List of DACs Under $450

DAC list

A company called ART (not certain) once offered a multi function DAC/ADC with a bit rate converter and a 12AX7 vacuum tube (dual triode) buffer stage primarily for musicians; ie it had 1/4" (yuk) jacks. I use this in an effects loop just to add some tube warmth to my CD listening experience. It was less than $200.00 and I love it......Also somewhat spiritual to watch the 3 color LED level indicators in the dark. I think it was called "DI/O" I realize how goofy it seems to add 2 superfluous conversions (from analog to digital and back again) to the audio path, but my ears approve. The tube "warmth" is adjustable......froogAL:music:
 
A DAC Shootout

Wow! That's quite a list. Thanks for all that research and...typing.

I think this may be of interest. Stereomojo just did a blind shootout of 6 DACs with 6 judges from the Audio Asylum. Prices ranged from under $1,000 to over $4,000 with tube and solid state DACs.
 
This is really, really low end (cost wise) of the spectrum, but I took a chance to see if upgrading to a stand alone DAC would improve the 2 dimentional sound I was getting from my Marantz CDR630. Very impressive results! Although I would imagine higher priced units would improve to an even higher level.

But the bottom line...anyone just wanting a more 3 dimentional, full, rich and musical soundstage from a low cost CD player (with digital outs) should take a look at this little DAC.

It does not even have a name, but I snagged it off ebay: $65 shipped from China in under 7 days. Seller: hifispot168 Title: DIR9001 PCM1793 OPA2134 Coax/Optical DAC

No affilliation, just a very satisifed customer enjoying his CD collection once again.
 
Unless I missed it, the list should include the Hotaudio line of Dacs. Fior instance, their USB "DAC-Extasy" is a winner at its price point IMHO.
 
Many thanks for the list. I would be interested in a DAC that fulfills these requirements:

1) It would have a USB input accepting an external HDD as a source , and would be able to recognize sound files stored in it (flac,wav but also perhaps ape, mp3, etc). It should be a stand alone DAC that would not need any PC to run. The prototype would be a Cambridge Dac Magic but it is not clear to me that it accepts the external hard disk as a source.

2) It could handle 24 bits 96Khz and upper (if possible) flac (or similar) files, e.g., I'd like to get into the high resolution digital world, downloading files from the internet or perhaps producing my own from analog sources. This would be my main concern regarding the future. Ripping some of my CDs would be fine, but I've got a great CDP that I don't intend to abandon.
 
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guiller said:
Many thanks for the list. I would be interested in a DAC that fulfills these requirements:

1) It would have a USB input that accepts as a source an external HDD, and is able to recognize sound files stored in it (flac,wav but also perhaps ape, mp3, etc). It should be a stand alone DAC that does not need any PC to run. The prototype would be a Cambridge Dac Magic but it is not clear to me that it accepts the external hard disk as a source.

2) It could handle 24 bits 96Khz and upper (if possible) flac (or similar) files, e.g., I'd like to get into the high resolution digital world, downloaded from the internet. This would be my main concern regarding the future. Ripping some of my CDs would be fine, but I've got a great CDP that I don't intend to abandon.
Click to expand...

A product will all these features usually go at $1500-$2000 range. Consonance D-Linear 7 does all but it is still over $1000 - don't know any model out there doing all for less than $450. I want one for that price too :) if anyone knows, let me know...
 
GrantFidelity said:
A product will all these features usually go at $1500-$2000 range. Consonance D-Linear 7 does all but it is still over $1000 - don't know any model out there doing all for less than $450. I want one for that price too :) if anyone knows, let me know...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the data anyway!
 
$19.00 USB DAC that is making me happy. No joke.

The Phonic Digitrack is available for $19.00 from an Amazon marketplace seller. Stereo out, stereo in (A to D) , coax S/PDIF in and out, all on RCA jacks. The USB cable is not captive. I(I hate captive cables!)

Talk about strange results from comparisons.... I originally purchased my Phonic Digitrack about a year ago for its input A to D capability that the product is marketed for. I paid $60.00 or so, which is about the going price on eBay or from internet discounters who carry pro audio gear. Phonic makes various mixers and equalizers and whatnot. It's budget-priced gear and probably not great quality. I've never actually encountered any in the wild.

