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What would you buy Sub $350 Firewire/USB DAC

Hello and thank you for reading my post.

I have a pair of B&W DM 610s with a Music Fidelity B1 amplifier. My old ADC CD player is slowly passing away, and I've been thinking of using my IBM X61 laptop as an audio source.

Here is a short list that I'm considering, and I would greatly appreciate any advice.

Best,

Music Prof.

StyleAudio Carat-HD1V
Styleaudio Peridot USB DAC
Fubar III
DIYEDEN SVDAC05 USB DAC
DIYEDEN SVDAC04 USB DAC
Blue Circle USB
AudioSector USB NOS DAC
Apogee Mini-DAC w/USB option
Peter Daniel NOS USB DAC
DacMagic Digital to Analogue Converter
Peter Daniel USB DAC
KECES 151 USB DAC
KECES DA-131 USB DAC
Vintage Audio Lab DAC
Squeezebox classic
Musiland MD 10 Bit Select USB DAC
DIYEDEN SVDAC05 USB DAC
Yulong DAH 1 USB DAC
music_prof

Showing 4 responses by musicman07

musicman07
126 posts
 
Considering the dozens of choices that is a bit of a "short list". ;)

I've considered several possibilites as well over the last year or two. So what did I end up with? A pro rather than consumer audio piece in the Focusrite Saffire Le which connects the computer via firewire. I also have a NOS tube DAC in the Paradisea+ (non-USB version).

www.focusrite.com/products/saffire/saffire_le/
musicman07
126 posts
 
Most of the USB DAC chips used are not up to the task at hand. There are only a handful of DACs that "properly" implement the use of USB, i.e. the Benchmark DAC-1 (which has other deterrents). You'll repeatedly see chips such as the PCM2702/4/7 and CS102-108 turning up in these products. Bel Canto is a fairly expensive DAC that is looking to better the USB connection, however I'd prefer it in one box not two. Not to say, as an above poster, that having everything in one box improves sound quality. If it's done right it can. A poorly designed or built integrated amp will suffer as ideally these units will have separation between them. Still less expensive when built properly?
musicman07
126 posts
 
Yes, that's just the "box". It's $495, the DAC3 is $2495.
musicman07
126 posts
 
As Steve would point out products like the BC Thingee, and HagUSB use the same PCM2704 USB chip already used in many consumer DACs. So the benefit of one of these would be negated. That's where the Bel Canto converter box is superior... not quite to the Empirical level but an improvement over the common units.

I believe the old Waveterminal U24 used the TAS1020A chip, though details are sketchy. A newer version is available as well, though again details are lacking. It's closer to $200.
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