[nst]

using a sony mdr-7506 myself. works well... picked up the audinst for S$190... good bit off the ebay price

 

[zenemano]

I think this topic just answered my question.
cheers!

 

[Frank I]

I have the Matrix M Stage driving 701 and a Marantz DV6001 which is a nice cd/sacd player. Would either the Fun Basic or Audinst DAC be an improvement or do I need to move up significantly with a DAC. I would be using coaxial only and using the Marantz as a transport. 

 

[audiofil]

The Audinst is a no-go because it's USB only input.
The FUN on the other hand is a very good amp/dac for the money, but having the M-stage kind of defeats the purpose of buying it. You won't need the amp section, which (in my mind) is the better half of the Fun.
 
I'd suggest saving up for a DAC19 instead, which is a whole different kettle of fish, superior in every respect to the FUN (or MX1 for that matter).

 

[rawrster]

Thanks for the review audiofil. Looks like this could be a nice addition to my transportable. Any idea how long the shipping will take from Korea to the States?

 

[Frank I]

Thats what I kind of figured with the Fun. I think I need to rethink the DAC and budget more money. Thanks  audiofil

 

[Currawong]

Frank, I have an Onkyo SACD player and I found little to no difference between it and Fun (unless I put in OPAMPs that change the tone of the sound) so you may not find much benefit unless you buy a much more expensive DAC.  The player in question had a good reputation for sound quality despite being relatively inexpensive. 

 

[Frank I]

Thanks Currawong. The Marantz DV6001 is a really nice universal player. I have stayed away from DACs for 12 years since I like the one box presentation. I was wondering if the higher end audio GD would be worth the 480.00 If I only get very minor improvement it's not worth it.

 

[nManJofo]

Hello all,
 
I hope this wont be off topic... I've got DT990, 32-ohm model, and I want to buy my first DAC/AMP, I'm currenty hooked to onboard sound card. I'm considering either MX1, or new Carat-Ruby MK2, selling for 275USD (inc. shipping). But I dont know, whether the difference between them is worth extra ~100USD or not. What would you recommend?

 

[thuantran]

The Carat-Ruby MkII comes with a 110/220V 60Hz only adapter so you might need to change that if your power spec is different. The unit becomes lukewarm otherwise from my experience of testing it at a computer shop near me. Also with my HD595 albeit it has the same sound signature as its older brother Peridot, a little wider sound stage, instrument separation is not as good as the Peridot, the veil effect might be. So if you don't want 24bit/96Khz through USB or optical input or driving some harder to drive headphone, the Peridot might be the better choice. I have zero experience with the MX1, but headphonia praised it a lot in their review of this unit.
 
YMMV applied, too .
 
EDIT: I tested both units with USB input as that's what I'm going to use.

 

[nManJofo]

Peridot better than Ruby? Sounds odd to me.

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

Thanks Currawong. The Marantz DV6001 is a really nice universal player. I have stayed away from DACs for 12 years since I like the one box presentation. I was wondering if the higher end audio GD would be worth the 480.00 If I only get very minor improvement it's not worth it.

The situation I'd consider it in is if you listen to a lot of acoustic music, such as classical or jazz and you are having trouble with instruments sounding harsh and digital.  I can understand though if you just spend $500 on a universal player, than that again on a DAC certainly makes it expensive.

 

[thuantran]

There're ppl who say iBasso D4 sounds better than D10, IMO it's also depends on your ears and gears. Personally I find the Ruby sound is not as clear as the Peridot. That might be because the Ruby was running off spec power wise. They have the original 60Hz adapter running with 50Hz power used in my country. Overall whether the entire Ruby package is better than the Peridot is also up to personal opinion. To me, the ability of running off USB power only helps sometimes.
 

 

[chinesekiwi]

Having 2 x AD797's lying around makes this even more tempting than it was >.<

 

[project86]

Quote:

Frank, I have an Onkyo SACD player and I found little to no difference between it and Fun (unless I put in OPAMPs that change the tone of the sound) so you may not find much benefit unless you buy a much more expensive DAC.  The player in question had a good reputation for sound quality despite being relatively inexpensive. 

Thanks for that good advice. When friends of mine are just starting out, I often direct them towards older high end players such as Pioneer Elite and Sony ES. Some of them that originally sold for $800-$1500 some years back can still hold their own today. It's good to remember that sort of budget item exists in the land of "external everything".