Need DAC/Amp recommendations

Ed Rogers · October 28, 2020

I've made things complicated by wanting too much 😄 A good hp amp that also has a DAC with balanced and unbalanced outs. Schiit Jutenheim and Cambridge Audio Dac Magic Plus both have what I need but I read pretty scary SQ reviews about the Cambridge and the Jutenheim apparently sounds good but so many QC issues with Schiit... and the Jutenheim tends to run hot enough that you should turn it off as soon as you're done using it. And powering back on takes 10-15 seconds?

Is there anything else in the $600 or less price range? Should I just give up on the idea of getting everything I want in one box?

bobbmd · December 29, 2020

i was worried last year also and called and everything was fine with them and still is-a simple phone call or email would have easily solved your worries

AudioDoctor · October 28, 2020

QC issues with Schiit? This is the first time I have heard of that.

Ed Rogers · October 28, 2020

Granted I read many, probably too many, reviews about any device that came close to meeting my needs but I found about a dozen comments from people about QC issues. In most cases Schiit quickly replaced or refunded. Unless there's an abundance of complaints I'd be inclined to ignore it but there were a lot of complaints.

In one fairly in-depth review (Zeos) a comment about heat caught my attention. I live in California where we're a little paranoid about fires these days.

Another caveat- some of the complaints were on Reddit-- where people go to wallow in negativity 😄

Ed Rogers · October 28, 2020

Still finding possibilities after hours of searching. Many hours...

Marantz has one that's a little over budget but looks real good:

HD-DAC-1

2 outputs which is good but neither is balanced. Not a deal breaker.

ericuco · October 28, 2020

Have you considered ifi Audio? They have a wide range of DAC’s with hp amps. Also have a good reputation for quality products at reasonable prices, similar to Schiit.

cjf · October 29, 2020

They have a cheaper one than this also. Know someone who has this one below and they are happy with it in this price range

https://nadelectronics.com/product/d-3045-hybrid-digital-dac-amplifier/

cjf · October 29, 2020

oh..balanced outs too, at this price range....I wish you luck in your search 🙂

Ed Rogers · October 29, 2020

Thanks for the links and suggestions. I got really excited when I saw the Pro iDSD because it does everything and more but the price is over $2k so no go :(

Nad is close but I think it's got some stuff I don't need and missing the outputs I hope for.

Yeah, the balanced outs are the problem. Looks like I'm going to go with a headphone amp and a separate DAC most likely. Or the Jutenheim or Cambridge DAC Magic. Or or or

Ed Rogers · October 30, 2020

Got another one that looks like it fits the bill and only $400:

SMSL M500

Ed Rogers · October 30, 2020

Found the motherload over at Shenzhen Audio:

Topping DX7 Pro

Topping DX7S 2*

Topping D70

Dart Yulong Aquila II

Singxer SDA-1

ericuco · November 16, 2020

On 10/30/2020 at 3:28 PM, Ed Rogers said:

Found the motherload over at Shenzhen Audio:

Topping DX7 Pro

Topping DX7S 2*

Topping D70

Dart Yulong Aquila II

Singxer SDA-1

New ifi Audio NEO iDSD for $699.

Ed Rogers · November 16, 2020

Yeah that looks really really good. But I made the call already and got a Topping DX7 Pro and beautiful music is playing as I type this :D

It's a crazy hobby... There are about a million choices for every little thing to build your setup. It's a great time to be into this stuff.

bobbmd · December 28, 2020

What QC issues with Schiit products? I have owned all their DACs Amps Headphone amps etc since they started and NEVER had a problem, and their support is excellent. Currently have one year old Yggdrasil GS and one year old Ragnarok (just the amp) and they are perfect but above your pay limits. I run TIDAL Qobuz ROON and Audirvana +3.5 plus a Yamaha dvd dvd-a cd sacd changer and Harman/Kardon HDCD changer through them plus a Meridian Explorer 2 and they work and sound as good as any I have owned plus most of them are made with USA innerds/outer skin and and assembled in USA. You must have read some troll blogs.

AudioDoctor · December 29, 2020

11 minutes ago, bobbmd said:

What QC issues with Schiit products? I have owned all their DACs Amps Headphone amps etc since they started and NEVER had a problem, and their support is excellent. Currently have one year old Yggdrasil GS and one year old Ragnarok (just the amp) and they are perfect but above your pay limits. I run TIDAL Qobuz ROON and Audirvana +3.5 plus a Yamaha dvd dvd-a cd sacd changer and Harman/Kardon HDCD changer through them plus a Meridian Explorer 2 and they work and sound as good as any I have owned plus most of them are made with USA innerds/outer skin and and assembled in USA. You must have read some troll blogs.

Same, I am not only happy with my Schiit equipment, but incredibly impressed with the performance and value of them as well.

Ed Rogers · December 29, 2020

It's been a while since I dug around the internet researching this stuff but there were several instances of QC issues. Mind you, I was reading reviews from numerous sources like established review sites, experts, joe average, forums, etc. so as to learn the most I could quickly. Zeos reviews too- he packs so many tiny factoids and opinions into every review they are a great learning tool. In one of his reviews he commented on how hot one of the Schitt devices (I forget which model) was in the time he tested it. I read that when California was on fire and since I live in California that was enough to sway me. Probably overreacting but those were some seriously scary times out here.

davide256 · December 29, 2020

7 hours ago, Ed Rogers said:

It's been a while since I dug around the internet researching this stuff but there were several instances of QC issues. Mind you, I was reading reviews from numerous sources like established review sites, experts, joe average, forums, etc. so as to learn the most I could quickly. Zeos reviews too- he packs so many tiny factoids and opinions into every review they are a great learning tool. In one of his reviews he commented on how hot one of the Schitt devices (I forget which model) was in the time he tested it. I read that when California was on fire and since I live in California that was enough to sway me. Probably overreacting but those were some seriously scary times out here.

If your on a budget, Schitt is a good place to start. But before buying an amplifier you ought to decide on speakers first, then buy an amp that will

work well with the speakers impedance curve, efficiency and damping factor needs. Look for reviews on your speaker to get that information and

any suggested amplifier pairing needs.

GUTB · December 30, 2020

$600 is a challenging budget to get a all-in-one integrated that's good. The Chinese shovelware (ie, Topping) I would avoid. From China, Gustard has a few units but those I think start at $800 or so...I think Audio-GD has some interesting options:

http://www.audio-gd.com/R2R/R2R11/R2R11EN.htm

http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/N11.28PE/NFB1128PEN.htm

http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/N11P/NFB1138PEN.htm

Matrix all-in-one units can be very nice-sounding as amps, although don't expect much from the built in DAC options:

https://www.matrix-digi.com/en/products/312.html

You might find a used Questyle i400 in that price range -- current-mode amplifier, matches extremely well with Fostex biocellular driver headphones.