Best Single Ended USB DAC under 1000?

[The Monkey]

With Headroom's current sale pricing and provided you don't mind the 1/8" output I'd be hard pressed not to take a long look at the Ultra Micro DAC. I love my MAX DAC based source.

I'm not even in the market for it and I'm tempted.

[The Monkey]

I heard it briefly at CanJam. Good stuff.

[swt61]

If you can get in on the feeding frenzy and have the ability or find someone to build it for you, I think the TP Buffalo would fit the bill nicely. Plus it could also be made balanced so you wouldn't have to upgrade in the future.

Couldn't agree more!

I've listened to a lot of DACs, and owned some winners, but this DAC still floored me.

We're talking leaps above the cost of build, in terms of SQ.

[Augsburger]

Definitely a winner for the cost. Exactly how good time will tell over the next few days.

[padam]

I have a question: Should I buy a DacMagic now or should I wait for a Pico DAC only? Which is better? I would use it with ATH-ESW10+amp for now.

I have bought a good XLR IC already (when I thought I have no chance of getting the ESW10) so by buying a DacMagic there would be room for an update on the 'balanced line', but if it is too 'low-fi' for an electrostatic system it is pointless. The DacMagic is available in my country I don't have to suffer the exchange rates which means I can have it at a cheap price. But does it worth it?

[aardvark baguette]

I dont believe anyone here has heard the dacmagic. I'm not 100% on that though.

[Hopstretch]

Cankin got one a few weeks ago, but has been scarce since then. Maybe that's a good sign?

There's plenty of FOTM-ery going on in the Head-Fi thread, too.

[tyrion]

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f7/change-yes-he-can-justin-379175/

[guzziguy]

I have a question: Should I buy a DacMagic now or should I wait for a Pico DAC only? Which is better? I would use it with ATH-ESW10+amp for now.

I have bought a good XLR IC already (when I thought I have no chance of getting the ESW10) so by buying a DacMagic there would be room for an update on the 'balanced line', but if it is too 'low-fi' for an electrostatic system it is pointless. The DacMagic is available in my country I don't have to suffer the exchange rates which means I can have it at a cheap price. But does it worth it?

Change - Yes He Can, Justin that is... - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

After reading Tyrion's impressions, I'd say ask Justin when the PicoDac is due to come out and at what price (I daresay it will be considerably less than $1K) and wait for it if you like his answers.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Look at the head-fi meets impressions forum for the 11/1/08 Colorado meet - we compared DACMagic to Stello DA100 to Apogee mini-DAC with sigma 11.

I ranked them as Apogee first, Stello a very close 2nd. The DACMagic came in third because it sounded a little too polite and smoothed out and less detailed and dynamic (using balanced with ALO SXC XLR interconnects, or silver RCA). I often use my Pico as a DAC/Pre-amp and it is better than the DACMagic and closer to the Stello and Apogee. As a headphone amp I have put the Pico closer to the HR Micro Stack in sound, but as a pre-amp it excels in driving other amps.

PS: Justin has told me he'll send me one to test for him, and they will be $349.

[Cankin]

Look at the head-fi meets impressions forum for the 11/1/08 Colorado meet - we compared DACMagic to Stello DA100 to Apogee mini-DAC with sigma 11.

I ranked them as Apogee first, Stello a very close 2nd. The DACMagic came in third because it sounded a little too polite and smoothed out and less detailed and dynamic (using balanced with ALO SXC XLR interconnects, or silver RCA). I often use my Pico as a DAC/Pre-amp and it is better than the DACMagic and closer to the Stello and Apogee. As a headphone amp I have put the Pico closer to the HR Micro Stack in sound, but as a pre-amp it excels in driving other amps.

PS: Justin has told me he'll send me one to test for him, and they will be $349.

oh no, I sold my Pico for it

[padam]

That's reasonable but at the current exchange rate I can get the DACMagic significantly cheaper (locally). The real question for me is whether it is good for a balanced system later on or not. If not, Pico will be my choice (or Stello DA100S with a long, long wait)

[padam]

Yes I sold it too, and now it is much more expensive

[HeadphoneAddict]

oh no, I sold my Pico for it

Look at the bright side - DACMagic doesn't sound bad it's just not the best, it's very versatile with many inputs and outputs, and it might improve with burn in or with the addition of a better power supply like a sigma 11 (wiatrob is building one for the DACMagic we tried)

[padam]

Anyone got any experiences with an Mhdt Lab Constantine+ DAC? As I've mentioned before I auditioned a STAX combo which is for sale and the owner also selling the DAC as well. Or course it sounded awesome but I have nothing to compare it to. Or should I look elsewhere for a STAX?

[laxx]

I have a Constantine+ DAC. I used to use the USB for quite some time (about a year) and I now use the Coax on it and it sounds a helluva lot better.

It's not a bad sounding DAC, and I don't have much to compare it with. The only DAC I can compare it to is the one that comes with the Corda Aria.

[Hopstretch]

There's an Audio Zone DAC-1 on Agon right now for $800.

I've been curious about these and I know there are several Peter Daniel fans on the board. Would anyone care to comment on this photo of the innards?

[Fungi]

Would anyone care to comment on this photo of the innards?

Yeah, it looks like an amazing Chinese balancing circus act.

[The Monkey]

I think I'm going to get a Pico.

[n_maher]

There's an Audio Zone DAC-1 on Agon right now for $800.

I've been curious about these and I know there are several Peter Daniel fans on the board. Would anyone care to comment on this photo of the innards?

[spritzer]

There's an Audio Zone DAC-1 on Agon right now for $800.

I've been curious about these and I know there are several Peter Daniel fans on the board. Would anyone care to comment on this photo of the innards?

Here is how my DAC1 looks on the inside:

The other one is due to some idiot wanting a balanced DAC for some peculiar reason. To do so you have to double up almost everything inside the small chassis hence the mess.

I do like the DAC in my computer setup both because it is small )fits on top of the Stax amp) and it also sounds great. It may not be the last word in detail (the APL is tough to beat but at more then 10x the price) and the bass could be more authoritative and reach deeper but these are small sins of omission that are easy to live with.

[donunus]

cec da53 a candidate here? I'm getting mine in a week

[wrecked_porsche]

I think I'm going to get a Pico.

I miss the Pico. I just gave it back to my friend an hour ago. I was using it for the last 3 days. It was awesome.

I hope that the Pico DAC only version can compete with other usb DACs at the $1000 mark. I want one.

[Fungi]

cec da53 a candidate here? I'm getting mine in a week

If you're really curious, go find Iron Dreamer's DAC comparison with the DA10, DAC1, Aqvox (same as the DA53), and Opera (I think that was it).

[HeadphoneAddict]

Well, Sherwood spent a few hours tonight listening to my Stax and the Pico did a very good job as a DAC/pre-amp feeding the Woo GES. There was nothing at all to complain about. It's very good.