Cakewalk DAC

[jaudere]

Hello friends,

Has anyone heard of this Cakewalk UA1G USB DAC by Roland?. Its actualy for the purpose of recording. It has a DAC in addition. I have read somewhere that professional products perform better than Usb DACs in market like Creative x fi go/Asus. Cost is 5.5k. So its a DAC+ADC. Appears tempting for me . I am using on board sound card of my HP Mini netbook through foobar. Will this thing make significant a difference in sound? Audition is not possible.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Only someone who actually has one could answer your big question:

Will this thing make significant a difference in sound?

Even then, they won't know what your laptop sounds like!

As a general rule, any add-in or external card/interface of good quality will beat the motherboard builtin of a PC or laptop. So there is a "probably, yes" answer.

When people talk about the quality of "professional" audio products, it is often stuff from companies like RME and Lynx they are talking about, with stuff like M-Audio, Echo-Audio, etc, approaching the affordable, and companies like ESI very much in reach but perhaps not considered "pro". Some of that high-level (brain-numbingly expensive) equipment is not even designed to interface with our domestic kit, but aimed at studios.

This is not a DAC (although, of course, it includes one): it is a sound card or audio interface. As you say, DAC+ADC. If you want to record, then a sound card is what you need ("sound card" get used for external as well as internal, although "audio interface" seems clearer terminology to cover both).

My guess is that this is entry-level, home-studio equipment. You say you want to record depending on what you want to record, this could be a good starting place. Please check out all the competition, though!

Product page here. (download the manual: manuals are always better reading than publicity material!)

A review here.

 

[jaudere]

Thanks bro.

At least you said something. I dont want it for recording. I want it for plain simple play back only. I said its meant for recording. May be that created a bit of confusion.

I went through online reviews but they are are mainly about recording.

Roland is a good company as far as keyboards are considered. I think it has taken over Cakewalk. At least by physical appearance it looked better than a behringer product.

 

[gobble]

For recording one would need an ADC not DAC correct? Hopefully the DAC implementation will be on par with the ADC.

--G0bble

 

[Deleted member 17547]

these kind of interface do give you output but that output is meant for listening the recording where u want to listen each n every instrument u recorded (for which they have been designed).. I've used couple of sound interfaces but did not like the sound output though they were very gud for recording purpose.. for simple listening seperate DACs are best..

 

[askii2]

Consumer DACs make more sense at this price point. Firestone audio's DACs have been received well and have excellent reviews on whathifi. These are around the same price. Has anyone on this forum tried them?

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I said its meant for recording.

Ahhh... I misunderstood "purpose" in your original post.

In that case, I'd suggest the simpler USB Audio Interface or DAC --- although no reason you shouldn't try this box. Whilst there is no harm in having more functionality than you need, you might come to the conclusion that there is also no reason to pay for it, and it might be better to focus the spend on the function (dac) that you need.

Otherwise, I think DACs, somehow, have won the marketing war. The hifi world (or ours here, at least ) seems convinced of their superiority. At the same time, the audio interface manufacturers seem to be more focussed on studio requirements rather than simple stereo in/out.

 

[jaudere]

Thanks guys.
So i will look for DACs. can someone please tell me What USB DACs are available in India at this price point(5k). I have ruled out Creative x fi Go. Its a software & not hardware(as per the information available on net). I dont need crystalizer either as use wav format. Asus xonar(Usb) is out of stock at most places. So what are the choices remaining?

 

[Deleted member 17547]

You can get HRT Music Streamer USB DAC from US.. its listed at 149$ on amazon.. Nuforce Icon uDAC2 is also an option.. listed as 129$ on amazon..

 

[gryph0n]

You can get HRT Music Streamer USB DAC from US.. its listed at 149$ on amazon.. Nuforce Icon uDAC2 is also an option.. listed as 129$ on amazon..

+1

Those 2 look like the best options at your pricepoint. Between the 2, I think the HRT is the better one. The Nuforce uDAC2 had/has?? channel imbalance issues at low volumes, and also seems to clip the output even when not absolutely necessary

NwAvGuy: NuForce uDAC-2 Drama


Slightly off topic, but you could also go for a portable music player. Sansa Clip+ and Sansa Fuze have gotten rave reviews and seem to measure well.

Sadly the Sansa Fuze is EOL'ed. It's replacement, Fuze+, is generally seen as having same sound quality, but some people haven't liked the new user interface (Touchpad like) with the Fuze+.

All of these Sansa players should fit into your budget.

 

[jaudere]

+1

Sansa Fuze is EOL'ed, and its replacement, Fuze+, is generally seen as having same sound quality. All of these Sansa players should fit into your budget.

hi,

Thanks for the info. Plase tell me what is 'EOL'ed. Secondly. I have read a lot of times that a portable media player (I pod included) doesn't really give good audio quality when connected to stereo amplifier through headphone out.. What is your take on this opinion?

 

[Bluu]

You could also look at the Fiio E7. I posted a review somewhere on HFV that you can search for and read. It's 5K shipped.

 

[iaudio]

Jaudere, I guess EOL means End of Life, or a product that is about to be taken of the shelf and replaced with a newer model.

As for portable players, Sansa, Cowon, iPod etc all have great sound quality, but I am not impressed by the way it sounds when you connect it through 3.5mm to 2 RCA cable of good quality( commonly referred to as ipod cable). You really have to crank up the amplifier volume pot to get acceptable loudness. And though there is clarity, the imaging, depth etc are not on par with what you get with a good CD player or DAC for that matter.

 

[jaudere]

That is my exact concern. Sometimes( in fact rarely when i am lazy to switch on my netbook), i use my nokia N82 As source. there is no quality. Of course most of the music on netbook is uncompressed while that on nokia is mp3. Still the netbook plays mp3 better than my nokia.
So , when connected to my stereo amp ,will this Sansa/cowon/zune give quality at least better than my nokia n82 if not equal to netbook?

 

[Bluu]

^ I would doubt it. You are better off using the netbook. However, if laziness does get the better of you, then portable devices are the quickest options to start listening.

Can you not leave the netbook in sleep mode so it starts up instantly? Alternatively, you can buy/build a PC with an SSD for instant startup. MacBook Air?

 

[jaudere]

My netbook is not painfully slow. Boots up in 1 min. But I AM painfully lazy. My netbook goes on for 9 hours on single charge if i shut it down after each use. If I put it in sleep mode, how much will the power consumption increase.

No budget for Mac products at this point of time.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

A headphone outlet on a portable device is probably only really designed for earphones.

Having said that, I took my Cowon A2 to audition my new AT headphones because, for better or for worse, it is a well-known-to-me source. If they'd plugged the 'phones into their equipment I might have been actually wowed by their amplifier, rather than the phones. But, playing Mahler from the Cowon, I was wowed by my AT D900s, the feeling of concert-hall space, the orchestral image --- and the Cowon has to take some of the credit for that.

 

[Bluu]

But I AM painfully lazy.

I know what you mean!

If I put it in sleep mode, how much will the power consumption increase.

Should be negligible. The sound improvement will be worth the trade-off.

 

[spirovious]

You can check my post too-
http://www.hifivision.com/cd-players/13494-best-dac-under-us-225-a-3.html#post271972

 

[jaudere]

Hmmm,
Someone on forum is selling that DAC For some 7k. Anyway. I will be trying the creative x fi surround USB Sound card first. Getting it in <3k. Will see what difference it makes.