[Mrjabba]

hello head-fi members!

i recently joined this forum and i've found the information on here to be overwhelming! there is simply too much info to process.

since joining i have been trying to read up on a possilbe DAC for myself.

i do have a budget, as the wife doesn't want me spending too much money on 'toys'. (we're saving for a deposit on a new place!)

anyway long story short, i've decided to get 1 of the 3 DACs below.
the Zhaolu D2.5A, Lite DAC-CAA Mod and Musiland MD10.

i've read a few comments on the caa mod and it seems good, theres plenty of reviews on the md10 and zhaolu. but maybe someone out there has heard all 3 and can maybe help.

recommendations for other models is MOST welcome!

thanks!

 

[cotdt]

it depends on what kind of sound you like?

 

[Mrjabba]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cotdt /img/forum/go_quote.gif it depends on what kind of sound you like?

i listen to a lot jazz and female vocal, so probably somethign with nice lush mids.
don't want to skimp on the detail as well

 

[hugz]

the dacah is more typically jazz-ish and "lush" so a modded dacah is probably where you want to go for that one.. unless your setup is already incredibily warm in which case the zhaolu is maybe better

i suspect the zhaolu may have better details than the dacah but i cant be 100% sure of this because i haven't done a tough side-by-side comparison of the two.. also, brighter components (which the zhaolu is) tend to give the impression of more detail even if there's none there

cant comment on the musiland because i haven't heard it for more than 10 minutes, and thats on an unfamiliar setup

as always, an in-house audition is best, but if that's not an option then i'd probably go with the dacah

// i own a caa da cah, have had quite a bit of experience with 1.3 and 2.0 zhaolu and am currently auditioning a 2.5 zhaolu

 

[d-cee]

overall my thoughts echo hugz's

i also own a modded DAC-AH and Zhaolu D2.0.

my DAC-AH isn't the CAA one, but is very similar, and I bought a stock DAC-AH from the lads at coem and liaised with them through the entire mod process, basically it's my own version of the CAA mods, but with diff paper in oil caps, some electrolytics replaced and a more stable trimpot - John and Daniel were really helpful throughout it all, even though I was butchering and voiding the warranty on the DAC they just sold me.

my Zhaolu 2.0 is the aus spec one with Elnas/Wima/OS-Con caps throughout, also blocking caps bypassed and 3 x LM4652s in place. I have the AD1852 DAC board installed. It has the discrete headphone amp but i've unplugged it as well as all other unecessary internal wiring.

Of my impressions, I would say the Zhaolu with the LM4652s have a slight edge in definition and detail (before this I'd say the two were quite close), the bass is also punchier and the high frequencies have a bit more sparkle and reach.

The non oversampling DAC-AH on the other hand has the beautiful mids and a powerful deep bass, its highs are recessed somewhat compared to the Zhaolu, and can get a bit lost in complex music, that is... until i ran it at 8v. Prior to the 8v mod i thought it lacked a little in detail, and was more forgiving than the Zhaolu, but running @ 8v is probably one of the most effective mods that removed graininess in the top end and also improved the detail. the passive output mod also improved in taming the grain, but that was before the 8v removed it.

unfortunately I haven't heard the MD10, but I do know it uses the same CS4398 DAC as in the Zhaolu C series, and is also an oversampling DAC. That's all I can really see, also it has more input options and some consider the inbuilt headphone amp acceptable for low impedance phones. The Discrete headphone amp on the Zhaolu I've found is not bad for all the phones i tried it with, excellent value for the price.

Other suggestions would be the MHDT labs that can be found on eBay - http://myworld.ebay.com.au/mhdtlab/ - their products are also non oversampling and their Dialogue II is in a similar price range and are based on the TDA1543 DAC chip, though they only use 1. It comes standard with discrete outputs and has BNC and optional USB inputs. Products come up depending on how many are built, so if you're interested you may have to wait around until they produce more of the units you want

 

[Mrjabba]

thanks for the replies!

currently i am sort of leaning towards the dac-ah caa mod or the md10.

i'm going to read about the MHDT ones as well

 

[Mrjabba]

thanks again to everyone who was able to help me out with this

i've decided to get the coem audio lite dac-ah mod, and they offer a 30days money back garuntee. i'll post back when i receive it and maybe a small review.
if anyone is interested, this it the dac: http://coemaudio.com.au/products.php?product_id=101

 

[d-cee]

i don't think you'll be dissapointed with your choice

was going to recommend it to you, but decided i'd give you my as objective as possible impressions and then let you make up your own mind

 

[Mojo777]

For the money 2.5A sounds fantastic and won't break any budget. You can mod it later after you move into the new pad and won't be dissapointed in the mean-time.

I went the USB route cuz I wanted flexibility but the 2.5A for CD-applications really can't be beat for the money. Most people will tell you the the A is better than the C stock.

 

[Epicurean]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojo777 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Most people will tell you the the A is better than the C stock.

Really? Where did you get that idea? I for one didn't feel either one of them were better than the other, just different.

 

[jimholt]

You should be happy with the Dac-Ah. Heard one a friend modded and it was very good. Sorry to confuse you but you could have included the Beresford too which seems to be well regarded also with 30 day money back. Anyway hope the Dac-Ah works for you, i'm sure you will like it. Jim.

 

[nkoulban]

I have both the Lite AH CAA Mod and have auditioned the Musiland MD10. The Lite will need about 100 hours before it really opens up. so be patient with it. It is a great sounding DAC, very analogue. The Musiland MD10 is more resolving though, you hear more detail and the soundstage is better... but initially it is a little harsh. I have it on good advice from a fellow head fi-er that it smooths out after about 100 hours or so. I am also on a budget and I am very tempted to bypass the very good value Musiland and go straight to a Stello DA100. My guess is that the Stello is better still but at more than twice the price of the Musiland it should be.

I intend to keep the Lite and augment it with a more analytic DAC. My other plan is to get a LD II ++ valve headphone amp. My plan is that a higher resolving but harsher DAC like an MD10 or DA100 Stello, will not only mellow out over time but the valve amp will also contribute to a smoother sound... hopefully the best of both worlds.

Anyway good luck

 

[penguindude]

What would you guys say is the best DAC under $150?

 

[Mrjabba]

Thanks for the replies

i ordered the dac-ah caa mod early this week, and they said it would take a few days to modify and stress test and tune? anyway they sent it yesterday and i received it today!

like others have said, the guys at coemaudio (daniel and john) are a pleasure to deal with. very fast email response and even called me back to talk about the dac and the few days waiting time, a few days feels like a lifetime when i'm waiting for stuff!!!

according to the head-fi culture, i will post impressions and review soon! photos too?

i'm still at work so can't listen to it yet, but the dac is very well built from inspection. can't wait to get home and listen.

 

[d-cee]

glad to hear your experience was a good one

definitely post pics! yeah, when they build a DAC-AH there are certain components that shift over time and depending on the temperature of the DAC so need to tune them...