INTERACT FORUM

Devices => Sound Cards, DAC's, Receivers, Speakers, and Headphones => Topic started by: Dennis in FL on August 11, 2019, 10:10:31 am

Title: Help sought for new DAC
Post by: Dennis in FL on August 11, 2019, 10:10:31 am

My DAC (Oppo HA-2) is slowly dying.  (I only use 2 channels)

I am thinking of either

1) getting a new DAC ( iMac --> USB-->DAC (DSD compatible --> Receiver RCA input)

2) getting a USB-Toslink converter and then inputting to my SONY HAP DAC  (iMac-->USB-->Schiit WYRD--> Sony HAP S1--Receiver RCA input)

3) using something like a Raspberry Pi and outputting to my Denon receiver with HDMI (use the receiver DAC) - not crazy about this one

Appreciate any thoughts.....I haven't researched DACs etc for a few years and am not up to date

Title: Re: Help sought for new DAC
Post by: Manfred on August 11, 2019, 10:33:08 am

RME ADI-2 DAC gets good reviews (includes headphone amp).

https://www.rme-audio.de/en/products/adi_2-dac.php?from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0  (https://www.rme-audio.de/en/products/adi_2-dac.php?from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0)

but its a different form factor.

Title: Re: Help sought for new DAC
Post by: Listener on August 14, 2019, 09:59:16 am

Quote from: Dennis in FL on August 11, 2019, 10:10:31 am

My DAC (Oppo HA-2) is slowly dying.  (I only use 2 channels)

I am thinking of either

1) getting a new DAC ( iMac --> USB-->DAC (DSD compatible --> Receiver RCA input)

2) getting a USB-Toslink converter and then inputting to my SONY HAP DAC  (iMac-->USB-->Schiit WYRD--> Sony HAP S1--Receiver RCA input)

3) using something like a Raspberry Pi and outputting to my Denon receiver with HDMI (use the receiver DAC) - not crazy about this one

Appreciate any thoughts.....I haven't researched DACs etc for a few years and am not up to date

This forum has reviews with extensive measurements of a number of DACS.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php (https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php)

One conclusion:  you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to get good performance.

Title: Re: Help sought for new DAC
Post by: SageAdvise on August 22, 2019, 04:21:12 am

Your choice #2 would work but not as well as the Oppo. I have the OPPO UDP 205 Blu-ray/audio Dac combo which I love! The other day it seemed to have a catastrophic failure and I realized it would at least 3 expensive pieces to replace it. Then I remembered reading somewhere that it has some sort of self correcting software (kind of like Windows) so I turned it off and unplugged it from the wall which lets all the capacitors dissipate. The next day I hooked back up and the software went and reloaded itself from the website and presto change-o it started working again. 
In the meantime I bought a Topping DX-3Pro Dac Headphone amp/ Preamp for about $220 for the office and after finding the right Drives for windows (necessary). I am listening to JRiver 24 wav files converted to 4x DSD. It uses the AK4497 chip https://www.amazon.com/DX3-Pro-Headphone-Amplifier- I you want to spend more then I recommend the Mytek Brooklyn or maybe the Benchmark family of Dacs but then you are in the 2-3K range. If you have 10K to drop look at the Cord Products from England

Title: It wasn't the DAC
Post by: Dennis in FL on August 26, 2019, 10:23:39 am

Well, I started getting noise on other channels and soon realized my Oppo DAC was okay and the problem was the super expensive receiver (insert bad words here).  My 7 yr old Denon 4520CI was the problem.   Seems to be the volume control potentiometer was causing the horrible noise.

I couldn't get the receiver repaired at a couple of places due to its age and parts scarcity.....so I bought a new receiver.....the Oppo DAC is fine.