Looking for a Solidly good inexpensive DAC

That’s always my issue…. Too many choices. The answer only reveals itself once installed… usually. At least IF it’s an emphatic and resounding “NO! that definitely won’t do.”… it’s the Maybes that’ll kill ya… uh, well, me anyhow.

Tvad
Thanks for the heads up on the eBay listing.. your efforts are always ppreciated in my regard. Albeit my conservative side says more things than simple price & performance are important for or to, me.

Johnnyb53
Thanks much.

Anybody familiar with the Lavry DA10?

…yes. Or at least I’m getting familiar – er.

Gmood1
Thanks so much for the ongoing illumination of sonic diffs from the Sector unit vs. the Paradisea.

A friend tells me the TADAC is another terrific option. No USB port though. So the PC will need a Coax or Optical output to use it.

I’ve read as much as I can there too.

Good luck with the hunt. You have many to choose from.

… and it’s more wonderment than hunting at this juncture.

Still in all, I can’t divorce myself completely from trying to nail all my birds with just one gun.

Eliminate the need/desire for the USB thingy, and things get simpler. Especially with the noted ‘handshake’ & “drop out” issues apparently common via USB connected DACs. Consequently, if a non up sampling PCI card to the PC is added which comes with a digital out, and no USB DAC is required thereafter.

All I need then is a DAC which will do well in accommodating the clock thing for the box players, has the needed inputs, and has a quality sound…. Or one more to my tastes. Hopefully.

With a brandy spankity new OEM drive in my xa777 it’s screaming at me to try a later tech DAC.

I also think the main issue with the current mega changer and likely a forthcoming one are as well addressed via that self same de-jitterizing aspect of a “??? DAC”. Not to mention the far, far better conversion engine the “??? DAC” will have over stock.

Lest we get all into jitterbugging… I’m aware of the Monarchy DIP 24/96 creation. Which forces one to add a PC, and additional ICs., so the $175 +/- price isn’t all of it’s impact in the end. Adding those figures to the end product makes a 'one unit' concept a better alternative, I believe.

The Lavry DA-10 seems to be holding the cards but at squarely more than my envisioned $600 entry fee limit. The Apogee Mini with it’s outboard PS also is attractive… to some degree.

Those two, the Mini, and the 10 are atop my short list currently. Both only have XLR outs too, which is a minor issue, but a notable one.

If the BC DAC 3 weren't quite so much more money, the choice would be very easy.

SOTA = State of the art... Usually ten times the price.

Update..

Finding and reading one users’ in depth review of the Lavry DA 10, Benchmark, and a German make DAC whose name I don’t recall now, all in one forum, I felt to take advantage of Lavry Engineering's 15 day in home trial... naturally with the hopes of a far longer trial in mind were it to be to my tastes.

Lavry runs in their products some prior to shipping. It shows too.

I have to admit right out of the box, the DA 10 sure did a good job. with some few days of near round the clock operation, it's even better... albeit not tremendously, but surely better. Straight away, the bass was quite lacking but has since begun to show itself filling out the balance of the presentation.

The DA 10 has improved coherence of the listening event with better depth, image specificity, and tone accuracy. Vocal harmonies are nailed fast in place and set well within a predictable sound stage… One with better lateral expanse, and rear of stage information. Low level detail is easily heard… and all of the presentation is as has been said over and over again… “The sound the DA 10 produces just makes you want to keep listening and rediscovering your musical collection with renewed interest”.

The DA 10 made short work of transforming my mega changer into a quite solid performer. Competitive with my SCD xa777...

I said competitive, not commensurate or equal. The xa 777 showed some good degree of additive performance too, but by lesser degrees, indicating it's finer overall build quality… and being forthright here, a better connection path via a Stereovox XV2 link rather than using the TOS the 400 CDP uses as it’s sole digital out. I suspect still, with the TOS in place on the xa 777, things would be better anyhow… and I did wish to give the coaxial input of the DA 10 a go.

I’ve yet to plug in the Oppo for another perspective… sorry, just forgot about it completely. I still see it as only a DVD player.

The PC has yet to get into the mix as I opted to immerge it via an upscale sound card's AES output... that plan failed as the card's technology was dated and would not allow the current iTunes version to play properly through it.... another card is being sought out presently.

To gain a better perspective, another DAC is forthcoming, but at substantially greater cost so I expect the performance level of it to be an increase over the DA 10's quality showing. It has greater flexibility as well.

I hope this second unit firmly trounces the DA 10, as that will make the choice way simpler. Were it to be only a tad better will really suck for me, by making the choice consequently much more difficult…. The DA 10 is that impressive.

So far, I say so much for JA’s comparisons in stereophile of the DA 10’s upscale sibling to the Benchmark, and still higher priced, Weiss DAC. I’m hoping his reflections remain consistent as this upcoming unit was also discommodiously compared to the Benchmark. Stereophile apparently felt unlike priced component evaluations a fair enough path. I should also add here, I don’t believe even pro reviewers remain entirely objective all the time. IMO.

Blindjim, can you clue us in on what the forthcoming DAC is? I'm also looking at adding a DAC into my mix (Music Hall CD 25.2 with Underwood Level 1 mods, Bel Canto Pre2P, McCormack DNA-225, VSA VR-4SR Mark II.) I've read the online reviews of the Lavry, esp. in comparison to the Benchmark. Another that has caught my eye with favorable reviews is the PSAudio Digital Link III.

The good thing is both of these manufacturers offer in home trials. The bad thing is these units seem to get better with some break in time, thus shrinking the in home trial time. Looking forward to your further opinions.

MikeB.