DAC choice

[Thocom]

I picked up a new iPad this weekend and want dedicate my old iPad 2 to my audio rack. I think I want to use the camera kit with the 30 pin to usb and thought this would be a simple thing.. Now I've been reading so many alternatives my head is spinning. I THINK I have narrowed it down to either the Maverick tube magic DAC or Cambridge's DACMagic.
The reason I'm leaning toward the Cambridge is that I have their 640 phono preamp and like it, and the DAC appears to be the same physical size and look.
I will be using this with the following gear (for now): Mcintosh MX110 preamp, Mcintosh MC240 tube amp.

Anything I should check out in the same price range as these DACsi have mentioned that will actually work with an iPad Camera kit?

Thanks in advance.

 

[4-2-7]

One bad thing about using your iPad that way, it will not be charging so your time will be limited. If you go out the head phone jack you can charge, but using the internal DAC. You might want to save your money as really I haven't found the iPad to sound bad off the head phone jack.

Now if you have hi rez music files and a really good player service it would make sense going out the usb to a DAC (still not charging). If you have mp3s on iTuns you will not have a life altering event going to external DAC.

I ended up using a iMac for a dedicated music server plus I can do everything else on it.

Now if you have a home computer, you want a external DAC, don't want your computer right on top the stereo and if you have hi rez music.

This is supper trick...Audioengine D2, 24bit WiFi DAC
Computer anywhere in the house, doesn't need charging, holds tons of hi rez music
USB out > D2 transmitter> .............WiFi.........D2 Reciever> RCA to stereo.

Not many WiFi DAC can handle 24bit and most are 16bit

BTW the D2 will not work with the iPad or iPhone.

 

[4-2-7]

And another thing nice about it, I unplug the transmitter from my computer and plug it into the TV. So now all the concerts on TV are playing through my system.

If the cost is to high you can find these cheaper or used on the bay at times.

 

[Thocom]

Thanks. TV I have covered, I have a decent HT separate setup that I am very happy with.
I do have a MAC mini that will soon be a dedicated music server so I figured I could still use the DAC for that.
I will mostly be using SiriusXM streaming app with the iPad, I'm using a very high res development beta version. I usually don't listen for more then 2-3 hours at a time so I will just have to remember to charge it.

 

[prighello]

Schiit makes a bunch of dacs you might want to check them out as well. Can't comment too much on their sound thou as I don't have one myself, I use a Dacmagic and beresford, but they are well regarded. A friend of mine has the schiit yaggi and it sounds great but that's way above ca or maverick price points. Have fun

 

[Thocom]

Thanks. I will check them out.. Price point seems to be all over the place? I guess it's that way with any audio gear, but it seems there's a group of DACs that are in the $200 range, then they shoot WAY up for the next group.

 

[soundmig]

Next DAC up in the Schiit line is the BiFrost Delta Sigma version at $399. They claim that this one outperforms last year's uber'd version. Having heard the AKM chips I don't doubt their claim. I own the Multi-Bit version of the BiFrost ($599) and it sounds great. Schiit let's you send it back in 15 days if you don't like it (small restock fee) so not much risk in trying them. They are U.S. made and the pedigree of the designers is stellar.

 

[Thocom]

Next DAC up in the Schiit line is the BiFrost Delta Sigma version at $399. They claim that this one outperforms last year's uber'd version. Having heard the AKM chips I don't doubt their claim. I own the Multi-Bit version of the BiFrost ($599) and it sounds great. Schiit let's you send it back in 15 days if you don't like it (small restock fee) so not much risk in trying them. They are U.S. made and the pedigree of the designers is stellar.

I will definitely check them out now. Thanks

 

[Tbone289]

The reason I'm leaning toward the Cambridge is that I have their 640 phono preamp and like it, and the DAC appears to be the same physical size and look.

My advice would be to ignore what the DAC looks like and find something you like to listen to. I have owned many DACs in the under $600 market, and there is a large variation in sound quality among them. It took me a quite a while to compare products and settle on a couple that I really like the sound of, but the time, effort and money spent was well worth it. Companies (like Schiit) that let you "test drive" a product are great, but you can also "flip" a DAC that you have purchased fairly easily without much loss if you don't sit on it too long.

 

[Thocom]

Yes, just figured it would be convenient if the Cambridge sounded good. I haven't read anything great about it, nothing bad either (other than the Maverick kicks it's ass) so I will probably be passing..
I'm now looking at the Peachtree DAC IT and the Jolida tube DAC too.

 

[Tbone289]

IMO, The DAC-iT is hard to beat for the price, and was the DAC I used in my main rig for over a year before my recent upgrade.

If you are going to use USB input, I would highly recommend you look at the DAC-iTx, as it has an upgraded asynchronous USB interface over the original DAC-iT. My original DAC-iT (not x model) sounds significantly better with S/PDIF input than with USB. I have not heard the DAC-iTx, but I would bet that the newer interface helps "bridge" that gap, so to speak.

 

[Thocom]

IMO, The DAC-iT is hard to beat for the price, and was the DAC I used in my main rig for over a year before my recent upgrade.

If you are going to use USB input, I would highly recommend you look at the DAC-iTx, as it has an upgraded asynchronous USB interface over the original DAC-iT. My original DAC-iT (not x model) sounds significantly better with S/PDIF input than with USB. I have not heard the DAC-iTx, but I would bet that the newer interface helps "bridge" that gap, so to speak.

There's a sponsor here selling it for half the price.. About what the Maverick D1 goes for. Decisions decisions..

 

[Thocom]

Well, I ended up buying a Maverick D1 plus. It's here, and I'm bummed. While it sounds great with other digital sources, I'm getting the "Maverick Audio USB draws too much power" error when using the camera kit and a usb cable?
I purchased this unit specifically because it was on the list of DACS that WOULD work in this configuration with an iPad camera kit.
I tried every possible step process. I.e., plugging it into the DAC first, then the iPad, the iPad then the DAC, the camera kit, then the DAC, and so on.. No dice.
It only works using a 3.5 mm out from the iPad to the Lin input of the DAC. It DOES sound better then just the iPad to the RCA aux input of the preamp though, so I guess that's something.

 

[SoNic67]

I would never assume that the battery of the iPad will be a good power source for a DAC. I don't care what people say, power supply quality is very important on audio, due to inherent analog nature of the output.

 

[Thocom]

The DAC has its own power source, that's why I assumed it didn't need to rely on the iPads.
There's a list (somewhere) that this particular DAC is called out to work.
I guess I will just use an appleTV and a optical cable and only use the iPad to stream talk channels