Current (2017) DACs

[dave2010]

Having spotted hints at recommendations for good/better DACs recently I wonder if we could do a quick survey, up to, say £2k - though don't mind higher as well.

I've seen mention of AN DACS and Audiolab M-DAC and M-DAC+ and Monarchy Audio DACs recently on other threads. I guess I could afford up to £1k for a new DAC if I really thought it would help. Currently I'm still using a Beresford Caiman, which is certainly serviceable.

Another make which attracted my attention a few years ago, and recommended I think by a member from the US who has not posted for some while, was Schiit - claimed to be very good, and in a different league from baseline models.

[WAD62]

I've an upgraded MDAC and am very happy with it...however this thread on pfm caught my eye...

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=190488&highlight=brooklyn

...there are several posters who rate the Mytek Brooklyn over their upgraded MDACs, and it's certainly within your budget :eyebrows:

[Gazjam]

Second hand could open up a few tasty options?

[Hudz]

+1 for the Mdac+ excellent Sabre 9018 dac, DSD capable, choice of balanced and single ended outs and the chance to use it as a decent preamp so removing a separate link in the chain, a friend has one and for the money IMO it's well worth an audition.

[StanleyB]

Having spotted hints at recommendations for good/better DACs recently I wonder if we could do a quick survey, up to, say £2k - though don't mind higher as well. Currently I'm still using a Beresford Caiman, which is certainly serviceable.
The Caiman SEG is a huge step up from the MKII. Just PM me if you want to try the two side by side.

[RichB]

Arcam irDAC2.

Sounds nice and natural, loads of inputs, can be used as digital preamp. 400 quids new.

Sure that an improved PSU would yield greater results from it. A mate is modifying a bench psu for mine. Will report back when I get it installed.

[walpurgis]

It's a shame Monarchy Audio DACs are no longer available, as they are very good. http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/monarchy-audio-nm24-dac-preamplifier/?page=2

Any DAC from Monarchy Audio is worth grabbing. I have two, an M22B and M22C and have yet to hear anything sounding better in my system.

If you just need a basic optical or digital RCA input they won't disappoint. Neither will a Theta, by the way. I got through a few of those too and they deliver fine sound.

[Ali Tait]

Arcam irDAC2.

Sounds nice and natural, loads of inputs, can be used as digital preamp. 400 quids new.

Sure that an improved PSU would yield greater results from it. A mate is modifying a bench psu for mine. Will report back when I get it installed.

Sorry Rich, haven't done it yet, just haven't had time - too busy at work and am working this weekend too. :-(

[RichB]

Sorry Rich, haven't done it yet, just haven't had time - too busy at work and am working this weekend too. :-(

No probs mate. The Arcam dac has really gone up in my estimation having lived with it for a while now so I'm pretty interested to see what the PSU will do for it,

[anubisgrau]

it really depends on what is your source. if you can do a PC streaming via a PCM to DSD converting software, the only game changing concept are DSD-converters.

lampizator DSD is exactly 2k and nothing can touch its superb sound quality which is impossible to get nowhere near its ballpark. it has a few minor issues you need to live with but nothing dramatic, as ficus himself said it is nowhere near washing records or dialing in a vinyl bias, azimuth etc.

the sounds is completely sensational for standards of digital reproduction, the closest to a natural sound you can get for the money. for me it is one of the first digital products that seriously questions a feasibility of analog reproduction, it is that good.

you don't need any of the upmarket versions with this and that output tube, DHTs, these and those rectifiers... a plain basic lampi DSD does the job.

most of the current crop of the DACs are forensically precise and detailed but they are quite disconnected from the music. hopefully someone will be able to overcome this common issue. i had young, M-DAC and a few other - they all had to go.

i noticed a number of chinese DSD boards based on a similar XMOS chip. i guess you can emulate lampi's product but you need to know what you are doing. if yes, you can knock it for about 200-300 quid max.

[dave2010]

I discovered this now rather old review of Audio Note DACs - http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0505/audionotedac21sig.htm

There is this rather important point
See, if you can't hit a higher level of resolution with your system, quality gear like the Audio Note 2.1 sig DAC will seem like an overpriced piece of witchery. You'll never be able to hear much of a difference between it and a lesser quality piece.

[Ninanina]

I discovered this now rather old review of Audio Note DACs - http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0505/audionotedac21sig.htm

There is this rather important point

I read the whole article Dave and I think you missed the point a bit... further down the review you will find that Scott also says: "I've not heard a better DAC in my system"

I have an older AN Dac, the Dac One 1x Signature, and I love it to bits ;)

[dave2010]

I don't think I missed the point. I realise that he thought the DAC was very good, but he also made it clear that unless the rest of a system was capable of letting the quality shine through, then it wouldn't. Expensive!

[Maouna]

Hi DAVE please checkout the AUSTRALIAN MADE GEISELER KLEIN SE DAC JUST AUDITIONED IT ON MY MERIDIAN 508.24 cdp now my friends this is one GIANT KILLER and it's around $850 Australian dollars ,get onto stereo.net au owners thread and find out what this dac can do. All I can say is you can't go wrong at this amount of money.

[Henchard]

M-Dac+ here.

Excellent for the money. As well as the facilities outlined above can also be used as a headphone amplifier. Can be obtained new for substantially less than RRP if you hunt around.

[RMutt]

I use a Yulong Sabre DA8 DAC. Before that I had a Rega DAC. The Yulong does DSD but there is not much about that appeals to my music taste. The Yulong is fantastic on flac or high resolution signals. It's much more detailed than the Rega. But on MP3 it is nowhere near as good as the Rega which somehow managed to make lower resolution stuff much more listenable. I must admit I didn't know about MQA until the thread about Tidal. When I had a little look into it I found this http://schiit.com/news/news/why-we-wont-be-supporting-mqa which was interesting as Schiit were mentioned in the opening post.The linked piece also makes reference to Sony not releasing much in DSD.

[bbbiker800]

Not sure if Ninanina was referencing this DAC but I had a short demo of the SW1X DAC1 and it was quite obvious it did everything my Audiolab M-DAC doesn't do. So that may be an option. Its superbly built with very quality components and is a NOS DAC.

[struth]

I use a Yulong Sabre DA8 DAC. Before that I had a Rega DAC. The Yulong does DSD but there is not much about that appeals to my music taste. The Yulong is fantastic on flac or high resolution signals. It's much more detailed than the Rega. But on MP3 it is nowhere near as good as the Rega which somehow managed to make lower resolution stuff much more listenable. I must admit I didn't know about MQA until the thread about Tidal. When I had a little look into it I found this http://schiit.com/news/news/why-we-wont-be-supporting-mqa which was interesting as Schiit were mentioned in the opening post.The linked piece also makes reference to Sony not releasing much in DSD.

Dont blame Schiit ...they are not wanting much to get to use the system eh.lol

[jusbe]

It's a shame Monarchy Audio DACs are no longer available, as they are very good. http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/monarchy-audio-nm24-dac-preamplifier/?page=2

Any DAC from Monarchy Audio is worth grabbing. I have two, an M22B and M22C and have yet to hear anything sounding better in my system.

If you just need a basic optical or digital RCA input they won't disappoint. Neither will a Theta, by the way. I got through a few of those too and they deliver fine sound.

Monarchy Audio DACs were made by Lite Audio, and some of these are still around. I have the Lite Audio DAC-83 fed by the LT-1 transport via I2S and it is very good - better than the Marantz CD7 I used to have.

I'd also consider DACs from Audio-gd as well.