My Dac problem

[Welder]

I’m looking to complete my transition from vinyl to PC > Dac.
I really don’t want to spend months auditioning this product against that and I’m trying to reduce the shiny box volume, cables and storage mediums in the process.
Basically I just want to finish the transition with as little pissing about as possible.
My current listening environment and my hearing capability makes venturing any further up the “great expense for small return ladder” pointless apart from possibly an improved Dac.

Despite what I consider to be a reasonably competent mod to accept balanced input my current Exposure 25RC amp was not designed for balanced audio input.
The HRT Music Streamer 11 + I think suited my system and my ears better than the Pro.
I think the Pro would be an outstanding addition in the right system, just not in mine.
I’m extremely fond of the sound I have come to expect from the Exposure amp and fed by analogue into my speakers, producing what for me at least, was a sound I have been happy to live with for many years. So, I don’t want to change the amp, or the speakers come to that:
Good though it is the HRT Music Streamer 11+ doesn’t quite match the capabilities of the rest of my system.
My entire system is 20 Hz to 20 kHz, a shame in some ways but there you have it.

I can and have adjusted my speakers to cope with small system matching and listening environment problems.

I have absolutely no interest in anything above 24/96 believing (backed by a considerable amount of science and opinion) that the chances of being able to distinguish between 24/192 and 24/96 are so remote my chances of winning the lottery with a one shot ticket are considerably better, plus a lot of other problems associated with generic software, etc, etc.

I want to use USB from PC to Dac, possibly firewire but definitely not SPDIF to transfer data.

I don’t want any glass tubes sticking out of the Dac.

I don’t want a headphone amp with the Dac, a volume control, multiple connection options, lots of pretty lights, preferably no switches and definitely none in the signal path and definitely not anything that reputedly sounds better after a considerable burn in period.
(My view on this is if it sounds like shite out of the box its probably because it is shite. If it sounds better after 200 hours of listening then it’s probably because you’ve come to appreciate the sound of shite)

I don’t want a NOS Dac; built one, borrowed another, ghastly racket from both.

I would prefer an over-sampling Dac to an Up-sampling variety, but well implemented, either.

I want data transfer to be asynchronous by default and possibly adaptive as an option but not overly important.

I would prefer an outboard power supply with an option to purchase without.
If the supply is inboard then I would prefer non toriodal transformer.

I would like the circuitry to be laid out in a fashion that allows room for a bit of tweaking.

I would prefer the software to be proprietary rather than licensed.

Data transfer speed at USB 2.0 standard is fine; 3 capable might be nice for further developments.

I don’t want to spend more than £1000.
I want to be able to audition the Dac in my system in my listening environment.

So far, I have managed to identify one Dac that covers most of the above and that’s the Wyred4sound Dac2. The really irritating thing about this Dac is rather than further develop the output stage of the Dac the company has gone down the 24/192 capable path instead. What a bloody shame.
Also, as often the case with imported products the importer, rather than do the price conversion math’s opted for the easy route and just swapped the $ and £ sign.
Anyone in the USA want to send me one of these as a “present” avoiding tax, tax, tax, tax ,tax and dealer mark up?
The HRT Music Streamer11+ is so close to providing what I understand to be a non digital sound, it’s just a little short on dynamic capability at the frequency extremes.
I don’t find the sound grainy as some have and tone and impact, particularly in the midrange is excellent, dare I say better than my vinyl setup.
Most frustrating all round, products that are almost there and what do the manufacturers do; charge off in a totally pointless direction to cater for a load of marketing hype with no sonic benefits

[roob]

Hmm, don't want much do you?
Arcam R-dac or the soon to be released Audiolab Dac designed by John Westlake seem to fit the bill especially as you seem set on USB, Firewire dacs are thin on the ground at<£1000.

[Ali Tait]

You could just buy a Touch and use the analogue out.

[purite audio]

The new M2Tech ,async USB £650.
Keith.

[Ali Tait]

Have you heard it Keith?

[purite audio]

Ali Hi, I have seen it, I haven't heard it yet! But I will soon.
Keith.

[Stratmangler]

You could just buy a Touch and use the analogue out.

+1 - the analogue outs on the Touch are a damned site better than those on the SB3 or Receiver.

[Welder]

roob.
Thanks for the suggestions.
“Hmm, don't want much do you?”

It might seem a lot to ask but basically I’m looking for a asynchronous USB dac that concentrates getting the best out of USB data transfer at 24/96, much like the HRT, rather than trying appeal to a wider market by including a lot of options that are unlikely to be used and increase the cost.

The Arcam rDac.
I have no reason to think that this would offer any sonic improvement over either the HRT 11+ or the Pro.
The Audiolab Dac is way out of my budget.

Ali Tait.
Thanks for the suggestion.
“You could just buy a Touch and use the analogue out.”
I could indeed but I wouldn’t. The Touch is a neat enough gadget but once again has lots of stuff I would not use and I have no reason to think that it would be sonically superior to the HRT.

Keith.
Thanks, in the right sonic quality ball park at least.
I had considered the M2Tech but the extra cost involved in the Evo seems to be justified by its 24/192 capability and in my view its just a waste of money.
The other point is of course is it isn’t really a Dac, it’s a USB to S/PDIF converter and my amp takes RCA or XLR.
I could of course use the M2Tech output but it would mean at least a cable change and once again, while it is reputedly a very capable device I'm not convinced it offers any sonic improvements over the HRT.

[Clive]

I don't think the new Audiolab will be over your £1000 budget, indeed it's likey to be more like £500. Sabre dac chip, async USB...surely it's what you want.

Don't be too concerned about paying for features you don't want. By adding features eg spdif, the manufacturer increases sales volume and is then able to reduce unit costs. A dac with just the feature you want will have a restricted market and be priced accordingly (ie expensively).

[Welder]

Clive.
Ah, I must have been looking at the wrong model. Thanks for the info.
Also, in that case, thanks again to roob.
I’ll hunt around for some info. Does it have a model number or a web page with some details?