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newbie DAC question

Hello!

I broke into the HiFi world about two years ago and l would love to know if a DAC would improve my system in a way that's worth my while. I currently have the following setup:

- Elac Debut B6s
- Music Hall A15.2 integrated
- Onkyo C7030 CD player
- Sextet and Bel interconnnects borrowed from a buddy
- Speakers are on stands carefully placed where they work best with the carpeted room.

I've read good reviews on the Musical Fidelity V90DAC and several Schiit models, but I can't determine, based on any literature out there, if my setup is at a level that would make a DAC worthwhile (or even noticeable). If it WOULD make a difference, does anyone have any suggestions for coaxial or optical interconnnects to go along with it?

Thank you much!
kremrik
erik_squires
16,056 posts
 
Interesting!!

I'm getting a wyred4Sound Remedy though, as an add on for my Squeezebox though.  I want to try it out. The SB was reviewed and found to have very low jitter, remarkably low jitter for a low cost product, but I'm curious.

Best,

Erik
coli
291 posts
 
Nope, get AV receiver instead. Integrated is going to sound better unless you go pro audio stack.
kremrik OP
18 posts
 
@coli I'll be honest, at the price range I'm working with, I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a receiver, integrated amp, or amp/preamp stack. I like the *idea* of a simple integrated amp the most, but I think most people wanting to spend less than $300 on an amp would be just as happy following your suggestion.
coli
291 posts
 
@kremrik no, not just that. With AV receiver you get room correction, bass management, upmixing, downmixing, object audio (3D audio), and some even got loudness curves (Audyssey DynamicEQ rocks, Audyssey room correction itself sucks though). Plus you don’t need to worry about interconnects. You lose a lot of quality with interconnect cables (unless you know what you are doing). Also, separates often got issues with power quality and grounding, hence all the talk about power cable, conditioner, etc, with AV receivers there will be 0 issues there. Another issue with separates is the volume control implementation, but I will stop here, don’t even get me started about input jitter and audiophile DACs...

I’ve spent a lot of money on the audiophile stack, a LOT of money. I sold it all. AV receivers are unbeatable unless you go pro audio stack. Audiophile setup is just scams in this day and age.
kremrik OP
18 posts
 
@coli I believe you - in fact, I've become a tad disillusioned with the "audiophile-grade" moniker that gets tossed around by "professionals". Mainly because I've been testing out different aspects of my setups and have consistently been surprised that I can't hear any differences; mainly with differences in DACs, interconnects, speaker stands, and speaker placements. These are things that we've all read should make a HUGE difference in sound quality, but I consistently found to be nonexistent. 

If you wouldn't mind explaining, how do interconnects have a bigger effect with an integrated amp (or stack of amps) vs an AV receiver?
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