Upgrading DAC-Suggestions?

[stang]

So over the past several weeks I have been looking into different DACs quite a bit. I want a noticeable upgrade over my current Zero DAC w/ OPA627. I will be going from onboard Coax>DAC>MAD Ear+ HD. I only require Coaxial (and/or Optical) as an input and a set of RCA out to feed my MAD Ear+ HD w/ DT880 600ohm or Grado HF-2. Must be 220-240V and under $400aud (with postage and all fees if there are any). Right now I only have $300, but I am willing to save up to $400 or so. I would love the Audio-GD DSP1, but the ~$800 it cost is too extreme for me at the age of 16 

 The smaller the DAC is, the better, but I will NOT sacrifice sound quality for other things such as aesthetics and inputs/outputs. I do listen to metal, hard rock and classic rock, so a detailed, smooth sounding midrange is very important to me. I love the bass to be tight and impactful (quantity not so important). A DIY DAC is fine but I would be buying it pre-made from a member here or on ebay etc, as I have no DIY skills and would rather not start now. 
 
So in conclusion here is what I require in a DAC:
 
<$400
Noticeable upgrade from ZERO
220-240V
Coaxial in
RCA out
Liquid smooth, yet (relatively) detailed midrange
 
Not necessary:
Balanced out
USB in
Headphone amp
Pre amp
 
DACs I have read upon are:
 
Matrix Mini-i
Gamma 2
V-DAC
Little Dot DAC_I
 
I would love love love a Gamma 2, but not many seem to go for sale here (one just sold in Australia, I missed out 

), so that might be tricky. V-DAC seems fairly easy to acquire, but I am afraid I will not hear much (if any) difference between it and my Zero. Matrix Mini-i has been on my list for a while because I love how it looks, that it has XLR out and is about ~$360aud. Bare in mind that currently the Aussie dollar is relatively weak at just 85 us cents, so buying is a little tricky at times like these. 
 
So, any other suggestions/comments? 
 
Thanks 

 

[falis]

I have one of these, and it's very nice.  No internal amp.  The separate power and conversion chassis sections keep it quiet: http://stereosonics.com.au/store/sources/pop-pulse-1796.html.
 
Here's a Head-Fi thread on it: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/436043/new-pop-pulse-1796-dac-usb-input.
 
Good luck in your search!
 
- Ed

 

[.Sup]

I seriously recommend the DacMagic

 

[stang]

Thanks for the suggestion. Very interesting design. I will read up on it some more 

 
About the DAC Magic. While it is supposed to be a good DAC, I just wonder if it will provide a beneficial upgrade from my Zero. It seems as though there are better and cheaper DACs out there for the price. 

 

[tisb0b]

You'd probably be able to get a more meaningful upgrade if you hold off for awhile and save your money till you can spend around $700-$800 on a dac otherwise I do not think you will be getting the noticeable upgrade you seek with your current budget. Once you've spent that money and gotten a good dac you probably won't need to upgrade it.   

 

[stang]

Mmm yeah I was thinking of that, but I really wanted a good DAC now so that with money I get in the future I can put it toward other things like finalizing my bedside rig (PS3, DAC/AMP combo) and my speaker rig. Since I only have a limited amount of music, and 70% of that is poorly recorded, I figured that I would be better off buying a cheaper DAC for now. 

 

[digger945]

Quote:

 Since I only have a limited amount of music, and 70% of that is poorly recorded,  

That's what I thought(if you're talking about average cds from the store)
Seems I was wrong about much of my music.

 

[.Sup]

Quote:

Thanks for the suggestion. Very interesting design. I will read up on it some more 

 
About the DAC Magic. While it is supposed to be a good DAC, I just wonder if it will provide a beneficial upgrade from my Zero. It seems as though there are better and cheaper DACs out there for the price. 

I believe it can compete in the 700-800€ range DACs if I'm comparing it to my Ref 5.

 

[computerparts]

IMO investing in a good quality transport will greatly increase smoothness. I see many people with low grade transports upgrade dacs and wonder why there not hearing much difference. I was once one of those people.

 

[stang]

Hmm well I need to use my computer for my music, so in what way could I upgrade my transport? Better sound card? Like the Auzentech Prelude? I own the X-Fi Elite Pro which I currently use for gaming, but it has no coaxial out, so cannot use it with my DAC. I am planning on putting together a CD rig sometime, but it will not be my main rig, as I prefer to select songs from different bands constantly, which I can do on a computer. 
 

