[gabrielo]

Hi

I'm trying to get an idea of what is a good (or good enough) DAC unit.
The only DAC I'm familiar with is the one in my aging Arcam 7SE CDP (1999 model) so would like to use it as comparison base.
I think the 7SE has Burr-Brown 24/96 DAC unit (PCM1716)

What DAC will give me comparable performance ?
How will it compare to a $300-$400 DAC like the DacMagic ?
What about an entry level DAC like the Zero-DAC or FUBAR-II ?
I realize that audiophile market advances very slowly (being a niche market and everything), but should I expect to get night and day improvement from a modern DAC ?

Another question, if I use computer as a source feeding digital signal to a $300-$400 DAC will it outperform the 7SE, or that it being a close world with digital feed being in sync with DAC (I would expect) will give the 7SE some edge ?

thx
/gabi

 

[gabrielo]

Just noticed the VDA1 stand-alone DAC is (was?) using the same 1716 DAC chip CIAudio VDA-1
Anyone here familiar with that DAC ?
How does it compare to the VDA-2 using the new 1794 DAC chip (similar to the 1792A found in the XONAR I think )
or for that matter how will it compare with "modern" DAC like the VDAC (which is also using the 1792 DAC chip) ?

 

[gabrielo]

I started doing serious shopping for my new system and a dealer here was able to gather few DAC for a session and boy do I feel silly about my original post.
We tried the MF V-DAC and Arcam rDAC  (connected to cheap netbook) and both wiped the floor with my poor 7SE playing Dave Matthews's 'Two steps' and 'El Tango De Roxanne'
After listening to them the 7SE sounded so confused and tangled, it did have more warmth/body than those two, but there is no way I'm staying with it.
 
The dealer had the Magic-DAC setup as well, but we skipped it as he said it doesn;t sound better than those two.
We tried the MF M1-DAC which sounds better in any level than the 7SE including in the warmth/body area.
 
I tried few other DACs (Zodiac+ and Ayre) which sound terrific, but the bottom line is a computer connected to DAC does work as a great alternative to standalone CDP so it is time to rip all those CD and store them all on a single HD

 

[Roseval]

Obvious you don’t need any advise as you have already done the right thing: listening.
I suggests to have a good look at USB DAC’s doing 24/96.
No need to limit yourself to 16/48
http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/HW/USB_DAC.htm

 

[gabrielo]

 
Quote:

Obvious you don’t need any advise as you have already done the right thing: listening.
I suggests to have a good look at USB DAC’s doing 24/96.
No need to limit yourself to 16/48
http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/HW/USB_DAC.htm

 
All the DAC I have heard were USB DAC (the Ayre being USB only and the others having multiple inputs)
Most of the testing was done with direct USB connection form a dell netbook 
We tried the optical connection on my 7SE which sound inferior to the Dell+USB, but coaxial from Roksan CDP sound about the same as USB 
 
We didn't bother going to 24/96 as all my music collection is made of CD.
I tried looking for 24/96 tracks of my music and could not find any, seems to be limited to modern Jazz and Classic