[pekingduck]

Better pics of the DAC_II at @ С²»µã¶ú·ÅÐÂÆ·ÓÅ»ÝÔ¤¶¨£ºDAC II & MT+£¨ÓÅ»ÝÓÐЧÆÚÖÁ12ÔÂ20ÈÕ½ØÖ¹£© @ ¶ú»ú´ó¼Ò̳ ¶ú»ú,¶úÈû,¶ú»ú·Å´óÆ÷,ËæÉíÌý,DIY,ÒôÀÖ

Didn't know the II does not have XLR balanced out..oh well

 

[lh0628]

oatmeal769, what are you using for transport from your computer to the DAC_I?

I'm curious on h ow the DAC_I holds up against the other $100-$300 range DACs such as Zero, KECES, etc.

Cheers.

 

[etiolate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pekingduck /img/forum/go_quote.gif Better pics of the DAC_II at @ С²»µã¶ú·ÅÐÂÆ·ÓÅ»ÝÔ¤¶¨£ºDAC II & MT+£¨ÓÅ»ÝÓÐЧÆÚÖÁ12ÔÂ20ÈÕ½ØÖ¹£© @ ¶ú»ú´ó¼Ò̳ ¶ú»ú,¶úÈû,¶ú»ú·Å´óÆ÷,ËæÉíÌý,DIY,ÒôÀÖ Didn't know the II does not have XLR balanced out..oh well

link is broken or something with me... can't connect with erji.net.

 

[pekingduck]

here u go

 

[oatmeal769]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lh0628 /img/forum/go_quote.gif oatmeal769, what are you using for transport from your computer to the DAC_I? I'm curious on h ow the DAC_I holds up against the other $100-$300 range DACs such as Zero, KECES, etc.

I use a coax cable from Blue Jeans. Works wonderfully, looks good, and is extremely economical.

I have not objectively tested it yet, But I'm going to guess this DAC will stand toe to toe with any of the $1K - $1.5K Dac's I've heard. Subjectively, it sounds punchy, live and clean with very focused and round low end - FWIW.

 

[lh0628]

Thanks, $1K-$1.5K eh, that means a lot.

The question I meant was which sound card are you using on your computer?

Thanks.

I'm seriously considering getting the DAC_I and the MKIII, and then I'll need a sound card as well. Doubling my original budget...

 

[elwappo99]

I don't know how I feel about the loss of the XLRs to the gained headphone out. Anyone know if David still has some of the older versions around?

 

[pekingduck]

The DAC_I is still being made, according to erji.net

 

[oatmeal769]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lh0628 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks, $1K-$1.5K eh, that means a lot. The question I meant was which sound card are you using on your computer? Thanks. I'm seriously considering getting the DAC_I and the MKIII, and then I'll need a sound card as well. Doubling my original budget...

OHHhhhh. Sorry!
That's the beauty - you don't necessarily NEED a soundcard. As long as your computer has an optical, or coaxial output, it's all good - Assuming you aren't changing the data inside the computer itself by the time it gets to the DAC.
I use an Emu 1212M for recording, and analog output, but for digital, I just use the MoBo's on-board coax output.

Sometime after the Holidays, I'm going to do an objective test against the ZERO, and PS Audio DL-III along with the E-Mu 1212M. I think the LD unit will do very well. It just takes a while to 'do it right' and I don't have time right now.

 

[oatmeal769]

I think The DAC 1 and Mark III would be an outstanding start. I would think that if you order both simultaneously, you will save $40 or $50 on shipping. Ask David directly if that will work.

 

[oatmeal769]

Oh yeah, Even if you don't have Coax, or optical outputs, You can still use the unit with an ordinary USB cable and have full functionality.

 

[lh0628]

Hey no worries, thanks for the answer.

I've read from quite a few sources that even though they are all digital out, the onboard's coax wouldn't be as good as a dedicated sound card. Some to try if you have a spare card laying around.

How does the USB in compare to the coax/optical on the DAC_I?

I just pulled a trigger on a NuForce uDAC after reading HPA's review, I just couldn't resist the $99 price tag... Still I'd like to get a MKIII and hopefully a DAC_I some day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oatmeal769 /img/forum/go_quote.gif OHHhhhh. Sorry! That's the beauty - you don't necessarily NEED a soundcard. As long as your computer has an optical, or coaxial output, it's all good - Assuming you aren't changing the data inside the computer itself by the time it gets to the DAC. I use an Emu 1212M for recording, and analog output, but for digital, I just use the MoBo's on-board coax output. Sometime after the Holidays, I'm going to do an objective test against the ZERO, and PS Audio DL-III along with the E-Mu 1212M. I think the LD unit will do very well. It just takes a while to 'do it right' and I don't have time right now.

 

[oatmeal769]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lh0628 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've read from quite a few sources that even though they are all digital out, the onboard's coax wouldn't be as good as a dedicated sound card. Some to try if you have a spare card laying around.

Those sources would be wrong. Digital information is just that. As long as the stream remains unchanged, you get exactly what you put into it regardless of source. People will talk to death about jitter, and cable reflections among other things. Some of these may indeed be measurable, but there is no human ear that can tell a difference. Any audible difference that might exist is likely volume change, etc. If any of those items are indeed bad enough to cause audible changes, trust me, a nearly deaf guy could hear it. Digital distortion, clipping, and drop-outs are by no means subtle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lh0628 /img/forum/go_quote.gif How does the USB in compare to the coax/optical on the DAC_I?

I like the coax because it just 'works'. I don't need to worry about usb issues, drivers, etc., and it's more reliable over distance than optical, as well as less expensive.
There also seems to be some talk about people having an easier time outputting a 'bit perfect' stream with coax over usb, but I don't know that for certain.

 

[lh0628]

Would you mind comparing the two (USB vs Coax) and see if there is a difference?

 

[oatmeal769]

Sure, but I won't be able to do any serious objective testing until after the holidays. It takes much time to set it all up and 'do it right'.