[mADmAN]

GREETINGS HEADFIERS!!!! this is my first time posting in this subforum...and this is prolly gonna be a LONG post...so bear with me and pls...be gentle

my current hardware is in my siggy... my Fubar II USB DAC is sort of FUBAR (read more HERE) and this being the Source forum, im obviously here asking for a DAC upgrade. (my wallet is fine....my bank account wont be after this

)... so here goes..

Current Hardware : as in siggy connected to office PC (cheapo MSI board)

Player: Foobar 2000 fed with FLAC and various bit rate MP3s.

Music Choice: Metal (the speedy and hard hitting kind)

Budget: USD$ 600 max INCLUDING delivery to Malaysia (hopefully included taxes too) for the DAC + PCI soundcard. so 220v is a necessity.

Payment method: if ordering via online aka other than the links below and in countries outside of Malaysia then they MUST accept PayPal. if from Singapore i probably could get my boss or colleague to help me out.

Usage: Music 80% Gaming 12% and Movies 8%.

What I would really like to have in my upgrade is a DAC with....
1/ Multiple inputs: Coax, TOSLINK and USB inputs.
2/ with or without built in headamp is fine...but if with headamp..hopefully its better than my Cute Battery II.... (and the DAC better than my Fubar of course)
3/ Prefer with swappable/socketed opamps.
4/ All Black enclosure would be a huge plus
5/ will add in if i can think of aymore

for the PCI soundcard...would really like...
1/ 5.1 or 7.1 outputs via analog (for future usage just in case..)
2/ has BOTH coaxial and TOSLINK digital outputs.
3/ if i cant have (1) and (2) (only card i know of that has it is Prodigy 7.1 LT which is EOL) i dont mind sacrificing abit...mebbe something like 7.1 HIFI or EMU 0404 (used). but still prefer to have both (1) and (2).
4/ inputs doesnt matter to me (mebbe a mic input would be nice).

whats available to me so far......

DAC (click on links for sales threads)
1/ Musiland DACs & PCI soundcards Few choices here (Mass Order)
2/ Yulong DAH1 DAC (Mass Order)

PCI Soundcard
1/ Audiotrak Prodigy HD2 Reference
2/ Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 HIFI
3/ Musiland DACs & PCI soundcards Few choices here (Mass Order)

ok....here goes (WARNING!!! n00B here.. so pls...plain simple English..no techie language coz i probably wont understand lol)

DAC
1/ ive also been strongly recommended the Opus DIY DAC which ill have to get someone to build for me. any thoughts on this DAC?? problem with the Opus is that at time of posting....alot of parts are out of stock
2/ would also like to heat thoughts on comparisons between the DACs mentioned so far...
3/ I'm also open to other suggestions for DACs (that i might/ might not know about)
4/ would also like a DAC that can be used as a DAC only or if headamp built in as a headamp only. something like what the DAH1 can do. not a necessity though...but MUST be able to use as DAC only.
5/ i need multiple inputs is so that i can use it with multiple sources.


PCI Soundcard
1/ any soundcards other than the Prodigy 7.1 LT (EOL) that fits requirements above? open to any other recommendations for PCI only. no USB or PCIe 1x pls.
2/ the PCI soundcard will be used purely for transport only (aka digital output only). the requirement for multi channel analog outputs is for future usage in case i decided to use it for some other setup (aka just in case).

i listen to metal...such as Devildriver and Otep..so i need something with a decent amount of speed. dont know if this is any help...but ive tried the Darkvoice 336i paired with my DT990 and i absolutely hated it coz it was slow and too laid back...so this is the kinda sound sig that i do NOT want

.

thats all i can think of for now (its 2:45am

)...will add in new ones if i have any other questions...

so pls help me out...ive been going through this for the past 3 weeks and i still cant figure out which one i should get...

thanks in advance guys!

 

[Capunk]

OMZ v4 DAC
Reportedly being one of the most natural sounding DAC.

 

[Bozz_Keren]

how about adding Onkyo SE200 to PCI Soundcard selection, its around $200

 

[Herandu]

If you need USB as well, then the T-7510 won't be for you. It has the rest of your requirements though and would see off the other recommendations in the sound department.

 

[fraseyboy]

I recently discovered just how good my Beresford TC-7510 is.

