Feedback on PC USB DAC's
- Thread starter fredrickj
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mcandmar
New member
The ODAC is a better DAC than the Modi so i would skip that one, the Bifrost is highly spoken of but considerably more expensive by the time you add USB and and the upgraded IV stage. For that kind of budget i would be waiting to see what the Bottlehead offering is going to cost.
mcandmar
New member
Finished building my PupDAC this evening and i am deeply impressed with it. vs the ODAC it seems more refined, especially top end. Where the ODAC can sometimes sound flat and lifeless dynamically this little Pup has a deeper set of lungs.
Downside, for $120 is roughly the same cost as an ODAC, and its USB interface is limited to 16bit only. I suspect it may not measure as well as the ODAC in THD and other measurements but it sounds better to me. Really wasn't expecting that as i bought it to trow in my laptop bag and use in work. Now it might actually stay hooked upto the S.E.X. amp until the Botthehead DAC comes out.
Worth pointing out, if a Crack / S.E.X. amp is a 5/10 in difficulty, this is a 20. SMD components are no fun at all to work with.
Downside, for $120 is roughly the same cost as an ODAC, and its USB interface is limited to 16bit only. I suspect it may not measure as well as the ODAC in THD and other measurements but it sounds better to me. Really wasn't expecting that as i bought it to trow in my laptop bag and use in work. Now it might actually stay hooked upto the S.E.X. amp until the Botthehead DAC comes out.
Worth pointing out, if a Crack / S.E.X. amp is a 5/10 in difficulty, this is a 20. SMD components are no fun at all to work with.
Yeah, particularly the chips, those were a real pain in my ass. Luckily I did not rush things. I did the chips and then went to bed, checked them again with a magnifying glass in the morning sun and found a couple of bridges my tired eyes did not see the night before. Just like any DIY, go slow, take your time, double & triple check connections, it will turn out okay 
hardisondan
New member
mcandmar said:
Is there a Bottlehead DAC coming out? Please say yes.
hardisondan
New member
Sorry, my first ever post and I ask a dumb question!
2 seconds after I pressed post I saw the thread on the kickstarter DAC project.
Dan
2 seconds after I pressed post I saw the thread on the kickstarter DAC project.
Dan
mcandmar
New member
Welcome. There is a Bottlehead DAC in the works but it will be in the four digit price range so not really comparable to the above.
I made the comment above that i suspected the PupDAC wouldn't measure as well as the ODAC. Since then i have played with RMAA and made a few measurements and found the opposite to be true.
I made the comment above that i suspected the PupDAC wouldn't measure as well as the ODAC. Since then i have played with RMAA and made a few measurements and found the opposite to be true.
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xcoolhandx
New member
I recently switched from Schiit Modi to Nuforce Icon HDP (you can find one on ebay below $300) and it pairs with Crack very nicely
192kHz/24-bit via toslink
P.S. I have Modi for sale if you interested (only used it for about 3 days )
192kHz/24-bit via toslink
P.S. I have Modi for sale if you interested (only used it for about 3 days )
I am currently at the same place as you do, 300$ budget for DAC, the bifrost is what I wish for but with all its upgrades it reaches 520$ its way over 300$, someone recommended me Musical Fidelity v90 dac but i can't seem to find much reviews on it and I heard musical fidelity is not what it used to be since they moved they production to Vietnam.
Anyway I am starting to play with the idea of buying a portable dac/amp with an emphasize on the dac this way I can get a portable combo for my IEM or any other low impedance HP and a dac for home, it might be a good idea to save some money..
There are quite a few options , audio quest ff, meridian explorer, but I think HRT mircostreamer is the best considering connectivity to mobile devices and sound wise up to 300$
About the ODAC, I heard a lot of recommendations though its sound to some as flat and very analytically, this is why I am afraid of it, I don't want something to flaten my bass but actually emphasize it ...
Anyway I am starting to play with the idea of buying a portable dac/amp with an emphasize on the dac this way I can get a portable combo for my IEM or any other low impedance HP and a dac for home, it might be a good idea to save some money..
There are quite a few options , audio quest ff, meridian explorer, but I think HRT mircostreamer is the best considering connectivity to mobile devices and sound wise up to 300$
About the ODAC, I heard a lot of recommendations though its sound to some as flat and very analytically, this is why I am afraid of it, I don't want something to flaten my bass but actually emphasize it ...
I'm the proud & happy owner of an iFi iDSD nano. For less than $200, it plays anything, PCM, DXD, DSD up to 6.2MHz. With its battery, it's portable with my iPhone (Onkyo HF Player) for low impedance headphones, and it pairs beautyfully with the crack and the mac (Audirvana). Absolutely no regret since the new firmware enabled USB3.0 controllers (all latests machines).
A review in french http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/info/Hi-Fi-Guide/Bancs-d-essai/iFi-Audio-iDSD-Nano-Qobuzissime175549
A review in french http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/info/Hi-Fi-Guide/Bancs-d-essai/iFi-Audio-iDSD-Nano-Qobuzissime175549
hardisondan
New member
Snarii said:
I am thinking of getting one of those. I am curious, does it perform well as a DAC for non hi-res audio? 99% of my music collection is not DSD/hi-res, i.e. it's just ripped CD's (lossless APE), but I'd like to have the option of getting into more DSD in the future. Why would I buy the standard iDAC if the iDSD does the same job and more?
Dan
