DAC Recommendation?

There's no reason not to do it again with newer/different DACs.

 

You're not too far away from me, you could always borrow this https://www.audio-forums.com/as-rediect/showthread.php?t=16180 for a bit and see what you think.

Jeff

 

Thanks mate. I'm actually working in the Caribbean at the moment (it's a tough job but somebody has to do it ) so let me get back and get my listening ears on and then I'll PM you.

 

The Altmann Micro Machines Attraction DAC looks very interesting ~ Shame about the handy pocket size battery tho !

Came top in this shoot out ~

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0506/zero_oversampling_dac.htm

 

i've just got one - should be able to report on it pretty soon, actually as soon as i sort the battery out.:MILD:

 

I've done a bakeoff for one (me) with the squeezebox/MF X-T100/Proac 1SC's with the following DACS:

MF X-24k
MF X-DAC V3
Meridian 203
Benchmark DAC1

My findings are:

All of the DACs improved the sound of the base squeezebox which for me was okayish.

The Meridian sounded boxed in between the speakers and quite 2-D but then it is 10 years old!

The X-DAC V3 was quite forgettable to listen to and I felt the X-24K improved on the V3 (even though its older) - nice soundstage and warm sound with a degree of 3-dimensionality!

The old cliche of save the best to last is true - benchmark DAC1 - awesome in a word! Very 3-dimensional/listenable with lots of detail and a wonderful soundstage. Now the downside, I wish I had bought a silver one

I cant recommend the benchmark enough nad if you can get one go for it as they are rare.

I was going to put in a shameless plug for mine but I want to find a silver one first before I sell it!

 

whats the going rate for a second hand one these days?

 

Watch this space!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Benchmark-DAC...oryZ3272QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

BTW This is not mine...

 

Hi
I have an Apogee MiniDAC and am very happy with it,tho I use its firewire connection to a PC to stream music,tried the squeezebox route.
Would be interested on how the Apogee compares to the Benchmark.

 

I believe the Lavry DAC is the one to aim for now.

Also am I one of the last few people to think that NOS DAC's still have something to offer?

 

After a few beers on a Sunday afternoon with the wife out,had a mini comparison between Naim CD2 and NEC602 Multispin ,D SHEK NOSDAC combination.NOSDAC sounded slightly softer?but still enjoyable.Dont see the Multispins up for sale much these days but you dont get much cheaper for a transport .When my CD2 goes to HiFi heaven maybe I will consider a modified Behringe SRC 2496.

 

Well I'm still loving my Shek D2 NOSDAC but I can't say I've heard to many other ones to compare it against - it was a big step up over my cd72 and flacs played through an Audigy.

On a different note, can anyone recommend an alternative psu for a NOSDAC? I've heard that lidl were flogging a good one for about 12quid a while back however I'm not too sure which one to go for.

 

I was trying a Maplin 5A SMPS instead of the wallwart ,they are using these on headfi to power their Beresford DACS,seems slightly better ,is there anything better still?

 

The last 2 on ebay went for £500ish inc p&p

 

Oohh !!! I would appreciate your thoughts when ready anubisgrau as I am giving this DAC some serious consideration

 

I have at last got my Squeezebox/QNAP setup running running through a Beresford DAC. Being a DAC newbie I thought it was a safe (and cheap!) first step. My inital impressions of the DAC - I tried it first fed through the digital out from my Genki - was that it was not bad for the price. Detail is quite good but the sound is a bit 'hifi' and doesn't have the weight, space and fluidity of the CDP through it's own DAC, though to be fair some of that could be the ICs as the CDP to preamp IC is three times the price of the DAC to preamp IC. Things also improved with burn-in time too and so the DAC does sound a but more relaxed now after about a 10 days worth of playing in.

As for the Squeezebox, it is a remarkable little box which allows me to rummage about in my music collection with great ease and reproduces music with no little verve. It doesn't have the quality of my CDP - which anyway is hardly the last word in CD reproduction - but is certainly listenable and great fun. Next steps at some point will be an improved PSU (Uncle Russ does one for about £56 if you ask nicely) and then may be I'll save up for a Benchmark DAC-1, in black with no rack mounts - http://www.scvlondononline.co.uk/acatalog/DAC1silver.html

Thanks all for your advice.

 

I have a 12v battery option for use with 12v stuff maplins sell a portable Nikki 3 in one 12v jump starter basically its a battery in a box with all the charging bits for connecting to mains for charging plus a 12 dc plug out. Its £19.99 and a stonking bargin Ive bought 2 for use with my Trends Audio TA10.1 it was a plug and play solution - this could work with your DAC. Cheaper but effectively the same as a car battery - check poliariy though.

 

Don't bother with the benchmark dac1 ....its not upto it, it has a cold hard sound with a thin small image [well the unit I heard had ...I've no reason to think it was unusual]....I'd imaginre the beresford plus good psu will see it off.....

A modded src2496 will see off the dac1 with room to spare.

ad pully's idea is good ....or build a decent linear psu with bags of current delivery and good smoothing caps.

 

Interesting as the DAC1 seems to have plenty of fans - on head-fi especially. But yes I certainly will try another PSU with the beresford. On wigwam this Maplin PSU gets a recommendation when run at 13.5V:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ITAG=SPEC&ModuleNo=48517&doy=30m5#spec

Any views?

 

if you can find one of these its a bit of a bargain (but they are rare.)
PS not the MKII version which is much more expensive