[bixby]

Quote:

 

Listen, you've suggested a $250 USB cable to a guy looking for DAC under $150. Congrats on the list of notables in your career. $250 USB cables are ultra snake oil. You might convince some, but not me....ever.

yes he did!  And he obviously heard it with the dac and felt that for $400 it represented good value. 
 
You might want to keep your mind and ears open and listen yourself before barking off with the snake oil comment.........but then again maybe you are quite experienced, have heard lots of cables and cannot hear any difference......so be it....you have probably saved quite a few dollars.
 
I don't think he was trying to convince you!
 

 

[bixby]

Quote:

 Can someone do a general list of neutral DAC's around my price point? Or point me to a massive DAC buyers guide?

here you go.....................
 
 
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=275123
 
oh and the mother of all dac lists  right here on good ole HF
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/197674/all-the-dacs-money-can-buy
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/325941/all-the-dacs-money-can-buy-pt-2
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/494290/all-the-dacs-money-can-buy-pt-3
 
Good Luck!

 

[mikemercer]

ThanX for the back-up here - and my "list of notables" was only written to give you an idea of my background, so that you knew I had plenty of experience in the "pro world" as well as consumer.  I wasn't trying to impress anybody - I have nothing to prove.
 
Merely trying to share my experiences with people seeking guidance.  If you don't need it, actually, all the better for you!
 
Nu-Jack insults and inexperience aside - I am always out to help this industry GROW,
and those that know me, and read my stuff, know that - the Founder of this site included.

 

[mikemercer]

Focusrite does make a GREAT product - and their Sapphire is a nice piece indeed.
 
and BTW - Benchmark makes a bunch of "pro" products, and while they're not cheap, they're certainly worth it IMO
 
 
I'm actually in the process of listening/reviewing their DAC1 HDR - and it is VERY impressive!
 
but, back to 150 dollar DACS - I'm still about the HRT, but the the Pop Pulse stuff is also surprisingly good,
and I had intended on reviewing one of their DACs last year (which I still have, and will be reviewing it for The Daily Swarm soon)
 
Again I wholly appreciate the supportive posts here.
 
Yours in Sound,
 
Michael
 
BTW: The sound ALWAYS changes the moment it's captured by a mic, and fed into a board, then a recording device - so looking for "neutral" maybe a futile exercise,
I look for a sound that moves me, a sound that excites me, but we're all different.

 

[darknessproz]

Stretch your budget a bit and get the audinst hud mx1? Reviews described it as neutral. I'll be getting one myself soon.

 

[leeperry]

the audinst runs off a wall wart and has a crummy opamp soldered on its line-out...I'd say stretch your budget and get the Little Dot DAC I? It's got a reclocker, swappable opamps, a good PSU and good clocking. A friend of mine will receive it through the end of the week, to feed his Auditor via a balanced connection...if he's happy w/ it, I'll get a close friend of mine to buy and I'll try it.
 
I've seen it selling for $215 second hand, not much of a stretch.

 

[regal]

Search ebay for a CS4398 kit,  you get a board and a transformer for your budget.  Learn how to wire it up and find a cheap enclosure for it.  As you learn more you can upgrade it.

 

[Pricklely Peete]

Quote:

Search ebay for a CS4398 kit,  you get a board and a transformer for your budget.  Learn how to wire it up and find a cheap enclosure for it.  As you learn more you can upgrade it.

This is an excellent suggestion ...something I have done myself not too long ago (with a CS4397/CS8416 combo) that after some (OK quite a few) mods performs well above it's meager price point...Total cost including a cheap chassis and a decent toroidal traffo came out to roughly 160USD.
 
Peete.

 

[turimbar1]

Quote:

Quote:

Search ebay for a CS4398 kit,  you get a board and a transformer for your budget.  Learn how to wire it up and find a cheap enclosure for it.  As you learn more you can upgrade it.

This is an excellent suggestion ...something I have done myself not too long ago (with a CS4397/CS8416 combo) that after some (OK quite a few) mods performs well above it's meager price point...Total cost including a cheap chassis and a decent toroidal traffo came out to roughly 160USD.
 
Peete.

like this? http://cgi.ebay.com/Mini-Crystal-CS4398-TI-PCM2706-USB-Input-DAC-Kit-/260720853724?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb42c82dc#ht_3828wt_1141
 
how is it initially? I suspect that modding is what really makes it good.

 

[Hellrzr]

I quite like my Zero DAC. With a audio-gd earth opamp.

 

[grokit]

What did the OP end up going with?
 
Did you ever pick up a DAC, EYEdROP?

 

[EYEdROP]

No not yet. Money has been really tight these past few months. I have a gift card for $40 and some money right now, so im tempted. But that will limit my options to the HRT MS2 vs. fubar 2. (sears doesent have a big selection). 
 
Someone on ebay sniped a dac for $40 right from under my hands. It was the m-audio SuperDAC.      
 
Can I get a better value/cheaper than the dacs at sears + giftcard, if I shop used?
 
 Money is still tight, im trying to lean out my bills and rid of hidden expeses. Im basically living paycheck to paycheck, barely getting everything i have to payed.

 

[grokit]

The HRT seems like a good option if you want to use your gift card, they seem to be pretty widely well-regarded but I haven't heard one personally. I have had three of the Hot Audio offerings, they are fantastic for the money and quite neutral IME. I have no complaints with any of them so I can second the recommendation on those, including the sub-$100 USB models. I just listened to my first one for the first time in a while as I was giving it to a friend in much the same financial situation with a pair of headphones, and damn, it still sounds great!

 

[estreeter]

I wouldnt really describe my HRT MSII as 'neutral', at least not with the D4, and this is backed up by various reviews of the DAC. Personally, I'm a much bigger fan of the warm, 'forgiving' approach taken by HRT in building this DAC than I was of my old DAC, a Chinese made device which seemed to rob a lot of my music of its soul. FWIR of the Pro model, HRT did opt to go for something a lot sharper further up the range - those looking for a neutral DAC might be happier with that model.

 

[kwkarth]

One of the best budget DACs I've laid ears on is the Nuforce μDAC2.  Lots of bang per buck.  I also like the 1796 from Pop Pulse.