is there a dac for $500?..

what can you buy for $500.00?

are there any DYI DACs that are worthy of looking at?...

What about the Nuforce Icon HDP?

http://www.nuforce.com/hp/products/iconhdp/index.php

Robert,

Check out our Onix DAC.

A little over $500 but it's a cool one.

Hugh

Hey Hugh, what's the model?

Morning Robert,

It's DAC25.2

I think Derek is your dealer so hook up with him.

Thanks,

Hugh

mobileusa wrote:what can you buy for $500.00?

How about these from Pacific Valve?

http://www.pacificvalve.us/DACS.html

What do you think about vintage DACs from Adcom GDA-600 or by Parasound? Are those worth looking into? I see them on auction sites for under $500?

Thanks JD

JD,
Looks like a wide range of pricing. I want to use one between my Squeezebox and H34 for minis....

I also like the PS Audio DLIII ....

Admin wrote:JD,
Looks like a wide range of pricing. I want to use one between my Squeezebox and H34 for minis....

Hi Admin

I need to do more research on all products mentioned here to further contribute to this thread. I'm confused though because when I took a look on Audiogon for DACs under $500 I saw some listing for the Squeezebox duet. Is the Squeezebox a DAC already?

Thanks JD

the Sv3 or Classic has the Burr-Brown, I believe, and the Duet receiver has the Wolfson...I believe the BB is the better of the two...

If you don't have one, get one...they are great! Just Google Squeezebox Classic Craigslist or Ebay...

Admin wrote:the Sv3 or Classic has the Burr-Brown, I believe, and the Duet receiver has the Wolfson...I believe the BB is the better of the two...

If you don't have one, get one...they are great! Just Google Squeezebox Classic Craigslist or Ebay...

I agree completely!. Just got a Sqeezebox Duet about a week ago.
By far the most fun/entertaining purchase I have made in a long time (except for those Russian hookers )

Actually I was looking into the Musical Fidelity V-DAC. Anyone have experience with it?
Hard to find anyone really saying anything bad about it.

mdisc wrote:

Admin wrote:the Sv3 or Classic has the Burr-Brown, I believe, and the Duet receiver has the Wolfson...I believe the BB is the better of the two...

If you don't have one, get one...they are great! Just Google Squeezebox Classic Craigslist or Ebay...

I agree completely!. Just got a Sqeezebox Duet about a week ago.
By far the most fun/entertaining purchase I have made in a long time (except for those Russian hookers )

Actually I was looking into the Musical Fidelity V-DAC. Anyone have experience with it?
Hard to find anyone really saying anything bad about it.

Check out the PS Audio DL III...but a little more expensive. I'll treasd up on the V-Dac some more...

http://www.psaudio.com/ps/products/detail/digital-link-3-dac

[/quote]

Check out the PS Audio DL III...but a little more expensive. I'll treasd up on the V-Dac some more...

http://www.psaudio.com/ps/products/detail/digital-link-3-dac[/quote]

A little more expensive!?
It's like twice as much as I paid for a very nice Emotive pre -amp just recently from a really nice guy!

I need some baby steps. Been using a Superpro 707, which was $99, for the last couple of years, but I believe I did something nasty to it or it finally just gave up the ghost. Ready to try something a "little" nicer.
I'm not overly displeased with the sound of the Duet but just wonder what it could be like.

The Beresford DAC works great for me! $279

http://www.beresford-dac.com/

InfernoSTi wrote:The Beresford DAC works great for me! $279

http://www.beresford-dac.com/

I did look briefly at that once upon a time.
I ended up taking a shot at this one.

http://www.mavaudio.com/base/product/tube_magic_d1/

That looks very nice. How do you like it so far?

I am actually thinking about getting a second DAC to run from an Airport Express via Optical and then into my little Jolida FX-10 tube amp. Right now I'm just using a 3.5mm audio jack and the built in DAC in the Jolida and it isn't as dynamic as I might hope.

mdisc wrote:

InfernoSTi wrote:The Beresford DAC works great for me! $279

http://www.beresford-dac.com/

I did look briefly at that once upon a time.
I ended up taking a shot at this one.

http://www.mavaudio.com/base/product/tube_magic_d1/

InfernoSTi wrote:That looks very nice. How do you like it so far?

I am actually thinking about getting a second DAC to run from an Airport Express via Optical and then into my little Jolida FX-10 tube amp. Right now I'm just using a 3.5mm audio jack and the built in DAC in the Jolida and it isn't as dynamic as I might hope.

mdisc wrote:

InfernoSTi wrote:The Beresford DAC works great for me! $279

http://www.beresford-dac.com/

I did look briefly at that once upon a time.
I ended up taking a shot at this one.

http://www.mavaudio.com/base/product/tube_magic_d1/

I actually just ordered it yesterday, so I won't have it for at least a few days.
I'm not a very prolific review writer but Ill be sure to report back though!

Thank you. I'm very interested in your impressions!

mdisc wrote:

InfernoSTi wrote:That looks very nice. How do you like it so far?

I am actually thinking about getting a second DAC to run from an Airport Express via Optical and then into my little Jolida FX-10 tube amp. Right now I'm just using a 3.5mm audio jack and the built in DAC in the Jolida and it isn't as dynamic as I might hope.

mdisc wrote:

InfernoSTi wrote:The Beresford DAC works great for me! $279

http://www.beresford-dac.com/

I did look briefly at that once upon a time.
I ended up taking a shot at this one.

http://www.mavaudio.com/base/product/tube_magic_d1/

I actually just ordered it yesterday, so I won't have it for at least a few days.
I'm not a very prolific review writer but Ill be sure to report back though!

