[clarinetman]

Well, as much as I dislike making new threads, I'm really really straining myself trying to determine which new DAC I should buy.
 
I've owned an Aune MK2 for about a month now. It's decent I guess, but something tells me that it's not really up to par with something in the $3-400 tier, and thus I'm selling it to a friend of mine to finance for a new one. It's also that I have an unstoppable, burning lust for the LCD-2, and so I'm saving for those as well. Ultimately what is needed is something that synergizes with not only the cans, but also the Matrix M-Stage, which will be my next amp for the DAC.
 
Basically, I've sort of tentatively of narrowed things down, almost. A few days ago, I put a reservation on a Meier Cantate, which Jan is no longer making and is selling B-stock for $425. I thought this would be nice using the built-in DAC, but there's no upsampling, few reviews, it's a little on the expensive side, I don't know much about the chips used (LM6171 opamps, BUF634 buffers, PCM2702E DAC) and finally and less importantly, it might be cumbersome with the M-Stage... There doesn't seem to be much info on the DAC function, but from what there is, it mostly seems positive. Can anybody comment on this, or especially the chips? I like the fact that the opamps are socketed for rolling abilities, but as aforementioned, I really know nothing about chips or what sounds good (although I've experimented with it a few times with my Aune).
 
Another option that looks nice is the LD DAC_I. The fact that it's a pure (upsampling) DAC is nice, although like the affliction of the Cantate, there are few reviews that I've seen; however all of such are also positive. That said, it uses a WM8740 DAC, which apparently isn't the greatest... Yet again, I know nothing about the opamps used, which are the LM4562, LME49720, and LME4910. Whether or not the chips are socketed is unbeknownst to me, should the chips not sound good. If I went for the Cantate route, how much of a difference does upsampling realistically make?
 
I have also been looking at the little-known DAC WM8740 4.0, as seen here: http://cgi.ebay.com/DAC-WM8740-4-0-Wolfson-up-sampling-24bit-192KHz-USB-/220664063821?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33609a674dhttp://cgi.ebay.com/DAC-WM8740-4-0-...821?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33609a674d
 
I really like this one for its simplicity and interchangeability factors. Although it uses all WM8740 chips, a thread I read on diyaudio.com praised it pretty highly after tweaking with it some. It's also quite inexpensive, which is always a plus, and would probably look sexy with the silver M-Stage.
 
And for the final contender--the new Matrix CUBE, as seen here: https://coolfungadget.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=35&product_id=56
http://cgi.ebay.com/DAC-WM8740-4-0-...821?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33609a674d
The bells and whistles of this one are what makes this one appealing; lots of input options and naturally the ASRC function. Unfortunately, it also uses the WM8740 as a DAC, and the crappy-sounding, nonsocketed, OPA2134 (the one chip I actually have experience with). It also uses the LM833 which I know nothing about. I don't expect anybody to have heard the CUBE yet, but it seems fairly close to the Mini-i which several people own now.
 
 
Anyway, maybe I'm really overthinking the damn chips--I really don't know. If anybody could comment on any of these, it would be extremely helpful so I don't end up having to stare at my monitor until my eyes turn to raisins.
 
Thank you in advance.
 
 
EDIT: I forgot to mention the Audio-GD FUN. While being rather expensive, its tinkering abilities seem endless. This is either good or bad, but it seems to be getting a lot of praise recently.

 

[Kawai_man]

I wouldnt waste my time with those dac's, I've owned like around 8 external dacs 3 of them were over 500 and I consider them all a waste of money , the three best solution IMO for improving the digital to analog conversion from a computer are.
 
1. Get a good soundcard if your computer supports PCI,PCIE,PCI express, ect..
2. Async USB dac
3. Firewire dac
 
 
Also if you can upgrade your hard drive to a solid state drive you will get a big improvement in sound.
 
If you have a computer that uses an external power supply you can replace it with a linear power supply and you will get another big improvement,  but it would be good if you have some knowledge about electricity and know how to use a multimeter or else you can fry you're computer if you do this.

 

[leeperry]

 

I wouldnt waste my time with those dac's, I've owned like around 8 external dacs 3 of them were over 500 and I consider them all a waste of money , the three best solution IMO for improving the digital to analog conversion from a computer are.
 
1. Get a good soundcard if your computer supports PCI,PCIE,PCI express, ect..
2. Async USB dac
3. Firewire dac
 
 
Also if you can upgrade your hard drive to a solid state drive you will get a big improvement in sound.
 
If you have a computer that uses an external power supply you can replace it with a linear power supply and you will get another big improvement,  but it would be good if you have some knowledge about electricity and know how to use a multimeter or else you can fry you're computer if you do this.

Most ppl will laugh at your SSD argument...and what DAC's did you use? NOS I think? this cannot work...tube output stages? this cannot compete against some good opamps distortion-wise.
 
comparing an internal soundcard(fed from a dirty SMPS in an EMI/RFI hostile environment) to an external DAC galvanically isolated from the dirty computer ground and fed from a low ripple DPS is also a clear night and day...what headphones did you use to run your tests?
 
there's no point in building a +400W linear regulated PSU for the whole computer as this would cost a hell lot and take a lot of room...you want to provide your audio gear from a proper DPS, that's all.
 
Also, you can't galvanically isolate a firewire audio device...unlike USB. And "PCIE,PCI express" are the same thing.
 
@the OP: PCM2702 is junk, just like OPA2134. Prefer the Tenor chip, much better SQ

 

[clarinetman]

 
Quote:

I wouldnt waste my time with those dac's, I've owned like around 8 external dacs 3 of them were over 500 and I consider them all a waste of money , the three best solution IMO for improving the digital to analog conversion from a computer are.
 
1. Get a good soundcard if your computer supports PCI,PCIE,PCI express, ect..
2. Async USB dac
3. Firewire dac
 
 
Also if you can upgrade your hard drive to a solid state drive you will get a big improvement in sound.
 
If you have a computer that uses an external power supply you can replace it with a linear power supply and you will get another big improvement,  but it would be good if you have some knowledge about electricity and know how to use a multimeter or else you can fry you're computer if you do this.

While I can appreciate what you're saying, I'm on kind of a restricted budget. Every soundcard I ever own seems to break after a few months and is a general waste of money, so I just tend to prefer DACs to them. Maybe if you recommended something specific?
 
Why would replacing my hard drive make any difference whatsoever?

 

 

[clarinetman]

Nobody else, really?

 

[leeperry]

the doctor's prescription advises to go for a pimped audinst unit, now if you wanna use some inferior PCM2702/OPA2134 combo...as you like