Upgrade to DAC? + Suggestions

[iceman]

not sure if i should buy a DAC to improve overall sound quality, so if someone more experienced could help me i would really appreciate it

 

thing is, currently i'm using onboard alc888 spdif digital coax out to sony receiver with a pair of floorstanding jamo speakers, and suprisingly enough the sound is pretty ok considering the fact that card is an ONBOARD sound

 

so what worries me is, will a new cambridge magicdac (for instance) have a better sound than setup described above?

 

and my main music source is mp3 and little audio cds and flacs

 

also i couldn't decide between these:

 

-nuforce icon hdp

-cambridge magicdac

-arcam rdac

 

any advices, suggestions? thanks

 

 

 

 

 

[Part-Time Audiophile]

The short answer is, yes, you can make it sound better.

 

That said, and before running out to buy anything, I respectfully suggest you take some time and read up.

 

The long answer would fill a book, unfortunately. I suggest the FAQ section here as a good place to start reading.

 

Best of luck to you!

 

[iceman]

socrates thank you for your answer

 

after a lot of reading i decided to buy arcam rdac over magic dac

 

could you advise me on a good analog interconnect up to 100 dollars?

 

[rom661]

That's kind of like asking someone what they consider a beautiful woman to look like.

 

The cable choices are mind boggling. I like and sell Audioquest because I think they are good and there is an obvious improvement in sound quality as you move up their line. That seems like a given but you would be surprised how often the more expensive cable does not always sound better. Also, even with a good line, sometimes a less expensive cable works better in the context of a particular system, although you want to be careful about that unless it will be a long term matchup.

 

There are a large number of good cables manfacturers out there. There are also a number that are not good value, whether they are moderately priced or expensive. Try to find something that is not a tone control. It sounds like your system will probably be seeing some upgrades and you want something pretty neutral so that it will allow your upgrades to perform at their best.

 

Once you get your new DAC (I'm a Cambridge dealer but I haven't heard the Arcam and they make very good stuff), use something at hand until it runs in and stabilizes, then try to borrow something and do some comparative listening. Don't be afraid to trust your ears. All cable is bad. The best is the least damaging to the music. You fix a problem with cables only if cables were causing the problem you were hearing.

 

Good luck. Have fun.

 

Rick

 

PS Please consider using higher resolution for your music files. You don't want to be in a situation where your playback system is better than the signal you are giving it. Not trying to tell you what to do but I want you to have a rewarding system.

 

[iceman]

rom thank you for sharing your experience

 

this whole upgrade thing confused the hell out of me

 

there are so many options, brands models.. my head hurts

 

i think i'm gonna buy arcam rdac and kimber analog interconnect (timbre)

 

and in the the future probably a new receiver and floorstanding speakers

 

 

[audioengr]

The answer is "maybe". An external high-quality DAC may make a big difference in your system. It does in mine. However, using a receiver rather than high-end amplifiers may introduce enough distortion and noise that you will not hear any benefits. All it takes is one substandard component or cable and all bets are off.

 

Stereo systems are just that, "systems". Every single component and cable matters.

 

I recently spoke with an audiophile that had replaced his Stello $1.5k DAC with a Wadia $15K DAC. Could not tell the difference. Took it to a friends house. Still could not tell the difference. Finally, on my advice, he borrowed some good amps and speaker cables from a salon. Finally, he got it. He had to spend a lot more money to get there, but the new DAC was singing.

 

This is one of the reasons that there is so much argument and controversy on the forums over audible differences in formats, jitter, players etc.. Its because those that believe they have resolving systems really dont.

 

Steve N.

Empirical Audio