What would you buy Sub $350 Firewire/USB DAC

The USB to SPDIF box need not be an arm and a leg. There was a brilliant small device called the Waveterminal U24 which helped launch this whole evolution a few years ago. Trick is that it got its power from the USB cable which carries 5v - ergo no costly power supply, no big case etc.

Then Hagerman came out with one.

The hot ticket now for under $200 is the BlueCircle USB Thingee.

All these devices take the data from the USB and move it over to SPDIF. Neat, simple and compact. I can tell you from experience that I found that it took a very good SPDIF cable to make this work its best.

I do not believe that USB implementation is all that difficult. What I believe is that most audio manufacturers have their head in the sand hoping that the whole computer thing will go away.

That is why companies like Keces (and there are many others, just my current fave) who have a global perspective on the mass market are investing in figuring it out and evolving it.

What is wrong with this picture? USB/SPDIF conversion box $500, SPDIF cable $500, DAC $2500, allowance for power cords and tweaks $750... You don't need to spend $4,200 to get great sound from a $100 hard drive and some free software... think about it.

I didn't see it on the site as a product, but there is the odd review, so they must be in some level of production.

On a different note, has anyone done business with the Pacific Valve & Electric Company? They have a few options worth consideration. I am also thinking about Scott Nixon's offerings: http://www.scott-nixon.com/dac.htm

MP

You can do USB cheap, but it sounds it. The Hagerman device does the job but does not sound good. I'm looking for USB playback that equals or beats transport to DAC. Obviously, Ckorody and I disagree.

The Bel Canto device is available but is not on the Web site. Contact them or a BC dealer.

Well drubin - I don't know - I am not flogging the Hagerman (always upfront about what I have owned or tried) just trying to provide some historical context.

If you have spent the time and money messing with two box systems you know just how hard it is to achieve a satisfactory SPDIF implementation.

That is the main reason I recommend bailing on a USB > SPDIF solution and going straight USB. Plus going direct is much more cost effective which is a major concern for the Prof who started this thread.

I doubt that you will argue that you can get a great two box solution for $350... the SPDIF cable will cost more then that... I am prepared to say that he can get a great direct USB solution for that. (No, not reference but that is a silly game since he is not in that market)

Prof - Pacific imports some very slick gear from China (not Taiwan)

Scott Nixon was the first guy in the water with a tube dac which has had the dual virtues of being well regarded and very reasonably priced. Plus there are enough of them out there that you can probably pick one up used - and you can definitely sell it when you want to try something else.

As Steve would point out products like the BC Thingee, and HagUSB use the same PCM2704 USB chip already used in many consumer DACs. So the benefit of one of these would be negated. That's where the Bel Canto converter box is superior... not quite to the Empirical level but an improvement over the common units.

I believe the old Waveterminal U24 used the TAS1020A chip, though details are sketchy. A newer version is available as well, though again details are lacking. It's closer to $200.