I'm going DAC crazy

[Chuke]

I've been searching like crazy for discussions regarding new DACs versus older, used audiophile DACs (such as the Theta Prime Pro). Please excuse me if this has been discussed before. I'm looking for a DAC and I've narrowed my selection down to a new V-DAC or Musiland MD-10. But I'm wondering if an older Theta Prime Pro or X-DAC might be a reasonable alternative. Is the trade-off sort of a "new technology" vs. "better analog output" issue or is there really no trade off and I should try to buy myself the newest technology? A USB input would be nice but I don't consider it to be a requirement.

Thanks in advance for your help,
Tim

 

[Chuke]

Okay...pretty please?

 

[skitlets]

In a strict economic sense, newer technology will likely have a greater resale value. On the flip side, maybe you can find a good deal on the older DACs you were looking at.

 

[insyte]

Good luck

 

[Fungi]

I would avoid the MD-10... it's been known to fail, though I can't provide any sources of my own for now. Too bad since it's a fairly decent looking unit.

 

[Lazarus Short]

I'm on my third standalone DAC, so I'll share my impressions.

First, was a Theta Cobalt, the DAC that put Theta on the map, or so I was told. Nice unit, small, good sound, affordable. I compared it to a used Proceed DAC which was a good buy at $400, but the better SQ did not justify the cost, or so I decided. After my transport died, I sold it.

Second, was an Audio Alchemy, I think a 1.0, which I bought in a lot of gear. It just did not impress me, so I sold it.

Third, is my current DAC, a Sony DAS 702ES, their first component DAC, and very early in the ES series, before Sony began the process of paring down everything. It is big and heavy, but the sound is excellent. I had it with me at the last local meet and got to compare it to a much more modern DAC. I liked the other one better, but some people thought they were about even. It was cheap, too. It lacks USB and optical inputs, but has HP output (variable!).

Laz