Lite AH DAC vs Lite Ah Pacific Valve Mod version - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

Pricklely Peete · 04-15-2008, 05:03 AM

Is the Pac Valve mod worth the extra 60 bucks or would I be better served getting the regular AH and upgrading it myself ?

What are the typical tweaks besides opamp upgrades for the AH that are worthwhile or even necessary to get the most from this little DAC ?

What DAC under 350 US has the most potential for improvement as far as diy tweaks are concerned ?

Is a Zero 24/192 comparable to the AH ?

I know...lots of questions

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

This is for a comp/cdp source to MF X10/XPSU to LD MK III/ HD650 head fi setup. I need an outboard DAC to be able take full advantage of my current gear, plus the added flexibility of choosing digital source with DAC of either computer (toslink or SPDIF via prelude 7.1 card) and dedicated cdp (coax only) without having to swap cables back and forth.

Regards,

Peete

compuryan · 04-15-2008, 05:23 AM

You could get the value mod, it would sound better. But there are many other mods for the DAC-AH out there which can greatly improve the sound.

I have a Lite DAC-AH CAA mod. Modifications are extensive. You can read all about them here: Lite DAC-AH CAA Mod MKII - COEM Audio Australia - High quality HI-FI speakers, cd players, solid state and tube amplifiers

the dac has incredible potential

gz76 · 04-15-2008, 07:39 AM

I have a Lite DAC-AH with CAA Hi-Po mod, phase correction, and OPA627 upgrade. This is a sweet little DAC for the money (I think this is the key), with a nice warm analog sound to it. Detail and accuracy suffers a bit compared to some of my other sources, but it's a fun little device none-the-less. Great upgrade for budget sources IMO, and a great little DAC if you want a project that will offer you a number of upgrade options. Also readily available in the secondhand market if you want to pick one up cheap.

You could email or PM the Coem Audio guys (they're registered here at Head-Fi) about upgrade options... I'm sure they'd be happy to discuss the potential of the DAC-AH with you.

Pricklely Peete · 04-16-2008, 04:05 AM

Thanks for the suggestions guys ! !

Hats off to the members of Head Fi,

Regards,

Peete.

Pricklely Peete · 04-17-2008, 02:09 AM

Hi guys, seems the pricing is a little outta whack from Aussie land, no matter

Anyone tried a Xindak DAC 3 MK II (319 US) from NY Sound ? Looks like a well built,spec'd piece of gear .

Shipping is 129 bones....ouch....price of admission I suppose.

Regards,

Peete.