Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Dedicated Source Components › iBasso DB1 vs. DACMagic vs. other balanced DAC <$300
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

iBasso DB1 vs. DACMagic vs. other balanced DAC <$300

post #1 of 6
8/29/11 at 12:50am
Thread Starter 
Hello everyone!

Thanks in advance for the readers of my topic!

I'm getting the Pure i20, and I would llike to buy a balanced DAC, in order to get a balanced system with the iBasso PB1 I already have. My HP are Grado HF2 and AKG K340, and I'm mainly listening to Rock Music. I'm of course considering iBasso DB1, but condidering that I don't need portability for my DAC, I was wondering if going desktop would give me a better quality. I assume the iBasso combo will have a better synergy, but I was wondering if other desktop dacs with balanced outputs in the same price range could be better. I was especially considering the Dacmagic which can be bought used foe about the same price as a new DB1.

Thabk you very much for your answers!
Antoine
Reply
post #2 of 6
8/30/11 at 7:34am
Thread Starter 

Hello,

 

Noone has compared the CA Dacmagic to the DB1/DB2? I know it's a weird comparison, but since I don't care about portability, I'm wondering if the DB1 can compare sonically to the Dacmagic.

 

Thanks!

 

Antoine

Reply
post #3 of 6
8/30/11 at 12:13pm

I've been pleased with the Little Dot DAC_I DAC. I've gone through several upgrades: amp, headphones - even interconnects and the DAC_I has stood up to all of it with an increase in detail, among other things, coming through with every upgrade. I'm sure there's a limit to what this DAC can offer but I don't think I've hit it yet.

Reply
post #4 of 6
8/30/11 at 1:20pm
Thread Starter 

Hi, and thanks for your answer!

 

I completely missed this DAC! It looks very interesting, the reviews are nice! But sadly I couldn't find any comparison with the DB1, so if someone could compare the two, I'm interested in this too!

 

Thanks,

 

ANtoine

Reply
post #5 of 6
8/31/11 at 10:50pm

I would also recommend the Little Dot DAC_1, especially if you are looking for a clear, detailed sound. If you are looking for a "warmer" approach, it may not be your best bet (I use mine with a tube amp (LD Mk III)). Also worthy of a mention is the quality of the USB input (if this is relevant to you).
 

 

I would add as a caveat, though, that I haven't tried the balanced outputs!
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by jr41 View Post

I've been pleased with the Little Dot DAC_I DAC. I've gone through several upgrades: amp, headphones - even interconnects and the DAC_I has stood up to all of it with an increase in detail, among other things, coming through with every upgrade. I'm sure there's a limit to what this DAC can offer but I don't think I've hit it yet.



 

Reply
post #6 of 6
9/1/11 at 12:41am

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by CJG888 View Post

I would also recommend the Little Dot DAC_1, especially if you are looking for a clear, detailed sound. If you are looking for a "warmer" approach, it may not be your best bet (I use mine with a tube amp (LD Mk III)). Also worthy of a mention is the quality of the USB input (if this is relevant to you).
 

 

I would add as a caveat, though, that I haven't tried the balanced outputs!


I should have added that caveat also as I've only ever used the DAC_I via the single ended outputs. On the sound signature of the DAC, personally I'm in the camp that believes your source should be as transparent as possible, allowing you to 'customise' your sound with devices further down the chain, i.e. via the headphones (primarily) and amp, etc. 

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Dedicated Source Components
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Dedicated Source Components › iBasso DB1 vs. DACMagic vs. other balanced DAC <$300