Best DAC for Grado's?

the best dac isn't heard.. that's what they do, convert ones and zeros to sound, without getting in the way. 

Whatever your ears and brain tells you.  A DAC is literally a small piece of the puzzle.  The rest is components, design, and overall implementation.  I suggest you go to your favorite local hi-fi store that has them and audition them if they let you, or find a head-fi meet.

A neutral DAC, I would say.  Perhaps one with mild treble roll-off if the Grado treble bothers you.

i believe a good dac should not color the sound. maybe check out the schiit bifrost?

It's going to depend on your amp and your overall system.  Don't get too expensive a dac or an amp, because you're not going to use the one to its full potential otherwise. For instance, I now have 4 dacs in my possession I've been testing. With one amp, they all sound the same.  With a better amp, there are a range of differences.  So obviously, if I'm only going to have the first amp, there's no point in wasting 2x money on a fantastic dac, since you won't hear any difference.

A good quality DAC will make your computer, iPod or iPad sound far better than the DACs they normally have in that type of equipment.

For example: somewhere on Head-Fi are are a few Cambridge DacMagic owners threads. Check 'em out.

Figure out what you are going to use it for:

for example: are you going to use it with your computer?   Then you want a DAC with USB digital inputs

are you going to use it with a low quality CD player or DVD or Blu Ray player?  then you want a DAC with either an RCA (coaxial) or a Toslink (optical) SPDIF digital input.

Are you going to use it with an iPad or an iPod? then make sure it is Apple compatible or at least see if your iPod or iPad can output digital via USB.

I'm looking for a DAC myself and will probably get one with several different digital inputs for the versatility. Maybe an Arcam rDAC. There are a few rDAC threads on Head Fi.

I just (reluctantly) sold my Yulong D100, which I still consider one of the best buys in hifi audio right now. Incredible versatility, a very respectable headphone amplifier and a fantastic dac, all for about $400.  Another good all in one is the NuForce Icon HD (or HDP if you want to use it with a stereo). Another good one is the Centrance Dacport, which would totally drive those grados.  All these can be found used for $350 and you could sell your little dot and/or fiio to make up some of the difference, all would be a fantastic improvement.

Above that level, it gets costly for minimal gains (I know, I've just wasted the money.)  Dacs start running $800-$1200 and then you need at least a $400-$600 headphone amp to really get a good sound out of them, so you're jumping from around $400-$500 to around $1200-$1500 really quickly, and the difference in quality - despite what many around here say - is VERY minimal.  

no don't sell your little dot I+, it is one of the best tube amps for grados. Grados aren't picky so you won't need to spend alot in the entire setup. Budget DACS like HRT streamer II, Udac2, Audinst MX-1 or even entry Audiogd products are all sufficient pairings to the little dot I+ and should sound fairly good. I've had the Little dot I+ through my entire grado upgrade path from Sr80 to sr325i and then to the RS1, all sounded extremely good. Udac2 is slightly on the bright side which i didn't like, my audinst mx-1 and audiogd nfb-12 were on the warm side so it sounded really pleasing through the tube amp. So you might want to consider those. Or even the Streamer II if you prefer neutrality.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVU 

I just (reluctantly) sold my Yulong D100, which I still consider one of the best buys in hifi audio right now. Incredible versatility, a very respectable headphone amplifier and a fantastic dac, all for about $400.  Another good all in one is the NuForce Icon HD (or HDP if you want to use it with a stereo). Another good one is the Centrance Dacport, which would totally drive those grados.  All these can be found used for $350 and you could sell your little dot and/or fiio to make up some of the difference, all would be a fantastic improvement.

 

Above that level, it gets costly for minimal gains (I know, I've just wasted the money.)  Dacs start running $800-$1200 and then you need at least a $400-$600 headphone amp to really get a good sound out of them, so you're jumping from around $400-$500 to around $1200-$1500 really quickly, and the difference in quality - despite what many around here say - is VERY minimal.  

Ouch!

Sorry about that.

Sounds like you are not too impressed with what the Eastern Electric does? Or doesn't do?
 

Oh, not at all. I'm QUITE impressed. That's why I'm keeping it, after having tested 4 new dacs recently.  And I can say it handily beats every dac I've heard from audio-gd, ibasso, yulong, centrance, and peachtree.

I completely concur with the reviewers in this multiple review:

http://www.stereomojo.com/Eastern%20Electric%20MiniMax%20DAC%20Review/EasternElectricMiniMaxDACReview.htm

and trust this 6 way test against the Anedio D1, the Halo, the Lavry DA11, and others:

http://www.stereomojo.com/Stereomojo%20Six%20DAC%20Shootout.htm/StereomojoSixDACShootout.htm

Furthermore, the reason I've decided to stop comparing it against other new dacs up to twice its price range (I was going to get trials of stuff like the JKDac, the Rega, Wyred for Sound, Metrum Octave, etc) is that this has something none of those can match, which is that it's opamp and tube rollable, meaning that you can easily adjust the sound signature depending on your present or future headphones, speakers, amplifiers, etc.  So from reading reviews and my own experience, I believe that any sound changes will be very minor amongst all these units, and they are more than trumped by the lack of versatility.

It's an incredible buy, used, which is the only place you can get it, since they no longer make it.  The new one they make is ok, but I don't consider it that much of an improvement and it's $400 more, so much less of a bargain.

BUT... 

While the Minimax is a fantastic value compared to the truly insane cost of high end dacs (Weiss dac2 at $8000, and so forth), people just getting started need to realize the extent to which the law of diminishing returns applies in this hobby.  Moving from the output of your computer and a pair of crummy headphones to a D100 and some decent $150 cans is like moving from a boombox to a nice stereo system.  But moving from a D100 and those $150 to a minimax, a $500 amp, and a $1000 pair of headphones is like moving from a nice stereo system to a really nice stereo system.  Sure there's a difference, maybe even a "big" difference, but there's no way you can compare it to that original move from the boombox!  Once people are spending $500+ for cables, they're truly in "la-la land."