[Stignos]

Greetings!
 
I find myself planning to buy a headphone rig and someone I know rose to question the quality of the digital data my computer would be feeding my DAC, it would be running from a laptop that only has USB and HDMI sockets on it and id like to know if that would be an issue sound quality wise.
 
So it boils down to... Will the Cambridge SoundMagic DAC need a Blue Circle Thingee to sound its best?

 

[WasabiJ]

If you're talking about the Cambridge Audio DacMagic (couldn't find any results for "Cambridge SoundMagic Dac"), then you'll notice the USB and Optical inputs.  All you'll need is a USB connection or a Toslink to mini optical cable (if your computer is a Mac or has SPDIF out) and you'll be set.
 
Idk what the "blue circle thingee" you're talking about means.

 

[Stignos]

Yes I am talking about that DAC, but the question is if the connection between the DAC and the computer will be good enough with that USB connection. I just dont want any sound quality degradation because of the connection from Laptop to DAC, thats why I was suggested the Blue Circle Thingee http://www.bluecircle.com/index.php?menu_id=5002
 
Basically I want to know if it will be necessary to get the Thingee or will the USB connection be ok on its own.

 

[12345142]

USB is a digital transfer protocol, at this point the audio is in 1s and 0s so the sound quality isn't even determinable at this point - it's the DAC that does the work, hence the name Digital to Analog Converter. The Thingee seems to mainly be a DAC with a headphone jack, I'm not sure why someone recommended it to you if you're set on buying the DacMagic, since you'd be much better off hooking a dedicated headphone amp to the DacMagic or the Thingee via RCA.
To sum things up, your setup should go something like computer>USB cable>DacMagic or Thingee>RCA cables>headphone amp>headphones. I'm assuming you have a headphone amp, otherwise you can't actually listen to music through the DacMagic.

 

[Stignos]

Indeed there is an Amp for the DAC, I am between the Woo6 with the Sophia tube upgrade and the GS-1.
 
Its good to know I wont need the Thingee, that will keep costs down.

 

[aangen]

I own and am happy with a Cambridge Audio DacMagic so I may be able to assist on this one. The DacMagic works okay via USB, but it is not at it's best with USB. I have listened to it via USB and it's fine. I instead use a Toslink connection from the computer to the DacMagic. This allows me to enjoy music above 44.1Khz. (I am listening to 24/96 Khz files as I type this). With USB files are limited to 44.1 Khz. When Stereophile tested this unit it reported that sound quality was reduced via USB and recommended Toslink or SPDIF. In my use I agree fully. As for the Blue Circle device, as far as I can tell it would not be useful for this situation. I may be wrong.


 

 

[12345142]

Not that I own one, but I did read that the DacMagic does better with TOSlink or S/PDIF. Perhaps the OP could get a cheap S/PDIF converter, although in general I would consider that a low priority. Get the amp and headphones first, then play around with digital connections.

 

[ElephantTLK]

I highly recommend modding DacMagic (replacing capacitors, op-amps...). But this should done someone with experience. Mine sounds fantastic after all mods i have done.
But there is one weak point: bad recordings now sounds really bad.
Even without mods DacMagic sounds great for price. 

 

[schalliol]

I have had a DM since late 08 and like it pretty well. What mods have you done that you think do well? Do you have a recommended post or two to look at?