If you were to pick one Dac under $300 ....

and unmodified , just stock. Which 3 units would you select from? and in which order?

There are several units around to select from but always it needs to be modified. My problem is that I don't DIY and my budget is short of what I would like to buy.... So it has to be good from scratch ( or stock... ).

Thanks,

Jose.

 

Hmm...how much is that in uk sterling..? - 150..? in that case there isn't much choice....there is the Nos dac - I bought that a short while back thinking that it could perhaps compare with my MF but sadly it didn't so away it went...

not reall sure of any other at that price point tho....not new anyway

 

Hi Mr. Cat ... Your unit was a Sigtone from Derek Shek. How far was it from your MF respect to performance?

Thanks,

Jose.

 

well - maybe I should have let it burn in / open up a bit longer but it did lack bass and the build quality felt really flimsy whereas the mf is built like a brick!!

tho, I think that the sound quality could be good tho - I would describe it like an analogue kind of sound...

what other kit you running it with..?
I've just bought a new (but cheap) nad c542 cd player...

 

I'm using a Sony SCD-C2000ES machine. It works very nice as a transport from my experience with a Shigaraki 4715 from 47Labs. That DAC is fantastic to my ears but not to my pocket ...

I once had a NAD C540 heavily modified by www.modwright.com ( when Dan was initiating his work as a modifier). It was used as a transport with a Channel Island MSB Link III , Monarchy Dip 24/96 and Monolithic Sound HC-2 power supply....ufff!! I was very happy with the sound but not the extar cables and black boxes...then I decided to sell everything and bought the Sony which it also plays SACD's.

The 4715 is very analog sounding and I believe my ears need that sound or something resembling it...like a NOS DAC.

Jose.

 

Maybe something Chinese? Can you afford something like this? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Xindak-DAC-3-...oryZ3272QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

www.cattylink.com

 

Nope! &219 is like $420 plus shipping...around $500

Thanks!

Jose.

 

I can't comment on the NOS variations 'cos I haven't tried any, but if you're prepared to go 2nd hand, my personal experience within your budget would be :-

TEAC D700, Meridian 203, TEAC D10, TEAC D500.

I've owned and used them all with a variety of TEAC VRDS transports.

 

My vote goes to the Derek Shrek NOS v2.
Still own mine, VERY natural sounding, though not the most detailed unit out there.

Another interesting option is the Behringer 2496, which for the same dosh also has room correction facilities.

 

Have a look on the CattyLink site I linked to, the Xindak DAC is only $2xx so depending on the price of shipping to the US and how much over $200 it is....

The Behringer DEQ2496 is good for having room correction and is a fantastic DAC when modified but in stock form you can get better as just a DAC for the money I think, at least if you go second-hand. Which would bring a bigger upgrade is another point though

 

No details around the spectrum or the highs? I read opinions regarding Nos Dacs having low detail retrieving ( I'm not sure if this is the right word) at high frecuencies but my experience with the 47 Labs was different. I heard so many details with that unit that made me crazy when my friend took his 4715 from my system...

Jose.

 

I will check with them...

Thanks,

Jose.

 

M Audio's SuperDAC also falls in this price bracket. I have always found it significantly more musical and involving than the Behringer DEQ2496

 

Just because it uses the same DAC chip and no oversampling doesn't mean it is the same implementation. The NOS DACs you get from eBay and the 47Labs will have very different power supplies and output stages.

 

True... That's why so many people use better power supplies with their EBay DAC's and modify them. I could only add a better power supply for some improvement.

Jose.

 

I'm not a fan of NOS anyway. I'd either get the M-audio or the Behringer. I'd get the Behringer so I could do room correction which will make a bigger improvement (although different) than any DAC change will.

 

Is this the M-Audio you are talking about?

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/CO2-main.html

Any other model?

Jose.

 

No, thats just a digital interface converter.

http://www.gbaudio.co.uk/data/dac2496.htm

Having said that, it seems almost impossible to find somewhere selling it. So that’s settled, get the Behringer!

Or second hand a Meridian DAC is probably very good if the 206 CD player is anything to go by.

 

It looks like this one may be sold
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlconv&1162667284
But they are exellent sounding,and a steal at that price.

 

If I only had $300 I'd be spending it on something other than hifi..

beer and women is a good start..