[mhcarlos]

Hi,
 
While I'm trying to decide on a desktop amp, I realized I needed a DAC also. Can anyone recommend a DAC that works well with an iMac and hopefully something that works well with my SR-71? I'll use it at home at first and then maybe later I'll get another one for my office Mac machine (when I get my desktop amp, I'll leave the SR-71 at the office.
 
Thanks!

 

[mhcarlos]

Ok, this actually seems simpler -- Apogee Duet vs. iBasso D10...

 

[Hybrys]

Quote:

Ok, this actually seems simpler -- Apogee Duet vs. iBasso D10...

...K.  Just look around the internet on some of the reviews of the iBasso and the Apogee.  You can see it's pretty much massively positive for the Duet, and only sometimes for the D10.  (For which you'd have to get a topflight kit for it to sound it's best, and mod it, and blahblahblah.)
 
Having not heard the Duet, I'd still recommend it over my memory of the iBasso.

 

[mhcarlos]

Thanks Hybrys (is that the Final Fantasy cactus thing as your avatar?).
 
Is the Apogee Duet good enough for a desktop set-up for the K701 and M50 like:
 
iMac > Duet > K701 or M50s
iMac > Duet > [desktop or portable amp] > K701 or M50s
 
Thanks!

 

[Hybrys]

Quote:

Thanks Hybrys (is that the Final Fantasy cactus thing as your avatar?).
 
Is the Apogee Duet good enough for a desktop set-up for the K701 and M50 like:
 
iMac > Duet > K701 or M50s
iMac > Duet > [desktop or portable amp] > K701 or M50s
 
Thanks!

Yeah!  It's actually Jumbo Cactuar, the only one with a mustache.
 
I really don't know the Duet well enough to comment further.  All I know is that many many people were impressed with it's pricepoint and performance, and hurting about it's OSX-only drivers.  It does have an amp, though, so you can run it as a DAC/Amp combo unit, or as a DAC-Only unit.  It looks like you'd need two 1/4" to mono RCA cables if you want to hook it up to an amp, though.

 

[mhcarlos]

The Jumbo Cactuar. I remember now. Final Fantasy X was a long time ago...
 
I just saw that about the Duet -- the two female mono connectors, and I read a review saying that needs to be used to get the optimal quality (the stereo out isn't as good, etc.)...
 
Thanks!

 

[mrarroyo]

The D10 is an awesome sounding unit that works great both stationary or on the go. Since you own an iMac I would suggest you go with the Duet which if I remember correctly has a good headphone out as well.

 

[mhcarlos]

Thanks mrarroyo. I settled on am amp first, but I'll look into both the D10 and Duet later.