[StayOnBoard]

Hi everyone,

Please bare with me I'm fairly new to buying hardware to improve my music so some of my questions maybe a little dull

I'm looking to buy a new USB Dac because I have a beautiful television and stereo system but my laptop's speakers are absolutely terrible at best. I'm sick and tired of trying to listen to anything on it and I just recently found out what a USB Dac was and well.... I want one. lol

I only have a budget of about $300, but a friend of mine just bought a firestone audio fubar III and absolutely loves it (for reference, this is the website and specs: Miniature Audio - Fubar III USB DAC / Headphone Amplifier)

Sticking with the firestone theme I since did some research and apparently they are very good value for the cost based on the 2 or 3 reviews I read (if someone can confirm this for me please I would appreciate it). I was wondering what the difference is though between a "24 bit DAC" such as the spitfire (again for reference, here is the specs: Miniature Audio - Spitfire 24 Bit DAC). I don't really understand what this one does that the fubar does not or vice versa?

I am also open to ANY USB Dac you would recommend to me at my price range. This just stemmed from a friend of mine enjoying his but please by all means suggest anything that I can check out. I don't want to spend my budget on something that I could have ended up with a superior product.

Thanks everyone for your replies!

 

[cconnaker]

I suggest the Fubar II if you just need a DAC. It has USB as well. The 24 bit Spitfire does not have USB and chances are you don't have that much 24/96 music to take full advantage of it. The Fubar III has a headphone amp built-in and it doesn't sound like you need that.

 

[StayOnBoard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cconnaker /img/forum/go_quote.gif I suggest the Fubar II if you just need a DAC. It has USB as well. The 24 bit Spitfire does not have USB and chances are you don't have that much 24/96 music to take full advantage of it. The Fubar III has a headphone amp built-in and it doesn't sound like you need that.

Thank you for your reply. I just have one more question if I may

You mentioned that the Spitfire doesn't have any USB, so does that mean it isn't used to output music from the PC at all? Sorry I was just a bit confused on its intended purpose if that's the case.

I guess Ill go with the fubar II then based on what you described (unless you have another product worth checking into)

I just assumed the III was better and more available but honestly I am very novice in this area so any advice you give is great!

Thanks again for your post!

 

[mwallace573]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StayOnBoard /img/forum/go_quote.gif You mentioned that the Spitfire doesn't have any USB, so does that mean it isn't used to output music from the PC at all? Sorry I was just a bit confused on its intended purpose if that's the case.

You can also run a digital signal from your PC with either a optical TOSLink or coaxial cable if you've got the capability on your computer. I'm pretty sure most motherboards have a built in digital out port, and pretty much all soundcards have a digital out of some sort.

 

[cconnaker]

I wouldn't use Toslink or Coax unless I had to. USB is my recommendation right now.

 

[StayOnBoard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwallace573 /img/forum/go_quote.gif You can also run a digital signal from your PC with either a optical TOSLink or coaxial cable if you've got the capability on your computer. I'm pretty sure most motherboards have a built in digital out port, and pretty much all soundcards have a digital out of some sort.

To be honest with you I don't even know if I have this option available. Honestly Im not even sure what a TOSLink is

From what I can tell, my laptop only supports S-Video, HMDI and some icon I have no idea and have never seen before

So I don't think I have those options anyways.

Either way, I think I am going with cconnaker's advice and picking myself up a Fubar II when I get paid on Friday! I'm very excited, this is a whole new world for me and I honestly never knew that my sound was THAT bad before I started playing with new hardware. It's a little funny and ironic that more of the general population don't realize it, yet, 90% download music or listen to some sort of digital tunes.

Anyways I digress...

Thanks again for all your help guys.

 

[j-dawg]

FYI: TOSlink refers to a type of digital connection via fiber-optic cable. It's by far the most common type of optical connection standard that I see in consumer audio. I'm tempted to say it's pretty much the ONLY one, but I'm sure someone around here has seen some obscure alternative optical connection.

The connecting plugs come in two flavors that I've seen. One is a 3.5mm miniplug similar to a headphone plug in appearance, but visibly different when connected as it has a glowing red light inside it. The other is a somewhat unique looking half-rounded square plug.

