Which of these DACs good for laptop?

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rohitmusic

rohitmusic

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Hi,
I am exploring on options to use my laptop as a music source. (Dont have a CDP)

After reading some thread and googling following are some options..

USB DACS
AudioEngine D1
HRT music Streamer II
Nuforce UDAC II
Music Fidelity V-DAC MKII

For PC
ASUS Xonar ST
EIS Julie@
Can I somehow workaround and use it with the laptop using some "hack"/"operation" on my old laptop? ;)

Other options:
Emotiva XDA1 (advantage of remote.. would prefer one)

Since we are on it how does the Emotiva XDA1 compare to the Beresford Cayman?

Need to set a music source urgently so please help with your suggestions...!
 
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Even I m very much interested in tweaking my lapatop.. its a IBM thinkpad R60.... but its so tightly packed, i wonder how can ne change be made to it... i plan to get authorized service center opinion newayz...

I hv seen people recommending USB Soundcard... but wonder, wudnt tht already hv the same noise level which wud go to a USB DAC....
 
soulofmusic said:
Even I m very much interested in tweaking my lapatop.. its a IBM thinkpad R60.... but its so tightly packed, i wonder how can ne change be made to it... i plan to get authorized service center opinion newayz...

I hv seen people recommending USB Soundcard... but wonder, wudnt tht already hv the same noise level which wud go to a USB DAC....
Click to expand...

Well I am bit skeptical about quality of USB.
One of my friend and forum member "sann" has a beresford cayman. We tried to play the same file from laptop - via USB and its quality was clearly a step below the same track being played from the CD counterpart (His PS3 transport which seems to have excellent SQ! ;) )

I guess that DAC is not designed for USB function. Yet to hear a dedicated USB DAC.

My requirements are bit generic.
I have done this setup for my family so using laptop may not be always practical for rest of family members. So a good of both worlds would be ideal.

I think many of the forum members are already using laptop as source and looking forward to inputs from them. :licklips:
 
There is nothing wrong with USB 2. There may be something wrong with any particular DAC's implementation and circuitry of it. This is how the same digital data can be passed, in different ways, to the same box, and sound different

soulofmusic said:
I hv seen people recommending USB Soundcard... but wonder, wudnt tht already hv the same noise level which wud go to a USB DAC....
Click to expand...
1. noise is an analogue thing: there is no noise in digital data.

2. DAC compared to soundcard:

--- A DAC takes a digital input and changes it into an analogue output. It does nothing else. It is a one-way street for playing sound only.

--- A sound card (also known as sound interface, as many of them are no longer cards) takes digital inputs and converts them to analogue outputs (DAC). It also takes Analogue inputs and converts them to Digital outputs (ADC). It may have various inputs and outputs, digital and analogue, of different formats; it may also have inputs for microphones, instruments, etc. It is a two-or-more-way street, for recording music as well as playing it.

One is not better than the other: it depends on your need.
 
Regarding USB..

In synch USB, the laptop desides the optimal streaming setting.
In Async USB, the DAC chooses the optimal setting.

Since the DAC knows better on what is good for it, the Async USB is better. Clocks, Jitter, Cable effects are minimal if not none in Async USB (theoretically).
 
Yes, digital signals are designed to do away with the noise and distortion of analog signal... but they are not NOISE FREE...they have their own "quantification error"...
 
OK,
Can you guyz directly take the liberty and suggest me what I should get?

I must confess there are lots of compatibility guidelines between different offerings on the market. So you guyz can simply take the liberty and suggest me couple of options.

Best would be to have some actionable inputs and experience if possible.

Humble Regards!
 
There are things that can go wrong with digital signals. If yo must listen to 5 or 6 bit files, you will get quanitzation error :). That is not so much noise as a limit of the low-bit-rate format. Add the right kind of noise, and you won't notice it (dithering).

Good explanations here. Even better: they give example files here.

Can you guyz directly take the liberty and suggest me what I should get?
Click to expand...

refering back to your first post... for laptop or for desktop PC?

Of course, a USB DAC should work with either, and with any computer you buy in the forseeable future.

About that laptop... is it in full, good working order? does it run quietly enough? How old is it? I'm thinking about when stuff starts to wear out, most likely hard disk, optical drive... Does it play a CD perfectly, loading it reasonably quickly and playing without any glitch as far as you can hear from the headphone socket? It would be a shame to plan a system around it, and then have some mechanical failure trip you up.
 
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Thad E Ginathom said:
refering back to your first post... for laptop or for desktop PC?

Of course, a USB DAC should work with either, and with any computer you buy in the forseeable future.

About that laptop... is it in full, good working order? does it run quietly enough? How old is it? I'm thinking about when stuff starts to wear out, most likely hard disk, optical drive... Does it play a CD perfectly, loading it reasonably quickly and playing without any glitch as far as you can hear from the headphone socket? It would be a shame to plan a system around it, and then have some mechanical failure trip you up.
Click to expand...

Dear Thad,
Thanks for looking! :)

- I have a laptop.
Don't have PC right now. But can arrange if worth the investment. Have an old one but its from the Jurassic Era so its RIP :)

- Laptop is in good working condition. It is around 5 yrs old.
- Yes loading is pretty quick. Dont mind waiting for it to load.
- I will test the a CD and see if it works fine :)

BTW I have access to a second newer DELL laptop (LATITUDE E4300) that I can use.

