ss4 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 This might be the first really interesting thing from DENON in a long time. Brand new DSD Headphone Amp, looks pretty cool, amazingly only $550... DENON DA-300USB DSD DAC/Amp Now available Link to comment
Mike Mcsweeney Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 This might be the first really interesting thing from DENON in a long time. Brand new DSD Headphone Amp, looks pretty cool, amazingly only $550...DENON DA-300USB DSD DAC/Amp Now available What i find interesting is that it says it uses the same high-end dac that is in their CD/SACD players. Why not just use the internal DAC of your existing CD/SACD/BLU-RAY? That's what i have done, and quite happy with the results....no need to buy this external one when they are the same DAC as in their spinners? I would guess the internal dac to a mid level AVR would be comparable too. At least that's what OPPO told me when i told them i was thinking of buying a Denon AVR x2000 No need to buy an overpriced external dac.... I purchased a BDP-S790 bluray and using the DAC in it sounds SUPER!! Link to comment
robbbby Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 What i find interesting is that it says it uses the same high-end dac that is in their CD/SACD players. Why not just use the internal DAC of your existing CD/SACD/BLU-RAY? That's what i have done, and quite happy with the results....no need to buy this external one when they are the same DAC as in their spinners? I would guess the internal dac to a mid level AVR would be comparable too. At least that's what OPPO told me when i told them i was thinking of buying a Denon AVR x2000 No need to buy an overpriced external dac.... I purchased a BDP-S790 bluray and using the DAC in it sounds SUPER!! I think you missed the part of the original post that says it's a headphone amp. Link to comment
ss4 Posted February 17, 2014 Author Share Posted February 17, 2014 What i find interesting is that it says it uses the same high-end dac that is in their CD/SACD players. Why not just use the internal DAC of your existing CD/SACD/BLU-RAY? That's what i have done, and quite happy with the results....no need to buy this external one when they are the same DAC as in their spinners? I would guess the internal dac to a mid level AVR would be comparable too. At least that's what OPPO told me when i told them i was thinking of buying a Denon AVR x2000 No need to buy an overpriced external dac.... I purchased a BDP-S790 bluray and using the DAC in it sounds SUPER!! Mike, with all due respect, the sound quality of a DENON AVR playing back hi-res files really is not the same thing. Yes, technically it CAN do it, but the sound quality of AVR's is really poor for 2channel audio IMHO. It is nice to see main stream companies like DENON and Sony addressing the hi-res DSD/PCM audio market. SS Link to comment
Mike Mcsweeney Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Mike, with all due respect, the sound quality of a DENON AVR playing back hi-res files really is not the same thing. Yes, technically it CAN do it, but the sound quality of AVR's is really poor for 2channel audio IMHO. It is nice to see main stream companies like DENON and Sony addressing the hi-res DSD/PCM audio market. SS To me that is kind of a "very general statement", without much merit. Check out the Pioneer SC-79 that has a USB port that you can plug your pc directly into their high-end 32bit Sabre Dac....i bet it won't be long before other AVR manufacturers follow suit. My $150 sony blu ray supports DSD, and i am using it currently as my DAC with quite satisfactory results. Link to comment
ss4 Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 To me that is kind of a "very general statement", without much merit.Check out the Pioneer SC-79 that has a USB port that you can plug your pc directly into their high-end 32bit Sabre Dac....i bet it won't be long before other AVR manufacturers follow suit. My $150 sony blu ray supports DSD, and i am using it currently as my DAC with quite satisfactory results. Mike, as long as you are enjoying listening to music that is all that matters. Link to comment
Mike Mcsweeney Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Mike, as long as you are enjoying listening to music that is all that matters. Agreed...i just am trying to understand the market for low priced (sub $1000) dacs. I can understand if you have money to spring for a $2K+ DAC in your budget the payoff may be worth it....just trying to understand the lower end DAC market. There doesn't seem to be any objective concensus in the way of specs to determine whether to buy a $100 or a $1000 DAC. I would be happy to spend $1000 if there was any way to compare DACS in that range, without having to listen to 1000 different manufacturers. Even reviews are all over the place and with so many to consider. It was difficult enough in the past to try different speakers and amps without adding the DAC debate into the matrix. Link to comment
