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Need Advice on a DAC for my Music Server?

I live in the Dallas, TX area and i can't really find way here to audition any dac. Currently i'm currently rig = merdian 506.24 cdp>naim amp>wilson benesch Curve. I'm pretty happy with this setup. I've been using a theta pro II Dac with my mac (apple lossless) and m-audio usb through s/pdif. The does not sound as good as my CDP player. I'm thinking about purchasing a new dac. I've read alot about many dacs and would like to spend about 1500 USD. To give a idea of my listening prefrence, i really like the sound of the naim cdp. I've heard alot about the bel canto dac2 and the benchmark dac1.

As mention above, i can't audition these.....so can anyone recomend me which is better suited for me or maybe somethng else. I just don't want to buy and return things over the mail.

Thankds
seekill
pardales
652 posts
 
Here is an article that I think does a nice job of explaining things. I am not
sure who's point it supports I just think it is great information.

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue22/nugent.htm

Here is another good link that, if I recall, talks about various things realted to
ripping and lossless formats; after you click the link got the May 2005 article:

http://www.modernhometheater.com/howto/index.html

My personal experience: I did NOT notice a significant difference between my
hard drive based system (see my system and other posts i've made on this
topic) and using a CEC TL-51X transport. I also thought my hard-drive based
system - using the Waveterminal U24 as a DAC - bested my old XA777ES on
redbook (not SACD though).

Hope this helps further the overall discussion.
kenn39
75 posts
 
Lossless is lossless. You can verify that by converting back and forth between a losslessly compressed file and the original uncompressed WAV file. They should be bit identical. You can't do this a lossy compression format like MP3.

Picking a DAC for a music server is the same as picking a DAC in general. The only special consideration is whether you need the added convenience of a built-in USB interface which you may or may not need, depending on your set-up.
edesilva
768 posts
 
I agree with Kenn39. Lossy compression means you lose things in the compression process--takes advantage of the pschoacoustic coding mechanisms Duane was referring too. Lossless compression means smaller file size but no loss of data integrity. If you rip SongX.wav in WAV (raw PCM data in a DOS file wrapper), convert to Apple Lossless (SongXv2.m4a), and then reconvert to WAV (SongXv3.wav), SongXv3.wav and SongX.wav will be bit-for-bit identical. Note, this is not true for "lossy" compression like mp3, AAC, etc.

You might see if you can get a different USB device before changing out your DAC. I never liked the M-Audio I had with toslink; even my old Edirol UA-1D and digital coax sounded better. I really like my Waveterminal U24, but gather they are no longer manufactured.
seekill OP
2 posts
 
Edesilva,

I do use the digital coax from my m-audio audiophile usb. From what i've read the benchmark dac1 has been changed and the newer version is pretty good. My goal is to achieve a sound that is as good or better than my meridian 506.24.
I really want a naim cdp, but i just find myself listening to more music on a Mac Hd rig.
edesilva
768 posts
 
Still may be the m-audio device. USB is jitter free, but the USB device has to reclock the data. Some do it better than others. Audioengr here mods transits with a better clock, but I gather its not a simple mod.

My rig, which is Apple Lossless to a waveterminal U24 from a dedicated Serener ITX PC sounds every bit as good as my DV-50S.
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