[vaki]

Hi all,
 
I am considering buying a DAC for my Hifi setup. 
 
I have Harman Kardon HK 6800 amplifier driving Apogee Centaur speakers with laptop as a source.
 
I use the setup for music (70%) and movies/gaming (30%). 
 
I'd like to buy a DAC for around ~ $ 150 with USB and optical input (because I have PS4 as well which I am currently unable to connect to my system).
 
I'd like the DAC to have an option to play hi-res files and be rather warm sounding as it is recommended for Apogees.
 
Would you have any suggestions? I went through the forum but most of the discussions focuses on portable DAC/amps while I don't need neither amplification nor portability.
 
From what I read I see many people recommending SMSL M8 which is sometimes available for this price at Massdrop. Do you have any other recommendations at this price range? I'm mainly looking at DACs with 2.15 Vrms output as I understood this to be ideal for feeding the amp (not sure if this is correct coz I am rather newbie in the technical matters).
 
Thanks.
 
Tomas

 

[jcn3]

I'd save a $100 more and get a Schiit Modi Multibit. That's something you can live with for a long time.

 

[vaki]

  I'd save a $100 more and get a Schiit Modi Multibit. That's something you can live with for a long time.

Thanks, do you think multibit is a noticeable improvement over M8? Coz here (http://www.musicservertips.com/product-reviews/smsl-m8-dac/) they say M8 actually sounds better (see the discussion) 

 

[mapotofu]

If you want to stick to your $150 budget, the current Schiit 2 Uber would also be a great option. It uses the AKM 4490 which has a slightly warmer tone than the older 4396 chip.

 

[jcn3]

  Thanks, do you think multibit is a noticeable improvement over M8? Coz here (http://www.musicservertips.com/product-reviews/smsl-m8-dac/) they say M8 actually sounds better (see the discussion) 

sorry, i don't have any experience with the m8.
 
depending on where you are, you may want to take into consideration ease of service. schiit's in the u.s. and has great customer service (and very reliable products). not sure how you'd get the smsl serviced.