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$10k DAC in a 3k system?

Hello all,

Ive owned the same audio rig for 8 years or so (Rega Mira 3 amp> Rega RS5 speakers) 

My source into the Mira3 amp is a headless fanless micro windows7pc I built running jrivermc> musichall Dax 25.3

i am reading some phenomenal things about some of these Dacs in the 10K range ( Chord Dave, Ayre, Lampizator,PS Audio, etc).

My question is a simple one: the other pieces of my system sound great to me, but are at a much lower price point collectively than one of the dacs mentioned above. Do I need to be concerned about my Amp/speakers being fast/dynamic enough to facilitate a Dac like the Dave? Or could I plug a top notch Dac like that into my system and hear the same things I've heard described in the reviews (but on a relative level) ?

thanks in advance for any insight!
dla123
larryi
3,920 posts
 

I agree that spending $10k on a DAC for that particular system would not be the best way to spend that kind of money.  I would say that the buyer would certainly hear an improvement with a much better DAC, but, money spent elsewhere would improve the sound even more. 


If the OP is planning on further improvements to the rest of the system down the road, then the purchase of a really good DAC might be viewed as a really big first step in that direction.  I can see the logic in starting with really good source components first, provided that you can reasonably assess what is a really good source component when the rest of the system is not at a comparable level (a chicken and egg dilemma).  But, my own preferred approach would be to find speakers that I really like, and then build the rest of the system around what works with that speaker (e.g., efficiency and level of difficulty in driving the speaker would set parameters around the kinds of amplifiers that should be in the system).

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almarg
9,670 posts
 
I note that your Rega integrated amplifier has a rather low line-level input impedance of only 10K, and that it provides only unbalanced RCA inputs. I couldn’t find an output impedance spec or measurement for your DAC, but it appears that its RCA outputs are driven by a capacitively coupled tube-based output stage. In many designs that kind of output circuit will not be able to drive 10K with optimal results, rolloff of the deep bass being a particularly frequent consequence. Although that may or may not be noticeable depending on the deep bass extension of your speakers.

(It also appears that the DAC’s XLR outputs are driven by a solid state output stage that probably has significantly lower output impedance than the RCA output circuit. But for several reasons I doubt that it would be desirable to use the XLR outputs via any kind of adapter arrangement or transformer).

So while I would certainly expect introducing a 10K DAC into your system to make a difference for the better, I wouldn’t be surprised if a leading contributor to that improvement were simply that the upgraded DAC would provide lower output impedance and better drive capability. Which of course is readily obtainable at vastly lower price points.

Aside from that consideration, it seems to me that in determining the weakest link in your system one need look no further than the fact that your box-type (non-planar) floor-standing 3-way speakers weigh only 26 pounds.

Good luck, however you decide to proceed. Regards,
-- Al

erik_squires
16,013 posts
 
There are a number of really good <$2k dacs in the market in the last 5 years. Mytek and Schiit among them.

I would spend all the rest of your money on room treatment. :)

Best,

E
jaybe
735 posts
 
3K system?
10K DAC?
I'd say you better go back to square 1 and think about how wrong this is.
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shadorne
7,467 posts
 
@charles1dad

"I don’t believe that you can accurately apply a rigid cost ratio amongst audio components when constructing a system, far too many variables and exceptions to account for."

Agreed. My ratios were a rough guideline rather than a rule that must be followed for optimal sound. Of course I was thinking digital rather than vinyl as the source (given the OP original request). A good vinyl TT could easily cost more than the amp and be quite appropriate synergistically

Perhaps we can agree that my suggested ratio is more in line with a sensible allocation of budget then a 10K DAC in a $3K system??? Do you agree on that?
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