CA Magic DAC - How much Value does it Add?

[hemantwaghe]

I too have the same issue, there is no audible difference between using and not using the DAC. I have a Denon DVD player (being used as a CD player), Parasound pre-amp & Amp, Bose 901 speakers. I had purchased the DAC thinking it would be better than buying a new stand alone CD player but am disappointed with the lack of audible difference.

Some sound advice will be really appreciated.

Hey do we know each other? I beleive we discussed about Omega Seamaster and Tag Heaur ,or you are different rahul?

 

[RahulH]

Hey do we know each other? I beleive we discussed about Omega Seamaster and Tag Heaur ,or you are different rahul?

I am not the one though I wish I had a seamaster or a Tag Hauer to discuss

 

[dali]

I have auditioned the DAC magic with the 540 CDp for 2 weeks in my Marantz + Dali setup. I would not suggest this DAC magic to anyone who is using a CDP or a DVD as a source.
If you are using a Media player with hard disk or laptop / computer with normal sound card as your source then this DAC will show you some difference.
If you want to find the diff using a DAC with your CDP , invest on a very good DAC not on the CA Magic.

 

[gobble]

Now let us move to our corollary. If you say that a circuit that is 90% digital can 'improve' after burn-in, would the say not hold true for laptops and desktops? But we do not expect a computer to deliver 'better' results after burn-in do we?

Cheers

But Venkat, computer work related output does not dance around our perceptions and subjective senses in the way the noise that we call "music" does. I am not using the word "subjective" to indicate where a difference of opinion between people might occur, but in the sense that what happens deep within our brain and limbic system (to create that experience of sound as a pleasureable one) is unfathomable to science. hyeah:

Or maybe the bits are flowing more smoothly in my computer now after break-in , but I have no way of knowing it ...

Regards

Tip: Use audiophile Ghee to burn-in your gear

 

[dances_with_wolves]

hi magma,

That's a good point you have raised. I have a Marantz amp+BR2 combination with a Sony DVD player. I feel my high midrange (rhythm / lead guitars in rock, for eg.) seems a little bunched together. Sounds a little noisy. I play audio CDs mostly.

I started a thread recently asking for advice on whether a DAC or a better CDP would solve my problem. I was considering the V-DAC. However,your post reminded me that I will probably be better served by spending a little on soundproofing first.

What is SC, btw?

cheers,
dww

im a complete noob in audio and look upto seniors for all my learning but i can wager that many dacs dont exactly enhance your listening experience always

Yes some Dacs do better your listening experience but ive noticed that this mostly happens in listening rooms/controlled environments, and most of the time the dacs are generally at least mid fi.
In a typical indian home setup ive rarely heard a sub 300$ dac that justifies its claims

forgive my noobish opinion that many a times most entry and mid fi dacs do not add as much value as they are advertised to add
Hence i belive in investing in either Good CDP's ( if you are an album listener) or a SC if you like to jump artists tracks etc
if you want a good dac look at something mid fi


P.S venkat i agree completely.im one of those who believe its your ears whove burnt in not the equipment

 

[venkatcr]

What is SC, btw?

Sound Card?

Cheers

 

[madbullram]

Thats very very strange. My 10 yrs old CA DM MK2 used to bring profound difference when used with a PS2 or Mitashi DVDp. Today since my DM is under roof of service station I use my Philips DVDp and boy do I miss the DM or not.

My wife who does not really bother about all this, has stopped listening to CDs bcos she feels so lifeless without DM per her word the DVDp is as pathetic as my late night conference calls.

Is it possible for you to test it in a friends system?
can you try to source it through Optical out? (use a DVD or PS2 with optical out)
Is the DM faulty by any chance?
Wish you were in chennai

 

[suri]

ahahahaaaaha!!!!

i read all the posts - and the diagnosis is -

ILAR COULD BE HAVING SIGNIFICANT MID/HIGH FREQUENCY HEARING LOSS-

OP would do well to visit an audiologist and get hearing checked before making any changes in equipment.

why do i say this? - because i have a problem myself! and the effects are precisely what Ilar is experiencing.

 

[Vandal]

I'm a newbie here as well, but from what I've seen, in a reasonably strong audio system, or even a mediocre system, a 400$ DAC would add little in the way actual clarity/quality - basically the difference you are looking at.

In fact, this difference is not even very evident with headphones and those are bolted right on to your head. So the difference with loudspeakers would be even less pronounced. I think you might have expected an immediate, magical difference (though you wouldn't be wrong in assuming this, after all it's your hard earned money).