Allan F Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 lower end DAC market. There doesn't seem to be any objective consensus in the way of specs to determine whether to buy a $100 or a $1000 DAC. I would be happy to spend $1000 if there was any way to compare DACS in that range, without having to listen to 1000 different manufacturers. Mike, please don't take this the wrong way, but you appear to be hung up on specs. Specs simply don't tell you how something sounds. Nor do the difference in specs necessarily tell you that one product sounds better than another. There are instances where test measurements of a particular product are unimpressive, yet the sound quality is, paradoxically, very impressive. Listening is really the only sure way to decide if you will like a particular DAC, unless you are willing to rely on reviews by reviewers or others whom you know and trust. IMO, exaggerations such as "without having to listen to 1000 different manufacturers" are unhelpful and really are attempts to justify choosing by specs instead of actually listening. While that approach may seem simpler to you, obtaining the best sound for your dollar often involves putting in the necessary effort, something that you seem to be trying to avoid. In audio, the "objective consensus" you are looking for is rarely, if ever, available. Presumably, the difficulty "in the past to try different speakers and amps" is no longer an issue and should therefore be irrelevant. With respect, while you seek advice on the one hand, you then appear to turn around and look for ways to justify ignoring that advice and doing it your own way. "Relax, it's only hi-fi. There's never been a hi-fi emergency." - Roy Hall "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - William Bruce Cameron Link to comment
Mike Mcsweeney Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Mike, please don't take this the wrong way, but you appear to be hung up on specs. Specs simply don't tell you how something sounds. Nor do the difference in specs necessarily tell you that one product sounds better than another. There are instances where test measurements of a particular product are unimpressive, yet the sound quality is, paradoxically, very impressive. Listening is really the only sure way to decide if you will like a particular DAC, unless you are willing to rely on reviews by reviewers or others whom you know and trust. IMO, exaggerations such as "without having to listen to 1000 different manufacturers" are unhelpful and really are attempts to justify choosing by specs instead of actually listening. While that approach may seem simpler to you, obtaining the best sound for your dollar often involves putting in the necessary effort, something that you seem to be trying to avoid. In audio, the "objective consensus" you are looking for is rarely, if ever, available. Presumably, the difficulty "in the past to try different speakers and amps" is no longer an issue and should therefore be irrelevant. With respect, while you seek advice on the one hand, you then appear to turn around and look for ways to justify ignoring that advice and doing it your own way. Why is trying different speakers and amps no longer an issue? I have no less than 6 recievers on my table, 10 pairs of bookshelf speakers, before i finally decided on marantz and psb. And now i am on my 4th subwoofer (grin),picking up an outlaw LFM-1 tomorrow, and I know I am not done on any of them (except perhaps my 5th spinner after settling on the BDP-S790). Anyway, after all that, i am ready to try my 3rd DAC...i am going to buy the KORG...see my other thread. Link to comment
Allan F Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Why is trying different speakers and amps no longer an issue? I have no less than 6 recievers on my table, 10 pairs of bookshelf speakers, before i finally decided on marantz and psb. And now i am on my 4th subwoofer (grin),picking up an outlaw LFM-1 tomorrow, and I know I am not done on any of them (except perhaps my 5th spinner after settling on the BDP-S790). Anyway, after all that, i am ready to try my 3rd DAC...i am going to buy the KORG...see my other thread. Never mind. I was only trying to help. Carry on. "Relax, it's only hi-fi. There's never been a hi-fi emergency." - Roy Hall "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - William Bruce Cameron Link to comment
realhifi Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 This might be the first really interesting thing from DENON in a long time. Brand new DSD Headphone Amp, looks pretty cool, amazingly only $550...DENON DA-300USB DSD DAC/Amp Now available Thought I'd bump thus thread and see if anyone has had a chance to listen to this yet. David Link to comment
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