[David_N]

Glad I ordered mine less than a week before the price increase for $400CAD

Still waiting for it to arrive though...

 

[endless402]

seems like theyre going for 399 in canada as a promo price right now

 

[David_N]

I paid $400 taxes in though, and I have a 13% sales tax here, so I'm psyched

 

[endless402]

really? where did you get yours? i'm trying to get it 400 tax in and shipping, but i'm out of province so only 1 tax

 

[dallan]

Did an abx finally with my higher end amp from, you guessed it - Musical Fidelity. There seems to have been sorta a shoot out with the v-dac but this is a bit of a different animal.
I have the xdac/xpsu set up version 3. Got it because i had the hybrid xcan v3 headphone amp and i ended getting a deal on the other goodies and even ended up with the tube buffer.
The msrp was $999. for the dac and i the xpsu was around 499. or 449. msrp and sold for that. I got it after it's heyday so cheaper, basically got either the dac half off or the xpsu free in the end.

I have to say (though i regret it) that it is in a class higher than the dacmagic. I did have to listen carefully, in a quiet environment to assess differences but in the end they were there and more than just subtle. Hoping that with technological advances the way they are that the dacmagic would preform to the level of the xdac/xpsu at the substancially lower price.

I use the dacmagic everyday and enjoy it, still a killer deal and nice to have the soundcard update as a better option for my computer but i have to say that it is what it is, a very good lower priced dac that is good in its category and has a decent usb port input/ and some bells and whistles.

 

[David_N]

I got it at Peak Audio hi-fi, home-theatre equipment in Halifax, Nova Scotia


I'm not sure if they will offer the special price over the phone (I had to haggle a bit

), or if they still will at all anymore, so you would have to call. I know regular price is $399 plus tax, but I don't know if it's gone up yet or not. Don't mention I said they haggle

Their website sucks, but the store itself is very legit. Great guys, they REALLY know their stuff.



EDIT: It arrived this morning and I just picked it up, I'll post my impressions in the next day or two

 

[jimmyjames8]

While I don't use the DacMagic with headphones, I do use it with a desk top PC, USB in, Foobar via ram buffer an ancient marantz cd receiver and Harbeth HLP3's speakers. The dacMagic probably won't compete with a twice as expensive dac but it will hold it's own against anything at the $400 price point. The CIA dac at $600 sounds better and will kick the crap out of anything up to and including $1200 dacs but it does not have USB in. Just MHO, YMMV...

 

[dallan]

That was the problem with my xdac, no usb! and my soundcard was ancient so the dacmagic was a godsend. It sounds good too, it is also attached to an old cd player that was picked up for cheap/the SQ is much better through the optical than usb/at the computer area so if not listening to computer audio there will be higher SQ cd audio. It really is great for that area that i am in actually more than at my mid-fi area. The amp is very detailed amp and to use that soundcard in the computer would cause extreme cringing, even if it is slightly more tolerable out of the speakers.

 

[endless402]

Quote:

Originally Posted by David_N /img/forum/go_quote.gif I got it at Peak Audio hi-fi, home-theatre equipment in Halifax, Nova Scotia I'm not sure if they will offer the special price over the phone (I had to haggle a bit ), or if they still will at all anymore, so you would have to call. I know regular price is $399 plus tax, but I don't know if it's gone up yet or not. Don't mention I said they haggle Their website sucks, but the store itself is very legit. Great guys, they REALLY know their stuff. EDIT: It arrived this morning and I just picked it up, I'll post my impressions in the next day or two

who did you talk to at that place? They say that they've never shipped one out or sold one at that price.

 

[ekim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by endless402 /img/forum/go_quote.gif who did you talk to at that place? They say that they've never shipped one out or sold one at that price.

I got my DACMagic from Lockridge HiFi in Markham (north of Toronto) for CAD $400 tax in. Ask for Yan the store owner, and tell him that Edward Kim sent you and he may get you one for the same price - http://www.lockridgehifi.com

Demands for this product is high everywhere while supplies are very limited. I had to wait for a month before I get a call for a pickup.

... Good luck

PS - most local stores in my area sells for $400 plus tax

 

[David_N]

Quote:

Originally Posted by endless402 /img/forum/go_quote.gif who did you talk to at that place? They say that they've never shipped one out or sold one at that price.

I was dealing with Chris, but he knows me and probably cut me a better than normal deal. They did say that demand was extremely high and prices had gone up from their manufacturer, so you may not get it at that price from them. They have been waiting three weeks for their floor model!

Good luck with it, hopefully you can get one at a good price somewhere

 

[rain_uk]

I feel kinda guilty just walking into a UK store on a whim and buying the DacMagic for the equivalent of $286 over the counter a few weeks ago

 

[endless402]

what settings to ppl use on foobar for this?

 

[endless402]

Picked mine up yesterday locally. 400+taxes was the lowest that they would go. apparently there's a shortage of supply and the next shipment wont be there till may


Tried 2 setups.

Firewire -> m-audio firewire -> coaxial -> dacmagic -> amp

USB -> dacmagic


they both sound the same to me. the first option is better since the computer/video sounds can still be played since i get conflicts with just using the USB as primary device.




still cant figure out which filter to use

1 thing is for sure, the overall sound is more relaxed, the bass especially (it doesnt help that i'm using a kimber silverstreak IC which has less bass). there's much more depth in the sound though. the highs arent as crisp as the m-audio even though the components i use are deisgned to have a "brighter" sound

 

[m001]

Received mine a few days ago.

I feel unqualified to criticize it. I certainly sounds "better" than the analog ouput from my iMac, but it's not $400-worth of "better." I expected to be blown away and wasn't, but will give it time.