[gonefishin]

    Hi all!

   I gotta admit, I don't see many familiar faces from when I used to hang out here.  But I always valued the opinions at AC.

  Today I drove 2 hours, one way, to pick up a musical fidelity x dac v3.  I told the guy two days ago (on Facebook Marketplace) i could come up to get it Tuesday.  When I arrived at his house I seen a message he posted while I was driving that he had just sold it on Ebay.  He didn't take it down because he wasn't sure if I was coming. 

   Well, pretty bummed about that.  So I'm here asking for recs on good sounding DAC's that are fairly cheap.  Let me describe my system and purpose.

   My system is a set of HomeMade Speakers.  Pretty decent drivers and fairly well balanced horn system (jbl2441 on 500hz edgarhorns, tad1601a in sealed enclosure, fane tweeters, b&w sub, el34 amp,an older Peychev modded pioneer sacd player.  The system sounds pretty good
  High level clarity, detail, stage, dynamics at high or low volumes and nice tone

   What do I want with the DAC?  I have a family google play music account and really like the selection of music that it has.  I use it a lot.  I have a chromecast audio hooked to my 2 channel system but the DAC in that thing isn't the greatest.  I'd like to give it some help using the dig out and an external DAC.

If you've got any recs I'd love to hear it.  If you've got any opinions on the musical fidelity x dac v3, I'd love to hear that as well.

   Thanks...cheers!

[Emil]

Is $400 cheap enough?
15 day home trial. Modular and upgradeable. That's huge
http://www.schiit.com/products/bifrost

[gonefishin]

How's the sound on them?  I'm really not up on a lot of current gear, I'll have to look up reviews and do some digging around. 

   How do the stock ones sound?  What about upgraded sound?

   Thanks for the rec, I'll check them out

[Emil]

How's the sound on them?  I'm really not up on a lot of current gear, I'll have to look up reviews and do some digging around. 

   How do the stock ones sound?  What about upgraded sound?

   Thanks for the rec, I'll check them out

All I can tell you is that I have the yaggardsil and I'm very happy with it.
Upgradeability is huge for me.
Read the reviews on the website

If $400 is the most you want to spend, I would give it a shot.

[JLM]

Used BiFrost for sale here at Audio Circle, $225 + power cord.

[Emil]

Used BiFrost for sale here at Audio Circle, $225 + power cord.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=156688.0

now $200 shipping included!

[timind]

I have no opinion on the Schiit dac recommended, but I have purchased from the seller and he was fantastic.

That said, as you were looking at the used Musical Fidelity dac, I'd recommend a used PS Audio DLIII dac. I owned one years ago and thought it sounded great. I also owned a Musical Fidelity dac, not sure which one but it might've been the one you missed out on. I found it underwhelming and sold it immediately.

[gonefishin]

   Thanks for the advice, and recommendation on the seller here.

   I'll look further into the Schiit, but I'm just not sure how various ones differ (sound wise)  Uber vs MB.  I'll keep reading on it.

   The PS Audio dl3 also looks nice.  I'll put that used on the list as well as a used wyrd 4 sound dac1.

   Thanks for the recs

   

[Emil]

   Thanks for the advice, and recommendation on the seller here.

   I'll look further into the Schiit, but I'm just not sure how various ones differ (sound wise)  Uber vs MB.  I'll keep reading on it.

   The PS Audio dl3 also looks nice.  I'll put that used on the list as well as a used wyrd 4 sound dac1.

   Thanks for the recs

 

The hunt is part of the fun

[gregfisk]

gonefishin,

I just sent you a PM, I have a PS audio DL111 dac with level 3 mods from Cullen if you are interested. Iv'e just been too lazy to post it for sale. 

Take Care,

Greg

[gonefishin]

   Hi Greg!  I responded to your message.  Thanks so much for the offer on a nice dac and nice price. 

   But my offer was accepted on a W4S dac1 with upgraded clock and caps.  Pretty excited to hook it up in my system and see how it sounds.

    I will have to say, once again...thanks to the members of AudioCircle!  It says so much about you guys when someone can come back looking for an upgrade and you get them right on track

Cheers,
Dan