Best DAC for $2,500 or less

[HighFidelity]

I am planing on using my MacBook Air w/ SSD as a music server, any I am going to need to purchase a DAC as well. Any suggestions?

 

[pawel8]

I can recommend Ayre QB 9.

I know it is 2750.00 but you can get it for below 2500.00 for new.

Please see Audiogon

 

[got tinnitus]

 

Loving my Naim DAC so that's my recommendation.

 

Note though it doesn't accept streaming USB so you'll need an adaptor (e.g. The Bridge et al).

 

However one excellent feature is the ability for the DAC to play WAV and FLAC files direct from a USB thumb/flash drive.

 

[dointhefish]

My Isabellina sounds delicious w/ my Mac Pro in my bedroom system! Get the upgrade option if you plan on using sampling rates above 44.1. Cost is around $2000 w/ the upgrade. USB interface sounds great!

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

Will be the one you like the most. What features, if any, would you like this device to have?

 

[dwkdnvr]

I'm looking in the $2k range rather than 2.5k, but the NAD M51 is the one catching my eye. Not a ton of feedback yet as it's new, but positive so far and I find the technology intriguing.

 

 

[DigiPete]

Get a Lynx Studio Technology: Aurora 8/FW

 

www.lynxstudio.com/product_detail.asp?i=50

 

USD 2495 at Vintageking

 

Get rid of those nasty passive X-overs by Bi - / Tri- or Quad amping your speakers / SUBs.

 

[CatManDo]

It's probably a great sounding DAC, but the Ayre QB9 is extremely purist, in that it allows to connect a computer only.

 

A USB connection, but no S/PDIF connection, so no possibility to use it with any other source, such as a CD player, streaming client or other common digital sources.

 

[wdomeika]

Bust out retail is $3500. You might be able to pick up a used (but upgraded to 24/96) DAC for your budget.

 

The Cosecant is a fine DAC...a tube-driven classic by Gordon Rankin.

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

Bill

 

[beetlemania]

Sounds fantastic, asynchrounous USB, great service, made in US. The Wavelengths should be considered for the same reasons.

 

"but the Ayre QB9 is extremely purist, in that it allows to connect a computer only"

 

I've read this critique before but don't understand it. All of my CDs are now ripped but I could easily play them using my ODD as a transport. I don't currently have an Internet connection to my audio PC but I see no reason why I couldn't use such a configuration to stream audio to the QB-9. I don't feel limited now and I can certainly expand if I want to.

 

[ccclapp]

As you can see, ask 100 audiophiles and get 100 answers...

 

The true answer HAS to be the DAC with the LONGEST thread on CA...start counting posts...

 

Mytek stereo129 has 1,200...

 

Ok, I'm joking! But this is a fabulous DAC. $1,500 and the only (or one of the very few) to do DSD and other cutting edge future pointing high res formats. That "future-proofing" aside, its a fabulous unit,...and it does have the longest thread, so it MUST be good ;-)

 

[bibo01]

101st reply...

 

I would keep an eye on exaSound e18DAC http://www.exasound.com/

 

Mytek, which I like, has a long thread beacuse it has nowhere else to go

 

[ccclapp]

"Mytek, which I like, has a long thread beacuse it has nowhere else to go :)"

 

...Not sure what this means???

 

[bibo01]

OT

 

Mytek does not have its own forum. So it provides support to quite a few users over here as well as through their site.

 

[firedog]

For PCM, how many think the Mytek DSD 192 is better than the Ayre and the others mentioned here that cost more than it does?

 

[Rob McCance]

The Metrum Acoustics Octave has been getting good reviews, at just under $1k USD.

 

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/metrum/1.html

 

http://www.nosminidac.nl/downloads/octavehificritic.pdf

 

Very unique design with unique DAC chips resulting in something very different and (according to many) something very good.

 

I ordered one and am waiting for delivery. Happy to report back after it gets here, but I'm only comparing it to a $350 V-DAC II.

 

 

 

[ccclapp]

"Mytek does not have its own forum. So it provides support to quite a few users over here as well as through their site."

