[Closed] Hifi buffs what's the thought on DAC's

I have a very similar system (rega brio to dynaudio) to you but have also have the rega dac.

I think the dac improves both the Sonos connect and the PS4. But I can't hear a difference on the mini mac that is also connected to it. Biggest improvement is to the PS4

I had an arcam dac before the rega one but I didn't like the sound it created.

I'm just getting back into HIFI after a couple of decades absence.

It seems a good DAC is the new 'source' so makes sense to get a good one.

I recently bought a old CD payer with an upgraded DAC which is a bit half and half given most people are likely to have lossless media on a HD somewhere but I quite like CD's sort of vinyl without the faff.

My system sound good enough and after spending a small fortune on HIFI in the eighties I'm keen not to go too far down that rabbit hole again.

My Creek player has a DAC that I can use for other sources. My Sonos connects to it optically!

I think it's cool.

This is going to end well.

Cheers people .... I was a little worried this was going to go down the quality cable route and get blasted haha

Why not try the super cheap option and see what noise it makes.

I was very surprised at how good this sounded [url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-UCA202-U-Control-low-latency-Interface/dp/B000KW2YEI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1488964026&sr=8-3&keywords=usb+dac ]Behringer UCA202 for £24[/url]

The Rega DAC itself is well regarded (I don't mean reviewed - I tend to ignore hifi press). You can pick up one for £300 second hand.

The Cambridge Dacmagic and Audiolab MDAC are also both well thought of.

TBH DACs have got to the point where diminishing returns set in very quickly - lots of decent stuff for not mega money.

(I stream from my iMac to an Apple Airport Express - nothing I have read or heard yet tells me to bypass its own internal DAC)

Chord Mojo seems to be very highly regarded. But I imagine that DAC technology has moved on so much that anything in the £300 price range will show an improvement for a Sonos. Not that mine are fed into anything other than the Onkyo receiver DAC.

I could really use a DAC that has a volume control on it, with remote control right now. That would sort out a lot of wiring for me!

So, basically, a DAC + preamp that would then plug direct into my LINN power amp.

Rachel

I bought an Audiolab Mdac to play my Logitech Squeezebox Touch through and it was a big improvement on the one in the Squeezebox (which is regarded as being pretty decent anyway). The main improvement was in the soundstaging, instruments were very firmly placed and the soundstage extended well outside the width of the speakers.

I use a Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus but i have a rather lowly mac based system into KRK Rokits & KRK sub, not quite your set-up. It seems to do what i want and has enough inputs for future proofing. Sounds decent enough for my ears anyway.

[url= https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/hifi/dac ]Cambridge Audio DACS here[/url]

I had a Sonos Connect and a Rega DAC-R (the latest model with asynchronous USB) and it improved the sound of the music.

Shameless plug, but my DAC-R is currently for sale here:

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?50046-Rega-DAC-R-for-sale-only-2-months-old!

I use a cheap / Old Beresford Dac - Upgraded the OpAmps myself. Works nice with Mac / Apple TV / Chromecast and the mass of devices I plug in via USB / optical / standard. It also works as a headphone Amp for under £100. Makes a massive improvement just using headphone out / RCA's etc on low - mid range devices. Night and say difference when using with large / hard to power headphones. Buy second hand, if you're not convinced sell back on the Bay - no real risk.

I stream from my iMac to an Apple Airport Express - nothing I have read or heard yet tells me to bypass its own internal DAC

I used an airport express and the optical connection into a beresford DAC (bypassing internal DAC) and when I tried it on its own it was inferior in sound quality compared to the beresford and now the Musical fidelity V-Dac I use now.

That said the DAC in a MacBook Pro was very good as is the one in a iPhone, the iPad was terrible though.

I don't think you have to spend thousands but there are differences, also depends on your system revealing those differences.

I'm going to have a listen to the Arcam rPlay which is a Dac and hi-rez streamer in one as the Sonos will only play cd quality but keep the Sonos for the multi room too

So, basically, a DAC + preamp that would then plug direct into my LINN power amp.

Hi Rachel,

I'm using a Benchmark DAC1 HDR, which does just that, and has a volume control and remote. Was very expensive when new, but secondhand versions can be had for more sensible money.

I ended up buying the Arcam rPlay and super pleased as it's so much better sounding than the Sonos connect plus it finds all the music in on your system and plays 24bit 192