Lossless to modded LITE DAC-AH or $300 CDP?

[milesandcoltrane]

I've got two options:

1) Lossless (ALAC via Toslink from my Macbook) to a modded LITE DAC-AH

OR

2) $250-$300 CDP (considering the Cambridge 340C, some low end Marantz models etc)

Which would be better for my soon to be decided amp to DT880 combo?

I'm considering the CDP because when I compared the sound quality from my Macbook via USB to a Go Vibe Vulcan portable DAC/Amp and from a Marantz CD4000 to a Crossroads Edge amp (stationary not portable amp) to the DT880 - the difference was night and day!

Granted the Vulcan's a portable Amp/DAC combo and the Edge is a home amp, but I realised that getting a dedicated CDP might make for a lot of improvement in quality.

The DAC route is appealing because currently most of my music is ripped and I find Itunes a tad more convenient. Furthermore I can upgrade the DAC further down the road. Of course with the CDP if an optical out is there I can get an awesome DAC as well.

The modded LITE DAC-AH is a good option for me cuz I'm hoping for it to have good synergy with my DT880 (hoping to reduce sibilance as well).

For the CDP I might opt for vintage ones, but getting one might be difficult so the hunt might be a little hit or miss.

Please let me know, based on your listening experience!

Thank you!!!

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

For the CDP I might opt for vintage ones

If you do buy a CDP buy one that has light use, and is about 5 years old. Don't buy one from the 80's that's been used everyday. It'll have one foot in the electronic grave.

 

[milesandcoltrane]

Ah thanks for the heads up buddy! Hmm in that case it might be a tough call to make. I'm not sure if I can verify if these players haven't been used much. I guess I'd have to make a careful inspection. If it's hard to get a good buy on vintage CDPs I might just get a new budget player instead. But any idea on the difference in sound quality between option 1 - the DAC route and option 2 - the budget CDP route?

 

[iriverdude]

Digital output from a computer, streamer or CDP should be identical. But a few Audiphiles have said CD's sound better.

 

[milesandcoltrane]

Yeah I reckon in theory it should be the same. But my concern is that dollar for dollar which would have better quality sound? The amount I'm budgeting for a DAC is about the same as a CDP. So say would a $300 DAC with Lossless being fed sound better or equal or worse than a $300 CDP? Sorry for the inane questions man, but I'm just quite concerned with getting it right and getting the most bang for my buck = )

 

[recca]

I say DAC. You'll have much more options of you get the DAC. The CDP can only play CD's. I think a DAC being fed lossless can sound better than a CDP. Rember the same $300 for a CDP has to pay for the transport and additional power supply whereas on a DAC all of the goes toward DAC section, power supply and output stage.

 

[roker]

Why the Lite DAC? I'm in the market for a 300 dollar dac as well, but I've been leaning more towards the V-Dac by Musical Fidelity.

 

[milesandcoltrane]

Hi roker, I'm leaning on the modded LITE DAC-AH as I managed to get a really good deal going used. Its only about 100USD, but if I were to purchase them brand new I'd be shelling out 250USD and thats not even counting shipping fees.

I'm tempted to shell out for the Cambridge DACmagic given the immensely positive reviews all around. However its an upsampling DAC which means I'd have to get a good tube amp for the DT880 which is going to cost more. I'm hoping that with a NOS DAC I could get a warm solid state amp like say the Corda Swing perhaps and have the best of both worlds (warm mid range and no sibilance) and ultimate synergy.

 

[recca]

I'm not sure what the DT880 is like but the freq response for the DAC-AH is like a frown, rolled on the bottom and top ends. In the mids its nice and smooth and pretty detailed too. You can hear a lot of sound come through in layers which I like quite a bit. For $100 you can't go wrong. Which mods are done on it? Make sure the resistors are the correct value and that the passive mod is done. Those take the sound to a different level.

 

[milesandcoltrane]

Hi recca,

Here are the specs as posted by the seller on a forum post:

modded : 8 x TDA1543 chips all added with heatsinked, output caps change to better ones, silver wiring from opamp to RCA connectors
opamp changed to 2 x single channel HDAM OPA Moon.

is a bit warm because of the OPA Moon, but no worries, I use this set with my pc for long hours, watch movies, etc.. good stuff

come with usb to optical converter (same as zero dac bundled)

I'm not sure if the resistors are of the correct value and I don't think the passive mod is done but I reckon I can get it done once its in my hands.

 

[recca]

Yes, if you are buying this its essential that you start doing your research into the voltage regulator / resistor mod and the passive output mod. They are different but both affect the sound. You might actually make some money here if you go passive and sell the HDAM's.

For the resistor mod: essentially if you have 8v VRegs your fine. If you have 6v VRegs you have to change R35 and R36 to around 160ohm's (157 is the exact I think) and then adjust the voltage offset although I can't remember the exact value. Long post about this somewhere on Head-Fi.

 

[milesandcoltrane]

Hi recca, is it possible for me to do the voltage regulator/resistor mod by myself? Does it require soldering expertise?

Without the mods can the LITE DAC-AH perform well with the above-mentioned specs?
I'm not a big fan of soldering and what not, I'm an absolute bum when it comes to working on electronics.

Would you recommend any other DAC which would add warmth to the mid-range and control the sibilance on my DT880 right out of the box?

 

[recca]

The mod is pretty easy but does require soldering. It also requires a little bit of knowledge to know what is exactly going on in there. I would look a the VALAB NOS DAC or the Gigalab Moon DAC. They are essentially the same DAC but different versions. I've been following the recent thread about it and it sounds like its an evolution of the DAC-AH. The DAC-AH is nice sounding but there are some issues with it. You might enjoy anything using a TDA154x chip. These are phillips NOS chips that are used in the DAC-AH and many other NOS Dac's.

Check out Scott Nixon DAC's. They have a good reputation and are relatively inexpensive. I have not heard them so I can't comment directly. I do like the DAC-AH when modded but if you are going to have trouble with modding, I might look for something ready to go out of the box.