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Digital Source poll

What's the Best Source for a DAC?

  • Sonos

    Votes: 1 0.8%

  • SBT

    Votes: 13 10.4%

  • Mac mini

    Votes: 14 11.2%

  • PC (audio spec'ed)

    Votes: 15 12.0%

  • PC/Laptop (standard)

    Votes: 10 8.0%

  • CD Player

    Votes: 21 16.8%

  • SACD/DVD/Blu-Ray player

    Votes: 3 2.4%

  • Linn/Naim/other HiFi branded

    Votes: 18 14.4%

  • All the same (bits blah, blah, blah)

    Votes: 30 24.0%
  • Total voters
    125
  • Poll closed .
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Igloo Audio said:
Explain, since I hope you're thinking along the correct lines?

Peter
Click to expand...

A couple of reasons:

1) FINANCIAL COMMON SENSE
The price of the DAC in use tends to provide a rough budget for the source to avoid any imbalance (the reverse also being true). There's no sense in pairing a cheap mass market CD player with an Esoteric or EMM Labs "uber DAC" and vice versa.

2) DIGITAL CONNECTION COMPATIBILITY
The DAC in use will have a set of digital input connectors that will define the options for digital connection to the source - typically TosLink, S/PDIF or AES/EBU. So if the 110ohm AES/EBU option is available on the DAC and you want to get the best out of the Source/DAC combo, then - ideally - the source will need to provide an AES/EBU digital output

One could arguably add a third caveat based on the medium on which the purchaser has the bulk of his/her program material. If, as one post stated, the music files are sitting on a NAS, then the ideal source has to be some device that will retrieve the program details from the NAS controller and provide the feed to a DAC (basically a network media player function). If the bulk of the program material is on CD, then the CDT/DAC combo is the logical option. And so on for each media set.

Finally, starting at the DAC end is a bit arse about face as one could run the risk of limiting source options and result in disappointment.

A more logical and holistic approach would be to understand the source program medium/media mix and then select - for a given budget - the optimal paring of source device and DAC that matches the media mix. This is approach gives a higher probability of satisfaction with the end result.

I hope that explanation serves... :)
 
Linn streamer, I think the ease of use, flexibility etc make it a complete product. Sound wise I'm happy enough but I don't think I have the will to try different DACs, usb cables, drives and software etc to improve on it. I find vinyl ultimately more satisfying on most material and for some reason quite accept the pain that goes with it.
 
SBT with Vortexbox. Gives me good ripping,tagging and combined with IPeng,access to everything I need really,including internet radio, Spotify,Flac 16/44.1 Qobuz and my own library.All with up to 24/192 replay quality. Once SBT dies I have Squeezelite as an excellent replacement.
 
Keith,

As long as bit perfect data is delivered to a properly designed and implemented dac, it really doesn't matter.
Click to expand...
If you believe that why do you stock and sell the fancy Weiss DAC?

Joe
 
I am guessing the fancy Weiss DAC is purported to be the best at ironing out imperfections at source (that presumably don't exist as long as all are bit perfect.)
 
DevillEars said:
A couple of reasons:

1) FINANCIAL COMMON SENSE
The price of the DAC in use tends to provide a rough budget for the source to avoid any imbalance (the reverse also being true). There's no sense in pairing a cheap mass market CD player with an Esoteric or EMM Labs "uber DAC" and vice versa.

2) DIGITAL CONNECTION COMPATIBILITY
The DAC in use will have a set of digital input connectors that will define the options for digital connection to the source - typically TosLink, S/PDIF or AES/EBU. So if the 110ohm AES/EBU option is available on the DAC and you want to get the best out of the Source/DAC combo, then - ideally - the source will need to provide an AES/EBU digital output

One could arguably add a third caveat based on the medium on which the purchaser has the bulk of his/her program material. If, as one post stated, the music files are sitting on a NAS, then the ideal source has to be some device that will retrieve the program details from the NAS controller and provide the feed to a DAC (basically a network media player function). If the bulk of the program material is on CD, then the CDT/DAC combo is the logical option. And so on for each media set.

Finally, starting at the DAC end is a bit arse about face as one could run the risk of limiting source options and result in disappointment.

A more logical and holistic approach would be to understand the source program medium/media mix and then select - for a given budget - the optimal paring of source device and DAC that matches the media mix. This is approach gives a higher probability of satisfaction with the end result.

I hope that explanation serves... :)
Click to expand...

On the other hand . . .

The DAC should be chosen by the amplification, and on the basis of it's analog-domain performance: does it need to drive power amplification directly, or will it be used with an integrated or preamp? If so, does it need a remote control? Does it require balanced outputs? Am I looking for a 'lean' or full-bodied sound? What about gain?

