Which budget USB DAC under 200USD

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#82
I wouldn't say its 'most of China devices' - I have bought a fair amount of stuff from bigger commercial operators and haven't noticed so far any safety issues. But then I don't open up stuff like bench power supplies, scopes and LCR meters for modding so its possible. I've only noticed it on smaller Taobao vendors.
 
#84
asuslover said:
why not use this:
Sound Blaster X-Fi HD - Sound Cards - Creative Labs (United States) ?
Click to expand...
With respect, the majority of forum members here are hifi people. Sure it's DIY, but there's a also serious hifi undercurrent.
Users here don't just want to know IF a certain piece of hardware will work, they want to know how good it sounds.

If you can offer a listening review of SoundBlaster X-Fi, specifying your listening conditions, with comparison to other well regarded DACs (such as those listed in the very first post in this thread) that would carry weight.
In cases where a listening test cannot be found, the technical specification of the DAC will hint at its sound quality, since this can be assumed comparable to other similarly specified DACs.
 
#85
Wow ...So all of those ebay and aliexpress chinese dacs have reviews?
did you actually try to click on the link I provided? It"s going to open the web site , and there are legit reviews done by legit web sites specialized in making reviews , like [H]ardOCP Computer Hardware Reviews and News.
For 100$ you get what you get , hi fi? who said hi fi ? the Thread is called " Which budget USB DAC under 200USD"
this : HT | OMEGA Claro Halo Sound Card w/ a built-in HI-FI Headphone Amplifier - Newegg.com
uses the same dac chip ( AK4396VF).
 
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#87
Sigh. Everyone takes offence, even if you make a point politely.
Yes, I know the word "hifi" has not been explicitly used, but I already explained that.
Let me express the point differently; the original poster is clearly asking for qualitative opinions, specifically listing 4 products as a starting point. That's the context of the forum thread. The original poster is asking for more than just whether those devices, and comparative products, perform their advertised function.
 
#88
Yes, you can politely offend people, it's a fact, I am not saying that you had that intention.
Most the previous dacs listed above have no reviews, but Sound Blaster X-Fi HD was reviewed , this is a dac, you can record directly from the computer , Direct recording from your turntable and it's an headphone amplifier. Works with windows(has drivers and additional software/equalizer , etc) and with mac(plug and play only).
 
#90
abraxalito said:
I have received mine now and after opening it up I cannot recommend it to anyone not willing to mod it. This is a comment not based on the sound quality but rather the (lack of) electrical safety. The chassis isn't earthed and the mains connections to on/off switch and IEC inlet aren't covered in heatshrink. At the very least these two basic safety mods would be a requirement.
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Thank you abraxalito for reporting the issue!
My one is still on the way. I expect to receive it in 2 weeks.


asuslover said:
Let's try another one:
Big Ego 32 Bit / 384K USB Digital To Analog Converter | Emotiva Audio
Just a little bit over budget.
Click to expand...

asuslover, you have right in terms of general usefulness and overall quality. For an average consumer they are way to go.
Initially I was looking for short term solution for a budget. Because being never played with external DACs I was a little afraid to buy some unbranded Chinese DAC or built my own, as I have no experience with digital audio. But after reading abraxalito's posts, I have changed my mind. Now I want more p🙄rn.
 
#94
I bought one of the ~$50 Hifimediy USB DACs a couple of years ago and found that it was a little strident for my ears. In reading around the issue is the power supply, it pulls it's 5V through the computer fed USB. An isolated supply may address it. Otherwise it was very good.

Some advice I found somewhere else which I thought sounded sensible:

posted by : watchnerd on head-fi.org in 2016

1. Implementation is just as important as the specific DAC chip technology. Don't pick something just because it has your favorite species of chip.

2. Remember that almost all modern recordings are made using Sigma-Delta AD converters before you get too crazy purist about the superiority of R2R (unless you're only going to listen to digital recordings from the last century, and no modern re-masterings).

3. R2R vs Delta-Sigma is most importantly about what a given designer is most comfortable with. They're both just tools, capable of glory or disaster in the right or wrong hands. If a designer does her best work using R2R, then you may have a solid reason for preferring R2R from that vendor (e.g. Schiit). On the other hand, if a given designer pushes the envelope of DS design, that's probably the better product from that vendor (e.g. NAD Master Series).

3. For R2R DACs that use DSP filters, the filter is really the secret sauce that has the biggest effect on the sound (aside from the analog output stage). There are real, measurable differences between IIR and FIR filters in the realm of phase and impulse response. How much this is audible is a different question. But it is real.

4. Except for the cheapest gear, old gear, or disastrously crappy connections, jitter is probably not worth worrying much about now. The difference between 500 picoseconds and 100 picoseconds of jitter in the audio band is more about epeen and bragging rights than anything audible.

5. Pay more attention to the analog stage than the chipset (unless you need/want DSD). A beefy analog stage with good power supply and isolation, coupled to a ho-hum DAC chip, will beat a razzle-dazzle expensive DAC chip coupled to a ho-hum analog stage.

6. DACs are not turntables or tape decks or tuners or other highly flawed, distorted, electromechanical analog sources, where the difference between the best and the worst is both huge and costly. $99 DACs can be perfectly listenable, regardless of chipset, with only minor flaws. The same wasn't true of budget tape decks or budget turntables. So keep things in perspective.
 
#95
Bigun said:
Some advice I found somewhere else which I thought sounded sensible:
Click to expand...

I agree - a lot of sense there. But I would nit-pick on a few things.

1) 'watchnerd' uses R2R whereas in my view he should use the term 'multibit'. R2R is just one implementation of multibit.

2) In the case of discrete R2R designs the voltage reference stability under signal conditions is crucial. I'd argue its equally or perhaps more important than the details of the digital filter being used.

3) In the case of DSD, the analog stage is still very important. Filtering of ultrasonics is also an area to watch. Jitter is also very important with DSD, much less so with multibit PCM.
 
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