Yet another thread for DAC suggestions

[sann]

The Bushmaster is actually better for a Head Fones Set-up, rather than a stand alone DAC. So am not to sure how it will perform as a stand alone DAC.

I am quoting Stan from the art of sound forum "The Bushmster is based on all the good ideas and mods of the previous designs, plus some new ones. There are no muting relays and their driver circuits. There is also no line output output stage. So no line output opamps and associated caps. It's a DC line output after all so no caps in the signal path to the output RCA sockets. There is also no variable output. The input selector circuit has also been simplified from a multi transistor, latching circuit, and selector diodes, to a microcontroller . And yes, I have used SMD where possible. They proved to be far less noisy in the TC-7510. The power supply is also far more compact due to the use of the latest generation LDO regulators. Those things are a mere fraction in size to the 78XX regulators that they replace." according to him this DAC will be one of the best. Though it doesn't have USB input and variable out (as of now)

 

[crypton]

Finally ordered Maverick Tubemagic D2! Will post review as and when i get it in my hand!
Thanks Sann to point out no USB in bushmaster. USB is important as i will be using my mac. variable output is ok. i don't' need it. in a way better if there is no variable output. less noise.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Any experience of Dr DAC Prime?

It'd hard to search for, as the forum software says "dr" and "DAC" are both too short.

 

[anm]

Any experience of Dr DAC Prime?

It'd hard to search for, as the forum software says "dr" and "DAC" are both too short.

try this in google

dr dac site:hifivision.com

 

[denom]

Any experience of Dr DAC Prime?

It'd hard to search for, as the forum software says "dr" and "DAC" are both too short.

Looks good, question is who has 1 here???? Need to get these DAC's for demo, only then can 1 actually learn more about them

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Just to add information, this unit is from the makers of HFV site favourite the Juli@.

anm, thanks for the google search hint. I did try that, and got a couple of hits, but couldn't find any reference on the hit pages. I got heaps of references to Dr Bass! I should try again and look more carefuly.

 

[ruenigma]

I have their Dr. DAC Nano. A very dry presentation IMO. Some like it, most don't and that includes me. The best thing about the nano is it drove even the HD 25-I II brilliantly.

 

[denom]

I have their Dr. DAC Nano. A very dry presentation IMO. Some like it, most don't and that includes me. The best thing about the nano is it drove even the HD 25-I II brilliantly.

ruenigma, pls get hold of the Dr.DAC Prime as well & give us your review of it

Jokes aside, where did you manage to get your Dr.DAC Nano from & its cost? Can you find out the price of the Dr.DAC Prime???

TIA

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

The interesting thing about this is that, although the call it a DAC, it is a proper interface with ADC too. Should I need to replace my Echo Audiofire, this could be on my list.

I wonder about the quality of the included headphone amp.

I wonder about the quality of the included headphone amp on my Audiofire! I use it a lot, even more than speakers --- but I'm a newcomer to headphone listening, and I can say that I enjoy it a great deal, but I don't have anything to benchmark it against.

There might be a new baby in the house soon: a new amplifier. That will have a headphone socket, and I would expect and hope that its output would be as high quality as its speaker output.

At the end of the day, just enjoying the music is more important to me than some lofty goal of perfection which I can't afford to chase anyway. But still...

 

[ruenigma]

ruenigma, pls get hold of the Dr.DAC Prime as well & give us your review of it

Jokes aside, where did you manage to get your Dr.DAC Nano from & its cost? Can you find out the price of the Dr.DAC Prime???

TIA

It was a 140$ at amazon when i bought it last year. Mike of Headfonia sums it pretty well.

Mike's rankings
1. Audinst HUD-MX1
2. Styleaudio UD-1
3. ESI Dr. DAC Nano
4. Nuforce uDAC
5. Ibasso D10

I've heard all these except the StyleAudio

To rearrange his rankings a bit with the DAC's I've heard/owned.
1. Beresford Caiman (Unfair to compare really)
2. Maverick Audio D1
3/4. Audinst HUD MX1/HRT MS II
5. ESI Dr. DAC Nano
7. Nuforce uDAC
8. Ibasso D10

The primary reason I used the Nano was to drive my headphones without the excess baggage of power cords and/or RCA/6.5 to 3.5 converters etc. At the same time I needed enough grunt for the senns and ATHs I own.

PS: I deliberately skipped 6 as I did not know any other way of berating the nuForce further

 

[denom]

Thanks ruenigma for the info.

Have a couple of DAC's lined up, 1 of which I would like to finally buy:

1) Maverick Audio D2 (Heard it quite a bit & really like it - far better than the D1))
2) Beresford Caiman Gatorised ( Same as above)
3) Schiit Bifrost (Unknown quantity but looks good on paper)
4) ESI Dr. DAC Prime (Same as above)

any others that you think should go into the list???

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I'm interested in NwAvGuy's stuff.

Finished products available (or will be as and when) from Epiphany Acoustics, uk. As I'm not looking for a general purpose DAC for the hifi, but specifically for headphone listening from the PC, it would be the EHP-O2D miniature desktop headphone amplifier with USB DAC

This is yet more stuff that I have to thank HFV members for putting me on to. So many good links here.

But I have to make much larger and more serious investments, so this may not even be considered in reality for a long time.

 

[soumen]

is pioneer DVDP available in kolkata?