well i have just come back from the shops with...

[nads]

hi fi newbie:Well the good thing is if you are not satisfied with the product you can return it but, does this mean you don't think it's as good as the audio from your Nad c542?
TBH the same. i could not tell if i was listening to the internal DACs or the Dac magic.

But when i changed interconects and when i changed speaker cables i could here a difference....

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry just to clarify i mean when you were listening to wav files, did you think the audio quality was about the same then also?

 

[nads]

hi fi newbie:

Sorry just to clarify i mean when you were listening to wav files, did you think the audio quality was about the same then also?

the same as what? spinning a disc in the CDP?

No idea did not compare. I was only comparing the DAC to what it could be used instead off. IE. the in built ones in the CDP and the sound bridge. The main use it was bought for was for use with the sound bridge (or any other media streamer that i may try), and that is where they may be (seems) to be a gain, but as i said before as the ouputs between the Analouge out on the soundbridge and the dac are at different levels it is,as yet, hard to tell if the difference is purely more volume or better sound (which i hope it is).

But more listening will be done.

 

[Tony_R]

nads:hi fi newbie:Sorry just to clarify i mean when you were listening to wav files, did you think the audio quality was about the same then also?

........ but as i said before as the ouputs between the Analouge out on the soundbridge and the dac are at different levels it is,as yet, hard to tell if the difference is purely more volume or better sound (which i hope it is).

But more listening will be done.

I found the analogue output of my Soundbridge (M1000) to be remarkably good actually.

I'm interested to hear your opinions.

 

[mattc76]

Do Richer Sounds let you take stuff back other than their 840 range?

Matt

 

[Anonymous]

mattc76:Do Richer Sounds let you take stuff back other than their 840 range? Matt

You have 14 days to return anything - at least that's what they told me when I got my DacMagic.

 

[Anonymous]

I think really the question is does it improve the sound from your computer or your soundbridge, as I take it this is what you purchased it for. Before you connected your dacmagic to your soundbridge could you tell the diference between that and your cd player. When I stream lossless audio through my sonos zp80 to my amp I can tell there is a drop in sound quality compared to my cd player. This is why I am looking to get a dac, to bring the sonos on par with my cdp or even better it. I would have thought that the dac would improve the sound of your soundbridge, as on the whole the dac's inside these streaming devices are ok but not the last word in hifi. Your cdp maybe better than the dacmagic, but from all the hype and feedback from people on here you would expect the dacmagic to be better with lossless files.

 

[nads]

m1rfy there is no plans to connect the PC direct to the DAC as it is some distance from the hifi, so the main reason was it improve the connectivity options for the soundbridge and also to see what "upgrades" it could bring.
the soundbrige has 3 outputs 2 digital and one analogue and i needed 2 analogue and one digital.

but then there was the "whats it all about" factor can it add (or take away) to the current set up?

 

[Anonymous]

I see, so do you think it has been over hyped then. Has it improved your current system, be it playback through your soundbridge or when connected to your cdp. I am only asking this as I can't decide weather to go for the dacmagic or the beresford. Everyone else on here who has one seems to really think the dacmagic is worth the £200. I am glad to that you are not jumping on the bandwagon of praise straight away until you has really listened to it, so I am looking forward to your conclusions either way, good or not that impressed.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

m1rfy:
I see, so do you think it has been over hyped then. Has it improved your current system, be it playback through your soundbridge or when connected to your cdp. I am only asking this as I can't decide weather to go for the dacmagic or the beresford. Everyone else on here who has one seems to really think the dacmagic is worth the £200. I am glad to that you are not jumping on the bandwagon of praise straight away until you has really listened to it, so I am looking forward to your conclusions either way, good or not that impressed.

I don't think people have jumped on the bandwagon. It's a brilliant piece of kit and my system sounds wonderful. I don't care what other people think, I KNOW how my system sounds. There are more people on here and more reviews that say how great the DM is than the ones that say it's not that great.

 

[Anonymous]

I wasnt' trying to make out that people who liked there dacmagic were wrong or anything, but for me before I buy one it would be good to read owners opinions on the thing good or bad. But your right in saying that the glowing reviews and opinions in threads will out number the bad or just not that impressed reviews, and by a large number.

 

[Anonymous]

I am just speculating as I am yet to hear either the beresford or the dac magic yet but could the improvement be largely down to the XLR cables you have? because if so this renders the dac magic a waste for anyone whose amp has not got these inputs.

