DAC's from the past, are any of them really worth much today?
I was thinking of buying a new DAC, the choices are many, but some of the lowest price DAC’s are to be had from yesteryear. For example, i took home an Esoteric D05 yesterday and while I have not been able to hook it up to my Esoteric player, due to no suitable connector cable, I was wondering if any of the better DAC’s from years back are really worth having? The example I have in for audition, while close to SOTA back about 13+ years ago, has no USB connection! To that, it has had years of usage, and appears pristine although I am unsure as to what can fail in a DAC? Obviously no warranty, yet a price point that is somewhat attractive, particularly for the build quality.
The biggest issue seems to be no USB connection to the upstream gear, but also perhaps the difference in price between a DAC like this, and a more modern DAC with better DAC chips/USB etc.,would simply make this one not a great deal. Thoughts?
Funny your comment @ghdprentice all the high end streamers/ servers from Innuos, Taiko, and the like use USB, using usb is not for pc any more. Take a look around even Grimm has USB capabilities.
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@jacobsdad2000 The DAC I am demo'ing has no usb connection, because it is too old! This will prove to be a considerable detriment to usage as it cannot really connect to today's better streamers, along the lines of what you post. It does have Co-ax, which I am hearing differing things about, some folks tell me that Co-ax sounds worse than today's USB, others better?? Nonetheless, since the better streamers use usb only, it is not a connection option. |
@daveyf Hey it's what works for you. Digital wise I have used them all and AES/ Balanced, Optical, USB and SPDI/F Coax, key is use a good 75 ohm cable. Signal makes some fine digital cable as do DH Labs. Better yet buy used. Look here and on USAM. |
Lots of DAC threads recently. I agree, the better new cheap DACs are better than the esoteric from only a few years ago. Much has been learned in the filters implementation. Based on my listening, all the Chinese mass-produced DACS are excellent and all sound almost the same. Splitting hairs. Just returned a Qutest as it is more detailed on only a couple tracks, but edgier than my JDS, Topping, Schiit, SMSL, and Sabaj DACs. I don't know what is different if you jump to the $4000 and up range or if you have access to true DSD or ultra high bit rate that actually has more information, not just the format. Almost all of my music is old enough to have been mastered on tape, so there is no such thing as highly detailed. The above is for just listening, If you want to get your microscope out and look for the tiniest of details, then you will find them. I have a new test. If I listen to a piece, walk out of the room and something is changed, or not, and I come back in, do I hear a difference reliably? If not, any difference is irrelevant. If you goal is ultra perfection, audible or not, or bragging how much you paid, then none of this matters. If I had to buy another DAC, PS: Older DACS with only SPDIF rely on the host clock. Newer DACs with USB, if well done, use the DAC clocking which can be far more accurate. A "good" DAC will have a galvanic isolated USB to prevent any host or cable interference. The Qutest does, as do the newer Schiits. |
