The DAC Debates thread

[highfigh]

Not both?

Can't hookers be used as room treatments?

 

[Pure_Brew]

These posts reminded me that any difference is most likely due to the analog section, not the converter chip(s).

Agreed. It's the power supply and analog outputs that gets cut back to make things cheap. That section is way more costly then mass market chips.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

You got tired of reading that the Audio Research DAC brought a system to life, consisting of Omega 3 speakers, Fischer CD player modded to have a digital out, a 1980 MCS receiver with integrated cassette recorder/player and BSR 310AXE turntable? That's not very tolerant of you.

Nope, on different case... as some AK member became openly hostile to me, too bad they deleted the whole thread... I even ranted here a bit about it....
Mac Mini as music source in system with $5000 in electronics and barely $1000 in speakers....

I know English isn't my mother tongue - I guess I just could express myself clearly enough... then I suggested that M-Audio $100 dac would do pretty good job vs benchmark one dac ($1000)

 

[mtrycrafts]

Can't hookers be used as room treatments?

Perhaps, if they stay put long enough in one place

 

[majorloser]

Can't hookers be used as room treatments?

I'd think they'd be more useful as echo chambers

 

[mtrycrafts]

I'd think they'd be more useful as echo chambers

Is that from a personal experiment?

 

[drtone]

Thank You For Succinct Answer

I don't see the point of using an external DAC unless you have a purely 2-channel system ...I'd much rather spend the money on room treatments or hookers.

I don't know about whether I'd spend money on either room treatments or hookers before I'd spend money on DAC, although the hookers idea has some promise.

Usually when I look stuff up on forums, I get a mixed bag that confuses me further, which was not the case when I went to this thread. I am a longtime Mac user who must obtain a PC for work-related reasons. For a while, I have been considering setting up a separate computer as a music server, rather than using my Macbook Pro for that purpose, and having to pull it in and out of my system. So, when I discovered I needed to get a computer anyway, I decided to Google regarding PC-based music servers. Most of the info is either too simple (how to use iTunes) or way over my budget ($3000 dedicated servers, etc.). When I kept coming up, on audiophile sites, to comments about going out to a DAC, I started wondering why I would want to go out to DAC when my Onkyo 807 had pretty good DACs. My question really was, "How much would I improve my midrange system with a DAC that is at the appropriate ($500ish) price point?" It seems pretty clear from the comments here, which answer that very question, that a DAC would be superfluous in my case. I thank all who responded here for answering my question in advance.

I would welcome comments from anyone on my plan to get a really cheap (but media-friendly, with HDMI output, etc.) e-Machines PC and go out from it via a Creative X-fi external sound card into my 807.

 

[its phillip]

Well, I'd build my own machine rather than buy an emachines or any other prebuilt, but any modern computer with hdmi or dvi/optical will work just fine as an htpc/music server. The music server specific machines from boutique manufacturers are ridiculously overpriced for what you get - you're mostly paying for their proprietary interface or form factor which totally isn't worth it to me.

And if you are using hdmi out from the machine that x-fi external card would be unnecessary.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Well, I'd build my own machine rather than buy an emachines or any other prebuilt, but any modern computer with hdmi or dvi/optical will work just fine as an htpc/music server. The music server specific machines from boutique manufacturers are ridiculously overpriced for what you get - you're mostly paying for their proprietary interface or form factor which totally isn't worth it to me.

And if you are using hdmi out from the machine that x-fi external card would be unnecessary.

+1 What's phillip said . In addition I want to confirm that on ANY system electronics should cost more than about 1/3 of total system price.
Instead of putting $500 in next to useless external DAC, upgrade your speakers or add a sub.

 

[RipcordAFF]

does anyone have any impressions of Bel Canto DACs? Specifically the c5i or DAC1.5?

 

[bikemig]

This discussion is a bit off kilter. You could buy a dac, I guess, to try to improve the SQ from the dac built into a CD player or an AV receiver. But it would be expensive (given economies of scale) and it may not make a difference. Where dacs do make a difference is with a computer based set-up. I don't own a CD player; I don't own an AV receiver. But I do have a computer (mac mini) hooked up to my TV to stream video. It works for my purposes and I play the sound out via a pair of powered speakers and a sub. 2.1 works well enough for me. And a dac (I am using a Squeezebox Touch) with my media center improves the SQ of the music, period. I also use a dac in my office (HRT musicstreamer II) and it's great for $150. It is an asynchronous usb device and made an improvement in the SQ of my office set-up.

 

[jinjuku]

I'm looking too. The E-Mu 1212m seems to be a killer bang for the buck and has plenty of output options.

The SQ on this unit is supposed to be stellar.

 

[GranteedEV]

My opinion is this. Electronics like DACs are not a bottleneck, they're a cherry on top.

So unless you've got speakers that absolutely can't be improved upon, why bother?