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Beginner Audiophile Setup - Page 2

post #16 of 26
8/27/09 at 1:55am
so, should op get a, not junky, but inexpensive sound card as well as a DAC/Amp?
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post #17 of 26
8/27/09 at 2:44am
not really, he/she could go with a USB DAC+Amp. Only reason why I use my sound card because I already have it.
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post #18 of 26
8/27/09 at 8:34am
I would skip the Zero due to reliability issues, but the Compass is a great starting point/bang for buck value.
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post #19 of 26
8/27/09 at 12:23pm
Compass showed me a REAL step in DAC amp that portables just cant cut into, at home. Huge difference. Get one they are extremely good price for what you get. Just $40~ more than a D10 and you get a NICE amp/dac.
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post #20 of 26
8/27/09 at 12:54pm
How would the Compass compare to my current E-MU 0404 and Mini^3 setup?
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post #21 of 26
8/28/09 at 12:45pm
X2 for the Compass. I've been very pleased with the DAC/Amp combo unit, which is built like a tank. The previous comments about it being a "swiss army knife" are right on. It has USB, coax, & optical digital inputs. Aside from it's DAC & HP amp duties, you can also use it as a pre-amp, if necessary.
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post #22 of 26
8/28/09 at 4:59pm
are there any stores that sell compass amps within canada?
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post #23 of 26
8/28/09 at 5:07pm
I think most people would buy them straight from china. Unless you guys have something like Pacific Valve & Electric Company Home Page which imports them to the states.
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post #24 of 26
8/28/09 at 9:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoth17 View Post
If you do:
computer/sound card -> DAC -> Amp -> headphones

does that make a sound card pointless?
I think it would make the sound card
pointless.

If you're using the Xonar or something
where you customized the op-amps (eg., a
Burson discrete op-amp), etc, I think
you would not want to use a DAC
& use the RCA analog outputs of your
sound card to the amp instead.
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post #25 of 26
9/30/12 at 4:37am

can someone recommend the best headphones under 200 and a dac/amp under 150 ? please and thank you in advance 

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post #26 of 26
10/2/12 at 7:24am

For about 200 you can have AT esw9s. I agree with the compass suggestion but if you are looking for something cheaper, a friend of mine really likes his y1 dac which can be had for dirt cheap(diy). Then you'd only need an amp.

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