caiman vs dac magic vs v dac

[Marco]

Hi Chippy,

I have both the Caiman and the Benchmark DAC1 HDR and very good though the Caiman is, the Benchmark is clearly superior. Which you would really hope it would be, considering the huge price difference!

I'm afraid that these days with hi-fi equipment one cannot reliably presume that because something is much more expensive it is therefore better.

Like Stan said before, quite correctly, there are:

Too many middlemen and get rich quick merchants.

...and this often accounts for differences in price between equipment, rather than the use of superior quality components in a more expensive item. In effect, one isn't always paying for out-and-out sound quality differences when buying more expensive equipment, but rather the funding of the above 'slurpers'.

My system contains items which outperform equipment at many times its price, so don't make the mistake of believing that something that's more expensive is bound to be better - it often isn't the case!

If the Caiman were made by a 'high-end', well-known, commercial manufacturer (pick any you like), how much do you think it would retail for?

A heck of a lot more than Stan sells it for, I can assure you!

Marco.

P.S The other thing I would add is have you heard the Caiman with its upgraded PSU? I suspect that would more than give the Benchmark a run for its money, and still at lower cost

[Themis]

They do not. The DAC1 and TC-7520 use the NE5532, whilst the Caiman and HDR us ethe LM4562NA. Those two opamps sound completely different in their respective environment.

In this case, my opinion about the DAC1USB is probably not valid for the HDR. I somehow prefer to be wrong, as the HDR price tag is rather high.

[Themis]

If the Caiman were made by a 'high-end', well-known, commercial manufacturer (pick any you like), how much do you think it would retail for?

About three times the price. And with a better (bigger) case and an internal (toroidal and preferably heavy) power supply, it should get to four or five times its actual price.
But in such a case, it would sound MUCH better !

[Marco]

About three times the price...

Exactly! And how much does the Caiman sell for - £250?

In that case, it needs to be judged as a £750 DAC, not as a £250 one!

Also, how much is the Benchmark DAC 1 HDR, and the Caiman plus its upgraded PSU?

As an aside, I've never really liked the Benchmark DAC. It's a touch 'cold and clinical' sounding, and rather 'matter-of-fact', musically, for my taste.

Marco.

[Themis]

Also, how much is the Benchmark DAC 1 HDR, and the Caiman plus its upgraded PSU?

The HDR costs about £1450 shipping and taxes included. Although the dollar/pound conversion is a bit tricky.
The Caiman is at about £250.
Clearly two different products.

[Marco]

Thanks, Dimitri. And how much is the Caiman PSU?

Marco.

[Themis]

I can't say, I was an early adopter, my price is probably not accurate. The price without the PSU is at 232£ shipped/taxed.
Stan could say more about the PSU price. ANd, btw, the Caiman was already excellent without the new PSU.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

i dont see why something that is £1450 and somthing that is £250 are two clearly different products
th fact that one has different set of outputs and inputs, a remote, a posh case and possibly the sound it produces makes it a clearly different product... not the price! i agree with marco... judging equipment by price is a mugs game

[StanleyB]

It reminds me of the TC-760LC phono preamp I used to sell at £45 plus delivery. I stopped selling it after seeing it back on sale with a different brand name and model number for..... wait for it.... £180! It is still on sale at that price, and a good 4x my original price.

I am not saying that the Caiman is the best I can do. It is a modified TC-7520 after all. But I take all comments into consideration. That's the only way I can improve the product, without affecting the retail price too much.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

i think it was rob (puffin) who was telling me the hisory of the gainclone chip
the first company that used it in a high end bit of kit charged a fortune for it... then people worked out it could be made for £50 with ease to sound as good.... ....
the company that was selling them for a lot of money had to pay all thier overheads etc but had obviously added on a fair amount of ££ just to make it look like something more special! what about that grado headphone amp?? its a bloody cmoy ... i made a cmoy for £20!! grado sell them for £300!! im not saying its not a good amp.. and it does sound good with grados! aparently the opamp in it is even cheaper than the one in mine!! ££££ does not = quality!