DAC Recommendations


I'm looking for a DAC to use with my Bolder modded Squeezebox, that I run into a Behringer DEQ, then straight to my amps. I will also connect my Oppo 970 to it for movies.

I've tried a couple of the current "favs" without much success.
-Lite DAC AH, it was okay, not great. But it won't decode 2 channel info from DVD's
-Mhdt Paradisea, great midrange, but rolled off extremes and no "punch"
-Benchmark DAC-1, too bright/harsh for me

I also tried a TacT 2.0 digital pre with room correction and absolutely loved the DAC section. It was airy & detailed without being harsh. It threw a huge soundstage and had great dynamics. The problem with it is, I need a PC to run the room correction software. I only own a Mac and it's a desktop in another part of the house. As much as I liked the sound, I'm not going to buy another computer/OS just to run the room correction software.

Any ideas on where I can get a sound similar to the TacT, in a DAC for around $1k?

Thanks
ecruz

Showing 2 responses by sidssp

This is a tall order. I don't know how you can find anything better than the Benchmark DAC-1 for $1K.

Benchmark shouldn't be bright. If you feel it is, maybe something else is wrong in your system. Have you tried driving your amp directly from DAC-1 bypassing the preamp? That will give you a good idea of its sound. Also, have you tried feeding it a different digital source?
I bought a lot of equipment from newegg.com. Great service. I like this one for $135 + shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148235