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Best budget DAC

Hi all,

I'm considering a DAC for my system and I have to keep the expenditure very reasonable (under $300).

DACS considered: Audioengine D1, Audioquest Dragonfly, Cambridge Audio DACMagic XS & Azur DacMagic 100, Musical Fidelity - V90-DAC,  Schiit Modi,

Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated, especially if you have actually heard or compared the DACs above, or others.

Also, if I do get a DAC, is there any advantage to ripping a CD and then playing the FLAC/WAV file through the DAC? Keep in mind that the DAC chip in my CD Player is listed as a "24/192 Cirrus Logic Delta/Sigma", but no specific chip number.

I haven't seen any comparisons of CD's to ripping and playing the file through an outboard DAC, so if you have seen such a comparison, your link to it would be greatly appreciated.

These are the components in my system:
Speakers - Elac B6
Subwoofer - Elac S10
CD Player - NAD C 516BEE CD Player
Preamplifier - Parasound Halo P5
Power Amplifier - Rotel RB-1080

 Thanks. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

128x128edincleve
mesch
3,501 posts
 
Playing redbook CD rips as FLAC, WAV of AIFF file can sound as good as the CD via a player, many think better. It depends on type of player vs. computer playback system and DAC. 

mesch
3,501 posts
 
Are you planning to use a computer a playback? Mac or PC?  

djverne
77 posts
 
"DACS considered: Audioengine D1, Audioquest Dragonfly, Cambridge Audio DACMagic XS & Azur DacMagic 100, Musical Fidelity - V90-DAC, Schiit Modi,"

I would really try to find a Schiit  BIFROST dac used if I were you. $250- $300. 
russbutton's avatar
russbutton
430 posts
 
I run a Peachtree DAC I'm happy with.  It retails at $300.  It takes a USB feed from my PC as well as a straight fibre digital link from my CD player.  It's a decided improvement over using the on-board DAC in the CD player.
alfau7's avatar
alfau7
72 posts
 
My first dac was the modi, i bought it expecting to have some of the bifrost, i dont know about the bifrost sound but the modi was very boring dac, small image, small sounstsge and lacking bass a lot! I still have it but inside a Box, i guess is made to use with headphones. Then i bougth the peachtree dac it wich i love the lively and centered image, enough forward to treak your brain as the singer is infront of you. I have compared it with 3 built in dacs: one inside my yamaha rxv 650(msrp 500)  one is from my anthem avm 20.1(msrp 3200) , and the third one from my oppo bdp 103, from all is noticible better the peachtree. I hope this help you.
Fausto
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