Help needed selecting DAC under 100 $ to 300 $

[tija]

Hi all Hifi guru's

I have recently brought Sonodyne SIA 320 amp & Yamaha NS-F150 speakers to start my Hifi journey, I am using my old faithful pc with Creative Audigy 2 as source to play mainly 320kbps mp3's & flac.

Now i want to upgrade from my Creative sound card to a DAC which i'll source from US, I already shortlisted 1. HRT Music streamer ii, 2. HRT microstreamer 3. Dragonfly 1.2 4. CA Dacmagic 100 5.Teac UD-H01 & Musical fidelity V90. kindly suggest a good dac in my budget.

 

[tija]

69 views no comments. Please help me guys really confused.

 

[koushik]

Are you open to used product? If yes, then look for one these:
1. PS Audio Digilink III -- A very very capable DAC, even so with the Cullens mod (discontinued model)
2. Schiit Bifrost -- Mike Moffat's effort (new $449 w/ USB). Very good DAC.
3. PeachTree DAC.iT -- Recommendation based on reviews. Personally never used one.
4. Maverick Tubemagic D2 -- Recommendation based on reviews. Personally never used one.

If you are not comfortable with used product then please ignore the suggestions above. Other FMs will chime in shortly for sure.

 

[ranjeetrain]

Both DACMagic and HRT Streamer would do.

If you can go a bit up the ladder, Koushik has given some good suggestions. I'll add Nuforce Icon DAC to that list.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

69 views no comments. Please help me guys really confused.

Have you searched? DACs are among the most discussed components on HFV, at all budgets from $50 to multi-lakh.

 

[tija]

Are you open to used product? If yes, then look for one these:
1. PS Audio Digilink III -- A very very capable DAC, even so with the Cullens mod (discontinued model)
2. Schiit Bifrost -- Mike Moffat's effort (new $449 w/ USB). Very good DAC.
3. PeachTree DAC.iT -- Recommendation based on reviews. Personally never used one.
4. Maverick Tubemagic D2 -- Recommendation based on reviews. Personally never used one.

If you are not comfortable with used product then please ignore the suggestions above. Other FMs will chime in shortly for sure.

Thank's for suggestion. Yes i am open to used product

just waiting for a product in my range at AudiogoN.

 

[abhi_jollyguy]

I wonder why no one has recommended Centrance DACport LX? Google it.

 

[tija]

Have you searched? DACs are among the most discussed components on HFV, at all budgets from $50 to multi-lakh.

i have searched threads about DAC's but more i search more i got confused so i started this thread.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Oh ...I know the feeling! Sometimes there can be too much information!

 

[noknor]

hi tija, I was also recently looking for a usb DAC to connect my computer to the amp.
My budget was sub $200, after my bit of research, reading posts on this forum and elsewhere, my choices were reduced to Dragonfly, HRT Music Streamer II, CA Dac MagicXS and HRT MicroStreamer.

Again after reading several more reviews specific to these products, I narrowed down to HRT Music Streamer II and HRT MicroStreamer.

From these two I picked up HRT Music Streamer II as I only needed a DAC whereas the MicroStreamer has an inbuilt amplifier also.

 

[raj_krish]

Pretty happy with my Maverick D2 DAC, i preferred this dac as it having tube out and normal out and it is based on OPA 627.
This DAC is a best dac for the budget

 

[tija]

hi tija, I was also recently looking for a usb DAC to connect my computer to the amp.
My budget was sub $200, after my bit of research, reading posts on this forum and elsewhere, my choices were reduced to Dragonfly, HRT Music Streamer II, CA Dac MagicXS and HRT MicroStreamer.

Again after reading several more reviews specific to these products, I narrowed down to HRT Music Streamer II and HRT MicroStreamer.

From these two I picked up HRT Music Streamer II as I only needed a DAC whereas the MicroStreamer has an inbuilt amplifier also.

Hi

Thanks, if you give a small review of hrt music streamer ii will be great. How you compare it to your onboard pc audio / anyother dac you have.

 

[hifiramr]

Hi I am using a very good dac preamp

Logicform NV1 USB Audio Preamp

This is what you need it is USB dac preamp you can use it with preamp or power amp.Less than $150.Planning to sell it imported from USA its very good you can check the details on there site really a VFM.Currently I am not using it because I have to rebuild my entire system so let me know if you have any interest.

Logicform NV1 Review (USB Audio Preamp)

 

[noknor]

Hi

Thanks, if you give a small review of hrt music streamer ii will be great. How you compare it to your onboard pc audio / anyother dac you have.

Once I get it I will write a review.

 

[abhi_jollyguy]

I hope you might have read the review on DACPort LX and many reviews(almost all) stated that it is the best USB DAC at this price and competes against the Benchmark DAC.

Sadly, I have seen one thing in this forum that members talk about only those products which is popular only in this forum.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

We can only talk about the products that we have heard of or come across. Please include others in the DAC threads to increase the talk.

 

[abhi_jollyguy]

I have purchased DACPort LX myself and it is in the transit. Will write the comparison against my V-DAC.

 

[AVM]

Also you could consider the fairly new entrant from ifi audio - the idac. Seems well appreciated. Infact FM Hyrda has written quite a good review of it.
http://www.hifivision.com/reviews/49498-ifi-audio-idac-my-impressions.html
There is also a review by stereophile.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I had known about CEntrance (Oh, I've just realised that that is maybe C entrance, and not entrance as opposed to exit . That has always puzzled me. Doh!) but forgot. thanks for bringing that one in.

The iDAC too is interesting. Has been reviewed as sounding (it has a headphone-out) very like ODAC+02. Which means that if I were to swap my ODAC for an iDAC, feeding my iCAN, I probably shouldn't notice a difference ...except the two units would match

 

[omishra]

Any views for Asus Xonar Essence One?