External DAC Recommendation

[spoffle]

Interesting discussion as I have been thinking about getting one myself. I do have one question for the DAC users here. Do you not miss having some control over the music equalization? I know that music should be listened to as it was recorded, but sometimes it is nice, if say listening to some dance music, to crank the bass and high mids up.

Music should be listened to in the way you want. There is nothing wrong with using an EQ if that's how you prefer it.

I would expect most people using DACs really don't need to use them, and have just been experiencing placebo effect.

Give this a watch;

 

[OLD JUD]

Beresford Bushmaster MK2 gets great reviews. Approx £180 (inc VAT) but it's optical or phono only, can't get it to work with SPDIF on my ASUS mobo though. Maybe an adaptor is the solution?

 

[spoffle]

Beresford Bushmaster MK2 gets great reviews. Approx £180 (inc VAT) but it's optical or phono only, can't get it to work with SPDIF on my ASUS mobo though. Maybe an adaptor is the solution?

Why would you use a DAC only to then connect it via optical/SPDIF?

 

[OLD JUD]

Why would you use a DAC only to then connect it via optical/SPDIF?

Because it hasn't got USB? The earlier models had USB these don't.
It seems some people are using cheap (but effective) SPDIF to USB converters and are happy with the results.

 

[spoffle]

Don't you have the connections on your motherboard?

 

[PHazlington]

Music should be listened to in the way you want. There is nothing wrong with using an EQ if that's how you prefer it.

I would expect most people using DACs really don't need to use them, and have just been experiencing placebo effect.

Give this a watch;

+1 for TekSyndicate

 

[samcat]

Personally, Get an Audiolab MDac and dont look back... Lovely bit of kit! Very good headphone amp, Very good Dac, Not overly expensive. I use mine with a set of HD595s and love it (and a decent power amp and speakers)

 

[Straz]

Prob find a cheap Arcam rDAC if you look around. It adds bass and gives the music a warm colour. Really nice.

 

[Marsman]

Don't you have the connections on your motherboard?

He does, he's just not getting any audio for some reason.

 

[OLD JUD]

He does, he's just not getting any audio for some reason.

Exactly. I'm going to buy an adaptor, people using laptops with no SPDIF link their DAC's using an adaptor that retails for under £30.

 

[PapaLazaru]

Personally, Get an Audiolab MDac and dont look back... Lovely bit of kit! Very good headphone amp, Very good Dac, Not overly expensive. I use mine with a set of HD595s and love it (and a decent power amp and speakers)

It is £500.

 

[samcat]

Yup.
Seriously nice bit of kit, I do quite a bit with hifi kit and it suits me but totally understand that it may be out of budget.
Try and get an audition though, hopefully give you and idea of what is available at the higher end.

 

[IC3]

Have a look at HA info v2

 

[PHazlington]

Personally, Get an Audiolab MDac and dont look back... Lovely bit of kit! Very good headphone amp, Very good Dac, Not overly expensive. I use mine with a set of HD595s and love it (and a decent power amp and speakers)

'Not overly expensive'... Are you serious?

 

[Marsman]

£500 isn't that expensive though, not when you look at DACs around £5000, but it is expensive for the average user, who certainly doesn't need to spend that much. Only audiophiles concerned with getting the best sound that they can for any given budget should be considering spending £500+ on a DAC, for anyone who is just concerned with getting decent sound quality for a reasonable price, it's a waste of money.

 

[PHazlington]

£500 isn't that expensive though, not when you look at DACs around £5000, but it is expensive for the average user, who certainly doesn't need to spend that much. Only audiophiles concerned with getting the best sound that they can for any given budget should be considering spending £500+ on a DAC, for anyone who is just concerned with getting decent sound quality for a reasonable price, it's a waste of money.

Yeah, I'm buying a pair of K550s and nothing else, I really don't think this is a viable hahaha! I'd be spending more than 3 times the cost of my headphones on a DAC :/

 

[spoffle]

Yup.
Seriously nice bit of kit, I do quite a bit with hifi kit and it suits me but totally understand that it may be out of budget.
Try and get an audition though, hopefully give you and idea of what is available at the higher end.

You just won't get anywhere near your monies' worth out of that, ever. The only thing that might make you think you have would be plaecbo.

 

[spoffle]

£500 isn't that expensive though, not when you look at DACs around £5000, but it is expensive for the average user, who certainly doesn't need to spend that much. Only audiophiles concerned with getting the best sound that they can for any given budget should be considering spending £500+ on a DAC, for anyone who is just concerned with getting decent sound quality for a reasonable price, it's a waste of money.

Audiophile is another word for mug, to be blunt about it. There's a difference in actually the best sound, and the best sound they think they can get.

Amps make little difference to sound, it's all in the speakers.

Only a mug should be considering spending £500+ on a DAC, never mind £5000.

Next you'll be telling us about the wonders magic speaker cables do for sound quality.

 

[Marsman]

And why would I do that?

 

[spoffle]

Because the things you're saying about DACs are of the same vein as the things people say about speaker cables. There isn't actually any legitimate reason for why more expensive DACs = better sound due to the expense aspect.