This thread was inspired by the Internal / External DAC poll. I searched and I found a bunch of DAC threads but not this particular question. What I’d like to know is: 1. What DAC/DACs are you using? 2. How would you describe the sound? (What do you like about it?) Forget about price. I don’t care if it’s a used $50 bargain or a $10k cutting edge bit of kit. Let’s just talk about how it tickles your eardrums. I don’t have a DAC, but I’m interested in them.
* Audio Mirror Tubadour IV * Since it's using R2R AD1865 DAC chip with Lundahl output transformers, it a smooth sound with excellent high end extension, yet doesn't loose details.
Since you asked. Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 100, Topping D10S, Reiyin DA-03. The DM100 and the D10S, both at 24/192, feel like they give a fuller sound and better soundstage. The D10s improves the soundstage with a Kanto SYD, which is in one enclosure. The Reiyin simply allows me to go from Macbook Pro to an external powered speaker—have not used it enough to say more.
I am using the excellent sounding LAB 12 DAC 1 Reference. 24/192k only , no remote but what it lacks in features it more than makes up for in sound quality. Well built. I bought it thinking I may exercise my one year trade up but I honestly think I am going to keep it. I would have to be completely blown away by another DAC at 2x the price. It is that good sounding
An Exogal Comet - just on the warm side of neutral and lovely holographic soundstage. Was designed & built by ex Wadia guys and using their own FPGA sauce. Inputs USB from Node, AES from CDP, and balanced out to amp.
I have a first generation (inexpensive) Topping E30. I connect from a blu-ray player using toslink to the DAC for my limited CD play and stream Amazon Music HD from a laptop. At the laptop I'm using a Holo Audio Titanis (also inexpensive) for isolation and reclocking on USB from the laptop to the DAC. I also run the E30 off a power bank and attenuate it by 9 dB at my integrated. Using Filter 5 on the Topping, which is designed more or less to replicate the performance of a R-2R ladder dac, and does not seem to be popular with a lot of users, but works well to reduce a bit of the digital glare that is noticeable to me on many recordings (I'm mainly an analog guy and have a lot more money into the analog side). I'd rather trade off a slight bit of detail (and am not totally sure I'm even doing that) to reduce that edge which is there on a lot of recordings-particularly when streaming; if the recording is stellar I can also easily switch back to Filter 4 on the DAC. I have heard a lot of much more expensive digital setups (spent some time yesterday with a $7K-$8K Moon streamer/DAC) and don't really have a strong desire to change at this point, although the new Topping E70 Velvet does hold a bit of curiosity for me. Really pricey DAC's just don't hold a lot of interest for me at this point. I don't see them as a high value proposition; then again, it's difficult to find a lot of stuff that qualifies as such in this hobby anymore with the price increases seen on equipment over the past 4-5 years.
Last week a new to me Cambridge Audio 851N dac streamer booted my Mcintosh d100 dac out of the main rig.
Arcam ir-Dac. IT was highly rated when new, I bought it used several years ago. Compared to the DAC in my Bluesound Node, I think it's slightly more detailed but some day I'd like to try a more serious DAC since I listen to streamed music most of the time.
Denafrips Pontus II - mind-blowing, and that's after trying a a Schiit Bifrost 2, which i also loved.
I have three, but my favorite is a PS Audio Digital Link III. It has a WiiM Mini connected to it and plays Apple Music for hours at a time. It has a natural sound that never makes me notice anything about it.
Cambridge Audio DAC MAGIC 200M I upgraded from the DAC Magic 100 and it is a clear upgrade. I also own an Emotiva DC-1 that I don't use anymore. I actually liked the Emotiva's feature set like RCA inputs and a remote, but it sounded a little veiled to me. That could very well be my 67 year old ears, so I don't want to knock the Emotiva too much.
Getting some great answers. I’m learning about DACs I never heard of before. Also a DYI DAC, that’s super cool. Thanks for sharing to everyone who is participating.
An outboard Peachtree Audio Dac iT X. DAC•iT(x) A very nice sounding DAC IMHO. I have my music library music (Apple-based on a MAC via USB), Deezer HIFI on my laptop via USB, an older Apple TV via optical and my Rotel CD player via coax connected to it. All sources sound natural and analog-like. No shrillness or harshness. I just wish it had more USB inputs so I wouldn’t need to swap out the MAC & laptop. I enjoy it a lot. I also have a Peachtree Audio Decco 65 integrated amp in another system. It has a similar internal DAC as outlined above. I have a Sonos Connect connected via coax to the Decco65 amp’s DAC.
I use a Denafrips Terminator II R2R DAC and a Benchmark DAC3 chip-based DAC. The Terminator imparts some character on the music that I like - there’s some added depth and dimensionality to the sound, more like analog. The DAC3 is extremely precise and transparent, an invisible component. Hard to like it as a piece of gear as it doesn’t sound like anything, nothing really to say about it. Easy to like it as a tool that does it’s job perfectly and leaves no trace of its presence. I also have a RME ADI-2 FS chip-based DAC which is equally as transparent as the DAC3, with the added benefit of a built in PEQ and a number of filters to play with. Maybe a touch more coherent than the surgically precise DAC3. Just depends on the job you want the DAC to do in your system.
Denafrips Pontus II. Still figuring out its sound as I've found that power cables have a profound effect on its sound in my system. I would say the sound so far is liquid crystal with gobs of detail all layered in a cool 3d effect. Love my Pontus!!
I've been using a Lampizator Amber 3 for a few years now. It's a Tube Based DAC that's linked to an Innuos Zen MK3 Streamer/Server via USB. This combination has changed my notion that Digital couldn't compare to my Vinyl set-up.
Denafrips Terminator NOS Detailed, Transparent, Full Range and Weighty. Unravels the layers in a soundstage that is large. Tall, wide and deep. Natural and organic character throughout. Always musical and polite while being honest to the recording for good or bad. Not particularly Forgiving but Never grating, harsh or analytical.
Luxman DA-250 Had a feature I was unaware of: AD converter. Which I likely will never use. It has a nice volume control so it can be A > A and used as a single input preamp to drive a power amp.
