What to look for in a budget DAC

Digital to Analog Converters, DACs, range in price from the very expensive to the very inexpensive. How does someone make the choice of which DAC will best suit their needs?
Have a question you want to ask Paul? Go to www.psaudio.co...

[@thegrimyeaper]

Teenager: "What DAC should I get on a limited budget?" Paul: "I don't eat animals."

[@E.Frey2002]

He doesn't tho. You're missing the point.

[@graxjpg]

Gray Nightz what was the point then?

[@adelkharisov]

Animal foods (including eggs, fish and sea food) are the most nutrient dense food for the human. And it do not rise blood sugar, cause contain fat as an energy source instead of carbohydrates. Try carnivore to reload your health! After 3 months you can switch to Keto (I’m keto for more than 3 years, now mostly carnivore). Corona virus self isolation is a good time for that!

[@ilovecops6255]

Its not ditigal pulses, but analog waves. Gppgle PHASE SHIFT KLEYINS. Is the the article you were lookimg fmor... Modulation and Demodulation Technologies Vijay K. Garg, Yih-Chen Wang, in The Electrical Engineering Handbook, 2005 4.3 Phase Shift Keying 4.3.1 Binary Phase Shift Keying For binary phase shift keying (BPSK), we transmit two different signals. If the baseband signal is a binary 0, we transmit: (4.15)A cos (ωt+π)=−A cos (ωt), and for binary 1′, we transmit: (4.16)A cos (ωt). BPSK can be considered as a form of amplitude shift keying where each nonreturn to zero (NRZ) data bit of value 0 is mapped into a −1, and each NRZ 1 is mapped into a + 1. The resulting signal is then passed through a filter to limit its bandwidth and then multiplied by the carrier signal cos ωt (see Figure 4.2). YJANLE YU!

[@greebuh]

No shit though

[@billbones1000]

I just last week picked up a used PS Audio digital link 3 DAC for about 300 USD. Very very happy with the sound.

[@Gez492]

Diminishing returns was never more true with DAC's

[@Foche_T._Schitt]

Correct. I don't think the need for a DAC was established in the question.

[@MrLoridin]

Gray Nightz You can measure a DACs performace to compare them.

[@justinparkman3585]

read my comment

[@boro057]

The iPhone lightning to 3.5mm dongle is apparently a really well rated dac, and only $9. It’s worth looking into before shelling out even $100.

[@aktionp20]

Lol. No not a good dac

[@navanski]

I don't remember it handling optical or coax that well.

[@graxjpg]

The headphone amp in my iPhone 6s is fantastic... I don’t see the need to use my big amps when it can drive my best headphones.

[@ravithompson1082]

Airport express 2 is really good on measurements and to the ear

[@jimfarrell4635]

I think that Dongle DACs like the Dragonfly, while excellent for portable use, are not flexible enough for a stereo system. I like Chord DACs but outwith our friends budget so I would go with iFi or Topping. I have the Topping DX3 Pro in my second system and I like the DAC very much though I am not so keen on the headphone amp section. I do like the sound of the newer AKM chips. The iFi Zen DAC seems excellent value for money and looks great. I have an iDSD Nano which has now found its way onto my PC and it is a nice little device. Its interesting that Paul never mentions Chi Fi brands like Topping, Auralic and Denafrips. They take their product design every bit as seriously as Western brands and produce outstanding equipment both in the budget and high end markets.

[@the_dude182]

Yes the Topping DX3 pro here too. Very clean sound. You can build a stack with another amp and even a Loki in between. Lots of fun.

[@nunofernandes4501]

I bought a Cambridge DacMagic 100 for €158 new and it sounds very nice for the price.

[@scottyo64]

I bought a DAC Magic many years back. Still use it and like the sound even though its outdated. I like it better than the DAC in my Node 2i

[@nunofernandes4501]

@@scottyo64 if it sounds good, it's not outdated ;) It isn't as detailed as CDs on my Marantz CD6006 but the dacmagic is very good for blurays, flac files, mp3, netflix, you name it...

