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Help Choosing DAC

post #1 of 9
1/4/11 at 5:34pm
Thread Starter 

I have a nice PC, Lossless files, I'm building a Mini^3 Portable Amp, now to improve stationary source. Can someone recomend me which DIY DAC to build next ? 

 

GrubbDAC

AMB Y1

Other... ?

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post #2 of 9
1/4/11 at 5:43pm

budget?

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post #3 of 9
1/4/11 at 7:07pm

USB or Coax in an important factor in the choice.

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post #4 of 9
1/5/11 at 2:54pm
Thread Starter 

@stringgz301, My budget is <150$

 

@cobaltmute, Which one has an audio advantage ? It would be nice to use USB to be able to connect to my laptop but not necessary. My stationary PC does have a coax port.

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post #5 of 9
1/5/11 at 3:46pm

Well the GrubDAC only does USB while the the gamma1 can do both.

 

As for which is better of USB or SPDIF, that is a religious debate.  I don't have a SPDIF source, so my choice is made for me, so I can't comment on any differences.

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post #6 of 9
1/8/11 at 3:28am

I don't see why can anyone say, that USB is better than S/PDIF. USB is universal bus (with many problems coming from its universality) and S/PDIF is interface made just for audio.

But difference between USB and S/PDIF is small in "real world".

USB is definetely very universal and it's practically imposible to connect DAC to laptop without USB.

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post #7 of 9
1/11/11 at 8:40am
Thread Starter 

What are the limits to the GrubDAC and the Gamma 1 ? 24/96 or is one higher/lower ?

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post #8 of 9
1/11/11 at 9:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AmarokCZ View Post

I don't see why can anyone say, that USB is better than S/PDIF. USB is universal bus (with many problems coming from its universality) and S/PDIF is interface made just for audio.

But difference between USB and S/PDIF is small in "real world".

USB is definetely very universal and it's practically imposible to connect DAC to laptop without USB.


All I can say is that it's much more complicated than you make it out to be...

 

Not all SPDIF is created equal and not all USB is created equal.

 

 

Further USB Audio Class 1 only supports 16/48

 

(Referring to USB Audio specification from USB 1.0. All "driverless" usb DAC's have this limitation.

USB 2.0 brings upon a new USB Audio specification that does not have this limitation, but Microsoft has yet to make any drivers for it, and therefore, these devices are very rare. (And only work in *nix or with high-cost proprietary drivers))

 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by iLovPieNCake View Post

What are the limits to the GrubDAC and the Gamma 1 ? 24/96 or is one higher/lower ?

Both GrubDAC and Gamma 1 are limited to 16/48 when connected by USB.

Gamma 1 supports 24bit audio when connected by SPDIF.


Edited by nullstring - 1/11/11 at 9:49am
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post #9 of 9
1/14/11 at 12:07pm
Thread Starter 

Would a sound card be a better more quality solution because of it's PCI or PCI-E Interface ?

 

I have found the sad reality that unless I am listening to vinyls or Modified Recordings, no music achieves above 16/44.1. =\

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