would my new dragonfly DAC improve my perceived quality

[quadklipsh]

hi all. im not new to AK, but this dimension of DACs is pretty new to me. id keep it short so here i go. my system sounds awful. reason is sources. I know I know the whole chain is involved in achieving absolute sound quality but I dont maintain a large collection of good quality cds . all my data is now online or in digital state. mostly flacs and high bit rate mp3s. and I usually keep a laptop playing around the house connected directly to the amplifier . so here, I would lije to know if I used a $150 dragonfly dac , between my hp compaq laptop and the Luxman L 550X , would I have a better sounding system as much as the hype about dacs go ? or would I be better off with a $200 used cd player from denon or marantz . any input is welcome.

 

[gip111]

I can't comment on a used $200 CD player since I've only owned budget players but if you are playing flac and online music, the CD player won't do much for you other than just that, play CD's.
Just about any $150 DAC that I know of, will sound better than connecting directly from PC to amp. I use a Music Streamer II DAC for about the same price and I'm very happy with the sound when playing just about anything from CD's to online music, a friend has the Dragonfly and he swears by it.
Will a laptop using a $150 DAC playing CD's sound better than a used $200 CD player? I don't know, all I know is my cheap CD players are collecting dust.

 

[RichPA]

Yes, the Dragonfly will sound better than the direct line or headphone out from your laptop. Probably it will also beat a $200 used CD player, but that's very much a "try it and see" question - certainly the CD player is not going to sound hugely better.

 

[quadklipsh]

then that does it . thanks for the comments. Id be waiting for the df . It may show up next week. most of the music is on laptop. the only use of cdp would have been through the use of CDRs which is the cumbersome route I hate to follow. and would simply plug in the dac to the laptop and play on songs as per demand .

 

[Smallies]

Cd player about to get beat, enjoy!

 

[quadklipsh]

then that does it . thanks for the comments. Id be waiting for the df . It may show up next week. most of the music is on laptop. the only use of cdp would have been through the use of CDRs which is the cumbersome route I hate to follow. and would simply plug in the dac to the laptop and play on songs as per demand .

 

[quadklipsh]

smallies, have you tried a df or any dac that is.

 

[sqlsavior]

I have 3 inexpensive DACs (Music Streamer II, Dragonfly, MF V-90 DAC). There are small differences between them, just like CD players. You should be fine with just a DAC, and eliminating the middleman, in terms of SQ. In terms of hiccups, that is another matter. But if your files play fine now, they should through the USB, too.

Enjoy.

 

[quadklipsh]

sqlsavior,

didnt quite get your point dear.....

 

[quadklipsh]

what kinda error or delays are u referring to as hiccups . is it the dacs limitation to playback the 192 khz thingy

 

[uofmtiger]

It is funny, I have a few DACs spread around the house and didn't have any need at all for another DAC. However, when the original Dragonfly dropped below $100, I couldn't resist. The thing that is funny is that it is my most used DAC these days. The fact that it works with my laptop, iPhone and iPad means that I can use it anywhere. I love the little thing, even if it may come up slightly short when compared to some of my bigger, non-portable setups.

 

[sqlsavior]

what kinda error or delays are u referring to as hiccups . is it the dacs limitation to playback the 192 khz thingy

I just meant that while a CD player with good media rarely "drops out", a computer source is more susceptible to little gaps in the music, for a variety of reasons. The higher resolutions are sometimes harder to do seamlessly than the lower ones. With better OS sound support and better hardware, these problems are less frequent, but still possible in ways that good, stationary players with good media just aren't prone to. Mainly because any computer is doing a zillion things besides playing your music.

 

[vonclod]

Since trying a DAC with my computer a few years ago there is no way I would not use one. I have used a Maverick Audio, and a Jolida..have not used the Dragonfly but I bet it will be an improvement.