Processor DACs


I am shopping for a new Processor. I’ll probably get an Integra DHC 80.3, so I am curious if anyone has ever compared the onboard DAC of their processor to an established benchmark DAC such as a W4S DAC-2. Since my music server has USB outs, it would require purchasing a USB to S/PDIF converter (such as the Anedio U2) to hook up the processor to the server. Before spending the money on a converter, I am wondering if people have tried this out, and what their experience with it is. It seems that most mainstream processors have solid DACs to do all the Dolby Digital conversion, so wouldn’t it make sense that they should perform excellent as a standalone DAC? I would appreciate your thoughts and experience.
hifiguy5
After much research trying to fix my own issues in my basement office's 2-channel setup, I recommend a DAC or a USB-SPDIF converter that has a specific clock for 44.1 kHz music (anything ripped from normal CDs). All of my music is Redbook. Most DACs/converters out there only have one clock, and that clock upsamples 44.1kHz music to 48kHz. This is called "clock synthesis," and obviously the math will produce rounding errors. The DACs and converters out there with 44.1 kHz clocks will brag about it, because very few pieces of gear have two clocks. The Schiit Bifrost's USB board has two clocks, the Anedio U2 converter and D2 DAC have two clocks, the Audiophilleo 2 has two clocks. Those are the cheapest ones I have seen that specifically say there is a clock meant to handle 44.1kHz data, and another clock to handle 48kHz data. april Music's Stello U3 is another converter that might have two clocks, cannot remember. If you are going from a laptop, a USB-SPDIF converter like this will improve your sound.
And Hifiguy5, if you buy a WFS DAC 2, skip your processor altogether and go right into an outboard amp. The DAC 2 has volume control. At least consider that as an upgrade path Maybe the processor you are looking for has inputs that go right to the amp section, bypassing the processor's volume pot?
without the benefit of heaving heard either the wyred4sound or the integra, it is very likely the stand alone dac will blow the processor out of the water on the basis sonics of the DAC alone. However, keep in mind that you will of course no longer have access to room correction and bass management in 2 channel mode. This may be a dealbreaker for some, and a total non-issue for others.
Edorr - This is an outstanding point that I already knew but somehow keep forgetting. In my acoustically-terrible living room, the Anthem Room Correction (ARC) makes a huge difference, so it is unlikely that an outboard DAC would make sense for me.
This is interesting. My room is treated but it makes me wonder if the 1% (or 5% or 10%) you give up with a processor, you gain back with room correction. Even the best rooms can benifit by Audyssey/ARC/Trinnov etc. It's time for an experiment!
In general, the improvements due to room correction are instantly apparent compared to the subtle differences among quality DACs.