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Sub $1000 DAC with AKM chip

Hi 

I don’t wish to start a heated debate but I’m looking for a DAC for my daughters system. Does anyone have a recommendation for an under $1000 DAC that uses an AKM chip? I have a Topping D90 with AKM that I like. It’s not my endgame DAC but it is substantially better than many I have tried before. I know that many like ESS, Burr Brown, Wolfson etc, but I would prefer to just hear opinions about AKM and I’d also like to stay away from a discussion about streamers (I’m also considering a Bluesound Node)…Hell, I might even get her an Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt since she is so iPhone-centric. She recently voiced her dissatisfaction with low fidelity and wants to hear music from better equipment so I’m giving her one of my integrated tube amps and a set of speakers. I don’t want to go nuts on this since she may ultimately find that hifi is not really as appealing as she imagined.

thanks all for your replies 

ccogopher

Showing 2 responses by soix

soix
8,820 posts
 

Sorry to disobey your wishes, but I’d suggest reading this review of the Musician Draco that’s an R2R DAC.  The reviewer is well versed in the various single-bit chip DACs and so is in a good position to provide a helpful perspective.  Plus, if your daughter gets the bug there’s an easy upgrade path by adding a DDC and utilizing its i2S input — I did this with my Musician Pegasus, and the improvement over SPDIF was not small (maybe a great future birthday/holiday gift?).  

https://soundnews.net/sources/dacs/musician-audio-draco-r-2r-ladder-dac-review/

I started streaming through my iPad/iPhone using a Dragonfly Red with good results (and obviously far superior to running direct from the device), but I upgraded from the pedestrian Apple Camera Adapter to this from LavriCable and it elevated performance significantly and doesn’t cost all that much more…

https://www.lavricables.com/cables/reference-silver-lightning-interconnect-cable-for-oppo-ha-2-centrance-mini-m8/

Anyway, just some thoughts FWIW, and best of luck in getting your daughter to catch “the disease.”

soix
8,820 posts
 

@hilde45 Big +2.  Go by what sound you’re looking for, not just the chip. 

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