 

[StayOnBoard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by j-dawg /img/forum/go_quote.gif FYI: TOSlink refers to a type of digital connection via fiber-optic cable. It's by far the most common type of optical connection standard that I see in consumer audio. I'm tempted to say it's pretty much the ONLY one, but I'm sure someone around here has seen some obscure alternative optical connection. The connecting plugs come in two flavors that I've seen. One is a 3.5mm miniplug similar to a headphone plug in appearance, but visibly different when connected as it has a glowing red light inside it. The other is a somewhat unique looking half-rounded square plug.

Oh, thanks for clearing that up for me. I know EXACTLY what you are talking about with my laptop but I had no idea what it was called. I do have that on my laptop as well Im pretty sure. Just the optical device, correct? I'm a bit unsure how I would use that instead of USB though to connect to my fubar. Do these products that the TOSLink built in as well? I guess that's the real question I should be asking.

Thanks for clearing that up for me and helping me understand

Cheers!

 

[labrat]

Deleted.

 

[StayOnBoard]

Just to recap this, I ended up going with the Fubar 3 because I wanted the built in amplifier as well as the USB Dac.

I actually JUST received it today and I must say Im VERY impressed.

I plugged it in to my computer, I changed my PC settings to go from "speakers" to "Headphones" and BAM that was it. No installation, completely plug and play and within literally seconds. I put my headphones into the fubar and I could listen to music right away.

The sound quality is fantastic, and I hear things in songs I never knew existed before. Im happy to be a newbie Audiophile

Thanks for everyone who replied and helped me with my purchase.

Cheers all!

P.S Off topic, does anyone have any suggestions for a GOOD set of headphones? Somewhere between 100-200$? Any ideas would be great, my headphones are not really good enough for my liking

 

[sHaRkKaE]

Hey stayonBoard, glad to hear you've just got a Fubar III, was wondering if you've heard it with and without the external PSU. Heard from others that it makes quite a huge diff in terms of SQ.

 

[StayOnBoard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sHaRkKaE /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey stayonBoard, glad to hear you've just got a Fubar III, was wondering if you've heard it with and without the external PSU. Heard from others that it makes quite a huge diff in terms of SQ.

Hi mate,

Thanks for the reply. To be completely honest with you I have NOT tried it with the PSU but I have heard nothing but positive remarks. I have a personal friend who uses a combined setup with the PSU, Big Joe and Fubar 3(hopefully I remembered that correctly) and he is in absolute LOVE with it. He has a lot of expensive/high-end products so I have no doubt he knows what he's talking about.

Personally I never had a chance to listen to the quality (it's at his work office) but I am considering making the PSU my next purchase. It's between that and the Big Joe at the moment(which I have also heard nothing but good things about)

You are right though, I have heard (from him and others) it makes a HUGE difference to the quality. Which really makes me excited. My headphones haven't left my ears since the mail came yesterday

So if the PSU can produce even MORE SQ from the fubar I will be extremely happy!

Overall I couldn't be more impressed. You can take that with a grain of salt because Im very novice with these products, but I do know music and what I like to hear. I have been listening to normal headsets on an IPod for months... and now when I plug in the fubar its like a completely different sound. The only issue sometimes is a few of my downloaded songs aren't high quality and I can REALLY tell. Before, I never would have had a clue because everything sounded the same but because the quality is SO good I can almost tell what the bitrate is from song to song. That isn't a problem with the fubar, rather my music in general.

Nice thing is, when the wife comes in and see's what "new toy" I just bought, the response is "ohhh... wow that's so cute" and not "how much did that cost?"

lol

 

[AlwaysAFan]

I have what maybe a stupid question but I'll ask it anyways
What is the difference between the Fubar II/III USB Dac and the Spitfire 24 bit DAC? I read on another forum that most 24-bit DACs can't resolve anything past 20 bit". Is that true? I don't really understand the benefit of the "upgrade" per say. I'm thinking of buying one of these, but I don't understand all the techie terms.

P.S I didn't want to open a brand new thread since we were talking about the same products here

 

[cconnaker]

The spitfire doesn't support USB.

 

[AlwaysAFan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cconnaker /img/forum/go_quote.gif The spitfire doesn't support USB.

Is that the only difference tho?
I understand that the Fubar is a USB Dac... but what actual benefit does it have over the Fubar? Why would I use the spitfire instead of the fubar is maybe a better question.
Also I know the spitfire supports TOS and Coax, but Im more talking SQ than setup
Sorry, I hope that clarifies my question.