Depending on what your needs are, I'd probably go with a used Lite 60 with GR mods if one is available.

Personally, I say spend the money from this and expensive amps on better speakers. More value in doing so.

Well I received the TubeMagic D1 a few days ago and these are my initial impressions.
I posted this as well over on AV456 in a related thread.

I am running a Logitech Duet via the Coax and coming out of the tube pre. I instantly noticed smoothing out of some previously deemed "harsh" vocals (think Geddy Lee). The bass for me has really tightened up and become more pronounced. Although I was already pleased with the imaging of my soundstage this seemed to spread everything out a little, seeming to extend outside the speaker placement.

The main thing that has excited me though is the ability to really "crank it up" without sounding strained. I have to say it was the only time without alcohol that I jumped up with my Duet remote in one hand and my amp remote in the other and played dancing air drums in front of my kids. So I guess I'm pleased

Obviously this whole experiment is greatly based on the differences in the equipment we are using as well. For my purposes this seems to be the ticket to what I've been looking for. I am running through an HK-3485 to RS750 sigs with an X-sub. I also have an Emotiva USP-1 & UPA-2 that I haven't hooked this up through yet.

I have had NO tube experience whatsoever, so I am very interested to know what other tubes may sound like as well (Oh no, another addiction is coming).

Marc

Congratulations! It sounds like your first impressions are solid! Noticeably smoother and cleaner seems like money well spent!

I don't know how much difference you will see in a DAC/pre-amp, but when I changed out my stock Chinese 6J1s for NOS Western Electric 403b tubes, i noticed an immediate improvement in bass extension and detail in the high end. Enjoy!

InfernoSTi wrote:Congratulations! It sounds like your first impressions are solid! Noticeably smoother and cleaner seems like money well spent!

I don't know how much difference you will see in a DAC/pre-amp, but when I changed out my stock Chinese 6J1s for NOS Western Electric 403b tubes, i noticed an immediate improvement in bass extension and detail in the high end. Enjoy!

Thanks for the info on the tubes I will definitely be checking some out in the very near future. There are also some good recommendations/options in that other thread i mentioned (if you're following it)

I'll be picking up an ONIX DAC25


Features:

1. Use 24bit/192KHz high precision DAC chip
2. Use asynchronous sampling chip to raising frequency at 192KHz with lower jitter
3. High precision clock system, it has Reclock function and reduce error code efficiently
4. USB input connect to the PC and realize the hi-fi sound through PC
5. Digital input plus pulse transformer as a good separation
6. Analog balance output
7. Headphone amplifier monitor


Specifications:
1. Dynamic range: (24bit) > 120dB
2. Signal noise rate: > 112dB(RCA); > 125dB(XLR)
3. THD+N: < 0.001%(20Hz-20KHz)
4. Output amplitude: 2VRMS


Main materials:
1. PCM2704 as USB sound card chip
2. PCM1792 24bit/192KHz DAC chip
3. SRC4192 upsamping chip
4. 3pcs OPA2134 op-amps
5. CS8416 digital receiver chip
6. R style transformer

That looks nice, I had heard about this as well.
How much is that puppy?

Contact your local Onix dealer.

mdisc wrote:That looks nice, I had heard about this as well.
How much is that puppy?

Just went to a DAC shootout, impressed by the Maverick 1 @ $199.00.

But really want the Eastern Electric DAC, but fear it more than the $500 you have budgeted.

There are happily quite a few very good budget priced DAC's under $500. I don't base my opinion from personal experience with each of them, but from considerable time spent reading reviews, customer testimonias and comments because I am also need an under $500 DAC. I made a "favorites" file just for DAC's to review altogether later whenever I decide to buy one. (My priorities lately have been finishing up my new "Vinyl" setup.) However, once my wife gets home from the nursing home and doing PT for a couple more weeks (she had a knee replaced last week... no, two weeks now), I'm going to start seriously thinking about a DAC. (The first thing I'm going to have to think about is why I thought I needed one in the first place! I'm sure I do because I have a lot of CDs and a good CD player plus a couple Oppos which I like. I think its for the CD players I need a DAC. Doesn't that sound silly... I don't recall why it's so important.

Any, right now I have several links in my "favorites" file. The one I'm leaning toward now is the Maverick Audio DAC. Everybody has made good comments about that one, plus it's affordable purchased directly from the company -- www.mavaudio.com --

A lot of people also like the KECES DA-151, also the Lite Audio DAC and one from Beresford, etc. Plus there are more. www.audioadvisor.com I believe has a couple or so on sale always.

However, here is a good link -- most places sell "one" DAC or maybe "Two", but these guys have a dozen or so of different kinds. Did you know there are different kinds of DACs? I didn't. Places just sell "DACs" -- they don't explain it's this kind of DAC for this purpose, or that kind of DAC that is designed completely differently -- plus some are all solid state and some have tubes. Anyway check out this link to Pacific Valve:
http://www.pacificvalve.us/DACS.html
They helpful people, too, if you have questions about the different models and I'm sure you do. And be sure to read the "Water Cooler" comments.

But I would sure check out Pacific Valve. I got an email from the this week and one of the on sale products was one of their good DACs at a good price.

The Maverick DAC sounds really good and a lot of people are pleased with it. Good luck. Larry

Hugh wrote:Contact your local Onix dealer.

mdisc wrote:That looks nice, I had heard about this as well.
How much is that puppy?

hope he's from Alabama