Let's continue the popular series ''World's Best'' that so many people love and hate 
So, this week: Digital to Analog Converters ... DAC
I'm more of a Speakers kind of guy, no so much into electronics; amps, preamp, source, etc... BUT i do feel the DAC part to be of great importance in a sound system.
So, let's discuss about the best DACs you ever heard (and hopefully side-to-side compared)
To this day, my references are the dCS. And i really, really hope i'll find some cheaper solution, 'cuz i need 4 of 'em...
***** UPDATE 26th OCTOBER 2016 *****
Started to test and compare Digital-to-Analog converters, and note each of them in my particular context (active speakers so each way at a time).
Tested so far (in my own system):
Fiio D03K:
3.2/10 in general
Grant Fidelity DAC-09:
2.5/10 on highs+ 4.3/10 on mids
miniDSP 4x10HD:
3.8/10 in general
Moon Neo 280D:
3.5/10 in general
Marantz DAC-HD1:
6.2/10 on highs + 5.8/10 on mids
DEQX HDP-3:
5.9/10 on highs + 7.8/10 on mids
NAD M51:
7.4/10 on highs + 6.8/10 on mids
Gustard X20:
8.0/10 on highs + 7.5/10 on mids
Weiss DAC2:
6.3/10 on highs + 6.6/10 on mids
Weiss DAC1 mk3:
9.1/10 on highs + 8.4/10 on mids
Forssell MADA-2a:
9.5/10 on highs + 9.2/10 on mids
As of today 26th december 2016, the Forssell is the best Digital to Analog converter i have heard, followed by the excellent but more expensive Weiss DAC1 mk3 and the affordable but unreliable Gustard X20.
So, this week: Digital to Analog Converters ... DAC
I'm more of a Speakers kind of guy, no so much into electronics; amps, preamp, source, etc... BUT i do feel the DAC part to be of great importance in a sound system.
So, let's discuss about the best DACs you ever heard (and hopefully side-to-side compared)
To this day, my references are the dCS. And i really, really hope i'll find some cheaper solution, 'cuz i need 4 of 'em...
***** UPDATE 26th OCTOBER 2016 *****
Started to test and compare Digital-to-Analog converters, and note each of them in my particular context (active speakers so each way at a time).
Tested so far (in my own system):
Fiio D03K:
3.2/10 in general
Grant Fidelity DAC-09:
2.5/10 on highs+ 4.3/10 on mids
miniDSP 4x10HD:
3.8/10 in general
Moon Neo 280D:
3.5/10 in general
Marantz DAC-HD1:
6.2/10 on highs + 5.8/10 on mids
DEQX HDP-3:
5.9/10 on highs + 7.8/10 on mids
NAD M51:
7.4/10 on highs + 6.8/10 on mids
Gustard X20:
8.0/10 on highs + 7.5/10 on mids
Weiss DAC2:
6.3/10 on highs + 6.6/10 on mids
Weiss DAC1 mk3:
9.1/10 on highs + 8.4/10 on mids
Forssell MADA-2a:
9.5/10 on highs + 9.2/10 on mids
As of today 26th december 2016, the Forssell is the best Digital to Analog converter i have heard, followed by the excellent but more expensive Weiss DAC1 mk3 and the affordable but unreliable Gustard X20.
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i know it's not DIY, but let me talk about what i auditionned yesterday:
MOON 280D
High-end Digital-to-Analog Converter - Streaming DSD DAC| Simaudio
WADIA di122
Wadia di122 digital audio decoder
dCS Debussy
Debussy DAC | dCS
dCS Vivaldi
Vivaldi DAC | dCS
It gave a nice perspective on what is available on the high-end market, today.
Let's forget about the Vivaldi which is for people that are not really on the same planet as us...
So the Wadia: nice airy sound, quite neutral to my ears, a lot of precision, very smooth, well balanced. A bit too light for my taste for what i heard, but it's a good machine for the price (relatively)
The Moon: probably the one with the most muscles from the lot, lot of speed and authority, quite impressive in fact. Problem is: when compared to the dCS his flaws become a little bit obvious: the sound is not ultra fluid and natural and it lacks of finesse. But it's a beautiful piece of equipment and probably a good value (relatively, again..)
dCS Debussy: instant-Wow. Liquid, airy, plenty of textures and micro-dynamics, resolution, etc... Ought to be the most transparent of the lot. Unfortunately, the price is completely crazy. And that sucks.
MOON 280D
High-end Digital-to-Analog Converter - Streaming DSD DAC| Simaudio
WADIA di122
Wadia di122 digital audio decoder
dCS Debussy
Debussy DAC | dCS
dCS Vivaldi
Vivaldi DAC | dCS
It gave a nice perspective on what is available on the high-end market, today.
Let's forget about the Vivaldi which is for people that are not really on the same planet as us...
So the Wadia: nice airy sound, quite neutral to my ears, a lot of precision, very smooth, well balanced. A bit too light for my taste for what i heard, but it's a good machine for the price (relatively)
The Moon: probably the one with the most muscles from the lot, lot of speed and authority, quite impressive in fact. Problem is: when compared to the dCS his flaws become a little bit obvious: the sound is not ultra fluid and natural and it lacks of finesse. But it's a beautiful piece of equipment and probably a good value (relatively, again..)
dCS Debussy: instant-Wow. Liquid, airy, plenty of textures and micro-dynamics, resolution, etc... Ought to be the most transparent of the lot. Unfortunately, the price is completely crazy. And that sucks.
