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DACMagic vs. Audio-GD DAC19 DSP1

post #1 of 207
2/16/10 at 7:35pm
Thread Starter 
I'm debating between these two DACs for the upgrades I'm planning in the near future. The DACMagic is ~$250 cheaper than the DSP1 version of the DAC19, but I've heard it performs much better than it's price would suggest (although I've heard the same in regards to the DAC19).

I'm wondering which of these would be more neutral yet still musical and fun to listen to? I don't want a super analytical sound (see the headphones I use for the reason why), I'm just looking for something balanced and fairly neutral, but that doesn't make the music boring.
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post #2 of 207
2/17/10 at 12:19am
DACMagic is a so so DAC.

As you are already a Audio-Gd owner, you must know their product has high CP ratio.

DAC19 DSP1 is a good DAC worth much higher than it's price.


p.s. owner of REF1, REF3, Compass, Fun, C39, C10, K701, DAC1
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post #3 of 207
2/17/10 at 6:12am
You should also consider the DAC19 with the DF1704, still a very fine DAC and alot cheaper than the DSP-1 version. No one has done a head-to-head so whether the DSP-1 version is worth the $'s is up for debate. You can also go my preferred PMD100 route.
There is a lot of folks who believe that DSP based filters will never sound as good as silicon in wire, I haven't heard one as good so I didn't take the DSP-1 plunge. It could be the breakthru though, nice thing is you could always buy the DSP board later when you had the spare change.
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post #4 of 207
2/17/10 at 6:15am
Audio-gd DACs are comparable to DACs costing 4 - 5x their price, sometimes more. The DAC19-DSP1 would eat the Dacmagic for breakfast.
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post #5 of 207
2/17/10 at 11:51am
IpodPJ: "Audio-gd DACs are comparable to DACs costing 4 - 5x their price, sometimes more. The DAC19-DSP1 would eat the Dacmagic for breakfast."

So you think that a DAC19-DSP1 would be way better than a Lavry DA11 or a Benchmark DAC-1?

Which DACs that cost $2400-3000 is the Audio-gd DAC19-DSP1 comparable with?


Thanks!
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post #6 of 207
2/17/10 at 11:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by shabta View Post
IpodPJ: "Audio-gd DACs are comparable to DACs costing 4 - 5x their price, sometimes more. The DAC19-DSP1 would eat the Dacmagic for breakfast."

So you think that a DAC19-DSP1 would be way better than a Lavry DA11 or a Benchmark DAC-1?


Thanks!
Absolutely.


They compare with expensive Mark Levinsons, thats the only DAC's I've heard that compete with the AudioGD designs.
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post #7 of 207
2/17/10 at 12:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmychan View Post
DACMagic is a so so DAC.

As you are already a Audio-Gd owner, you must know their product has high CP ratio.

DAC19 DSP1 is a good DAC worth much higher than it's price.


p.s. owner of REF1, REF3, Compass, Fun, C39, C10, K701, DAC1
Quote:
Originally Posted by IPodPJ View Post
Audio-gd DACs are comparable to DACs costing 4 - 5x their price, sometimes more. The DAC19-DSP1 would eat the Dacmagic for breakfast.
I take it you two heard the DacMagic and DAC19?
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post #8 of 207
2/17/10 at 1:58pm
LOL -- the hyperbole about the Audio-Gd gave me a good laugh with my coffee.
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post #9 of 207
2/17/10 at 3:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Il Mostro View Post
LOL -- the hyperbole about the Audio-Gd gave me a good laugh with my coffee.
It is true that some members here "hype" Audio-gd a lot but I honestly think there is a good reason for that. Kingwa is a great guy to deal with who will go out of his ways to satisfy his customers and his products are solidly built and have good price/performance ratio. What more could you ask other than making his gears look more stylish?

I know very well that he would get a different treatment here if he is American or European.
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post #10 of 207
2/17/10 at 10:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by .Sup View Post
I take it you two heard the DacMagic and DAC19?
LOL...probably not. I did prefer the PS Audio DAC only very slightly to the DacMagic and it cost $300 more. And this was some very serious A-B comparisons.

It was so slight, that I could not justify 80% more $$$ for only a 5% improvement at best. At least with my ears and HD800s.
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post #11 of 207
2/18/10 at 12:40am
Do a search in the DAC-19MK3 thread. At least three members have compared both DACs, and IIRC all thought the DAC-19MK3 was much better.
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post #12 of 207
2/18/10 at 4:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Il Mostro View Post
LOL -- the hyperbole about the Audio-Gd gave me a good laugh with my coffee.
lol indeed. It managed to put a smile on my face.
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post #13 of 207
2/18/10 at 4:42am
Hyperbole aside, I think it's strange to simply claim that 'this DAC is better than that DAC'. Despite what some people believe, DACs can sound really different from each other. Between the design of the output stages, the DA chips used and the DSP going on before DA conversion you can do a lot as a designer to give a DAC a very particular sound.
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post #14 of 207
2/18/10 at 5:40am
I have a reputation for being very critical of commercial designs especially favored brands like Eddie Current, CI Audio, PS Audio, and others. When I was out on a limb designing my own DAC I found the AudioGD DAC's and have never looked back, they truley are fantastic. Call it Hyperbole if you like, but there is nothing that compares in their price range, that's a fact.
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post #15 of 207
2/18/10 at 6:37am
I thought Audio-Gd were hypernbole before I got one.

I have two Benchmark DAC1 before I started buying Audio-GD stuff last year.

After I got REF1 and compared with the DAC1, I was amazed by it's performance, I now have many Audio-GD gears, including 3 DACs, 1 pre-Amp and 1 power Amp.
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