I would like to have some DAC that can do justice to the Acoustic Portrait Pre and Power amps that I have just got recently :licklips:

Thanks for your time and inputs!

Regards,
Rohit
 
You're welcome :)

As to which DAC, I can't say, because I use only sound cards/interface up until now. Added to which, you are now revealing that all this is for a somewhat high-end system :D

On another thread, someone is telling you that nothing short of the Acoustic Portrait DAC itself will satisfy you. I suspect that this is going to end up being true, even if only psychologically. I'm sure you'll be dreaming of that whole rack just of Acoustic Portrait boxes :)

Now lets guess... You just bought pre and power amps and there's not much left in the bank. I say that because my hunch is that if you have bought into Acoustic Portrait (and, having heard it just once, yes, it's superb) you would get the DAC without much further thought, right now, if funds were available?

Now, considering that you are almost certainly going to be buying that DAC when you have save up for it, the thing would be not to spend too much money right now, because, in some ways, you're wasting it.

So, if it was me, I would not go for something mid-range-plus, knowing that I was still going to feel dissatisfied, I'd go for spending less, knowing I was going to upgrade as soon as possible.

How's my audio psychoanalysis? :D

My starting point, if I was you, might well be the Musical Fidelity V-DACII. MF themselves say that, with hifi, 70% gets spent on the box and the cosmetics, rather than the electronics. If that's true, their V series must be good value for money indeed!

(I have a V-LPSII)
 
Thad E Ginathom said:
Now lets guess... You just bought pre and power amps and there's not much left in the bank. I say that because my hunch is that if you have bought into Acoustic Portrait (and, having heard it just once, yes, it's superb) you would get the DAC without much further thought, right now, if funds were available?

Now, considering that you are almost certainly going to be buying that DAC when you have save up for it, the thing would be not to spend too much money right now, because, in some ways, you're wasting it.

So, if it was me, I would not go for something mid-range-plus, knowing that I was still going to feel dissatisfied, I'd go for spending less, knowing I was going to upgrade as soon as possible.

How's my audio psychoanalysis? :D

My starting point, if I was you, might well be the Musical Fidelity V-DACII. MF themselves say that, with hifi, 70% gets spent on the box and the cosmetics, rather than the electronics. If that's true, their V series must be good value for money indeed!

(I have a V-LPSII)
Click to expand...

Dear Thad, Thanks for the insightful (from the crystal ball) inputs! :)

Well I have made a big investment in last couple months. The Paradigm Monitor 7 FS and now the AP amps and have broken into my bank account. ;)

I guess it will take quite some time for the waters to settle :eek:hyeah: especially since I come from a joint family :lol:

That could be the ultimate goal however. Anything for music! :)

Hmm, my goal has never been short term. I am looking at a long term solution for next 4-5 years hence I am taking all of time to setup my system :)

Hmm.. interesting statistics there about the value of equipment we actually get. It reminds me of the pareto principle only 20% of stuff contributes to 80% of output :) True validation here. :)

That make me think is there any DIY kit worth exploring?
Also in that case would a sound card and a dedicated HTPC do at least some justice?

Appreciate your inputs and time.
Best Regards,
Rohit
 
 
One of the DAC that DIYers are going gaga about is the Buffalo DAC based on Sabre 32 from twisted pair:

Here is the link:

buffalo-3_full.png


buffalo.aspx


IMG_6581.jpg


http://www.twistedpearaudio.com/digital/buffalo.aspx

Twisted Pear Buffalo Sabre DAC

If you want some thing cheaper yet great sounding after some upgrades try an ebay based WM8741 DAC.
 
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Rohit,
You have taken a pretty good path till now.
My honest opinion will be skip entry level stuff and go to AP DAC even if it takes a few months down the line to procure.

Believe me when I say that you bypassed the experimentation stage and the money involved in the process and ended up with a good setup.

OFcource the monitors will be a weak link but will be far from requiring an update.

For cables, be ready to spend 5 to 10k.
 
BLASTO said:
Rohit,
You have taken a pretty good path till now.
My honest opinion will be skip entry level stuff and go to AP DAC even if it takes a few months down the line to procure.

Believe me when I say that you bypassed the experimentation stage and the money involved in the process and ended up with a good setup.

OFcource the monitors will be a weak link but will be far from requiring an update.

For cables, be ready to spend 5 to 10k.
Click to expand...

Dear Blasto,
Always nice getting inputs from you right from day 1 :clapping: Thanks buddy! :)

Hmm.. I guess their DAC is for a whopping 88K or so!
(I know my family is crazy enough to have that also one day :) majorly because my Dad is also into music so less convincing required at home ;) )

Yes, guiding philosophy has been why to waste couple years of life when we can enjoy good music right now! :) We do lot of live concert listening (classical, semi-classical, fusion) so auddiophilia is in a way not new :) Infact IMHO no hifi equipment can come even close to a live performance :) (performers performing live, audience, ambiance and many other things)

Hmm. I am planning to get Audio Quest interconnects to start off with say the Sidewinder or the G snake and speaker cables. Hope that will be fine.

Best Regards,
Cheers! :)
 
DIY is a fantastic idea ...if you can do it.

I know they say it only takes practice, but despite once being able to do neat gold and silver soldering, I have always made a mess of the lower temperature electrical stuff.

So I look on with envy at what the DIYers do. You might find NwAvGuy's stuff interesting --- or at least, you may enjoy some controversial views there :)
 
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