 

[computerparts]

I gave the computer a try, but no matter what I did, a good quality cd transport always sounded better. I actually listen to entire albums now rather than just select songs. Anyway upgrading the sound card would be a start but I would stay away from Auzentech since they use Creative drivers. Ask around to see what other audio enthusiasts use. I know a popular one is the Asus Zonar D2 if I remember correctly. There are other upgrades as well as the sound card. Look into a Monarchy DIP or better yet a Genesis Digital Lens. Those two devices have various digital output/input connections so it does't matter what type of connection your dac has. Also look into aftermarket power cords and possibly even a power conditioner for your computer and dac. Despite what many people will tell you, power cords actually do make a difference. Last but not least if you haven't already, try some good quality interconnects. All of these things will affect sound quality.

 

[stang]

Well right now I use a pair of 1M Audioquest King Cobra RCAs and a knuconceptz Coaxial cable.  I was thinking of upgrading to a better power cord, but wouldn't a new DAC, transport etc be a more beneficial upgrade? An aftermarket power cable will set me back about $140. As far as CD players go, I always prefer to see the albums, artists etc, like on a computer and my PS3. I know CD players will have superior sound quality, but it isn't really practical for me. I do plan on buying an original Playstation 1 # SCPH-1001 to use with my DT880 or speakers, as they are supposed to have really, really good sound quality, so maybe from that I will get used to constantly inserting CDs. 
 
But apart from that, which DAC would be a good recommendation? Right now I have an entry level DAC (Zero), and want to step up to something like a mid-level DAC (unless you classify the Gamma2 as high end). 
 
 

 

[digger945]

You might consider one of the async HRT Streamer products. These have usb input only, so would be no good for a cd player transport setup. You might try something a little older like an Adcom GDA700 or Parasound 1600/2000, or EAD DSP 1000/7000 mkIII. The Musiland 02 is async with software drivers, as well as the HiFace, and should both make for good low budget computer transports.

 

[stang]

The HRT Music Streamer+ has certainly caught my eye. http://www.musicdirect.com/product/85279 Only $199. I just bought a M3 amp for $210aud (yay) and am pretty much out of pocket, but that doesn't mean I can't look up DACs 

 This is what I plan on doing: Computer>DAC>AMP>Headphones/Preamp out to speakers
This USB DAC is very tiny, which is always a plus. Minimal power consumption, too. I am not sure about how good it will sound. In every review of DACs, the same thing always gets mentioned "It can compete with DACS X time's its price". So I am skeptical about it, but it does seem to prove as a great competitor for its price.

 

[computerparts]

Quote:

Well right now I use a pair of 1M Audioquest King Cobra RCAs and a knuconceptz Coaxial cable.  I was thinking of upgrading to a better power cord, but wouldn't a new DAC, transport etc be a more beneficial upgrade? An aftermarket power cable will set me back about $140. As far as CD players go, I always prefer to see the albums, artists etc, like on a computer and my PS3. I know CD players will have superior sound quality, but it isn't really practical for me. I do plan on buying an original Playstation 1 # SCPH-1001 to use with my DT880 or speakers, as they are supposed to have really, really good sound quality, so maybe from that I will get used to constantly inserting CDs. 
 
But apart from that, which DAC would be a good recommendation? Right now I have an entry level DAC (Zero), and want to step up to something like a mid-level DAC (unless you classify the Gamma2 as high end). 
 
 

 
Get rid of that knuconceptz coax cable. I have owned their cables and they are thin and harsh, more designed for car audio. A new transport would be the way to go first, but you're using your pc, so the only upgrade there is the sound card. The way I see it is, why upgrade the dac when you're not even getting the most out of it? Look on Audiogon for MAC cables, he makes good quality cables that are very reasonably priced. I got a 3' power cable from him for $50. Also on Audiogon look for Audio Metallurgy. They make excellent (some consider them to be giant killer) interconnects that are reasonably priced. If you don't address the current weak links in the system, there's a good chance you won't be able to hear a difference if you upgrade your dac unless you go high end. There is little difference from entry level to mid level. Just like there is little difference from mid level to high end. IMO a jitter reducing device (Monarchy DIP, Genesis Digital Lens) will give you more of an improvement than a mid level dac at this point. Don't even bother with the Playstation 1. They're good for what they are but that's about it. If you still insist on getting a new dac first, then look for an older dac. Something from Theta, EAD, Audio Research, Audio Note. Many of their older entry level products can be had for very reasonable prices these days and will sound better than today's mid level garbage from other companies.