Let's Get A Consensus Of The Best DAC's In The Market Today

[Ken Newton]

The 350 dB addresses the mathematical performance of the noise shaper, not the noise floor of the DAC.

Yes, such a figure represents the residual mathematical quatinzation error after digital math calculations are performed. Such figures can be made arbitrarily small simply by increasing the number of bits internal to some binary calculation. A number such as -350dB is only a marketing bullet point, and does not represent the measured noise floor of the DAC's analog output. It offers no practical benefit.

 

[microstrip]

(...) It offers no practical benefit.

This is the interesting aspect - the designers claim that it results in better reproduction of natural depth in recordings having it. We would need two equal DACs with different software to test it.

 

[Ken Newton]

...the designers claim that it results in better reproduction of natural depth in recordings having it....

Well, those having product promotion interests can be expected to make such commercially oriented proclamations.

 

[Apogeelover]

Good to see an apogee lover here. You might enjoy reading a couple of threads on Apogee Full Ranges and Grands. If you start with this Grands thread, it will lead you to the main apogee thread. http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...apogee-grands!&p=390547&viewfull=1#post390547

That should lead you to this http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?19104-Apogee-Full-range&p=355730&viewfull=1#post355730

Thanks,I`ve already read quite a bit on those threads already.I`ve owned Duetta Sigs and Stages for over 20 years and would never go back to box speakers especially as I`ve modded them in various ways;Graz ribbons,yes self fitted,we aren`t all ham fisted incompetants!10 years on and still free from buzzes and rattles.

 

[Alrainbow]

If it's really just about specs then there would be not use of tubes in anything . Somewhere there is what we like or need to feel attached too. Also I feel source is first and no one is talking about it in this thread . I know it's about dacs but source comes first and it makes or breaks this whole thread . Maybe I am so pleased with my lampi cause of the server I built . I agree not all so called improvements are so. But so far having two lampis to compare Luis improvements gives me an edge over most here . Luk has not missed an inprovemnt for me yet . But I also have asked for certain criteria as well.

 

[wisnon]

Yes, such a figure represents the residual mathematical quatinzation error after digital math calculations are performed. Such figures can be made arbitrarily small simply by increasing the number of bits internal to some binary calculation. A number such as -350dB is only a marketing bullet point, and does not represent the measured noise floor of the DAC's analog output. It offers no practical benefit.

Thanx fellows.

I stand corrected.

 

[Lee]

I think the Chord products, especially the DAVE, are worth a mention. Even my humble $600 mojo I use only on road trips is pretty amazing.

 

[Alrainbow]

Sorry to say but I very much disagree. I owned the chord hugo a failed quality DAC in sound . What it did excell on was hype , the most hype I ever seen of a product that lacked what I call quality sound period . While it did and does have faithful Ina following .
I was banned for saying its dsd was not dsd period , I even got his primary designer mr watts to admit it hates dsd . In fact in the thread he went on to say dsd is like analog , it lacks dynamics and overall tonality . Funny right after that I was banned and the posts deleted from him and me . It's pretty bad when a product is marked by its designer as being a failure . Further more hiw can someone who thinks dsd is bad design it to sound good . At the time I had a friend over where we did a head to head of 4 dacs
The ps audio ds , the hugo , the lampi B7 and my msb stack . All fed from a custom caps win 2012 and AO
The look on my friends face was priceless . As he advised me to buy it lol. And read all the hype .
While it does ok PCM it's sore spot for me. And in no way am I saying your choice is wrong it's all preference in the end .
Now the Dave is also hyped but my same friend has heard it and claims it's good. I have a another friend who will bring it over to do some comparing .

 

[bmoura]

Even my humble $600 mojo I use only on road trips is pretty amazing.

Don't forget the even more humble iDSD Micro from iFi at $499.
It handles DSD music files up to DSD 256 without the conversion to PCM you will find in the Mojo.

 

[Alrainbow]

Well BRIAN if you it's good I'll go with that lol.

 

[bmoura]

If you it's good I'll go with that.

It is.

The iDSD Micro offers a lot for the price ($499) - even upsampling to DSD 512 for fans of HQ Player.
Recommended for portable DSD listening.

http://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/micro-idsd/

 

[Alrainbow]

I owned an ifi dsd micro. A nice device and it does play dsd real dsd. Something many Dacs claim but don't. It had some cool features too. If I remember right it was crowd sourcing. It charged my I device and had sws to tailor the sound for ciems and headphones. A very versatile device.

 

[bmoura]

I owned an ifi dsd micro. A nice device and it does play dsd real dsd. Something many Dacs claim but don't. It had some cool features too. If I remember right it was crowd sourcing. It charged my I device and had sws to tailor the sound for iems and headphones. A very versatile device.

Very true. In the under $2,000 price range, many DSD portable DACs say they "accept" DSD but the fine print of their spec sheet reveals they actually convert DSD to PCM during playback.

The feature list of the iDSD Micro was crowd sourced over at the Head-Fi forum. But no money was collected from listeners, just feature requests.

 

[Alrainbow]

Back in the early days of daps I owned an ak120 then 240 but I also owned a hdp 100 by Hibino. It was a modeded iBasso
Stripped down software
I still own or for the gym sold all the rest. Non of them played real dsd
I bought he ifi for a fiends curiosity it does play nice dsd. It's PCM is ok but too warm of neutral for me.

 

[wisnon]

Don't forget the even more humble iDSD Micro from iFi at $499.
It handles DSD music files up to DSD 256 without the conversion to PCM you will find in the Mojo.

Nope the Nano does 256. the Micro does 512. i have BOTH!

 

[Alrainbow]

The amp in the ifi micro was good too. For 499 there is no more versatility out there.
It does it all. It even played my he 6 cans not to the level they could play but clean right to top of the vol control knob

 

[Ken Newton]

If memory serves, the mercurial Thorsten Loesch contributed to the design of the iFi products.

 

[Alrainbow]

All I know is of the 10 or portable dacs I have owned or had to play at length . The ifi micro was the only one that for me played dsd real dsd. To put things in perspective it played better much better than there dacs costing many times its price . And these were not portables either. I think most people do not hear what good dsd sounds like and it seems the designers don't either lol.

 

[bmoura]

Nope the Nano does 256. the Micro does 512. i have BOTH!

Yes, but there are no music recordings above DSD 256.

 

[wisnon]

If memory serves, the mercurial Thorsten Loesch contributed to the design of the iFi products.

He designed 'em! Correct.