 

[John Duncan]

I'm using unbalanced phonos and it is most assuredly not a waste.....

 

[fatboyslimfast]

hi fi newbie:

I am just speculating as I am yet to hear either the beresford or the dac magic yet but could the improvement be largely down to the XLR cables you have? because if so this renders the dac magic a waste for anyone whose amp has not got these inputs.

Doubt it - I'm using a Beresford that doesn't have XLRs and it sounds great...

 

[Anonymous]

I find it very interesting how much the DacMagic seems to be dividing opinion. Just read last month's HFC group test where it came out on top of a field including the Cyrus DAC-X (£1,200) and some pro-audio gear (perhaps not a valid comparison?) in the high hundreds. This would appear to scream "giant killer". Not reflected in everyone's experience though... I would be interested in trying one, but I think the RS 30-day trial period only really applies to the 740 and 840 lineup.

 

[nads]

TB
this is the reason that i went out and bought one.

Still no real ideas on it.

 

[Alec]

JohnDuncan:I'm using unbalanced phonos and it is most assuredly not a waste.....

unbalanced? you can see someone about them, you know...

While im here id like to say i dont feel at all smug and im not at all glad i didnt bother to trade up from my beresford

Hope you get your money back if things dont improve for you, nads

 

[nads]

Al it will be staying. in that it does what i wanted it to do. Now yes i could have, maybe used a cheaper one, But like i said there was a lot of lets seen in the purchase. All it means is that the bedroom 5.1 speakers will have to wait a week or two.

 

[Alec]

nads:Al it will be staying. in that it does what i wanted it to do. Now yes i could have, maybe used a cheaper one, But like i said there was a lot of lets seen in the purchase. All it means is that the bedroom 5.1 speakers will have to wait a week or two.

bit confused. you say it does what you wanted it to, but i thought it was supposed to make your music sound better...which you do'nt seem convinced of...?

have i missed some other reason why you wanted it?

EDIT - ah, because it gives more connection options...? Sorry, ill try to pay attention in future.

 

[nads]

yep read back. i needed an extra Analouge out put from a digi source. So i went into this not expecting anything but intrigued by the hype. if the hype had not been there i bet i would have bought something else.

Source had 2 digi outs and one analouge and i wanted 1 digi and 2 analouge outs.

But as i now have more inputs than i need i will be playing.

a USB 500g media playing hard drive that doe not need a PC.... oh the options.. the posiblities...

 

[drummerman]

Agree, it is fantastic value. Another publication just tested it again together with another DAC costing some 2k or thereabouts, apologies but I can't remember the exact figure. It did'nt disgrace itself and was nominated as the choice DAC under 1k. Now whether you agree with that or not, I emphatically say it is extremely flexible in usage, well built and sounds nigh on as good as most better cdp's I've heard, regardless of price. Sure, spending a grand more can on rare occasions get slightly better results, as does the company's own 840C but the difference is marginal compared to what a different amplifier/speaker can achieve.

Just look at the pictures of the DM with the lid off if the features or specs don't convince. How they can achieve that at the price is astonishing, partly due no doubt to high quality chinese assembly and production. I'm not being sarcastic here in any way. But then the same really goes for most of CA's products at present.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, the quality of the Cambridge Audio DacMagic is impressive, especially the internal board and components. Puts similarly priced items in the shade - indeed the insides (and to some degree outsides) of the beresford dac put me off it, they don't look too good, irrespective of how it might perform, and the Beresford warranty is less than the DacMagic which is confirmed by many to be transferable if you decided to sell on (after first 30 days).

And as the DacMagic won the group test recently in HiFiChoice, dropping only one star, and gaining a best buy also, it's the one I'd put at the top of my shopping list.

 

[Alec]

3dHeli:

Yes, the quality of the Cambridge Audio DacMagic is impressive, especially the internal board and components. Puts similarly priced items in the shade - indeed the insides (and to some degree outsides) of the beresford dac put me off it, they don't look too good, irrespective of how it might perform, and the Beresford warranty is less than the DacMagic which is confirmed by many to be transferable if you decided to sell on (after first 30 days).

And as the DacMagic won the group test recently in HiFiChoice, dropping only one star, and gaining a best buy also, it's the one I'd put at the top of my shopping list.

never understood why folk prefer the look of the cambridge. they are so similar to me as to make the difference immaterial.

and i remain a little suspicious of the beresford, but still, no one is listening...ill go eat worms...