2. digital
  3. 185951-96924

Is low cost DAC worth it?

Been learning a lot from you fine folks... thanks!

I am driving Boston Acoustic Lynnfield 975 speakers with a Willsenton R8 amp (recent purchase to try it out) and streaming over wifi through Apple Airport Express. It sounds pretty good but I find myself wondering if adding a low cost DAC would improve the sound any?

Maybe something like the Cambridge DacMagic 100 or 200M?

My hearing is not that great anymore, so I don’t think it makes sense to jump on a DAC costing thousands, but I understand the Airport Express is a decent DAC, so not sure if a low cost one would make any difference?

 

tbick

Showing 2 responses by mahgister

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
12,744 posts
 

I own 4 low cost dac...I use them all

Two Hifime mini one , a-sychronus one ( the better ) the other is a sabre one...

One is used for my computer headphone as a dac , one is used as transport ( a useful added function of Hifime dac ) from USB/optical to toslink for my main computer dac : the french designed battery dac by Christophe Mariac , a TDA 1543 chip, NOS, and very organic sound that work well as a pairing for the mid range of the self powered speakers M-Audio M40 which became now "audiophile sound" modulo my acoustic corner 😁...

For my microzotl 2 and for my AKG k340, my main system, i used the Hidizs Ap 80 pro as i described  above...

All these dac sound different completely, but all are good with the right coupling synergy...

Dac technology became mature few years ago...

 

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
12,744 posts
 

My Hidizs AP 80 pro under 200 bucks is my best purchase among dac...It is so tiny i use only the touch screen... 😁 It is a dap but i dont recommend it as a dap... It is fixed on my desk...

Very good purchase then on par with my warmer last french dac TDA1543 NOS...

---It is a battery dac.... Then you are out of the electrical grid...

---It contains a huge internal bank for your musical files... No computer noisy link...

---It give a very good basic equalizer and i need one to make my K340 more balanced...

--- It gives a radio  i used sometimes with pleasure...

Name me a dac as good under 200 bucks ?

The sound is clean and my K340 need a very clean source ... If you need a warmer dac buy a NOS or R2R one ...

I just upgraded yesterday my Sansui alpha with a new preamp to use for my other Sansui AU 7700 as a pre for the K340 or i will use the microzotl 2 as headphone amplifier with this dac...

I am already in sonic paradise without the zotl anyway... It is my birthday gift... 😎

The only upgrade for this dac will be one with the BACCH filters nothing else...but it will cost many times all the cost of my actual system with the zotl...

 

Any costly dac without the BACCH filters of Dr. Choueri is a lost of money... It is revolutionary , inform yourself...

Dac technology is mature, all is synergy for sure , but at low cost a very good dac is available...

I cannot fault this dac with the K340... And the K340 is one of the best designed headphone in history...

 

More to discover