Has anyone heard BOTH the Apogee Mini-Dac AND the HeadRoom Ultra Micro DAC?

[elrod-tom]

I'm looking for a portable DAC with both USB and at least optical input. I've been researching the Apogee Mini-Dac, and I like what I've seen so far. However, I'm intrigued by the new HeadRoom Ultra Micro DAC for a number of reasons...not the least of which is that it has a matching headphone amp.

I'm leaning towards the Micro-Dac, but I'm wondering whether the more recent technology (e.g. jitter reducing front end chip sets, upsampling to 192K, etc...) might not make the HeadRoom a better bet.

Fact is I've not heard either of these products (geez I need to get to a meet sometime soon!!), and I'm looking for someone who has who can give me some direction. Anyone out there who can help me??

 

[elrod-tom]

What's that sound? Crickets??

 

[brainsalad]

FWIW. Both are really good. Buy the one you like the most, I think I am reading you like the Micro Dacs. I have a Micro Stack, not the ultra's (I'm listening on it right now) and love it. I like the people at headroom, very professional and really try to deliver a quality headphone product. The Apogee is great but they also make other pro-stuff, the folks at headroom focus everything and are betting the farm on their Headfi gear.

 

[elrod-tom]

Yes, I do like the HeadRoom stuff a lot (in fact, I have one of the original HeadRoom portable/separates sets, the Coda and Overture

).

The Apogee has a rabid following around these parts, but I've just never heard one for whatever reason. It seems a lot more fully featured, and I was thinking it might be a lot more flexible because of it.

What I'm basically planning to do with it is hook it up to either some powered speakers (I've enjoyed the Audioengine 5's I've heard) or a headphone amp, and a networked music portal of some kind (I use the Linksys Wireless G Music Bridge now...the new Duet looks pretty sweet!). So I'm not really sure that I need all that comes with the MiniDac. I'm also VERY curious how much impact the newer technology in the HeadRoom product will have.

Dunno...I REALLY need to listen. :|

 

[sejarzo]

You do know that USB version of the Mini-DAC is out of production....so you would have to scrounge for a new one or buy used?

EDIT: Just checked their price list, and it shows the USB daughterboard is still available, but that list is dated June, 2007. A guy at Apogee told me on the phone last year when the FW version became unavailable that the USB model was indeed on its way out. It's also limited to 16/48, so you'd have to come up with a different interface should you want to listen to hi-rez files in the future.

 

[brainsalad]

Not that you were asking me personally but I'm the wrong person to give opinions on the differences in electronics because I tend to make people crazy. I believe firmly in the 10 Biggest Lies in Audio by the Audio Critic. I think 5% of the influence on sound is in the electronics and everything else is source, acoustical devices (spkrs and cans) and environment. I use the K701's and look at the frikin huge difference $250 made. You could spend 20 times that much and still not get that big of a difference. I can appreciate technology, design, and construction. I can appreciate the sound quality but I think that the differences heard are what they want to hear.

IMO.

 

[elrod-tom]

Ah see...this is why I needed to discuss this. I had no idea that the MiniDac had been discontinued...or that it passed 16/48! Thanks!!

 

[sejarzo]

To be more explicit, it handles up to 16/48...I should have stated that as the "upper limit"....so it can indeed handle 16/44.1, if that is what your player app sends it. No need or async resampling ahead of it, or anything like that!

My guess is that Apogee looked at their options to go to 24/96 over USB, and found that they would either have to (a) develop specific hardware and drivers, a la E-MU or (b) find someone to develop a firmware solution, a la Benchmark or (c) fall back on their existing FireWire solution, which they knew handle all that......and (c) was the choice, problem solved, with minimal additional product development outlay.

I think sometimes we forget that devices such as the DAC-1 and Mini-DAC, all the way down to the 0404 USB, are targeted toward the pro/"prosumer" recording market, not the average audiophile. Benchmark seems to have taken the ball and run a bit more with their new preamp version, but still, audiophile desires are a lower priority for those vendors. And since Apogee seems fixated on Apple-based solutions and FireWire interfaces, I don't hold out hope that they will ever come back with a hi-rez USB-based device.

 

[b0dhi]

Anyone know if either of these DACs have a line-out which bypasses the output opamps and filters?