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dacs are really big diffrents at all ???

hi my friends.
im aowner of LEBEN CS600 AND DEVORE NINES .
im search about 1 years for dac or something really good that will be good combinations with my system .i used pc-q1500 of fujitsu (ion computer) small one but quiet and good i really cant uderstand what about all the big deal around dacs im test few dacs around 500-2000 $ and reall dont know why its worth to buy dac more then 500$ im never hear such abig diffrent and yes i have agood ears and few people hear it with me and they say no diffent at all.
i know all about to set my pc i use foobar2000 and play with kernal streaming and asio .
people hear suggest me the dac of metrum octave nos but i cant hear it and try this in my country .someone in my country sell hegel dac he suggest me the hd2 or hd11 dac .
what people u can say about it ? is it worth ? is it really more good then good soundcard around 300$ ??
any help suggest opnion pls ?
bolero32
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Sounds cards are no competition for a good DAC. Not even close.

However, spending at least $1K for a DAC is a good idea if you want to get close to the best sound quality.

Dont expect the USB interface to be excellent however. Very few DACs have good USB interfaces. You can add an outboard USB converter to most DACs that have S/PDIF input to improve the USB interface.

As for your playback software, I recommend you try Foobar2000 with Jplay plug-in in ASIO mode.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
chayro
3,016 posts
 
If you don't hear the difference, it would be silly to spend a lot of money.
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,110 posts
 
Agree with Chayro. There are huge differences, but since you admittedly don't hear them, then why spend the money?
chayro
3,016 posts
 
Admittedly, the type of music you listen to, as well as the file format, will contribute to whether a more expensive DAC pays off. I think that if you listen to Van Halen MP3s while you're vacuuming the rug, one DAC is the same as the next. Nothing wrong with Van Halen, mind you -I just don't think it's the kind of music to judge an audio component with. Unless it's sound reinforcement gear. IMO, you need to be listening to acoustic music recorded at full bandwidth (CD quality at least)with some attempt at fidelity to appreciate the difference between a $500 DAC and something more expensive. Then you may hear the spaces between the notes, the accuracy of timbre of the instruments, the small vocalization sounds, etc. I think this kind of stuff matters to a very small percent of the population - although I would think that anyone owning Leben and Devore would be in that group.
mrvco
52 posts
 
Start with an inexpensive, well reviewed DAC (there are plenty) and A/B test (blind ideally) your way up the ladder until you can't tell a difference.
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