The differences will be subtle, often you'll have to put in some time listening with and without the new component in your chain to perceive a difference. It's more something that you will notice gradually, rather than noticing an outright difference. It's a pity the DACMagic is being marketed as a magical gimmick that breathes life into lossy MP3s - I spoke the Indian distributor and he said it was a must for PC audio - I don't think anything can add detail when it's not there from the beginning.

I have found that amplifiers and transducers do change with burn in. Not so sure about DACs - but then my experience with DACs has been limited.

This is my experience with headphones mainly, but I feel it's pretty valid in this case too, as changes in micro details are much more perceivable in good headphones, them being closer to your ears.

 

[cmsajith]

I have a different experience. When one of our forum members visited my house some time back, he also wanted to check the difference an external DAC can make. We were able to quickly find the difference.

Following were the equipments used:

- Nakamichi RE10 stereo amp
- Beresford Caiman DAC
- Philips 5986 DVDP
- Interconnects : Normal thin AV cable.
- Audio CD (a collection from yesudas)

With DVDP, the instruments including the vocals were so smooth and doesnt have any weightage compared to DAC, in simple terms we can say flat. On connecting the DAC, the sound opened up with good weightage and separation for instruments and vocals, overall there was a significance improvement than the DVDP.

Also the same test we did with Norge 2060 with WF9.1 and there also we could see a significant difference. We tried MP3s (128kbps) also, the first thing we noted was that the boominess in the bass got disappeared with tight and deep bass.

I suggest try connecting the same in a headphone setup and if you are not able to find a difference, you have to try a different dac or ask some of your friends to listen.

 

[jaudere]

Hi Vinoth, thanks a lot. Do DACs too need a burn-in time?

indeed!

every thing needs to reach a certain temperature before it starts burning!( I mean working)

Vinoth?

 

[arj]

T
can you try to source it through Optical out? (use a DVD or PS2 with optical out)

I would seriously suggest this. In most DVD players and entry level CDPs the jitter/quality from toslink is better than the coax..digital out. the quality of the Coax cable does make a difference.

Try to get a good quality cable..ideally glass.

 

[Vandal]

^Never tried 128 kbps. Nor 320 kbps, I listened to a few such tracks, but I was enjoying the music and not in "discerning" mode.
There is a difference, though minute with FLAC files. However, it's not sufficient to enjoy a 400$ price tag. I was on an Essence ST however, so any differences would be minimal. It wasn't earth shattering, though some micro details that are normally inaudible became a little more prominent.

 

[vpriyan]

Can you tell me what type of music you listen? You may not feel the difference if you are listening to any low quality recording even in Audio CDs

Generally you can try Diana Krall Love Scenes, Stan Getz, Miles Davis Audio CDs

In Hindi, you can try Lagaan, Dilse, and any ARR collection. ARR usually excels in recording. In Lagaan-mitwa song try to hear the trickling sound with drums after the line 'jiske manmey....' even you can listen to voice-texture....

 

[Vandal]

Can you tell me what type of music you listen? You may not feel the difference if you are listening to any low quality recording even in Audio CDs

Generally you can try Diana Krall Love Scenes, Stan Getz, Miles Davis Audio CDs

In Hindi, you can try Lagaan, Dilse, and any ARR collection. ARR usually excels in recording. In Lagaan-mitwa song try to hear the trickling sound with drums after the line 'jiske manmey....' even you can listen to voice-texture....

Manowar, Dire Straits, Eric Clapton, Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Plant/Krauss, Eagles, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Scorpions, Alan Jackson, U2, AC/DC, Kenny Rogers and many more - wide taste.

^Someone above suggested using the DAC in a headphone rig and I second that. The proximity of the headphone driver, coupled with the sensitivity will mean if there's a difference, you will hear it.

 

[StanleyB]

Has anyone here compared the Dacmagic to the Caiman?

 

[psychotropic]

yeah, that's an interesting question from stanley, anyone done a comparison??

 

[cha_indian]

The best way to improve sound quickly in a CD player or DAC is to install your favourite opamps, change to better output capacitors....

 

[StanleyB]

If only it was that simple.

Before I turned up with my products there was a bulging market of companies and individuals modifying the Zhaolu DAC so that it could sound good from stock. I more or less killed of most of that market after people realized that there was more to a DAC than installing expensive parts.

In essence, if you pay a lot more for the same part, would it suddenly sound a lot better?