Will a DAC make that much difference?

[admin_exported]

I am finally getting around to upgrading my 80s hifi (Linn Axis turntable, Sony multichanger CD player, Cyrus One amp, Mission 70II speakers) which has served and survived well. I bought an Apple TV last year to store my 300 or so CDs losslessly on its HD (am I the only one that thinks the new Apple TV is a retrograde step as it can no longer be a standalone music server?). This connects wirelessly to an Airport Express in a different room which has my hifi. Currently I have a simple analogue connection from the AE to the amp but even so it really sounds surprisingly good to me. So good, in fact, that I am questioning the wisdom of spending another £2-300 on a DACMagic or rDAC.

The local Richer Sounds baulked at the thought of me lugging all this clobber into their demo room to see if the DAC makes much of a difference. I know there is bound to be at least some improvement over the DAC in the AE, but is the improvement likely to be worth more than every individual component of the current set up bar the turntable? I'd be interested in your views.

PS I can testify that a successful solution to your wireless music having more breaks in it than a Norman Collier show is to use a second router (in my case a £10 wireless G wired to the ATV) that is dedicated to the purpose. It has been flawless ever since.

 

[Anonymous]

I can testify that a cheap optical cable (that cable co...) and the £40 CYP DAC I recently bought have transformed my airport express to similarly ageing hi-fi. The difference is about the same as an average MP3 compared to Apple Lossless, it was like the mufflers were taken off! As and when I get the funds/time, I'm looking to get the Beresford DAC that is spoken quite highly of (will then put the CYP between my other AE and my A2's). Personally I can't justify the cost of the DACMagic let alone the rDAC, but horses for courses!

P.S. Re cutouts on AE, your solution obviously works, but I found simply getting another AE (for music in bedroom) solved the issue, even with
my 802.11G MacBook as the main iTunes host... I now have 3 (kitchen) and am looking to get a 4th/5th (bathroom, front room), so will have done the whole house for less than the cost of a two room sonos setup!

 

[mitch65]

Pretty sure that richer sounds offer a two week return policy, so try it, if you don't think it justifies the cost then just return it

 

[Anonymous]

Many thanks for your thoughts chaps. It looks as if I will be experimenting with an external DAC after all.

 

[the record spot]

You're right to question the new Apple TV. It's a duffer IMO. Not so much for what it is, rather what it's not.

For the same money, you can get Sony's SMP-N100 which pretty much gives you their Bravia TV internet enabled blu-ray players content, plus the means to stream your own stuff through a bunch of connectivity options round the back and it's DLNA compatible too. It also does 1080i which the Apple doesn't. Apple is a proprietary tool for proprietary product and the acolytes love it. For anyone else looking at these two or the excellent Western Digital WDTV Live, it's all a bit "meh"...expect the ATV3 before too long.

The AE DAC is indeed rather good. Only recently surpassed by the one I currently use. I tried the DACMagic and was distinctly underwhelmed. It delivered the connectivity, but not the sound quality - cold, uninvolving sound in my setup. For others it obviously works, for me, like the Apple, it's what it doesn't do that stands out more than what it does.

 

[CustomCable]

TBH i am very suprised by the standard output of the streaming devices such as the AE and Sonos ZP90 and TBH after trying many DACs i struggled to get back the musicality the standard units were giving, sure the DAC's improved clarity but with musicality it just seemed that they were playing 0's and 1's not playing the music. It wasn't until I went to units above the £350 mark that I got back musicality and got tonnes of clarity to match with DAC's like the M1 DAC.

 

[the record spot]

Now that's useful to know! Been eyeing up the M1 and the Eastern Electric tube DAC...hmmm....!

 

[iMark]

I have no experience with other DAC's but I can say that the CA DACMagic has turned other equipment into really good musical performance on my system. The Airport Express sounds indeed like it's lost mufflers and even our old Pioneer DVD player sounds much better than before with music.

For me the DACMagic was a good choice, mainly because of its connections. It's actually gotten better since last October when we bought it.