The amplification in turn should have been chosen by the speakers: efficient or inefficient? Speakers in turn should have been chosen by the room and your ears: big cones/room? Little cones/room? Crucially - active or passive?

Backtracking to the DAC, once the room has chosen the speakers (active or passive), and you've found the DAC whose analog 'wire-driving' capability is a good match in terms of impedance, gain and character, you should only then start thinking about the transport.

The DAC is served by the transport, not vice versa. If the DAC's best input is USB and/or you wish to play DSD, you've just inevitably bought into a computer. If the DAC sounds best via SPDIF or AES/EBU, you have many options . . . still including a computer, incidentally.

Where the library lives is irrelevant: the only factor in play there is whether you want to share it around the house.

If you don't work back from the room, you will inevitably find yourself unmaking decisions round and round in circles.
 
F1eng said:
Me too, I prefer the CD player, but mainly for convenience.
Click to expand...

Do you mean convenience over a turntable?

Since I experimented a couple of years ago with a macmini and dac I've become addicted.

I'd be appalled if I ever had to return to cd.

The convenience of all my albums at the flick of the screen on my iPad is fantastic...whenever I remember the remarkableness of the whole set up I also remember the appropriate awe.
 
DevillEars said:
A couple of reasons:

1) FINANCIAL COMMON SENSE
The price of the DAC in use tends to provide a rough budget for the source to avoid any imbalance (the reverse also being true). There's no sense in pairing a cheap mass market CD player with an Esoteric or EMM Labs "uber DAC" and vice versa.

2) DIGITAL CONNECTION COMPATIBILITY
The DAC in use will have a set of digital input connectors that will define the options for digital connection to the source - typically TosLink, S/PDIF or AES/EBU. So if the 110ohm AES/EBU option is available on the DAC and you want to get the best out of the Source/DAC combo, then - ideally - the source will need to provide an AES/EBU digital output

One could arguably add a third caveat based on the medium on which the purchaser has the bulk of his/her program material. If, as one post stated, the music files are sitting on a NAS, then the ideal source has to be some device that will retrieve the program details from the NAS controller and provide the feed to a DAC (basically a network media player function). If the bulk of the program material is on CD, then the CDT/DAC combo is the logical option. And so on for each media set.

Finally, starting at the DAC end is a bit arse about face as one could run the risk of limiting source options and result in disappointment.

A more logical and holistic approach would be to understand the source program medium/media mix and then select - for a given budget - the optimal paring of source device and DAC that matches the media mix. This is approach gives a higher probability of satisfaction with the end result.

I hope that explanation serves... :)
Click to expand...

Quite a response... thanks.

I was hoping you might mention the importance of the DAC being 'Master' and Transport being 'Slave', but that didn't surface.

Peter
 
Sonos Connect > Rega DAC (optical)
Mac Mini > JRMC > Rega DAC (optical)
Lenovo x61s > JRMC > ESS USB to spdif converter > Rega DAC (coax)
Raspberry Pi > Volumio (RaspyFi) > ESS Sabre USB Dac

Soon to be.

Lenovo x61s > JRMC > HiFace2 > Rega DAC (coax)
 
Keith,

Because it is a properly designed and implemented dac, and the best measuring dac in John Atkinsons experience.
Click to expand...
But is such perfection needed? Wouldn't, say, a Cambridge DacMagic Plus be just as good in practice?

Joe
 
Actually I fibbed earlier when I said I only used a NAS. I’ve got a few digital sources.

(1) Synology NAS via ethernet > Sonos Connect (Cullen mod) via SPDIF > Devialet 170.

(2) Synology NAS via USB > Devialet 170.

Out of (1) and (2) I prefer (2) for SQ, and this is what I use most of the time, although (1) has the better user interface. (1) is only used for playing Spotify. I’ve been pondering getting a posh streamer for the Devialet, e.g. a MiND 180, but I doubt it’d sound any better.

(3) Synology NAS via ethernet > Sonos Connect (Cullen mod) via optical > Audiolab MDAC (‘Toy’ mod). This is my headphone system.

(4) Synology NAS via ethernet > Sonos Connect (Cullen mod) via SPDIF > Peachtree decco2.

(5) Buffalo NAS via ethernet > Sonos Connect (Fidelity Audio mod) via optical > Musical Fidelity V90 DAC.
 
I've used a Mac Mini and a Firewire Dac for a number of years now.

Convenient. I have access to all of my music.

It would also be true to say that IME I can make far more of a subjective difference to the audible result playing with the software than I ever could with an expensive transport or set of cables.
 
Mike,

Several times I've considered going to a computer and DAC, but apart from the expense I'm not convinced it would be more convenient than grabbing a disc from the shelf, sticking it in the CD player and pressing the play button.

Is scrolling through a bazillion titles on a screen really more convenient?

Joe
 
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