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Is a DAC Worth It With Airport Express

Hi - hoping I can get some guidance on DAC and whether or not I need one. My current system:

Onkyo SR608
KEF Surround Speakers 3500SE
MacBook Pro w/iTunes

I play my iTunes library on my Onkyo receiver / KEF speakers via Airport Express.

I recently saw the PS Audio Digital Link III available at a pretty reasonable price. I know that this type of DAC (and others I'm sure) make CDs sound better, but I never use any of my CDs anymore. I listen to all my music as described above and use Apple Lossless whenever possible.

Would my setup benefit from the PS Audio product? I would imagine the setup would be Airport Extreme --> PS Audio --> Onkyo Receiver, correct?

Or is the DAC on my Onkyo fine as it is and the PS Audio just a waste of money?

Thanks so much!!!
cg27288
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,756 posts
 
You're correct about the Airport Extreme --> PS Audio --> Onkyo Receiver setup, using a Toslink to mini-Toslink optical cable between the Airport Extreme and the DAC. You can buy optical cables that are Toslink on one end and mini-Toslink on the other or just use a mini adapter on one end of a standard Toslink cable.

I don't have any experience with the PS Audio DAC or with your Onkyo receiver but have used three different DAC's between an Airport Express and my amp and it's quite easy to hear the differences among them.

The only way to know if the PS Audio, or any other DAC, would sound better than the internal DAC of the Onkyo is to listen to them but given the relative costs of the two pieces it's a good bet it would be.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,413 posts
 
Cg27288 - I use AE with Benchmark DAC1 driving directly power amp. You might encounter few problems:

- digital output on AE is cleaner (only 250ps jitter) than analog output but Toslink might introduce some jitter (that Benchmark DAC1 suppose to suppress)

- AE losses sync at the gap (no streaming to DAC). Benchmark recovers fast but on some other DACs it mutes first second of the track. Possible workaround is to use crossfade in Itunes.

I also use ALAC and as far as I know AE uses this format for transmission making it easier on the processor.

I had Cambridge CD4SE before - a very nice CDP but DAC is much better in every way.
txp1
146 posts
 
A Pacific Valve Moon DAC (now "Fathom") sure made an easily heard improvement in our upstairs small system. I've not had issues with cutouts as the post above describes.
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