[@billwillard9410]

With Schiit or Topping (or the Dragonfly), you can get new with a return policy, but you sometimes have to pay the shipping/restocking fee for returns. I don’t think at what you’re spending that any of these picks will be so heinous that you will want to send it back immediately. Schiit products are always a “pretty good for now” option, and you can get most of your money back on eBay later down the road.Don’t sweat the details/specs right now.

[@azzinny]

You can want to spend just $100, try something from pro-audio market: Focusrite Scarlett Solo. You can buy it at a physical store such as Guitar Center.

[@ilovecops6255]

Mister Behringer makes a USB aido interfaces and it works with Linux. I cant afford Windows 10 so I use Ububtu Linux. The 4 port version shas Midis in and midi out. THANKES YOUES THUMBBS UPS!

[@AndrazAntonic]

I would go with some type of a mobile dac (dragonfly), so when you decide to upgrade and will prob buy a larger box/stanalone unit, you still have a mobile dac to use on the go.

[@johnsweda2999]

Go for ifi desktop zen is about £130 or if you want portable as well the hip

[@mcaddc]

Plenty of passionate audiophile reviewers here on KZbin that have put many budget dacs through their paces. Pick one brand that suits your budget.

[@iowaudioreviews]

Topping D50S. Audio Science Review has the tests done to back it up. Great DAC at $250

[@RobeonMew]

This video was 6 months posted too early. NAO we have THX Onyx™

[@RobeonMew]

They're sold for $269

[@robertwang7825]

In terms of good measuring DACs , Topping , Hidizs , SMSL , Gustard etc ( refer to Audio Science Review ). Denafrips Aries second hand ( refer to Stereophile review ). I think for midfi the Chinese are dominant. First you need to decide if you want a Delta Sigma ( chip based DAC ) or an R2R ladder resistor DAC ( second hand , nothing new at US300 ). Also important if you need a headphone amp in your DAC or Balanced output. Also GoldenSound does some gd reviews.

[@rockindel1]

Thanks for continuing to make these videos during these difficult times

[@NickP333]

I’d personally recommend a Schiit Modi 3 for $99. I bought one for my brother a bit ago to make hearing the detail within music easier for him to hear and transcribe the music, and it worked out great.

[@JamesSavik]

If you can get one - they're in back order hell.

[@RumblestripDotNet]

For up to $300 Topping, maybe Geshelli Labs and SMSL are reasonable choices if you want new.

[@dragocat1]

Topping is a good place to start. Fiio isn't bad either.

[@juliangst]

I would get something from topping or smsl

[@bs11100010]

Topping d50s is all that is really needed

[@jim586]

The D70 is even better than the D50 and has been superseded by a new model. Maybe possible to get one used somewhere?

[@juliangst]

Jim Ettridge the D90 is also better than D70, there always is a better product but you have to think about what’s good enough.

[@jim586]

juliangst Oh I couldn’t agree more. I just thought there maybe a D70 used cropping up somewhere. HiFi is the classic wormhole. Self restraint needs to be applied and to remember to enjoy the music.

[@navinadv]

Or Soncoz

[@ainzooalgown7589]

FX Audio Dac X6 is a decent budget dac usually hovers around $60, it punches above its price range

[@69Muscle]

I just bought the Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M for $500. It’s an absolute steal and sounds amazing with full MQA decoding. Listening to TIDAL MQA Masters on my Focal Clears is stunning.

[@bedrosdaoudian8927]

I agree with Paul Lazarro, it is very difficult to go wrong with Schiit products. I think Schiit Audio also have a return policy (granted that the product is intact in its original box and accessories) if you live in the US... this will give you the opportunity to listen to the product with 0% risks... Good Luck!

[@scottperrin9655]

The audioengine d1 premium is pretty good in my opinion. About $150. It's a headphone DAC but I use it with a clean box along with KRK 8s + KRK 10s sub. Not sure if it would work for his setup but I would think it would.