I had a brief moment of insanity and wondered if my DAC was even doing anything, so I plugged my HD580's directly into the headphone out on the front of my Audigy 2 ZS Platinum. I expected it to be a little worse than my Beresford... BUT IT SOUNDED TERRIBLE!

All the airyness and soundstage was gone, the bass was pretty much not there and there was no extension going on in any place in the frequency range... Seperation was all gone and everything sounded just like a big bluuur. It was weak, tinny and horrible. All the depth was gone.

Even when I plugged my GoVibe V6 in there it still didn't sound very good. The bass had come back and it was a bit more clear but nowhere near as good as out of the TC-7510.

I haven't heard any other DAC's or Amps so I have nothing to compare it to but I REALLY like my TC-7510

There may be better things in that pricerange though. It fits every thing you want, with lots of inputs but no USB... Its also all black and has a pretty good built in headamp.

 

[mADmAN]

thanks for the suggestion Bozz_Keren...

the Onkyo looks interesting...doesnt have a coaxial out though does it? if thats the case then its basically the same (output wise) with the prodigy 7.1 hifi which is cheaper..

as for the Beresford TC-7510...yeah i read a lil on it...seems to be good etc etc etc....but for some reason it just doesnt really attract me...dunno why. but a possible consideration if im willing to put the USB aside.

@fraseyboy
u should try going back to onboard soundcard.... thats what ive had to do for so long... imagine the amount of pain im in right now lol

 

[chat7]

OMZ!!!

 

[mADmAN]

anymore suggestions anyone?

 

[AS1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fraseyboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I recently discovered just how good my Beresford TC-7510 is.

You actually discovered how hard an Audigy sucks. Any DAC will beat it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fraseyboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't heard any other DAC's or Amps so I have nothing to compare it to but I REALLY like my TC-7510 There may be better things in that pricerange though.

In the TC-7510 pricerange you probably can't do much better than the TC-7510, indeed.
But musically there are much better things in the higher price ranges.

 

[Herandu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AS1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif In the TC-7510 pricerange you probably can't do much better than the TC-7510, indeed. But musically there are much better things in the higher price ranges.

Yeah, but the next step up is the DAC1. That's a big jump for the budget in mind.

 

[AS1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herandu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, but the next step up is the DAC1. That's a big jump for the budget in mind.

You might want to stop the misleading information that there's nothing between TC-7510 and DAC1. There are many options like OMZ and CI VDA, which reviewers on this forum have found to be a step up from the TC-7510.

 

[eitook]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AS1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif You might want to stop the misleading information that there's nothing between TC-7510 and DAC1. There are many options like OMZ and CI VDA, which reviewers on this forum have found to be a step up from the TC-7510.

agreed. for that matter, i think even a stock slightly modded zd2.0 with LM4562 opamps would be on par if not surpass the beresford

 

[Herandu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AS1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif You might want to stop the misleading information that there's nothing between TC-7510 and DAC1. There are many options like OMZ and CI VDA, which reviewers on this forum have found to be a step up from the TC-7510.

those are a step up from the old REV1 TC-7510 with the non variable output. There hasn't been any tests of the OMZ or VDA against the redesigned TC-7510 MK6/3. Nor has anyone ever published a test review of the MK6/3 against any version of the Zhaolu. Coming to think of it, neither are there any tests against the DAC1.
No doubt someone must have, but I guess the results went the TC-7510 way and were therefore suppressed?

 

[AS1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herandu /img/forum/go_quote.gif those are a step up from the old REV1 TC-7510 with the non variable output. There hasn't been any tests of the OMZ or VDA against the redesigned TC-7510 MK6/3. Nor has anyone ever published a test review of the MK6/3 against any version of the Zhaolu. Coming to think of it, neither are there any tests against the DAC1. No doubt someone must have, but I guess the results went the TC-7510 way and were therefore suppressed?

You just proved that you're just guessing. You can only draw conclusions based on the information available (user's reports).
You cannot draw conclusions based on missing information. Do you see the difference?

 

[regal]

First forget USB, very very few DAC have a USB input that is worthwhile. Most are limited to 16 bit. I would just get a transit for $59.

I really really like the Lite DAC-60. It is terribly underated. It just plain sounds good. Smooth and natural with no hint of the typical solid-state+digital harshness that is like a plague with modern DAC's. And if you mod the sky is the limit. Sigma Delta DAC's just don't sound musical to me. I am sure there are other DAC's in this price range that are as good, I just haven't found any.