If your talking Redbook CD replay, then any good one that is R2R Ladder Multibit well done with good I/V stages (no Delta Sigma, bitstream, 1 bit, Bitstream or Saber.), some of my picks are Trinity Dac, Ypsilon Cdt-100, Phasure, and the top MSB unit I think it's called the Platinum, and there are a few more I can't remember.
Cheers George
Cheers George
I know of one guy who sold me his FIFO and XO combo bought the Total DAC.. I think you might be onto something, he certainly said that he was…
LH/S
Dear LH/S
We certainly could all together design a R2R dac at DIYAUDIO with sota supply to solve the lack of dynamic of the oem regs.... but hey I would have the fear to fall on an onanist drawer who would keep the grup job for him alone... some guy are so basic with their ego as you know yourself, punishing a word but doing worst thing themselves ! E.G calling the cops as they are little boys !
There was a good try here to launch in the GB a R2R at very good price by a sota engineer from computer board design but I believe the powersupply was designed for best noise but gave a non dynamic result for ears ! I sold mine as I was fear to break it with tweaking !
I sold mine and stayed with my TDA1541 from Pedja Rogic in simultaneous mode & FIFO... it sings
We certainly could all together design a R2R dac at DIYAUDIO with sota supply to solve the lack of dynamic of the oem regs.... but hey I would have the fear to fall on an onanist drawer who would keep the grup job for him alone
... some guy are so basic with their ego as you know yourself, punishing a word but doing worst thing themselves ! E.G calling the cops as they are little boys !There was a good try here to launch in the GB a R2R at very good price by a sota engineer from computer board design but I believe the powersupply was designed for best noise but gave a non dynamic result for ears ! I sold mine as I was fear to break it with tweaking !
I sold mine and stayed with my TDA1541 from Pedja Rogic in simultaneous mode & FIFO... it sings
Difficult to beat on both price and performance:
Xmos U8 AK4490 Audio HiFi Top Asynchronous USB Decoding DAC with Headphone | eBay
Measures like the best.
Xmos U8 AK4490 Audio HiFi Top Asynchronous USB Decoding DAC with Headphone | eBay
Measures like the best.
Always loved the low register (bass) of the AK chips !Wolfson as well ! But the old multibits dac chips stay the best according to me & my tastes for the mids and treble , tonal, dynamic, details are not missing if the layout of the dac is good (too much bad designs unluckilly ! ) IMHO !You can't simply discover what a good speaker is able to do without a good dac, stays one of my main surprise of my humble diyer/tweaker life (hey but I'm just 46 !)
Sounds like fun - count me in to help with that
Are you going to open a thread for ideas about how to do it?Yeah I agree Wolfson (I've only tried WM8740) has very impressive bass, but only when the outputs are very lightly loaded. The normal application circuit has something like 2k4 resistors - hopeless. Changing them to 240k brings a huge improvement in bass dynamics.
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Oh no Abraxilito ! I'm just a big mouth with no knowledge : I spent, shared my time for 5 months with some to give motivation with some good people but one guy just because he re draw a file he share with all the contribution and idea of people keep and closed the design, I was also banned one week to have said to him what I think of his little attitude and his bad technical errors he made when he closed the shared project !
So without me this time !
I just believe Soekris if he could listened all the good layout advises from members like you Abrax around the power supplies should make a sota cheap discrete R2R ; But he is a vendor and very involved in computer board designs first, certainly hard to find time !
Maybe a member like Marce or IanCanada could do it as well : but they are very involved in their daily jobs !
So without me this time !
I just believe Soekris if he could listened all the good layout advises from members like you Abrax around the power supplies should make a sota cheap discrete R2R ; But he is a vendor and very involved in computer board designs first, certainly hard to find time !
Maybe a member like Marce or IanCanada could do it as well : but they are very involved in their daily jobs !
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Ultra cheap isn't going to be SotA but probably doesn't need to be, good enough would be fine because value for money is the aim. Speaking of 'good enough' I have a very small, very cheap DAC module in the works which might be appreciated by those who favour R2R over S-D. I'll put it up on my blog when I've got something to show.
The good thing of this shared project is than two people took care of an idea I had to ask to a brand to share an old design. It was just a non concrete idea I had ! But they decided (CFT & Ceglar by PM maybe the "old" AYA would be a best bet ! And CFT member took on him to call Pedja Rogic from Audial to launch a re edition of the AYA 2bare pcb and populated kit at very friendly price with uf-l pads in simultaneous mode for the more experienced diyers !
I fifo mine with IanCanada stuffs (as well : simultaneous mode instead simple I2S)
We can have beautifull things when people are good and share !
Thanks again to Pedja Rogic/ Audial, Ceglar, CFT and DIyaudio to make it possible !
Many people have a sota TDA1541 all other the world because this sharing, many like me couldn't afford a ready made Models S from Audial !
I think it a first time sharing experience between a brand and diyers in audio world ?
I fifo mine with IanCanada stuffs (as well : simultaneous mode instead simple I2S)
We can have beautifull things when people are good and share !
Thanks again to Pedja Rogic/ Audial, Ceglar, CFT and DIyaudio to make it possible !
Many people have a sota TDA1541 all other the world because this sharing, many like me couldn't afford a ready made Models S from Audial !
I think it a first time sharing experience between a brand and diyers in audio world ?