[@JoeJ-8282]

OVERALL SYSTEM REALITY CHECK HERE: For a budget of only $100-$300, *instead* of buying a DAC at all to start out with, (that can come later but), that guy would be *much* better off spending that money on getting the best quality components for his home made speakers he mentioned and making them sound the best they could first, since speakers are really the BIGGEST contributor (OR detriment) to an audio system's overall sound quality!... Either that or, if he maybe already has his speakers built, and they already are whatever quality level they're gonna be, then spend that money on getting a decent *source* component, which is very important to overall system sound quality also!... From what he said, it sounds like he already has a really good amp and pre-amp, (whatever brand they are), so the next things to focus on are getting the speaker sound quality the best it can be, and having a really good source component... THEN AND ONLY THEN, once you have the absolute necessity BASICS covered, first and foremost, only after that should you try to concentrate on the smaller, (relatively) less significant components of the overall system, like a DAC, cables, etc... Besides, if that guy's pre-amp really IS a "high-end" one from a good brand, (and not TOO old), then it should probably already have plenty good Digital to Analog conversion circuitry built into it to start with, so his money would then be best spent on making SURE he has all of the MOST INFLUENTIAL, basic, *MUST haves* for good sound first, (making his speakers the best they can be and finding a good source to get now, in his case), and then once those things are ALL covered sufficiently, THEN, later on when he gets even more money saved up AND he knows how his system sounds as it already is, *then* he can get a DAC to see how much of a difference it makes... But even having the "BEST" DAC in the entire world won't make much, (if ANY), difference in *overall system* sound quality that actually reaches your ears, if ANY of the other *major* components in his system, (i.e. source, pre-amp, power amp, speakers), are really crappy!... An audio system's overall final sound quality is totally limited by the "weakest link" in the entire chain, all the way from what source you're using and its quality level, all the way through to the speakers themselves, (and even the listening room itself, a dorm room possibly in this case, but we won't consider that for now), before the sound actually reaches your ears and brain! The *overall* sound of a system is totally "throttled" by whatever that "weakest link" in the system chain may be... And the lack of a DAC in a under $300 budget system isn't going to make any real difference!... That being said, IF that guy *already* has ALL 4 of those basic necessity components, AND they are of the best quality that he can currently afford, and that $100-$300 budget is *exclusively* for buying a DAC, then of course he can take Paul's advice and get a good used DAC to see how much difference in overall system sound it makes, but getting a DAC should ONLY be considered AFTER making sure his basic, major components, as mentioned above, are already there and of the best quality he can afford rn! Well taken care of used market equipment is always going to give you the best "bang for your buck" too, so that's almost always the best way to get started in anything when you're relatively poor!... That's exactly how I got started in my audio system too, right out of HS and into college, buying the best used equipment I could find. I wish him the best of luck in his forevermore ongoing "quest", as this is only the very *beginning*! Lol!

[@azzinny]

If you have a mac, you can use its analog output. Not terribly bad.

[@ilovecops6255]

DAC stands for Ditigal to Analogs COnverters. Here is the articles... A DAC takes digital data and transforms it into an analog audio signal. Afterward, it sends that analog signal to an amplifier. When you hear digital recordings, you’re actually listening to an analog signal that was converted from digital by a DAC. Even if you can’t see the DAC - although you sometimes can, as we’ll explore shortly - it’s there.

[@Norman-bone13]

Are you kidding? 😮

[@ShishKerBabS]

Prepping to receive my S.M.S.L. Su9n cant wait big expectations.

[@ramires100]

More than a year has passed and I still think that DRAGONFLY COBALT is one of the best proposals 🤗🤗🤗

[@stephensmith3111]

Good tor you, Paul! No over the top, blanket condemnation of the competition (re: What's different between a fixed and variable audio output? 03/25/2020: "Don't take the analog output of a CD player, they all suck! They do, they really do!") this time. For what it's worth, I bought an AudioQuest DragonFly Black for use with my laptop a bit over 3 years ago for $98.75. Not the ultimate, of course, but far more than adequately good, especially for the very modest price. Uses a cable with a 1/8 inch stereo mini-plug to dual RCA connectors into a not quite vintage integrated amp..