I recently compared it as a DAC to my admittedly small stable of such items. The results were extremely surprising. It is obviously much better than my decade-old Stereo-Link 1200 (the original boutique external DAC from Stereo-Link.com). It also trounces my Turtle Beach Audio Advantage USB dongle DAC. Trouncing the recent (but recently superceded) Turtle Beach dongle surprised me. I did just go look at the Turtle Beach web site. Ah, they've gone totally into the gaming market. They used to be somewhat respectable in audio.

Anyway, the sound out of the Phonic Digitrack seems to be of the same quality that I get out of my Denon DN-C680 "Broadcast" CD player with it's "Super Linear Converter" and my old-school Rega Io DAC. The Rega is non-oversampling. To my ears the Rega doesn't improve on the Denon's internal converters.

What do I mean by better? Well, I mean bass and treble extension, and stereo imaging. The Stereo-Link and the TB dongle both sound rolled-off at the extremes. They also have a "reduced soundstage" by which I mean "sounds like poor separation to me." It's so very marked, the imaging, that I'm wondering if there's something actually wrong in the Digitrack that produces something that sounds like better separation. Really.

So, you ask, what's in the sucker? I haven't opened it yet. On Linux, the system identifies it as being "Burr Brown by TI" chip doesn't provide a model number. Since I ordered a couple of more Digitracks upon seeing the price. I'm definitely going to open one. The specs are 16-bit and up to 48kHz. If your sources aren't any better than that, this little thing might be just the ticket. For my internet radio habit, well, it's the best DAC in the house.

Anyway, the Phonic Digitrack for $19.00 might make you happy, too, or might be a platform for tinkering.

I'd be really interested to hear other opinions on this little thing.
 
I've been looking at the DIYHIFIsupply Cleo . . . another in the $1000 + category. Tube output stage, Burr-Brown 24/192 DAC, looks like a nice unit for $1115. http://diyhifisupply.com/node/794

Don't know how it would compare with some of these others. I guess the standard remains the Benchmark DAC-1 or the Wavelength Brick, but they are beginning to climb into the "out of my budget" category.:D


:music:Will
 
The ubiquitous Behringer UCA-202 should go on here, as well as the E-MU 0204 - both on the sub-$150 list.
 
Sorry, I haven't been on in a while. Mods feel free to add things.

For those interested... I still have not bought a DAC. :) Still looking. Audio is sort of a winter hobby for me. I have a Matrix mini-i I am auditioning right now, from a friend. I now know that I'll be running everything though an Airport Express (I'll never have a source higher than 16/44.1 anyways), and so I need a TOSlink input, or an least a coax and a converter.

EDIT: The page will no longer allow me to edit it. It says I have too many characters in the post. I could split it, but I'd want to have a second post right next to the first one. I don't have that power.

I'm going to work on putting this is a Google spreadsheet. See here for progress. I could use some help, if anyone wants I will add you to the list of collaborators. I have a lot of holes in the data and all my links got stripped when I pasted into Google docs, but overall, this is a far easier to read.

List of DACs "Under $450"
Click to expand...
 
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Not sure if the HRT Music Streamer II has been mentioned (or any of the other High Resolution Technologies models like the MSII+, the MS Pro, the iStreamer, or the new Headstreamer), but considering the sound-quality you get for $149, it absolutely-deserves to be here. The HRT dac's were designed for use with computers, laptops, and that sort of thing. Boutique-quality construction. Designed by Kevin Halverson, Muse Electronics' chief designer.

Very, very-happy with mine.
 
I started adding very high end DACs for technical comparison. Esoteric D-01VU has 16x PCM1704 and costs $43,000. Haha.

I did my first real DAC comparison/audition... sort of a lame one. Matrix mini-i vs. Apple Airport Express. The Matrix is much clearer, more 3D. Highs are more pleasant and satisfying. There is more "contrast". The AAE isn't horrible by any means, but there is a little bit of a wall between the music and my ears when listening.
 
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Yes, I just heard about that also! I wonder what it'll be in the US? $350?

DacMagic%20100_1.jpg
 
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