 

Very true

 

"For PCM, how many think the Mytek DSD 192 is better than the Ayre and the others mentioned here that cost more than it does?"

 

Not wanting to speak for others, and acknowledging I've not listened to many other high- end DACs , I will only relay (because it's thread is so long it's hard to read through) that virtually every comment on the 1200 post thread which mentions sound quality described it as being comparable to MUCH more expensive DACs and many references to "best DAC I've ever heard". Those comments primarily relate to pmc, because virtually no other DACs do DSD ( so nothing to compare to for DSD)

 

The ONLY negative sound quality comments I recall had to do with initial break-in, ie the DAC benefits from a solid break-in. To my recollection, every user who first said that, reported back that they take back the earlier comment and joined the camp of (one of) the very best DACs at any price range .

 

[dwkdnvr]

Aren't we seeing this with all of them, though?

 

Not that I question the sincerity of the comments, but isn't it pretty much standard audiophile discussion fare that components are said to compete with 'much more expensive units' etc etc?

 

IMHO this reflects one or both of the following

a) the units are actually very close in performance, and we struggle to create meaningful differences that aren't really there, since that's what audiophiles do

b) they're close in absolute performance, but it's a matter of 'flavor'.

 

All of this points to the importance of audition to determine which you personally respond to, but that's becoming increasingly difficult.

 

I'm strongly leaning towards the NAD, but that doesn't mean the Mytek isn't making a case for itself.

 

 

[ccclapp]

"IMHO this reflects one or both of the following"

 

...or 3) Everyone thinks they have the best DAC and made the best buying decision at the time.

 

[dwkdnvr]

 

"3) Everyone thinks they have the best DAC and made the best buying decision at the time."

 

Well, yeah :-). Kinda follows from my point a) but I was trying to be diplomatic.

 

Hopefully the good news is that it seems like none of these is a bad choice.

 

[orgel]

dwkdnvr wrote:

 

"a) the units are actually very close in performance, and we struggle to create meaningful differences that aren't really there, since that's what audiophiles do

b) they're close in absolute performance, but it's a matter of 'flavor'."

 

I think there's some truth to this, especially when comparing recently released units in the same price range. I own the Mytek (and love it), but the M51 looks way cool and would've been on my short list if it had been available when I took the plunge. There are significant feature differences between the two (e.g., DSD and FireWire on the Mytek vs. HDMI and the whole "direct digital" thing on the NAD), which should help in decision making, depending on what your needs are.

 

Obviously, the best thing is if you can audition them in your setup. I'll just point out that this is relatively easy to do with the Mytek if you get it from some place that has a reasonable return policy (a la VintageKing).

 

--David

 

[dwkdnvr]

"There are significant feature differences between the two (e.g., DSD and FireWire on the Mytek vs. HDMI and the whole "direct digital" thing on the NAD)"

 

True - and taking it a step farther the QB9 is usb/computer only with no external source capability etc. System architecture and interface will definitely factor in.

 

In my case, it's definitely a big factor, maybe the main one. I'm looking at a living room/family room system rather than a dedicated audiophile setup, and the NAD fits that much better. In fact, I'm really intrigued about it being effectively a replacement for a pre/pro as long as you're happy with 2.0 in your video system. What better way to finally get audiophile performance out of your video system - just go stereo :-)

 

 

[orgel]

dwkdnvr wrote:

 

"I'm really intrigued about it being effectively a replacement for a pre/pro as long as you're happy with 2.0 in your video system. What better way to finally get audiophile performance out of your video system - just go stereo :-)"

 

The multi-channel aficionados will disagree, but I think you're onto something. I'm trying to have a combined system that does both home theater and audio well (and frankly, I don't have the available space for two separate systems). If I'd ever been at the nexus where you are now and elected to take the "video 2.0" route, I think I could have allocated resources a lot more effectively. Five-channel amplifiers aren't too bad, but looking around for pre/pro's that might actually do a good job with audio ... well, the prices range from merely high to breathtaking.

 

--David

 

[ccclapp]

Well, since you are now talking multi-ch...

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Anyone-heard-new-dac-exadevices

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Mytek-Multichannel-8x192-DSD-capable-DAC

 

I'm heading there too...