[@stephensmith3111]

erratum: 03/15/2020

[@stephensmith3111]

@Fat Rat "Not only, but also!" -- ?

[@adelkharisov]

Stephen Smith in my opinion black is not better than build in iPhone 6S.

[@stephensmith3111]

@@adelkharisov I have not compared the DragonfFy Black against my iPhone 6 for music. The Black was purchased as an inexpensive backup when my CD et al. player was in the shop to get it's transport replaced (it had given me 8 years of service, so I can't complain too much). I will use the iPhone direct from its headphone jack through the same cable sometimes to listen to the news from [sarcasm font on] the evil liberal media [sarcasm font off] via the NET app. Otherwise, I just listen to some ripped CDs (in accordance with the fair use doctrine) when going on a constitutional (at least I did before COVID-19 reared it ugly crown) with plain ol' Apple ear buds, adequately good for long walks. "All things considered. All things considered. All things considered. Well, almost."

[@dipanjanbiswas6580]

Hi Paul, your videos are absolute gems! Any plans to publish a book covering some of the topics (like this one)? Would be a great guide for audiophiles the world over!

[@Finn-McCool]

Yes look for BRANDS. Don't concern yourself with whether or not it supports PCM lossless WAV/FLAC/AIFF/ALAC/AAC/MP3/WMA. Or PCM file format sampling up to 32bit/384kHz and lossless DFF/DSF/ISO DSD128 file format. Pay no attention to whether The DSD stream is directly transmitted from the CPU to the DAC with no conversion to the PCM stream. Or if itsupports a USB external CD/DVD-ROM to play CDs. Look for a BRAND with a catchy font.

[@net_news]

well... a catchy font is objectively more important than 32bit/348khz or DSD because 99.9% of the content is 44khz/16bit anyway... xD

[@jonsingle1614]

Ok smarty pants....what is your recommendation???

[@ar_xiv]

well what's your answer

[@nostro1001]

@Fat Rat Hello Fat Rat....👻

[@Finn-McCool]

Get a """SONY""" HAPZ1ES of course. HAPZ1ES MAKES ME HAPPY HAPZ1ES MAKES ME GLAD HAPZ1ES IS THE BEST DAC ANYONE EVER ... .... PAID 2k for But just marvel at the brand seared into the side of that animal.

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

Paul is smart. He knows that the best advertising ever aside from the product itself is to have the security about your lineup to the point that you give glowing praise to the competition. That doesn't seem like advanced marketing to me but no more often than you see it you might think it was.

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

@Fat Rat I wouldn't know what color it is cause I don't exhale it.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

I just reviewed the new schiit Modius dac awesome sounding dac for 199.00 and about to review the AuneX8 Majic dac with FPGA ! You can switch the op-amps out and it has the ESS 9038Q2M dac chip and it can be used as a preamp its smooth !

[@peterelliott2914]

I got a used Beresford Bushmaster for cheap because that's the one Sennheiser used as the reference DAC for the HD650, which I have. It's matched lol. So try to get the DAC that matches your kit.

[@oleksiifilippov68]

Schiit Modi Multibit over coax is a very good budget DAC. Has better soundstage, instrument placement and timbre than Dragonfly Cobalt, probably better microdynamics. It just sounds more natural to my ears. If you prefer any music with live instruments, i would choose Modi over Cobalt. However, the latter one is pretty good too, but it's obviously tuned up for the headphones, plus has class D specific sound (in a good way). I often use it with my heaphones on the go. I've also had a used Bifrost 4490, and a cheap Arcam. Sold them because of Modi.

