Topic: What do you use as a DAC?

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Took me a while to remember this guys name...  http://www.scott-nixon.com/

Terry

[OFOTD]

If you don't need USB or FW please do yourselves a favor and at least look at the Mytek.   For me personally I felt that its sonic qualities were head and shoulders above the DAC1.  Really defined difference in sound for units that are at or near the same price point.  The Mytek can be found in the $900 - $1000 range.

I can't comment on the Apogee as I am not a fan of the Apogee sound like many others here are.   I do think that another one of the positives in the Mytek's favor is the outstanding quality of the headphone amp.    It has multiple connections as well other than USB/FW





EDIT TO ADD:

Here's a link to the Mytek listening tests.  Most all sample are in FLAC and available for download.     http://www.mytekdigital.com/compare/listening_tests.htm     The listening test includes comparisons to the Apogee PSX-100 as well as the Benchmark DAC1

[nedstruzz]

I think the non firewire is $800 so only $95 cheaper. 

Oh just found $715 at B&H

[StuStu]

I also highly recommend the Mytek.

[nedstruzz]

The Mytek sure sounds good.  If they had a firewire version I'd be sold. 

[audBall]

The Mytek sure sounds good.  Once I listen to one I'll be sold. 

fixed that for you 

[nedstruzz]

The Mytek sure sounds good.  Once I listen to one I'll be sold. 

fixed that for you 

Here's a link to the Mytek listening tests.  Most all sample are in FLAC and available for download.     http://www.mytekdigital.com/compare/listening_tests.htm     The listening test includes comparisons to the Apogee PSX-100 as well as the Benchmark DAC1

[carlbeck]

I have a Bel Canto DAC-1 right now & it is pretty good for the money, sounds natural & organic. I used to have a Benchmark & it was a great DAC/Pre but a little bright for my tastes. I also had a Electrocompaniet ECD-1 that was balls to the wall as close to analog as I have ever had but I sold it when I sold off my "big" system.

[Chilly Brioschi]

Like Mics and your Pre, I think that it's a matching game.

Benchmark DAC-1 > JoLida 502B > Mission M52s (sand filled and spiked) sound pretty good to me.
The same DAC/Amp into Von Schweikert VR-1s w/ a Velodyne SPL1200 can be bright with some sources.

Overall the Benchmark seems to bring the clarity, the JoLida the warmth and soundstage

[airbladder]

I use a Ray Samuels Audio Emmeline "The Predator".  It's USB and a good portable/headphone amp option.  I like using it with my laptop.  It's so small it can go any place my laptop and headphones go.   

[Gutbucket]

I've had the mytek stereo96 for about 2 years now and have absolutely no future plans of switching it out.  It has no problems "telling it like it is".  Lots of input options (on the 'newest' revision).

The headphone amp is nice too.

Does the headphone amp have enough current to properly drive Senn HD650s?   

I could use the little 24 bit USB>SPDIF converter out of the laptop. It currently feeds a Panasonic SA-XR55 and sounds amazingly good. Really love the Mytek samples I've heard.

[MattD]

Does the headphone amp have enough current to properly drive Senn HD650s?  

Absolutely. It works quite well with my HD600s.

[audBall]

^^ Yep, you should'nt have any problems driving the Senn's. 

from website:
Built-in 0.5A high current drive, hi-speed headphone amplifier

[Gutbucket]

Thx.
Very tempting, that Mytek DAC.

[jmz93]

I got curious after reading these posts, and started thinking about adding a DAC to the computer playback and also the regular stereo setup.  What I can't get straight in my head is the difference between oversampling DAC's (not to mention cd players) and NOS  or non-oversampling DAC's.  Why would you oversample something many many times, bumping the resulting sampling frequency up to 176K or 192K? What does that actually do to the sound, considering, for the sake of an example, a 44.1K CD-quality source?  What do all those extra 1'S and 0'S do to the resulting sound?