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Your experience with an inexpensive DAC?

I have a main system and a bedroom system for late night headphone listening.  I have not upgraded my digital end of the system, but do not want to spend/do too much at this point.  So my question, what have my friends here at AudiogoN had  success with in a DAC?

I have an Oppo and two of the better high-end, but older Pioneer Elite players.  So I am thinking that a good sounding DAC may be of use to me.  

I do have a prejudice I may have to set aside, as in me liking components with tubes or transistors but not op-amps/I.C. chips.  Perhaps I am a dinosaur?

For what it's worth (great song) I listen mainly to classic Jazz and lean towards acoustic instruments rather than electric and I listen to many female vocals, Ella, Dinah Washington, Diana Krall, Carmen, and even though he had a bit of a messy life and a limited vocal and instrument range, I do listen to much of early Chet Baker and Paul Desmond, Miles, Earl Garner, et.al. 

Thanks for your thoughts/experience, Jim

 

jusam
jerrybj
861 posts
 

A relatively unknown Dac in the US.

But reasonably well thought of in the UK.

I have two of them, both modded with super caps and updated clocks.

Beresford Seg.

(Not well thought of by Audio Science Review, but I pay little mind to that in my purchases.)

jusam OP
125 posts
 

Thanks Jerry, I will look into it....since I cannot afford to have Ms. Krall in my home and Elvis might not approve.  Jim

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tonykay
1,301 posts
 

I also have an Oppo 105D and two Pioneer Elite BDP-09 Blu-ray players. My suggestion is not as esoteric as Jerry’s. I caught your request for an "inexpensive" DAC and I recommend a Benchmark DAC1. It’s an early model, and I have seen them as low as $300 (MSRP was $995). I bought one years ago and still use it with an older Denon 3520. I doubt it will beat a Berkeley Alpha DAC but it will make any of your current players sound noticeably more transparent, especially with headphones.

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