[@benkrake3678]

I have the Audioquest DragonFly Black which retails for around $130.00AUD. I use this a lot for my headphones, which is what it’s meant for, but you can connect it to an amplifier if you have an AUX cable, I’m sure you’ll be impressed with it. You can also get the DragonFly Red, which has a better DAC and headphone amplifier, but twice the price, and there is the DragonFly Cobalt which is more expensive again, not sure what the difference is between the red and the cobalt though.

[@davemonell9308]

Dragonfly's are really great I use a Micromega mydac verison 1 for a home dac.i have some other Dave but I prefer it to the other ones.

[@Sams911]

Politically I have practically nothing in common with Paul, but I love his company and his equipment...

[@johnvalatos4073]

Chris, Schitt Modi or secondhand Schitt Bifrost is a good start for now and because you are in the US.

[@leswever9014]

If you will be happy with a 24/96 DAC, try a second-hand Behringer Ultra-curve Pro. You get a DAC and digital 24-bit/96 kHz EQ/RTA. Ebay should help you find one in your price range.

[@StewartMarkley]

Les Wever Best response that I’ve seen.

[@humanitech]

Secondhand bluesound node 2 or 2i as you also get a good quality mqa streamer

[@billjobes1851]

The writer asked, "What should I look for in a DAC to maximize the quality of the sound?" You did not answer the question. You told the writer what to look "AT", not what to look "FOR." What are the characteristics of what makes quality sound in a DAC? Within quality brands is a given. But what exactly is it that makes one DAC better than another?

[@mauriciojv7901]

An older, but VERY musical Audio Alchemy DDE 3.0 is also a great option.

[@navanski]

I love the way the purpose of the DAC was neither provided or explored. What digital inputs would be required from what sources. You have to think that might be a reasonable consideration.

[@V1ralB1ack]

It's assumed you'd know the purpose as it's in the name but abbreviated. Dac stands for digital to analog converter. Any digital source is processed through one using a optical or USB port and sometimes s/pdif. Almost all media is stored digitally so the dac would be helping with the audio playback to ensure what is stored gets played back exactly as it was recorded

[@kdkseven]

This channel has done many videos on DACs, and has likely covered those topics. Just search this channel for DAC videos.

[@adrianinnavan3910]

@@V1ralB1ack I am aware of what a DAC does. I was considering those that don't. I have two dedicated DACs. One can handle coax, optical and USB inputs and will process up to 32bit 768 khz or DSD512. The other DAC only handles coax or optical at either 44 or 48 khz but absolutely trounces the more advanced DAC for dynamics, detail and musicality. Don't judge a book by it's cover. What to look for in a DAC? - that's a really difficult question.

[@V1ralB1ack]

@@adrianinnavan3910 It's been a fucking year since I posted that comment and honestly dacs are just a necessity now. What I look for is signs that it gets lots of details out, natural sound, class a analog stage, good power supply and if it expands the Soundstage that would be nice too.

[@Crokto]

100-300 dollars for a college kid is not a very limited budget lol. topping d50s is a gnarly dac for 250. schiit modi 3 is great for 100

[@davidfairchild1640]

Curious to know, what bookshelf speakers are those? Thanks.

[@blah5387]

Looks like the Sprout + Elac debut 6.2’s

[@charliebrown3082]

"Jds labs el dac. Supposedly it measures amazingly well.

[@noahbirdrevolution]

I love my schiit & gashelli labs dacs.

[@V1ralB1ack]

Great against things at any price point and hard to beat

[@MrTruth111]

Get a Metrum Dac Quad second hand, the sound will stay unique.

[@laurentzduba1298]

Any DAC that can make my 5-inch silver discs sound like they are vinyl LPs played on a Linn Sondek or Barclay-Crocker open reel tapes is good enough for me. Sadly, what I'm looking for usually has a badge that says Wadia on the front and costs 8,000 USD. 🤔

[@scottdavis0801]

The Schiit Audio Modi multibit is really good, better the Schitt Mani phono preamp. For the money!

[@TheThorntonBrapper]

Behringer UCA202. $20. As transparent as any other. 16Bit only, however.

