M-Audio "Fast Track" as low-cost, external DAC?

[xandoze]

Anybody have any opinions/experience with the above, inexpensive USB guitar/recording (and monitoring!) adapter for driving phones or an audio system?
Internally it uses the same AK4381 DAC chip and LMV722M opamps as their "Revolution" card and Firewire 410 interface, which people here seem to like (it uses AK5365's ADC's going the other direction).

 

[Hybrys]

The Fast Track Pro was brilliant when learning on it / working with it this year.

 

[d-t]

I used the M-Audio Duo USB, then Fast Track Pro as my DAC for many years. I have a PowerBook G4 from about 2001 that I use as my music server (with an external FW hard drive). In January of this year, I finally purchased an external DAC made for this purpose. I had planned to blind A/B the differences/similarities and started to set up for that with extra cables, etc. When I switched to the new DAC, the difference was so immense, that the m-audio is now mothballed.
 
My current USB DAC is the Musical Fidelity V-DAC. It might not be the best USB DAC out there, but for $255 (from AudioAdvisor), it was clearly, audibly, better than the m-audio. I have heard equally good, and perhaps better DACs on other people's systems, but not in mine.
 
That being said, I was quite satisfied with the m-audio for several years, though I would not return to it now.
DT

 

[RonaldDumsfeld]

Yeah. Just do it man. You will not regret it.
 
It's highly unlikely even a fast Track will be the weak link in your signal chain for some while to come. I started out with a Fast Track Pro and it completely changed for the better my listening experience. By linking together my PC network and my hi-fi/audio/TV equipment it brought high quality audio to my desktop and the wealth of music from the Internet to my hi fi.
 
Fast Track Pro is the only piece of M-Audio kit I have owned that hasn't broken down. It must have been good because I soon discovered I needed more channels and upgraded to a 10 in/14 out Firewire/USB unit from MOTU.
 
Look at the E_MU 0202 as well.