[yococo96]

ok 
thanks  
but now i'm think of going to diy. so I want to know what's the very best diy (I mean something that I can make at home not necessarily a dac wich has been designed to be a diy, just something I can realize) you have ever seen.don't think about the price.
thanks for all.

 

[computerparts]

Diy price no object? Say no more
 

 

[Sam-Fi]

I would buy one of those if I could afford it. One day.

 

[yococo96]

thanks 
i'll buy the 4.1 with usb option. 
will find the money, that's all. 
thanks again

 

[sw98]

Has anyone auditioned or own the Bel Canto DAC 2.5? Any thoughts if it performs well for the price tag?

 

[Sam-Fi]

I am absolutely Loving the Tubadour.
 
Sam-fi

 

[yococo96]

saving up for the 4.1 or maybe the 2ND diy

cool if you love the tubadour.

 

[monadnock]

If someone wants to buy a usb cable that costs thousands of dollars, I'll fly to their home and hardwire computer to dac for the same amount of money. No cable is surely better sounding than a cable.

the real problem w computer to DAC is that PC are a crap source for audio.. we spend all this money on gear, the perfect tube or DAC chip from 1992 or whatever and then feed the DAC and sound chain w junk source (PC, mac mini, Pi >> to a lesser extent) expecting it to do all the heavy lifting and make the magic happen.

PC/ Pi can be used to like stuff on the Facebooks and such but they're not very good at passing clean audio from your HD to your DAC. Expensive gaming or cheap chromebook-- they all add a lot of garbage to the signal.

ex, I almost sold my DAC a while back..made some changes to my system and it started sounding worse, not bettter. I added a streamer/ transport combo and without changing the DAC or any cables, the sound opened up to a surprising degree. I've never put a tube, cable or cryo-enhanced TT mat in my system that made a larger positive impact on SQ.

what I learnt:

garbage in, garbage out.

also- different cables in the power / audio pathway audibly change the sound quality/ output/ signature...depending on the system, sometimes these differences can be dramatic, other times, not so much.

 

[Arniesb]

the real problem w computer to DAC is that PC are a crap source for audio.. we spend all this money on gear, the perfect tube or DAC chip from 1992 or whatever and then feed the DAC and sound chain w junk source (PC, mac mini, Pi >> to a lesser extent) expecting it to do all the heavy lifting and make the magic happen.

PC/ Pi can be used to like stuff on the Facebooks and such but they're not very good at passing clean audio from your HD to your DAC. Expensive gaming or cheap chromebook-- they all add a lot of garbage to the signal.

ex, I almost sold my DAC a while back..made some changes to my system and it started sounding worse, not bettter. I added a streamer/ transport combo and without changing the DAC or any cables, the sound opened up to a surprising degree. I've never put a tube, cable or cryo-enhanced TT mat in my system that made a larger positive impact on SQ.

what I learnt:

garbage in, garbage out.

also- different cables in the power / audio pathway audibly change the sound quality/ output/ signature...depending on the system, sometimes these differences can be dramatic, other times, not so much.

True. Everything matter but most importantly source. It should be with best possible clocks and Power supplies. if that is the case then a lot of people dont need tube amps or any of this nonsense to get pleasant and realistic sound. Sometimes its not the amp or dac fault that source suck big time and when amp or dac dont sugar coat it the end result can be thin sound whitout 0 life, depth and dynamics.

 

[Arniesb]

Besides if anyone believe crap dac designers are saying, then they are delusional to say the least. All these guy who sell dacs sing the same tune or otherwhise they wouldnt sell as much.
They would talk differently if they would sell reclockers and stuff.

 

[sajunky]

the real problem w computer to DAC is that PC are a crap source for audio.. we spend all this money on gear, the perfect tube or DAC chip from 1992 or whatever and then feed the DAC and sound chain w junk source (PC, mac mini, Pi >> to a lesser extent) expecting it to do all the heavy lifting and make the magic happen.

PC/ Pi can be used to like stuff on the Facebooks and such but they're not very good at passing clean audio from your HD to your DAC. Expensive gaming or cheap chromebook-- they all add a lot of garbage to the signal.

ex, I almost sold my DAC a while back..made some changes to my system and it started sounding worse, not bettter. I added a streamer/ transport combo and without changing the DAC or any cables, the sound opened up to a surprising degree. I've never put a tube, cable or cryo-enhanced TT mat in my system that made a larger positive impact on SQ.

I agree. I had problem with ground loops with my R2R11, sound cleaned up nicely using very simple methods.

Pi can be very good, it is much better than PC/Laptop, a big source of ground loops. LPS for Pi can improve a lot, but the ultimate solution is to put a galvanic isolator. It is not easy to isolate USB, a practical way is to put isolator on I2S output, or use PI as a network streamer (your DAC must have I2S input). Commercial solutions called digital interface devices like Singxer SU-1, Gustard U-16 or Audio GD DI-20 do a job better or worse, depends on the system. The last one has received a good feedback due to the little known feature. Those who have proper setup on the PC benefit from a clean, fixed frequency clock, no PLL synchronisation method is required. Prompted by a success of DI-20 Kingwa is upgrading the entire range of DACs, 2021 revisions have this feature implemented, but only models R8 ($1700) and up come with a bidirectional galvanic isolator on USB.

The cheapest R2R DAC (as I don't consider to purchase anything else) with a galvanic isolator on USB port is probably an new Soekris DAC-2541. Not sure it is a bi-directional isolator required for asynchronous transfers..

 

[monadnock]

Audio Mirror is a few hours from me.. very near some big Altec multicell horns that I've been chatting with the seller about trading gear for. Wonder if I call the AM owner and set some time up to come by and listen. A few folk I know and 'agree with' ;D about sound have them and said they're off DAC HUNT for the forseeable future. One just sold his Audio Note, another ran up the stack through Schiit, Soekeris, Denafrips, Metrum and finally a heavily modded MHDT Orchid .. thinking he was happy he glibly ordered the AM Tubadour III SE, with the idea thyat he could return it if the Orchid was better.. it was not and he was 'stuck' with an unintended $2500 dollar purchase and 'more-happy'.

 

[monadnock]

I saw teh DB Audio Labs Tranquility is coming out w an SE model.. maybe I'm bad at the webs but I can't find their website.. the only one http://www.dbaudiolabs.com/ found on a forum post, loads but just says 'page ok'.. meh? is this my internets? Maybe I'm not getting to all the nets.