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suggestions for possible new dac and/or amp

J

JDJordan

New Member
I am new to this forum so ill go over a little about myself and my current build. My name is Jase I am fairly new to sound systems but have put in a lot of research and listening prior to reaching my current build. My current build goes chromebook/phone/ipod to a Technics SA GX710 receiver that powers my Monitor Audio Silver S1s and sends signal to a SVS SB1000. I have been fortunate and have got my speakers for cheap used and my dad gave me the receiver. I am trying not to spend a lot yet i'm trying to find whats good before buying new.

Now to my questions. Is the receiver a good match for the speakers and sub or would it be worth upgrading? If I were to upgrade what would be a good amplifier to match my speakers?

I am also looking for a usb dac. I am very interested in the dragonfly red is that the best option for under $200? I am going for something simple and small that just sounds great I don't need all the extra inputs and outputs that some dacs have. any input is greatly appreciated as I am still very new to this all.
 
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Cool, thanks for the help. Does the performance difference in the black and red justify the price or is the black the better value?
 
I ended up buying a used lh labs geek out 450 i found on the bay for very cheap. would it do my current system any justice to purchase a new/better receiver or integrated amp?
 
JDJordan said:
In the future I might buy a schiit stack for my desk. Ive heard plenty of great things about them.
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You won't be sorry. FYI, I have a/b tested the Schiit BiFrost MB with the HRT Music Streamer II and it wasn't even close. My friend who had the Music Streamer II immediately started shopping for a new DAC - it was that clear cut.
Don't get me wrong the HRT is very good, but its not in the same league as the MultiBit Schitt's. He ended up getting a Metrum Acoustics Musette (more expensive than the BiFrost MB). That DAC also uses a similar design philosophy and provided and interesting compare and contrast with the Bifrost MB. Both are great. The Musette is a bit better on absolute bass drive and soundstage, while the Bifrost presents a more realistic vocal presentation with a slightly smaller (yet excellent) soundstage. I think the Schiit had the edge on dynamics too, but ... it was too close to call. I'd be hard pressed to pick one over the other.
 
Schiit stack?

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:D

Very pleased with my Maverick Tube Magic D1+. Rave reviews as a standalone headphone amp as well. Maybe better suited for a "classic" system as it still has analog i/o too.

I started with a Behringer UCA202 ... performs well above it's price point if you're happy with CD Redbook resolution. I still use the ADC side of that for ripping vinyl to digital FLAC.
 
Does anyone have a geek out dac that they've compared to other DACs? It was hard finding comparisons between it and some of the other high end options.
 
My "geek out" dac is the same one I started with ... the Maverick TubeMagic D1+. Right out of the box, it sounded quite nice, but I did some tube rolling (Tesla 6CC42) , upgraded the electrolytics (Elna Silmac II), and also went with discrete op amps (Burson V5). Major improvements in the overall smiles per mile ... something to consider if you like to tinker as most current day equipment frowns mightily on mods.

PS ... just how much "high end" do you really need? Mine will do 192/24 on S-PDIF, but I much prefer the sound quality of the USB - that tops out at 96/24. Most of my digital collection is CD Redbook anyway (44.1/16).
 
Currently I stream alot of tidal, but I'm trying to get a high end cd deck and vinyl player. I really just wanted something that had a lot of head room so I was fairly future proof, and had plenty of headroom. Before I get the two above sources should I upgrade my amp? I currently use a technics sa gx710.
 
JDJordan said:
Currently I stream alot of tidal, but I'm trying to get a high end cd deck and vinyl player.
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Are you streaming Tidal hi-fi (CD quality)? If so, why invest in a CD deck (or vinyl for that matter)? A good DAC will make Tidal sound as good as any CD player but give you access to 45 million songs at the touch of a button. And this is arguable, but unless you spend many thousands of dollars on a vinyl setup, it won't sound better than Tidal either. And you have to deal with all the hassle. Although some consider buying/storing/cleaning/changing records and listening to surface noise fun.

I used to have a CD player, EQ, turntable, etc. Then I finally got Tidal hi-fi and wised up. I sold everything else and I'm much happier. Just my 2 cents.
 
And yes, I'd invest in a new amp that's not an A/V receiver. That will be a nice upgrade. What's your budget?

For me, I've had great luck streaming Tidal over Airplay to an Apple Airport Express ($60) connected analog to a Yaqin MS-30L tube integrated ($600) to my speakers. That's it. The DAC inside the Airport sounds better than the $500 and $900 DACs I've compared it to so I don't use an external DAC anymore. And the Yaqin puts out a ton of sweet tubey sound. It's not a conventional setup, but it sounds awesome. Just something to consider.
 
Yeah I have hi-fi I just like the thought of having a cd and vinyl collection but for now I will stick to tidal. I guess I forgot tidal hi-fi is cd quality so that works out nice with the dac I'm buying.
 
JDJordan said:
Yeah I have hi-fi I just like the thought of having a cd and vinyl collection but for now I will stick to tidal. I guess I forgot tidal hi-fi is cd quality so that works out nice with the dac I'm buying.
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Hey, for some, collecting/handling/storing the physical media is all part of the experience. For me, I was glad to leave that all behind.
 
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