[@ilovecops6255]

They also make great USB audio interfaces which are compatible witn XP an dLinux!

[@JohnMartin-vc5dj]

Sure be nice to sit and have a chat. Have you over . My need for music playback in 1. Clean 2. Dynamic and fast, 3. Toe tapping involvement with my soul

[@MikhailKulkov]

Used Chord Mojo

[@oleksiifilippov68]

With a cooked battery? Remind me, how much does it cost to change it? :-)

[@brandongaster]

Holding to your convictions isn't political! I can respect that.

[@janinapalmer8368]

Paul should have been a politician ! He did NOT answer the question... the guy wanted to know what to LOOK for in a DAC ... meaning what would be a typical minimum specification... ... THEN go sus out a brand or model ...

[@Crokto]

Paul's constantly talking about how numbers arent what you look at. So the minimum specification is that it has digital inputs and analog outputs. And then that it comes from a trusted brand. No trusted brand is producing dacs over 100 with bad numbers anyways is part of the reason

[@nostro1001]

@@Crokto I think dacs are about the singular most audio item where specs are easy to understand and tell a good story. And, unfortunately some costly dacs from well known brands don't measure well and get outperformed by lessor known and cheaper couterparts After all a dac isn't a lot more than a computer chip. Large housing doesn't hide the fact that inside is just a small chip. Hence, 'hats' for a raspberry pi, thumb size dacs and so on exist and can sound very good. As per Paul's suggestion an audioquest dragonfly. The black is under $100

[@Crokto]

@@nostro1001 im trying to relate advice paul has given in the past as context for why he may have answered the way he did

[@nostro1001]

@@Crokto Yup, Paul's advice is about your ears & some brands he seems to often talk about, whether that's Audioquest because he sells their gear or another brand where he's friends with the owner or perhaps a totally random brand. That said, do pay attention to the numbers with dacs, you can hardly go wrong with something that measures well. That tells you it will do its job without colouration. And of course, by all means, listen & compare!

[@KTZ_86]

Putting in the effort to hunt a magnificent animal (like a moose) and honoring it and nature by consuming everything edible it offers (and it can feed a family for quite a surprising amount of time) is actually a very good and natural alternative to buying supermarket meat and financing these farms where (in most cases) animals are not well treated. Men, wolves, lions, bears. We consume meat, and no one respects and honors a hunt more than a true hunter.

[@HareDeLune]

It's all in the teeth. Herbivores have flat teeth for grinding and chewing plants with leaves, stems, and seeds. Carnivores have sharper canine teeth which are good for tearing meat. Humans have both of these types of teeth (yes, I'm leaving out the other types. Focus!), placing us in the category of omnivore by design and physiology. As an aside to this, we are by nature also scavengers. These are the basics. They do not cover variations in individuals, or what proportions of differing food types are optimal for different individuals, or the species as a whole, for that matter. Life is complex, and made more complex by countless variables and interactions.

[@xstensl8823]

NAD D1050 smoked the Mytek Liberty last week at the show room

[@MrLoridin]

Schitt DACs are just that... they make good kit, DACs just isn't one of them however imo. Under $300, JDS Labs El Dac II, SMSL SU-8 v2, Topping are all great choices that will take $$$ to upgrade beyond.

[@juliangst]

Good choices, but those people here don't know brands like smsl, jds labs or topping I guess

[@maison33253]

Was here for dac info, got a guy talking about eating meat....

[@notircm]

S.M.S.L Sanskrit? Any idea guys?

[@chrisvinicombe9947]

I brought one about a week ago. It's great for £67. Using it as a digital preamp. Running my phone usb as a streamer and cd player coax. Be sure to use a 5v supply for it to get best performance. Only nitpick is there is a tiny amount of hiss which combines with the tiny amount of hiss from my power amp making a very small amount of hiss. It's not audible unless I'm right next to the speaker though. Sound is neutral and has decent detail with nice stereo performance.

[@notircm]

@@chrisvinicombe9947 thanx!

