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post #661 of 768
3/30/10 at 2:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by userlander View Post
Get the DAC-Extasy on ebay for $99 plus $10 shipping, and don't look back:

DAC-EXTASY USB HIGH-FIDELITY PC STEREO DAC w/ LINE-OUTS - eBay (item 260521053379 end time Apr-08-10 13:10:51 PDT)

You won't find a better DAC for even twice the money, unless perhaps you know what you're doing with DIY. Even then doubtful.
Uhm, you mean $169, right?

I'm looking for a decent DAC and had been considering the uDAC for a while, but this DAC-Extasy also looks (and sounds ) promising. If it's really $99 I'll definitely go for it.

And btw, has hotaudio40 been banned? It says "Banned" under his nickname and he hasn't been online for several days.
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post #662 of 768
3/30/10 at 3:02pm
It was definitely at $99 when I first checked that link yesterday. One strange thing about hotaudio is how much his prices fluctuate with little notice or sense... I'd probably ask him directly if you really want it for the $99 price.

As for his ban, he actually asked Jude himself to be banned a few days ago. It's a long story, and we're not supposed to be talking about bans here on Head-fi anyways, so I'll just leave it at that.
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post #663 of 768
3/30/10 at 4:32pm
ok got it, thanks for your help!
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post #664 of 768
3/31/10 at 2:51am
I have the Dac-Extasy and can't say anything bad about it. To be fair, its my first DAC so I don't have anything to compare it to.

Once I get more cash I am going to "upgrade" to an Audio-GD DAC19 and then I'll be able to tell how big the difference is.
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post #665 of 768
3/31/10 at 10:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pacmantravis View Post
I have the Dac-Extasy and can't say anything bad about it. To be fair, its my first DAC so I don't have anything to compare it to.

Once I get more cash I am going to "upgrade" to an Audio-GD DAC19 and then I'll be able to tell how big the difference is.
Might not even be much of an "upgrade." I've found the FOTM audio-gd stuff a little overly hyped (and imo overrated) here.
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post #666 of 768
3/31/10 at 11:28am
Well, I just got a C2 and it's a definite improvement over my old Millet Hybrid Max -- So I'm not sure that they are overrated.
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post #667 of 768
3/31/10 at 11:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pacmantravis View Post
Well, I just got a C2 and it's a definitel improvement over my old Millet Hybrid Max -- So I'm not sure that they are overrated.
My C-2C definitely was. It didn't sound natural at all, like most of the hotaudio stuff tends to. The soundstage and balance was all off - the worst I have ever heard with any audio device, in fact. And the compass was another huge FOTM, touted as some really great giant killer dac/amp for months, and then when you read between the lines later you realize it was just mediocre at best.

It seems to be another "uDAC" syndrome, where some user with a high post count will tout certain gear, and then everyone else falls in line, amplifies the hype (no pun intended), and then everyone else becomes afraid to say the emperor has no clothes. Well, that is my experience with a lot of the stuff promoted around here, at least. YMMV.
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post #668 of 768
4/1/10 at 12:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by userlander View Post
My C-2C definitely was. It didn't sound natural at all, like most of the hotaudio stuff tends to. The soundstage and balance was all off - the worst I have ever heard with any audio device, in fact. And the compass was another huge FOTM, touted as some really great giant killer dac/amp for months, and then when you read between the lines later you realize it was just mediocre at best.

It seems to be another "uDAC" syndrome, where some user with a high post count will tout certain gear, and then everyone else falls in line, amplifies the hype (no pun intended), and then everyone else becomes afraid to say the emperor has no clothes. Well, that is my experience with a lot of the stuff promoted around here, at least. YMMV.
It's not called "uDAC" syndrome, it's called "FOTM", and I'm imagine that it does happen. But I disagree that the uDAC is FOTM (flavor of the month). It's a nice $99 DAC/amp and works well as a RCA line-out DAC. It's not a "giant killer", but I'm listening right now with Westone 3 and the sound is very good for the price (or even if they were charging $149 - $199). I can switch from my $399 DACport to the $99 uDAC and hear the drop in sound quality easily, but it does not become bad at all but just becomes not as good.
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post #669 of 768
4/1/10 at 11:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post
It's not called "uDAC" syndrome, it's called "FOTM", and I'm imagine that it does happen. But I disagree that the uDAC is FOTM (flavor of the month). It's a nice $99 DAC/amp and works well as a RCA line-out DAC. It's not a "giant killer", but I'm listening right now with Westone 3 and the sound is very good for the price (or even if they were charging $149 - $199). I can switch from my $399 DACport to the $99 uDAC and hear the drop in sound quality easily, but it does not become bad at all but just becomes not as good.
Funny, the same thing happened when I switched from my DT880s to skullcandies. It became "not as good."
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post #670 of 768
4/1/10 at 11:48am
I think it is called "I have a $500 DAC and I'm not about to accept a $99 DAC being decent" syndrome.
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post #671 of 768
4/1/10 at 11:30pm

x2

Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post
It's not called "uDAC" syndrome, it's called "FOTM", and I'm imagine that it does happen. But I disagree that the uDAC is FOTM (flavor of the month). It's a nice $99 DAC/amp and works well as a RCA line-out DAC. It's not a "giant killer", but I'm listening right now with Westone 3 and the sound is very good for the price (or even if they were charging $149 - $199). I can switch from my $399 DACport to the $99 uDAC and hear the drop in sound quality easily, but it does not become bad at all but just becomes not as good.
Well said Larry.

I think it is a great amp/dac and use it exclusively with my IEMs while at my laptop and I am still very happy with it 3 months later.
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post #672 of 768
4/4/10 at 1:48am
I'm thinking about some kind of DAC for my La Figaro 336 + HD650 and STAX set-up since the Zero just doesn't satisfy me like it used to.

Any ideas how a DAC-Extasy would fair? For $99 (if I can get that price at all) its pretty tempting.
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post #673 of 768
4/4/10 at 9:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nsx_23 View Post
I'm thinking about some kind of DAC for my La Figaro 336 + HD650 and STAX set-up since the Zero just doesn't satisfy me like it used to.

Any ideas how a DAC-Extasy would fair? For $99 (if I can get that price at all) its pretty tempting.
Because of its very neutral profile, and how it's said that the uDAC -- which has a very different profile -- doesn't do well with HD650s, I would think the Extasy would be a perfect match for the 650s. I've never heard the Zero to compare against, though.
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post #674 of 768
4/4/10 at 9:51am
Hmm, I never tried the uDac with the HD650.
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post #675 of 768
4/4/10 at 1:31pm
Based on my personal experience, I wouldn't recommend the uDAC for the HD650 unless you have a colder/analytical type of amp to make up for uDAC's warmness.
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