, quality and design wise favourably with more expensive DACs.

The V-DAC II looks a good DAC, shame it isn't available where you are.

 

[Al ears]

Depending on where you are in the world I'm sure the V-Dac will be available through a well known auction site.

No chance to audition, of course, but if you don't like it you should not lose much money if selling it on.

 

[Anonymous]

I have checked up prices of the three candidates; V-DAC II, rDAC, DacMagic.

A brand new V-DAC II costs $330, while used rDAC and DacMagic cost around $330 too.

I don't think that there is any used V-DAC II here.

If you were me, which model will you choose? Is it much inferior to the 8200CD's DAC?

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Why do you think the other DACs are inferior? They might actually better.

Don't fall for the 'it's a newer product therefore it must be better' thing, that simply isn't true in so many cases. Take the Sansui amps, for example. Old as the hills yet most reckon they sound better than modern equivalents.

 

[Anonymous]

If there is any difference, I don't think it's due to novelty, but a more expensive cost of the 8200CD.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Not really. The Audiolab is a CD player which includes a DAC. A DAC is, well, a standalone DAC, and that probably explains why, across the board, they are always cheaper than equivalent CD players.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you, altruistic.lemon.

So what is the best among these 3 models?

 

[Andrew Everard]

The Audiolab is a CD player which includes a DAC.

Actually, given the way it was designed, it's more of a DAC with a CD drive built-in.

 

[Overdose]

The Matrix Quattro DAC has had some favourable reviews. Pre amp, DAC and headphone amp with balanced outs. A nice package by all accounts.