[jeff6666p]

How would a eBay PCM2704 dac sound compared to my built in sound from my early 2011 MacBook Pro 13"?

 

[rikk009]

Don't bother. 

 

[Pharmaboy]

  Don't bother. 

 
I disagree.
 
Bother. It's worth it.
 
This "DAC vs soundcard" thing is the digital version of "headphone amp vs just the chip in my smartphone" debate. The answer, in both cases, is if you really want "scalable" sound quality and functionality (ie, that are more than just basic, bare bones), you get the external device.
 
There are some very decent DACs available for small $$. You just have to look.
 
I got my 1st DAC 9 years ago. It was an enormous step-up from the soundcard (actually by then I was using an external sound card). Night and day sonic differences in all the small ways that are cumulative and totally matter.

 

[tomb]

 

  Don't bother. 

 
I disagree.
 
Bother. It's worth it.
 
This "DAC vs soundcard" thing is the digital version of "headphone amp vs just the chip in my smartphone" debate. The answer, in both cases, is if you really want "scalable" sound quality and functionality (ie, that are more than just basic, bare bones), you get the external device.
 
There are some very decent DACs available for small $$. You just have to look.
 
I got my 1st DAC 9 years ago. It was an enormous step-up from the soundcard (actually by then I was using an external sound card). Night and day sonic differences in all the small ways that are cumulative and totally matter.

 
^ this ...

 

[FumblingFoo]

  How would a eBay PCM2704 dac sound compared to my built in sound from my early 2011 MacBook Pro 13"?

 
I'd recommend pairing the DAC with an amp like the FiiO A3, so you can more easily control the volume without affecting sound quality as much. Definitely try out the DAC first before spending money on an amp. BTW, I found something on amazon that might be similar to the DAC on ebay:
 
https://www.amazon.com/USB-DAC-PCM2704-Optical-Converter/dp/B0093KZTEA
 
And here's the A3
 
https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00Z9BIODA

 

[theearbone]

Save up for a mojo, they are truly a generation ahead of the sigma-delta dacs that have been industry standard this century.  The chips in really cheap dacs will not be good ones and they won't be well implemented, which is something that really matter with dacs.  WHilst its not impossible that a cheapo dac will be good, it is unlikely.
 
As an example: my CD player has 4 four sigma-delta wolfson dacs on a circuit board about the size of an A4 sheet of paper, whereas the mojo fits in the palm of my hand, is battery powered and portable - the mojo sounds way better.  Original RRP of CD player £800, cost of Mojo £400 with free case, now thats progress.  A £500 CD player bought now would not sound better than mine, as the technology is largely the unchanged, it also wouldn't fit into a coat pocket and have a headphone amp thats actually worth having.
 
£1 a day for 13 months and you'll have a mojo.  Or set up a jar, each time you scrimp on something deposit the saved change in the jar, also stick in spare change, its amazing how fast it adds up.
 
 

 

[rikk009]

   
I disagree.
 
Bother. It's worth it.
 
This "DAC vs soundcard" thing is the digital version of "headphone amp vs just the chip in my smartphone" debate. The answer, in both cases, is if you really want "scalable" sound quality and functionality (ie, that are more than just basic, bare bones), you get the external device.
 
There are some very decent DACs available for small $$. You just have to look.
 
I got my 1st DAC 9 years ago. It was an enormous step-up from the soundcard (actually by then I was using an external sound card). Night and day sonic differences in all the small ways that are cumulative and totally matter.

The debate is between Macbook output vs super cheap entry DAC from an unknown ebay seller.
 
I haven't heard a PCM 2704 DAC that would sound better than a Macbook. I have often seen Macbook owners complaining they didn't hear a difference between their laptop and an entry level D/A even upto $200. IIRC Macbooks have wolfson chips and sound great. PCM 2704 won't be a match, but again someone might find it more favourable. 

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Save up for a mojo, they are truly a generation ahead of the sigma-delta dacs that have been industry standard this century.

 
This. I love my Mojo! I've compared cheaper DACs to my laptop DAC and didn't hear a difference...while the Mojo is leagues better.

 

[Raketen]

This might be the most Head-Fi thread on Head-Fi ever... guy comes in looking at a $22 OEM rebrand DAC and gets recommended a $600 Chord product :veryevil:

Can't speak to the ebay PCM2704, but I'd say an external DAC is probably worth a try for fun if you listen to a lot of music, and don't mind using the money on something you may or may not notice (depending on headphone might make this more or less obvious). I've never heard a Macbook but if its not obviously awful, depending on your level of interest it might be worth saving the money for a headphone.

 

[Music Alchemist]

This might be the most Head-Fi thread on Head-Fi ever... guy comes in looking at a $22 OEM rebrand DAC and gets recommended a $600 Chord product

 
ehehe. Not so much an "immediate" recommendation as a "just use what you have until you can afford this better thing" suggestion.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
I haven't heard a PCM 2704 DAC that would sound better than a Macbook. I have often seen Macbook owners complaining they didn't hear a difference between their laptop and an entry level D/A even upto $200. IIRC Macbooks have wolfson chips and sound great. PCM 2704 won't be a match, but again someone might find it more favourable. 

 

Well I took my Meier Cantate.2 used with a laptop via USB and compared it to a Burson Soloist and a variety of CDPs (also used it on the Meier), and the PCM2704 DAC in the Meier sounded better than everything but the Arcam CD72. The Rega Planet gave Norah Jones sinusitis, the Cambridge 350C had the bass drums out in front, the NAD was only a bit better than it but was too 2D.

 

That said, that was a Meier amp with a decent USB DAC built in, not an eBay wild card, but point is, even lesser spec'd USB chips can have a neutral enough response with good channel separation, while some that cost more could be EQ-ing the sound, like the Rega and Cambridge. 

 

[theveterans]

DAC difference IMO is not something immediate, but only shows up upon long term listening (unless it's a summit-fi DAC against on-board). It might be a brain condition effect or not, but having an expensive equipment in your chain makes you think sound is better.

 

[theearbone]

The details of how a dac chip are implemented matters greatly, for example a good chip will have separate power legs for digital and analogue plus a voltage reference, so to work at their best they should have three sets of voltage regulation plus additional decoupling right next to the chip.  On something like an arcam you see the chips surrounded by capacitors and not too far away there will be the accompany voltage regulator circuit, cheapo dacs simply don't do this.  Some quality brands make fairly simple dac circuit boards, those guys have the incentive of preserving their brand to be really careful with it, whereas some guy in china knocking out designs for generic brands does not.
 
IMO the OP is far better off saving up for something good rather than buying just to fulfill the urge to buy now, what constitutes good is down to the buyer, I don't know how little you have to spend to get a worthwhile difference, I do know that its not more than the Mojo costs.
 
The elephant in the room here is that headphones/speakers vary more than the amps and dacs that supply the signals they magnetically dance to.