[@notircm]

@Carl Capps remote volume?! How did u do that?

[@notircm]

@Carl Capps 😒 Sanskrit 6th aniversary here

[@Raymondey]

Used Audiolab M-DAC or Q-DAC

[@aweidenhammer]

Love Paul’s videos, but this is a non answer. He said he can’t audition devices, but you tell him to find what you like. I’d suggest the Shiit Modi as others have, but I certainly haven’t heard enough to say that is my favorite choice. That said, perhaps Paul hasn’t heard enough low end dacs to say either. But he should either suggest one, admit that he hasn’t the experience to say, or not answer this particular question.

[@B1tterAndThenSome]

Have DACs seen any upgrades throughout the years? Currently I am using a near 10 year old DAC, the Hegel HD11. It was highly rated when it was released, reviewed really well. Wondering if getting a new one in the same price point would be beneficial.

[@V1ralB1ack]

It's more a matter of how well the dac is designed as opposed to new ones being better than old ones. The best ones today are schiit r2r dacs, Geshelli labs enog2, the rme adi 2 dac, the chord mojo if you're into chord products but more than likely you're fine with what you have

[@robertchase3638]

Dragonfly Cobalt is DAC is $ 400 and apparently it's incredible

[@MrLoridin]

Robert Chase The Cobalt is not worth thr cost over the Red, the gains don’t match the price tag.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

@@MrLoridin THANK YOU. People want to argue with me about this and I'm just like really? The type of people that claim they can hear the grass growing. It's a DAC for f's sake lol.

[@pjs565]

Paul what do you think about behringer?

[@bk6678]

I don’t even know what the hell a DAC is. What does DAC stand for and what does it do?

[@bro7269]

B K Digital Analog Converter. It literally converts a digital signal back to analog so your speakers can function properly.

[@Peter_Jenner]

Far out, talk about not answering the question.

[@Error2username]

Have you watched the vid?

[@juliaset751]

I have had very good luck buying demo’s from Audio stores. An Audio store is not going to demo a unit that doesn’t sound excellent, or is prone to failure. And, it’s already broken in for you.

[@louisdefunes8952]

Micro Mega MyDac (second hand)

[@greebuh]

Is that like "Paulotics"???

[@rickc661]

Being old, I don't get this digital stuff.... even WHICh DAC ( Cambridge receiver or CD player - is doing the decoding. ??) and wouldn't the extra cable connect (!!! ) add distortion ?? Sony X700 blu ray player, ( $200.) plays almost every format including SACD.... would Sony cheap out on a built in DAC that denigrates the sound of it's SACD ? sure sounds OK to me. your mileage may vary, beauty in eye of beholder.

[@V1ralB1ack]

If you're old it's all the more reason you should know this. Dacs have gotten more cheap at least delta sigmas have but burr brown made dacs capable of processing around 18 bits around 40-50 years ago. R2r dacs have been around for forever

[@rwgamer]

If he's truly looking for budget--you can't do better than the Fiio E10K for $80.

[@drummerboy5940]

Try Audiogon

[@gillian_seed8358]

Paul could be a Joe Biden stunt double

[@bananasplitbrain476]

Musical Fidelity V DAC

[@mariodrv]

LOOK FOR IT SOUNDING GOOD FFS

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

cheap upgrades for cheap dacs : ifi ipower 50$. supra usb cable 40$.

[@leswever9014]

...gonna start talking Paul-a-tics? Go right ahead. I'd like that (even if I may not agree with everything ).

[@terrywho22]

Paul is smart to not do that. There are more than enough "qualified" people that do that. Many people come here as a means to enjoy discussions that don't involve politics.

[@justinparkman3585]

my dac in my 30 year old cd player sounds better than my rega dac be careful when buying dacs

[@charlesferguson6678]

Be very careful buying used dacs. Used dacs are ok but old dacs are NOT. I would go with new. Get anything by Schiit Audio or get the AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt or the Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 DAC. I would also recommend the PS Audio Sprout, but the sprout is more than a dac. It is also an amplifier and you don’t need that. Enjoy!

