Which budget USB DAC under 200USD

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
M8A has XMOS and the current output ES9028Q2M
Yep, the ESS ES9028Q2M is probably the most DAC technology you can buy at entry level prices ... but that's not to say that it's necessarily the best sounding DAC -
as abraxalito has implied; outcomes will vary depending on implementation, especially with I/V stages.

Full disclosure: I have a software-controlled ES9018 DAC with 7-stage power supplies, into dual Lundahl LL1684 passive output stages. Including delivery, that put me back almost US$1000.
If you want to try the "ESS" sound at even cheaper prices, there are 2 other options:

- E19 portable DAC $US70 + delivery (but deserves a good power supply)
E19 portable amplifier USB SA9226 + ES9028Q2M DSD DAC audio Decoder Support DSD transmission 192K 32BIT -in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

- Weiling/Breeze U9 US$110 + delivery
2017 NEW U9 Eject one end decoding ES9028Q2M decoding Lyman architecture amp output DSD-in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

In all cases, these DAC's have software-controlled volume, which allows you to connect them directly to power amplifiers, without a preamp.
 
Does this DAC allow you to select the digital filter (roll-off slope) that you want to use with the AK4490?

Also, do you notice any noise coming from the USB connection (ground noise)?

it doesn't have that possibility, very essential.

It is very quiet in terms of noise, I hear no noise coming from my excellent speakers even with volume turned very high and no music being played.

I stress the fact that software is important, i tested it also with a fedora install (bloated) and the results were good but not excellent.

if you are using windows afaik there are not many real time options but I had good results with foobar and sox resampler.

I have an excellent amplifier and loudspeaker setup so i verified the importance of software, a badly tuned system might degrade a bit performance, even of not in so great a way, maybe with pop/rock music it won't stand out as much as it does with classical.

As of the hardware you are tied to the USB protocol, so I guess you have not much to do if your hardware is introducing noise for some not perfect implementation.
 
try DAC AD1862 in NOS mode without digital filter, with some active I/V (ADA4898-1, LM6171, LME49990) ... feed it from USB using xmos (jlsounds have direct support for AD1862 without additional logic) ... but all this is a lot of DIY, not buy and play :(

Thanks for the suggestion, I have some AD1862 but didn´t design a dac with them as of yet. This goes way back when Jocko Homo was going to design us a dac with those and the pmd100 digital filter.

What happened recently just hit me hard and I regret having used a smiley yesterday. I am switching my flag to the US in honor of the victims of this monstrous attack and in solidarity for all the good people in that country.
 
Last edited:

These Weiliang designed DACs are cheap but their design's maturity and stability are not as affirmed as those more established brands. IMHO not worth to take the risk just for a small price difference.

Personally, of all the budget DACs out there, I will choose Yulong Canary DAC above anything else. You can see from the design that it worth every cent.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
 
My Weiliang dac has been working daily for several years now, is similar circuit as an Arcam from 10+ years ago, but with much better parts now after much listening and upgrading, is WM8741, with an SA9023 usb input, with a servo, and a headphone amp from the same maker, all in one case.
Sounds as good/better than my more simple AK4495 that is a newer technology, with better regulators, both having discrete op amps for output. There is a lot of room for improvement that has nothing to do with the chip itself...
 
Member
Joined 2000
Paid Member
I just received the SMSL M8A ($250). Got it in 3 days free ship. Amazon...!

Really nice DAC. Good, smooth highs for a delta-sigma. Great placement, a little 2D though. Able to provide image beyond left and right of speakers. Good bass. A bit hard in the mids. Let's just call it distortion. Minimum phase filter sounds nice.

You can feel the power output, but it's the same through out. Can't really hear individual instrument peaks. No, it's not the music, al la 'loudness wars" music.
Horns in "Fanfare for the Common Man" (Copeland), excellent recommendation, sound like a keyboard. On my Soekris they sound like brass distinctly placed in the stereo image with depth.

Used provided power supply. Tried 5V 2A (22,000 mAh) battery. SMSL provides DC to USB cable. Nice! Power supply is 2.5A, so maybe the bat can't push enough. Bat ran for 1 hour without draining it at all, so says the bat life indicator. Smoothed out mids, but lost dynamics. Maybe some of these problems can be adjusted with a better power supply.

M8A sits in palm of both hands, but it's heavy at around 1 lbs., my guess.

There are turn on and turn off pops. Pops when switching filters.

Does DSD and DXD. I have some DSD 128 and DXD 384. Worked without issue.

Vince
 
Last edited:
Member
Joined 2008
Paid Member
OR get the Sabaj DA3 with dual ESS chips, balanced out, xmos xu208, three filter select and portable for only $100. I think it sounds, very, very good. And you can use whatever 5v power supply diy to configure with it more easily than the M8A. Or maybe even power the chips straight with a LifePo4 by removing the Voltage regulators if you feel like you have to do *something* with a solder iron.
 
Last edited:
I just bought a cheap one off ebay for less than $10.
It even drives a 8 ohm 12 inch speaker up to about a watt and sounds very good.

I have tried more expensive ones and couldn't tell the difference.

This is how I feel about ES9023 based USB DACs. They do everything I need and I don't have any issues with the sound. A cheap implementation, with a PCM270x USB chip as a completed PCB without case gives 16/48 playback and can cost as little as $15. Using something like an SA9023+ES9023 for 24/96 playback and a case starts at $35.
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.