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Praise for DacMagic

Just wanted to give some very positive feedback for the Cambridge Audio DacMagic DAC. It doesn't seem to get much attention around these forums, but I am enjoying it immensely. In my opion, terrific value for the money.

During the past few weeks, I have used it with great success both within a PC music server and 2-channel environments.

Who knows, I may end up switching it out for a better DAC in the future, but for now I am quite pleased.

As a side note, I was not impressed with it at first when used to enhance an NAD C541 CDP. On a whim, I switched out the NAD for a modest Sony DVD player that is around 5-7 years old. Then, everything came into place and the music was rich and detailed. The Sony DVD/DacMagic combination blew the doors off the NAD/DacMagic combination. Go figure...
headshrinker2

Showing 8 responses by wolf_garcia

wolf_garcia
6,767 posts
 
According to a discussion I just had with Audio Advisor, the P100 will work with the "plus" as soon as they get a cable that fits (none of the supplied cables work because of a larger center pin on the "plus" PS input). So there.
wolf_garcia
6,767 posts
 
The original DACMagic is designed for 12 volt DC also. At least that's what it says on the PS input.
wolf_garcia
6,767 posts
 
It may be that the P100 noise filtering in both directions is a major deal. The "faqs" section for the P100 at Audio Advisor has the best description yet of what the P100 is all about (conversation with the designer), and I just ordered another one for my 640P phono preamp. Hot running "wall wart" power supplies annoy me, but the P100 runs cool and is seemingly a bargain for what it does.
wolf_garcia
6,767 posts
 
The Squeezebox Touch has it's own sound...sort of sweet and "lower middy", but altogether not bad. In my compulsive quest for the cheapest possible upgrades I discovered that used DACMagics are around $300, and meet my needs for balanced outs and multiple ins (for Squeezebox and CD digital coax outs). Happily it made a LARGE improvement over the 'Touch alone (more coherant, sweeter, more accurate seemingly), makes my old but well designed Marantz CD player (a sturdy "changer" actually...NOBODY talks about those) sing, and added 3 blue lights! Might have something to do with the "re-clocking jitter reduction", upsampling, and better dacs/filters. The 'Touch lands the fish and the DACMagic cleans it. The P100 is sort of a calming presence except for the blindingly bright LED. FYI, the DACMagic "plus" comes to the US later this month, and looks way cool.
wolf_garcia
6,767 posts
 
I bought another P100 for my 640P phono preamp...I love those damned things. Seems to make the 640P warmer and more accurate...or something...and having 2 P100s next to each other in the back of my rack looks like the headlights in some space vehicle that landed there. A nice, somewhat mysterious vibe. Combined with the red filter I stuck on my Littlite, there is now a more serious red/blue theme happening...holiday appropriate!
wolf_garcia
6,767 posts
 
The "plus" supposedly will be in the US later this month.
wolf_garcia
6,767 posts
 
I predict the DACMagic plus will get RAVE reviews over the next couple of months and it will eventually be on every "best of 2012" list. Watch.
wolf_garcia
6,767 posts
 
HA...yeah...I wonder if the P100 will work with the "plus", but I'm in no hurry to swap out my now "classic" DACMagic.
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