[@ahuesphoto]

I agree, old high-end DACs may sound very good / musical but they are not as detailed as New entry level ones from brands like Schiit Audio, JDS Labs and Geshelli Labs

[@bananasplitbrain476]

Teac or NAD D 1050

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

ifi zen

[@ar_xiv]

I recommend a MOTU audio interface, maybe the M4.

[@irun2sanaxox]

SMSL SU-8

[@Shoaibexpert]

Get the SMSL M500. Full Stop!

[@realitykicksin8755]

My TEAC UD-H01 has XLR balanced outputs and connects straight into my active monitor. Nothing beats that combination in “bang for buck”. Look to the whole audio chain if you want save money. And BTW a reasonable NAD receiver has SUPERIOR DAC performance compared to these smaller brands. E.g. a NAD T747 sounds better over its HDMI inputs straight from a LAPTOP than many other systems costing 10-fold. Just saying ....

[@deejay6083]

Chris, search no more. This one beats many "audiophile grade" DAC's that cost 10+ times more. www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-e30-dac-review.12119/ And if you want to compare with others: www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?pages/Audio_Equipment_Reviews/

[@dfj555]

Schitt Dacs are the best, for the price point.

[@MrLoridin]

D. Johnson yeah nah, they really aren’t and measure like trash. Sooo many better options.

[@dfj555]

@@MrLoridin $99.99???

[@V1ralB1ack]

@@MrLoridin Measurements don't mean anything. Products can be built to test well but perform poorly. Schiit dacs in real actual use sound great

[@MrLoridin]

@@V1ralB1ack not in my experience, have owned and listened to a number of Schitt DACs and they are always subpar compared to others in their price range and quite often not even in the same ballpark. I am yet to hear a DAC / Product that has tested great and didn't also sound great and vice versa. I would like to see an example if you have one.

[@V1ralB1ack]

@@MrLoridin Well even excluding the r2r dacs, the gungnir dac runs 2 chips a channel and has separate power to the USB and I think each channel has its own power separated to stop any interference. You don't think it sounds good? I don't think price plays a big part in dacs for obvious reasons but clarity and accuracy do

[@ener5361]

DAC’s all sound the same. Buy one you like. I bet even Paul cant hear the difference in a abx test.

[@jimbo4460]

Love how all these people on youtube that have to fill their videos with absolute nonsense for over half of their videos with absolutely useless off topic information.

[@mark22732]

Schiit or SMSL are your friends.

[@V1ralB1ack]

If USB is not necessary I highly recommend the Geshelli labs enog2. I love my schiit gungnir multibit

[@betavirus11]

I think someone has the coronavirus

[@stanislavshokurov6532]

Don’t buy that shiiit 😂😂 For about $500 is possible to buy something really good from the 90’s. Look for something really expensive when was new. I’m using a Sony dac, it’s not a shiit for sure 👍👍👍

[@larrylai9192]

Chord mojo

[@HowDareYouu]

wa this question even real? ntz ntz

[@sundaru1]

Great to know that you are vegan , it will give you healthy body Paul

[@TorToroPorco]

At the $300 price point I’m partial to the Musical Fidelity V90 DAC of which there are an ample supply of used ones on eBay. An excellent upgrade for it would be a $100 linear power supply. It has a a excellent midrange presentation that is probably more nuanced than most DACS in that price range.

[@paullazarro531]

Schiit Modi3, hard to beat for $99.

[@wa2368]

The college lad will suffer upgraditis with Shiit too soon. A Topping D50s or D70 used or from mass drop will keep the college lad happy for a long time. This is coming from a old lad who got jaw dropped when he heard the Topping D90 and sold his Shiit Yggy.

[@michaelmcintyre9179]

you want me to eat shit

[@johnm9845]

Note to American sites giving technical advice just get to point ffs. This guy waffles on about eating animals and branding??