What DAC to get?

@fuzztone  


So your addition to this discussion is to belittle and shame because you don't like my setup?

Nice.

@chorus   

$2K

@soix

I am going out of my Acer Helios 300 Predator Laptop into an Audioquest FMJ Jitterbug and the Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt.  Then going out via 3.5 Stereo Pin using Synergistic Research Foundation cable into Audioengine A2+ via RCA. Then via Synergistic Foundation from the A2+ to the Audioengine S8 subwoofer via RCA to RCA.

It would be convenient for me if the DAC I get has the capacity to output from 3.5 Stereo Pin, but won't be the big problem if it doesn't.  I could take the RCA-to-RCA cable running the subwoofer and use it to go out of the DAC and into the speakers, then go RCA out of the speaker and into the subwoofer via 3.5 Stereo Pin.

@yyzsantabarbara


So far, that Gustard X26 Pro looks like a good front runner :).  Having two ES9038PROs, one for each channel, is basically like having two Cobalts. :)

@jjss49

CDs are 44.1 @ 16 bit - 24bit (depending on when the CD was produced).  They can be ripped to any number of lossless formats. Whether these files exist on a thumb drive, external drive or internal hard-drive, the bits are the bits.

The Acer Helios 300 Predator isn't a low-end computer. I have upgraded it to 32gig of RAM with two internal solid state drives, the primary being an NVME drive. I have manually set the min/max size and offloaded the Windows swap file to the non-windows drive, which reduces seek time and offers faster through put if needed. My system is more than capable of kernel streaming bit-perfect sound bits over USB. Therefore, I have difficulty accepting the logic that my delivery system is flawed.

The laptop's power brick uses Shunyata's Venom V14 Digital power cable, and into Shunyata's Venom V16 Power Distributor, powered by Shunyata's Reference Delta XC power cable and into Audioquest's NRG Edison socket. This ensures that the system has the cleanest power in which to formulate and complete the audio packets it sends to USB.

Then the Audioquest FMJ Jitterbug filters any noise that might make into the USB stream.  The Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt also has built-in noise filtration as well as the DAC and a clock.  It also amplifies the signal.

I am more than confident that my system's ability to resolve digital audio files into pleasing sound is beyond adequate.

Is there room for improvement?  Absolutely, which is why I am looking to move away from the portable DAC into a standalone DAC, that carries its own power source and can resolve sound better.

My desire to keep the 3.5 cable is more for convenience. The speakers I am connecting to or will connect in the future, do not use XLR inputs. Therefore, RCA to RCA or RCA to 3.5 stereo pin are my only choices.

Even the $6,000 Rockna wavelight has RCA outputs.  So, I don't think the specifications I am seeking are shortsighted.

@yyzsantabarbara

I may have to agree. It fits my budget and has the primary DAC component that has the sound signature I like.  Thanks for that recommendation. :D

@jjss49

I hear you. It's just the cable I bought is only a month or so old and costs $800. I would hate to have to put it in the closet. However, I see the merit in abandoning the 3.5 stereo pin format in favor of a more robust connection method.  At present I am using the A2+ but plan on upgrading to the HD6.  Still no balanced connection method. So it does seem RCA-to-RCA is the likely method.

@yyzsantabarbara

Thanks again!  I think this one is the winner. I would get it right now at whatever price....but...I made promises and must wait 2 years :(