DACs listed Best to Worst

[ScubaSteve87]

Wow Jahn your opinions of the Lite DAC-AH are really swaying me. I was just going to pick up and M-audio Firewire audiophile, but this looks like the way to go.

A lot of quality stuff seems to be coming out of China lately (DACs and Amps) Only problem is gettin it to the US. I have gotta try and get my dad to bring back something from Shanghai when he goes.

 

[bobeau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bg4533 I am glad to see you rating the DAC-AH so high. I expected the Channel Islands DAC to be clearly better. I think my modded DAC-AH is significantly better than stock so I wonder how it compares to more expensive DACs. Your opinions have kept me from loosing sanity and purchasing a Bel Canto DAC2 or something.

I believe the NOS DACs are different animals though and it's not really fair to try to rank them as such.

I much prefer my Dialogue II to my Musical Fidelity A3 24 (very similar to Bel Canto Dac-2). But I have a feeling a good # of Head-fiers would think I was crazy if they sat down and did a comparison. Or maybe not... just a hunch NOS vs. oversampling is a polarizing thing.

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobeau I believe the NOS DACs are different animals though and it's not really fair to try to rank them as such. I much prefer my Dialogue II to my Musical Fidelity A3 24 (very similar to Bel Canto Dac-2). But I have a feeling a good # of Head-fiers would think I was crazy if they sat down and did a comparison. Or maybe not... just a hunch NOS vs. oversampling is a polarizing thing.

you are probably right, in fact i think the NOS sound just kicks butt, which is why the Scott Nixon TubeDAC+ rated so high with me as well.

 

[RogerWilco]

I have owned the scott nixon tube + and the audio mirror dacs.I must say they sounded very nice.Scott nixon's dac was relaxed,with a laid back sense to the music without Sacrificing detail.A little too laid back for me.The audio mirror was very open with some great bass,but the sound was a bit more forward than i like and had a slight hardness to the upper vocals.Audio mirror uses a teflon coupling capacitors which i may not have given ample time to break in before it was sold.

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

I disagree with some of the previous remarks, especially with regards to some of the audio cards out there.

I think the external DACs (in about the same price range) are vastly superior.

Of course, this is all opinion driven.

-Matt

 

[Oliver :)]

Cosmo would be more competent to rank the AQVOX
http://www.aqvox.de/products.html

I have it since last friday. While I notice some more detail and better instrument separation (it is easier to follow single instruments even in complex pieces) and it being clearly a bit better than my Denon 2900 with redbook, it does not really WOW me yet. Which might be a good thing since spontaneous "WOWs" tend not to last as long. I have my difficulties noticing differences between its settings, but then I did not spend too much time with it yet. I got it primarily to hook up the AirPort Express to something decent, and in this regard it is top notch of course.

 

[elnero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobeau I believe the NOS DACs are different animals though and it's not really fair to try to rank them as such. I much prefer my Dialogue II to my Musical Fidelity A3 24 (very similar to Bel Canto Dac-2). But I have a feeling a good # of Head-fiers would think I was crazy if they sat down and did a comparison. Or maybe not... just a hunch NOS vs. oversampling is a polarizing thing.

I suspect you might be right, a brief comparison of an NOS DAC and an oversampling DAC probably wouldn't do the NOS DAC justice because oversampling DAC's seem to do some things technically very well that would most likely stand out in a brief comparison whereas if you haven't heard NOS before it seems to take awhile to adjust and get a sense of the magic.

 

[JiiEf]

Let us not forget the Electrocompaniet ECD 1.

http://www.electrocompaniet.no/produ...cd1/ECD_1.html

I haven't heard it, but I've heard good things of it. I'll be sure to try to get an audition when I have my DAC budget at hand.

/JF

 

[tkam]

I just found this DAC today: http://www.accusticarts.de/pages/en/dac_i_fr.html

Looks very interesting on paper...

 

[Elephas]

And the CEC DA53.

It's good to see all the DAC thread-usual suspects here.

 

[ColStripe]

I need to compare my two DACs. One is a Lite DAC-AH (NOS) and the other is a Musical Fidelity X-DAC v3 (OS) to hear the differences. I'm not sure if I have a preference as of yet.

 

[elmoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyfrenchman27 I disagree with some of the previous remarks, especially with regards to some of the audio cards out there. I think the external DACs (in about the same price range) are vastly superior. Of course, this is all opinion driven. -Matt

I whole heartedly agree with this. Soundcards have yet to come close to external DACs in the same price range in terms of sound quality.

My list from the DACs/soundcards I've heard:

Benchmark DAC-1
Bel Canto DAC2
Emu 1212m
Emu 0404
M-Audio Audiophile
M-Audio Transit

in that order from best to worst, imo, and in my setup.

Not in my setup, I think that the Bel Canto DAC2 is on equal ground with the Benchmark DAC-1, its the opposite sound signature but a great sounding DAC. The Electrocompaniet DAC seems very interesting and I wouldn't be surprised if I prefered it over any of the others stated above though.

 

[chrisfromalbany]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jashugan Not in my setup, I think that the Bel Canto DAC2 is on equal ground with the Benchmark DAC-1, its the opposite sound signature but a great sounding DAC. .

Could you explain opposite sound signature. These are two well known DACs what are the differences. Thanks for the list.

 

[davvy]

Quote:

I whole heartedly agree with this. Soundcards have yet to come close to external DACs in the same price range in terms of sound quality. My list from the DACs/soundcards I've heard: Benchmark DAC-1 Bel Canto DAC2 Emu 1212m Emu 0404 M-Audio Audiophile M-Audio Transit

I don't quite understand how you make that statement, based on the fact that the most expensive soundcard you have heard is $200 and the cheapest DAC you have heard is $975.

Seems to me you are being a bit unfair to soundcards, comparing them to much more expensive DACs - unless you have heard a DAC in the $200 price range that the EMU 1212m doesn't "come close to" or a soundcard in the $1000 range that is doesn't "come close to" the Benchmark.

 

[Rhydon]

I dont see the perpetual technologies P3a up there!