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Cambridge DACMagic, anyone? - Page 7  

post #91 of 920
10/18/08 at 3:00pm
I don't know why, but I would thing that they could put something that will be as good as (and even better) than the 840CDP DAC.
not?
I mean, the 840 is in production for a long time, so I am sure they have the knowledge to put something even better as a stand alone DAC, so why not?

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post #92 of 920
10/18/08 at 3:13pm
i bet using a better power supply like some people do with the mini-dac will take this thing up a notch.
post #93 of 920
10/18/08 at 3:33pm
That's a nice idea. Just wonder if I can use the STEPS or o11 with this.
post #94 of 920
10/18/08 at 4:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1UP View Post
Here's a thread with some UK owners' impressions
Their impressions doesn't look too good, but you get what you pay for. But I'm still highly considering this one because of its price
post #95 of 920
10/18/08 at 8:13pm
hi insyte,
same avatar here too Can't wait for the reviews comparing them to the pico dac and the headroom microdac. I have a feeling Larry aka Headphoneaddict will ride on this If I see this in cambridge dealers in the Philippines, I think I'm gonna be getting them right away cause I need an upgrade for my basic pioneer dvd player and laptop.
post #96 of 920
10/18/08 at 9:37pm
I am very interested in this DAC. In part because I was so very interested in the 840 and read a lot of good things. In the end I decided against the 840 in favor of just a good DAC because I rarely listen directly from disk. From what most people say on head-fi the Benckmark DAC1 is a solid choice. Additionally the new MHDT Havana is looking really good in the reviews. I am interested in how DACMagic compares because I really don't want to drop $800+ if I can get roughly equivalent quality for less. High hopes here.
post #97 of 920
10/18/08 at 9:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by donunus View Post
hi insyte,
same avatar here too Can't wait for the reviews comparing them to the pico dac and the headroom microdac. I have a feeling Larry aka Headphoneaddict will ride on this If I see this in cambridge dealers in the Philippines, I think I'm gonna be getting them right away cause I need an upgrade for my basic pioneer dvd player and laptop.
Well, I'm still considering this DAC as a spare/backup for my second rig, but I'm not ready to pull the trigger after buying a Stax Omega 2 Mk2 on Tuesday.

I have three DAC that I use the most - I use the Apogee mini-DAC in my balanced rig, and my HR Micro DAC in my bedside rig, and a Super Pro DAC707 with Sigma 11 PSU for my spare rig in the basement (which when used with the Sigma 11 is basically like the Headroom and close to the Pico DAC as well, but not without the Sigma 11).

I thought about a Stello DA100 as a spare DAC for the basement rig, so I can use the DAC707 with my Apple TV in the bedroom, but I don't need a $700 DAC for that since it gets used much less. So the DACMagic makes more sense, but the Pico is an excellent DAC/Pre-amp if my source is a laptop so I haven't been in a rush.
post #98 of 920
10/19/08 at 1:37am
using the pico as a dac/preamp you go out of the headphone jack into another amp? isn't that gonna deteriorate the sound quality quite a bit? Thats whats bugging me about that whole bit which is making me wait for a pico dac only unit with rca outs and powered by usb no batteries needed. now that would be sweet!
post #99 of 920
10/19/08 at 1:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by donunus View Post
using the pico as a dac/preamp you go out of the headphone jack into another amp? isn't that gonna deteriorate the sound quality quite a bit? Thats whats bugging me about that whole bit which is making me wait for a pico dac only unit with rca outs and powered by usb no batteries needed. now that would be sweet!
Not sure that difference will be that dramatic comparing to standard Pico, but who knows. I hope to hear one soon.
post #100 of 920
10/19/08 at 1:52am
for one thing, the price should be lower without the amp
post #101 of 920
10/19/08 at 2:20am
I pre-ordered one from Wild West Electronics on the 15th and asked when it's going to be shipped. I received this a response:

Quote:
Thank you for your inquiry. We are told by the US distributor that the first batch of DacMagics are due to land in North America around October 22nd. Assuming that occurs, we will receive the initial shipment around October 27th-28th. It usually takes 3-4 business days from the point of entry to get to us. We will be shipping all pre-orders the SAME day we receive it.

Your order is part of the first batch and will ship the day we receive it.
If you plan on pre-ordering one make sure to use the GOOGLE5 code for 5% off (expires 10/31/08).
post #102 of 920
10/19/08 at 2:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by donunus View Post
using the pico as a dac/preamp you go out of the headphone jack into another amp? isn't that gonna deteriorate the sound quality quite a bit? Thats whats bugging me about that whole bit which is making me wait for a pico dac only unit with rca outs and powered by usb no batteries needed. now that would be sweet!
No, it isn't bad as you guess. I plug the Pico into my Macbook USB, and run a nice ALO SXC mini-RCA interconnect from Pico into a full size desktop amp, and it sounds wonderful. I use this same interconnect out of my Apogee mini-DAC's line out, and the two DAC are very comparable. Iron_Dreamer actually first gave me the idea when he sold me his Apogee mini-DAC, because he was using his Pico as DAC/Pre-amp and liked it better.

The Pico is an EXCELLENT USB DAC/Pre-amp for a full size amp, even with my Woo GES with Stax SR-007. Justin knows I use it this way, and at some point in the near future I will be testing (but not reviewing) the "Pico DAC w/out amp" to help make sure there are no bugs in the pre-production unit. I am still begging him to include BOTH the RCA and 3.5mm outputs, like the ALO Vcap docks - and so it can also be used with a separate portable amp (like to feed the Pico without DAC). The D3 DAC can be used that way and I can't imagine not having a 3.5 mm out for a portable DAC-only.
post #103 of 920
10/19/08 at 3:47am
Donunus is everywhere, everytime hehehe. Got too much time on my hands, high on the hobby, yet not enough people to go around to in my area
post #104 of 920
10/19/08 at 3:49am
Anyone knows how the digital filters work? Does it remove bits in the digital signal stream or something? And would this cause an increase in jitter?
Mind you it looks kinda expensive for a 24/96 DAC when in that price range you can get a 24/192 DAC. Is the WM8740 chip superior to the PCM1798 or WM1794 as well? I phoned Richer Sound and they said they are sold out, but it is awful quiet on the first customers side. I expected a major rush for someone to be the first to post a test review.
post #105 of 920
10/19/08 at 4:01am
isn't it 24/192?
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