Best Bang for your Buck DAC ?
You might check out these guys: The review below is for a Gustard X16 DAC that received high praise from measured performance and low noise floor ... and others in your price range! https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/gustard-x16-balanced-mqa-dac-review.17419... |
JJSS49 "don’t forget to get a good streamer too, don’t just run the digital feed out of a computer" JJSS49 thanks for everyones input cause there so many to choose from , Im was playing my music thru my Hifi Tidal app on my apple device over an apple pigtail to Dragonfly cobalt over audio quest Goldengate RCA to my CD input cause thats what audio quest suggested. My CD sound field mirrors my Heos sound field and I didn't feel like there was a real benefit so I demoted the dragonfly to the CPU where it does do some Justice for my PC system. Im still new to all this , I did try a Bluesound node 2 out but didn't like the interface so much so I returned it cause it was night and day accessing Tidal like from my tidal app. I would like to be able to use my Tidal app on my phone not some intermediate device like a blue sound that just complicates things ergonomicly , my wife and daughter have to be able to use it to I'm a family man. why is going from 00001111's to analog so difficult ? |
Im looking at all these DACs some are small like embedded on your phone small to a dragonfly small to a 4x4 size to a Full CD player size with power cord, The more money you spend is there more going on than just converting 00000011111's to analog I feel like its augmenting the sound to make what's perceived as High fidelity , im just trying to understand it all |
I just picked up the Schiit Audio Bifrost 2, and the difference in my system was breathtaking (literally)! I am using that mated to a Brennan B2 which I used to RIP my cd collection. It is my first DAC so I have not auditioned or compared to any others. I did quite a bit of research before purchasing and all indicators were that Schiit was the way to go. I absolutely LOVE this DAC! I too had the AQ Cobalt and ended up selling it - but only because I purchased the Brennan and no longer need the Cobalt... Best of Luck! |
I second the Musical Fidelity v90 dac, although I tout it all the time. It is a stereophile class A recommended component. It has many inputs, 2 toslink, 1 usb, and 1 coax. It has beautiful case work, small form factor and sounds terrific. You could change out power supply as someone else mentioned, but I do not find it necessary. |
