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Headroom ultra microdac, Benchmark Dac1 or other?

I have been avoiding a 'real' solution to my growing digital music library for too long and need to come up with the right system. Existing two channel system:

Creek Classic 5350 SE
Rotel CDP 1072
Audio Physics Sparks
KAB modified Technics 1200

I have been ripping big chunks of my cd collection into iTunes on a MAC--mostly at the 320 bitrate but some lossless as well--and limping along with an iPod running through my system. I have most of my 'best' CDs so that I can listen to them through the CD player, but want to be able to access my digital music library through my main stereo (as well as other places throughout the house).

So, I'm probably going to get the new Squeezebox Duet (even though they are owned by Logitech) and use my wireless home network to access my digital music library. I could use the USB out on the Airport Express--let me know if there are thoughts on that. I considered a Sonos as well. The price point seems to be a bit more attractive with the Squeezebox and I don't know that I get anything more with the Sonos.

A long way to get to my primary question: Which DAC should I put between the Squeezebox/Sonos and my Creek amp?

I have had people recommend:

-Headroom ultra micro DAC (very highly)
-Benchmark DAC1

Any experiences with those units? Any thoughts on others?
tjnindc
ajahu
306 posts
 
You may consider Apogee mini dac or rosetta 200.
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,758 posts
 
I'm using the Benchmark DAC1 between an Airport Express and my preamp, connected by a glass Toslink cable. I love the setup, the songs are on a Mac in my office and the Airport Express and Benchmark are in my living room with my system.

A transport is also connected to the Benchmark and I can just flip the switch on the front of the Benchmark to change from the Airport Express input to the transport. I've used an older iBook to control iTunes on the Mac in the office using an application called netTunes.

I really like the Benchmark, it sounds wonderful and is very versatile, I've used it at times as a preamp and headphone amp, though most of the time it's used just as a DAC.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
The Apogee Mini-DAC has a very good headphone jack FWIW. To me it sounds best run off a battery supply using the XLR outputs. I have not compared it with the Benchmark or the Stello.
stivervii
20 posts
 
I use and love a GR-Research Modded Dac 60 which I highly prefered to the DAC 1. YMMV but it just clicks for me.
mbrennwa
1 posts
 
I've got an Apogee Mini DAC in my home system, and I sure like it. In my headphone rig in the office I also have a Headroom Balanced Desktop Amp with the DAC option, which together with my AKG 701 headphones sounds better than any other system I've listened to so far. However, I haven't compared the Apogee and the HeadRoom side-by-side in the same setup. But I am thinking about getting the HeadRoom Ultra Micro DAC as a replacement for the Apogee, simply because this DAC is the top-of-the-line DAC from the HeadRoom people and should therefore even sound better than the DAC in my HeadRoom headphone amp. Also, the HeadRoom amps/DACs come with sturdy power supplies, whereas the Apogee comes with a whimpy wall wart. And finally, while the Apogee relies on opamps of reasonable quality, the HeadRoom DAC makes use of the highly regarded 627 opamps.

Where did you get the "very highly" recommendation for the HeadRoom?
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