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USB DAC question for neutral setup. Please help.

Hi

I have PC based stereo setup and i mostly use Flac/WAV files. My setup is fairly neutral, rather lacking on energy/excitement.

I am looking a good USB DAC in $600 price range, used or new, that can help improve the overall system and also impart some energy to it.

My top choices are Concero ($400used), Concero HD ($600used), Centrance Dacmini ($500 used), AMI Musik DDH-1($500 new).

These are the main ones, i am open to suggestions for others within this price too.

Audition is not an option so i need some help in deciding what to do?

Needs to go along with the setup and improve it also impart some energy.

Regards
adurlabhji
davide256's avatar
davide256
399 posts
 
iFi Micro DSD seems popular at $499, intended as headphone amp but can do double duty as DAC to system
mateored
258 posts
 
Centrance makes nice DACs. I have their little portable DACport, and it is an impressive piece for the price. I'd check out the DACmini -- or a Schiit if you can find one around.
williewonka
3,075 posts
 
Here's another vote for the Bifrost + UBER analogue upgrade - but to give it
even more zing, get the v-link192 usb-spdif converter - it performs much
better than the Schiit USB interface.

Prior to the v-link I upgraded to the schiit usb-gen 2 upgrade, which was better
than the original USB, but even that did not perform as good as the v-link.

You can find the v-link on eBay for around $135

Schiit are however masters of D/A conversion and analogue output stages and
the Bifrost/v-link combo will challenge much higher priced DACs. The resulting
fidelity is as close to analogue as I have heard.

Using good cables - I.e. power, spdif and IC's, elevates the Bifrost's abilities to
extremely high levels of fidelity also.

Regards
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