[Screamager]

I have recently bought an EEE PC (haven't received it yet, but plan on installing Xubuntu), and am looking to hook it up to my NAD C740 amp for music listening. I have been looking around at solutions and have found the EMU 0404 USB to be quite nice, but the Linux drivers are awful so thats not an option (unless I get a cheap usb to spdif soundcard), the Yulong DAC look perfect for the application but is out of my budget... So searching online I have come down to these for under €150:

SuperPro 707 USB (CS4398) -> €94
Zero DAC (AD1852) (would need spdif card) -> €120
GoVibe Petite USB (PCM2702) -> €132
Fubar II USB (PCM2702) -> €93
Hotaudio40 HotUSB1 (PCM2707) ->61

*All prices include shipping except for the Fubar

I have been reading reviews and specs on this site and others for a few days now and I am currently leaning towards the SuperPro DAC, as the CS4398 looks very good on paper and the price is right.

The Hotaudio40 USB DAC is very attractive for the price, but the specs on the PCM2707 are not spectacular in comparison to the rest.

I don't really need a headphone amp, it will be used with my stationary rig (NAD c740 -> Wharfedale Diamond 9.1)

Can anyone who has had a chance to try these give me their informed opinion? Maybe I am missing out on some other great, obscure DAC for a similar price that is not on my list?

Thanks in advance.

 

[rustbucket]

I'm currently using a SuperPro 707 on Kubuntu with good results. I use Amarok->Xine->ALSA->707->Maxed Pimete->HD-595. It sounds like a long chain but Amarok just tells Xine what to play, and xine hands it off to ALSA with no processing. ALSA lets you directly talk to the hardware device, so I'm bypassing any system mixing/processing.

This means the system volume slider doesn't change the volume of my music, and that I don't get any other random system sounds with my music.

I can't give you a good comparison as I've never owned the other DAC's in question, but I'm pretty happy with the SuperPRO. It works flawlessly, is a nice upgrade from the built-in sound (obviously).

I'm in the process of building up a new computer. When I get it together, I'm going to drop my Chaintech AV-710 in and see how the SuperPRO sounds when it's fed by an optical connection instead of USB...

 

[fwojciec]

I use zhaolu dac via AV710 card (spdif out). It's set up similarly to how rustbucket describes his system -- bit perfect via spdif to dac and then to M^3. I've no complains about this setup.

 

[Screamager]

Rustbucket, have you had a chance to compare the 707 to the chaintech on their own?

 

[Screamager]

I have also read somewhere in this forum that people have problems with the 707s USB port being loose or the case getting etremely hot when plugged in. Have you encountered these problems with yours ?

 

[rustbucket]

I haven't compared them yet. The card currently resides in a friend's computer. I'll be reclaiming it soon, and definitely plan to try out SPIDF->SuperPRO vs USB->SuperPRO.

The SuperPRO definitely gets warm when it's plugged in to USB, and runs dead cool when not plugged in to USB. I wouldn't say it gets really hot... I leave mine plugged into USB 24/7, and have had it for ~6 months now, FWIW.

It seems like bad design that it should heat up when using USB, since it shouldn't be using the hot wired in the connection, though.

 

[Screamager]

I am actually more interested in the comparison between:
SuperPro 707->Amp
to
Chaintech->Amp

Not sure how those would compare.

 

[Screamager]

As I was just about to buy the SuperPro 707 USB DAC things got more complicated.

2 new products have popped up on eBay, both from Diyeden:

-Diyeden SVDAc04-u usb dac with head amp
which uses a PCM1716 DAC and aparently a PCM2704 for the USB input

Diyeden SVDAc04-u usb dac with head amp en venta en eBay.es (finaliza el 25-feb-08 06:27:44 H.Esp)

-Diyeden SVDAc05 usb dac with head amp
Which uses a CS4398 DAC and has a nice retro LED display

Diyeden SVDAc05 usb dac with head amp en venta en eBay.es (finaliza el 25-feb-08 06:47:39 H.Esp)

Both for the same price of €112 including sipping.

Has anybody heard these babies?

 

[microphage]

i use the Fubar in ubuntu and i haven't had any problems with it at all. Didn't have to hunt around for new drivers or anything. Haven't tried any of the others in Linux so I can't comment on any comparisons.

 

[Screamager]

After three days back on this site I am now leaning towards investing in a Hagerman HagUSB and a non-USB DAC (now I remember why I left the site, my wallet!).
Is there a representative of Hagerman on this forum?

 

[nyc_paramedic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screamager /img/forum/go_quote.gif After three days back on this site I am now leaning towards investing in a Hagerman HagUSB and a non-USB DAC (now I remember why I left the site, my wallet!). Is there a representative of Hagerman on this forum?

I just started seriously using my HagUSB recently. The setup is: Recycled Dell Optiplex with Debian and MPD > HagUSB > Adcom GDA-700.

The server was found in the trash; nary a spec on dust in its innards. Just a corrupted master boot record.

The Adcom used to be fed via S/PDIF from a Theta Data Basic. Haven't done any serious listening with the HagUSB, but the sound is a bit different, if not better.

I am having a minor issue with the audio briefly (less than a second) dropping out on rare occasions; sound like the DAC is losing lock very briefly. Happens with my laptop as well using XMMS (a Linux music player). I'm gonna email Haggerman Tech to see if I can resolve it.

The HagUSB is just a transitional device until I figure out which way I'm going in the very new USB DAC landscape. I've settled on MPD as I am very comfortable with Linux, and enjoy the multitude of front ends it affords over other less open software. I plan to have the server controlled via a widescreen device, like a Nokia N770. MPD clients are already available.

The other gotcha with the HagUSB is the eye searing blue LED.
Even with the device --in a dim listening room-- pointed away from the listening position, it lights up half the room. Good thing I'm handy with a soldering iron; have to order a nice diffuse red LED soon.

The rest of the system is Pass ALeph 5 and L with B&W Matrix 804's, Echo Busters and an Ikea Persian rug.


Cheers.

 

[Screamager]

Hmmm, I have realized that USB is not going to give me greater than 48KHz digital output (at least not without proprietary drivers as used on the EMU cards, which wont work in Linux), so I don't see the point in bothering with all these 24 bit 192KHz DACs, since a CD output will only give 44.1KHz and the only possible source I have of higher resolution audio is my PC (don't own SACD or HDCD) and the most the USB will give me is 48KHz.

Since most of these DACs don't do up-sampling, I don't think there is any gain from a 24b192KHz DAC vs a 16b48KHz DAC (aside from possible conversion qualities of specific models).

Let me know if you think I a missing something in my equation.

 

[Maniac]

IMHO if you do not have recording to take advantage of the higher sampling rate, then yes, there really isn't any advantage in getting something for the reason that it support higher sampling rate.

Choosing a DAC should be based on the audio performance, not just comparing which DAC chip or what sampling rate it can do. To use digital camera as an analogy, there's megapixels and there's megapixels. Not everything that have the same number (eg bit rates, sample size, or megapixels) will work the same, but usually consumer does not understands that and often go with the unit that got the biggest number


Screamager, you hit the nail on the head when you wrote the about the sample rate and size may not matter much at all by themselves.