[mfaughn]

I've just been reading a bit about whats out there now.  The popular contenders appear to be Audio GD NFB-12, Yulong U100, Audinst HUD, Maverick D1.  Between these I lean towards Audio-GD and Yulong.  I am really only interested in DAC performance and am wondering if there are any "just a USB DAC" units that would be better and/or as good but cheaper than those listed above.  Note:  I have a uDac2 and it falls noticeably short of the Monitor02.  
 
In case you are wondering, the Monitor02 doesn't work with Linux.  I have probably ten computers in my house.  I'm sick of maintaining a Windoze machine just so I can use the Monitor02. 
 
I posted in this forum instead of Computer Audio because there seems to be a lot of focus there on units with a headphone amp bundled in over there.  I thought I might get some slightly different answers here.  I have amps a plenty and don't need a one in there (though I'm not opposed to it), just RCA output.  It WOULD be nice if it could drive long interconnects.  I would pay extra for that ability.
 
Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[kiteki]

 
I find my Hifiman HM-101 Express DAC/Amp better than the Yulong U100.
 
I returned the Yulong U100 to China it was a huge hassle.
 
 

 

[ninjikiran]

Just about any driverless dac with a USB output should be perfectly fine with Linux.  Even the halide bridge which is async loads the standard Windows USB Audio Driver over win7

 

[mfaughn]

Quote:

Just about any driverless dac with a USB output should be perfectly fine with Linux.  

Yea, I know.  Mentioning Linux hopefully ensures that I don't get suggestions for one of the few that doesn't work with Linux.  I offered to take a look and see if I could help out writing some drivers for the Monitor02 but they weren't interested (which isn't surprising).  I think it sounds pretty good for its price.

 

[mfaughn]

Quote:

 
I find my Hifiman HM-101 Express DAC/Amp better than the Yulong U100.
 
I returned the Yulong U100 to China it was a huge hassle.
 
 

I definitely need something with RCA output at ~2V or more.  HM-101 is a no go.
 
What was wrong with the U100?
 

 

[RingingEars]

I've had good luck with my Fubar II MKII.

 

[ninjikiran]

TBH the best solution(long lasting) would be to get a USB--->Spdif converter(easy to determine if it needs a driver on site), or a decent internal sound card with spdif out(many of the studio cards are supported under linux)
 
That way you don't have to worry about PC connectivity anymore with your dac.
 
You can check out the audio-gd stuff if you want a USB dac,  I don't know the output voltage of my NFB2 but it seems to be fairly powerful considering when I plug in my A5's I have almost no volume control to work with.

 

[mfaughn]

 
Quote:

TBH the best solution(long lasting) would be to get a USB--->Spdif converter(easy to determine if it needs a driver on site), or a decent internal sound card with spdif out(many of the studio cards are supported under linux)

This is true in some ways and I hadn't really thought about it much.  The computer I'm contemplating using it with has S/PDIF out now.  My hesitation is that I have *many* computers and it would be nice to have a single device that worked with whatever hardware each has -- which means USB.  On the other hand, a USB --> S/PDIF + DAC of choice has the same capability, just another device hanging off.  I'm really glad you mentioned this because I'm really going to consider it.  Thanks.  

 

[kiteki]

 
Quote:

I definitely need something with RCA output at ~2V or more.  HM-101 is a no go.
 
What was wrong with the U100?
 

It didn't sound very good at all, especially for the price.
 
Perhaps it's more suitable for 150, 300 or 600 ohm type gear, of which I have a total of zero.
 
 
 

 

[joey0928]

very interested to see what kind of product will be chosen last...
got a uac2 hp for  a cheap price last week...when I was thinking to get a shiit amp to upgrade, turns out this little dude doesn't have rca output...
 

 

[mfaughn]

Well, I've pretty much decided on the HRT MusicStreamer II.  Seems very highly regarded for the price.  As I said, I don't need a headphone amp in there with it.  I have a couple of amps already and am amassing piles of parts to build something else.  
 
As for the comments on the Yulong not sounding good...sounds like much of the problem was the integrated headphone amp.

 

[kiteki]

 
Hope you enjoy your HRT Musicstreamer II+, I've heard good things about it...
 
 

 

[blacknile]

I own both the HRT Music Streamer II and the HRT Streamer II+. Both fantastic designs. I use both routinely with linux with no problems whatsoever. I can confirm they work perfectly with Ubuntu, Fedora and SuSE. 

 

[mfaughn]

Quote:

I own both the HRT Music Streamer II and the HRT Streamer II+. Both fantastic designs. I use both routinely with linux with no problems whatsoever. I can confirm they work perfectly with Ubuntu, Fedora and SuSE. 

Thanks, I found strong indications that that was the case but it is nice to hear it stated definitively.  I think the MusicStreamer is going to be my graduation present to myself.  I just have to finish the incomplete that is my senior software project.  Getting school work done is harder when you are 40, have small kids, and a working wife who (rightly) believes that since you aren't working you should be doing everything else that needs doing.  Pretty cheap present since it means I can sell the Monitor02 and the extra laptop I keep around just to run it.  Of course after I graduate I'll probably end up with a job working in C# and .net and have to start running a Windoze box again...