[wnewport]

To use with my av710's optical out, which DAC is the best for around 100 bucks?

 

[cmirza]

Look on eBay for Entech Number Cruncher 203.2, I got mine for $50 shipped. They usually range from $50-$100 depending on how lucky you are. They are all NOS (New, Old Stock) and sound excellent, exceeding the 0404 by a mile IMO. It's recieved a pretty high review here: http://www.proaudioreview.com/august99/Entech-web.shtml. They are very neutral sounding (just a little bright...) and are built like a tank.

Don't let the fact that Entech is owned by Monster Cable scare you away. The Number Cruncher DACs were designed by the same guy who designed the Audio Alchemy DAC-in-the-Box, a very highly regarded outboard DAC. The Number Cruncher series is supposed to be the successor to the DITB.

Other than the Number Cruncher, the only other DAC I'd be interested in is a DAC-Ah, which you can get for ~$150 and should last you a while since it can be upgraded plenty.

 

[cmirza]

Almost forgot the DIYKITS Dac In Box: http://www.diykits.com.hk/dac.html.

Its supposed to be simmilar to the Zhalou DAC but with out all the extra parts. It's only $60 (or $86 with the suggested SLA battery charger) and might also be worth looking into. I'd pair it with a good regulated power supply (like an Elpac) instead of using a cumberson SLA charger setup. However not many impressions on it yet. Buy it and let us know how it is.

 

[wnewport]

I just ordered one from Amazon with speedy shipping for 50 shipped.

 

[cmirza]

What DAC did you decide on?

 

[Disiskurt]

I would assume the number cruncher. I'm seeing one specific seller on Amazon and eBay selling this for $50 shipped, with a number of units available. I've been agonizing over what DAC to get for months now, and now I'm thinking I should take a flyer on this considering the price.

It seems like in the following weeks after attending a Head-Fi meet (this year and last,) I get this "ignorance is bliss" mindset after trying to analyze minute differences between amps and headphones that costs hundreds of dollars apart. I always wonder if all the time spent researching all of this and spending the extra $200 is really going to make a difference in the enjoyment of my music once I'm done analyzing and A/Bing everything, when I begin to just listen to the music.

However, this thing is with all of the money I've put into headphones and amps, should I really try to risk skimping on the source? That's the dilemma I'm in right now...

 

[wnewport]

I bought the number cruncher because of the price. I'm not a big believer in $1,000+ equipment being 950 dollars better for me as a student. So 50 bucks seems reasonable.

 

[cmirza]

Well, I'm more than happy with my current setup. I feel like I have a good synergy going with my components and considering the price of everything, I'd have to spend alot more to get a signifigant jump in sound quality. So until I have the cash for:

PacificValve DAC AH-M1 --> Melos SHA-1 or Singlepower PPX3 ---> Grado RS-1

I'm sitting on my exisiting setup. Nothing else looks all that enticing.

 

[dknightd]

$46.48 shipped on amazon.com. I think I'll give this little thing a try. Will it be better than my benchmark, probably not, but for 1/20th the cost I think I'll give it a try. If it is better than the DAC in my Mac G5 I'll be happy and have a use for it in my office setup.

 

[Disiskurt]

@cmirza: Does the Number Cruncher work OK with 2-channel audio playback of DVDs?

 

[cmirza]

Yes, the DAC does 32.1/44.1/48 kHz sample rates. DVDs audio is usually done in 48khz so the Number Cruncher should be fine. In fact on the box, they suggest using it with CD, DVD and DBS sources. Just make sure your DVD player can downmix to PCM stereo when using DD5.1 audio.

These are all the sample rates you really need unless youre interested in upsampling (I'm not

).

 

[Disiskurt]

Well, I pulled the trigger and snagged one new on eBay for $44 shipped. However, I could've gotten it another nine bucks cheaper: Upon looking at completed auctions, I found the same seller posts one of these everyday (24 hour auction) with a starting bid of $0.99. Several of these have gone for just over $35 shipped in recent weeks. I feel like a complete dope, because the price I won it at was way over the average these go for, but whatever. If I turn out being happy with this, the purchase will have saved me hundreds in the end anyway.

Anywho, for any prospective buyers of this DAC, keep an eye on those 1-day auctions, you can get them extremely cheap.

@cmirza: Thanks! Glad to hear it.

 

[cmirza]

Someone should create a Number Cruncher Appreciation thread in Dedicated Sources...

 

[wnewport]

I hope it is as good as you say it is.

I don't know what to expect from it, but hopefully it will provide some clarity to my music. For fifty bucks it is worth it just to see.

 

[Thaddy]

This looks like an interesting DAC, and could very well hold me over until my D02A arrives. Does anyone have more pictures of the unit, specifically of the rear?