DAC advice needed - to conect to WAV/FLAC reader

Hi all,

I'm looking for a DAC to connect to a WAV/FLAC reader. I already done many experiences with WAV/FLAC reader's and already choose the best (Price/Performance). From my experiences the WD TV HD or WD TV HD Live are very similar and the best equipments for the job. 

I have a good cd player (all my system is good, IMHO), but everytime i whant to listen a Wav/Flac files i have to burn a CD and 80% of them only listen 1 or 2 times, so i have been spending money on CD-r.

I tried the WD (and the other's) with a DACMagic (borrowed from a friend) via Toslink/optical and connected to Amp via XLR, and i did like the result. The diferece between CDP with original CD conectd to AMP via XLR and WD + DacMagic connected to second XLR AMP input, didn't was from the nigth to day, it was minimal, very aceptable.

So i do need advice on this.

I've been seaching and reading a lot and from what i read there are better solutions of DacMagic, it's true?

Audio GD NFB-12 - Seems good, from what i've been reading. Pros - HeadPhone AMP (for a possible future utilization), looks good, etc.... Cons - only RCA Outputs

OPUS DAC from Head-fi member - don't know to much about this DAC. Only have RCA Outputs

Little Dot Dac 1  from head-fi member (following on ebay.co.uk) - This one have the same DAC chip of DacMagic and have XLR outputs, but is really good or even better? The member saeid that it is better, but i never listned one.

I have very curiosity on NFB - 11 (Sabre32 ES9018 dac chip), but the seeler told me they have been Discontinued and don't have not 1 for sale, but would like to give a try on this chip dac, what do you guy's think?

I have also somo proposition's of more expensive DAC's, but as i saied before i already have a nice CDP and i think don't justify aquiring a TOP Dac to conect to a WD or a PC.

Can anyone help me with this issue, have any ideas?

Best regards from Portugal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willakan 

I don't think you're going to get much more than a "minimal" improvement with such DACs. Some of the ones you list I would put good money on being inferior to the DACmagic.

I do not believe that you are going to get audibly better than the DACmagic. You can add all types of pleasant distortion and call it "better", but it isn't. Alternatively, another product can do the same thing and rely on the wonders of the human mind to decide it is better anyway.

 

Others will disagree, perhaps strongly.

Willakan,

Thank you for your reply and your point of view. From my list i only know DacMagic an i liked it, but would like to have more feedback from persons that tried DacMagic agains't other Dac's.

I'm now using a Micromega Duo BS (borrowed from a friend) and also sound very good (in the past i had a Micromega Stage 6 and is a very nice CDP). The Duo BS is very dynamic :), but don't read files with 24bit 192khz   .

Any more advices?

abhijollyguy - Can't reply to your PM, sorry (send me your e-mail)

And what do you guy's have to say to a Musical Fidelity M1?

Willakan, from what i have been reading the M1 seem's to be better than DacMagic. What do you think?

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by project86 

I personally was not impressed with the M1 when I had it for a demo. I would not put it above the DacMagic at all. But I know a few people around here love it. 

Thanks for the opinion project86. I know the sound of DACMagic, but don't have any dealer near me with MF M1 to do a demo (neither any friend, if i buy it, i gonna have to do a lot of comparations and blind tests :)   ). I do have a nice deal on one new (a great discont). M1 had grate reviews on Hifi-choice (yes i know it's only reviews), many peple think this gonna be the sucessor of DacMAgic (low-mid budget). Hifi-Choice say "Clean, open sound... one of the best jitter measurements we've seen..." . It have a good thing, XLR outputs, like DACMagic.

Also have a proposal to  Matrix Mini-i, but again, don't know anything from this DAC (only waht i read on foruns).

Very undecided on DAC aquisition.

All opinions are wellcome.

Thanks