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If your going to use the USB input, get something with asynchronous USB - which neither the dacmagic or DAC-it do.
The Squeezebox Touch is a linux computer. Here is alist of DACs known to work w/ the Touch when the EDO mod has been loaded https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqiK6WHnz5FHdEtlalVRb29pX3N2WXhfMlAzNmFMZnc#gid=0I don't believe that the Schitt Bifrost is on the list of DACs that work w/ the Touch when using EDO through the USB, which is an output in this mode.Larry
Both the DacMagic Plus and the DacMagic 100 have asynchronous USB inputs.If the source material is primarily MP3, I was thinking the softer presentation of the Wolfson DAC in the DacMagic might be preferable to the more wart-revealing Sabre DAC in the Dac-iT.Steve
No mods have been done to my SB.
Steve is correct re: the Dacmagic Plus & 100 having asynchronous USB - my bad.But, didn't realize you were using a SB Touch, and as that doesn't have a USB digital out stock (seems like you can mod it if you want), I guess the USB input to the DAC becomes less important (unless you plan to connect it directly to a computer).We should probably be asking you what you're not satisfied w/ the SB Touch as a DAC, and what you hope to achieve w/ a different one - whether one of the two you've mentioned or another. I think DAC chip aside, the principal upgrade you'll realize from a different stand alone DAC will be more in the section that follows the DAC chip (i.e. power supply / analog section / etc). The SB Touch supposedly has an AKM 4420 DAC, which while not the most top of the line DAC chip AKM makes, is still not a bad DAC chip.My 2 cents : about 2 years ago I was looking for a new DAC to replace a Rega Apollo CD player. I listened to the 1st gen DACMagic - which like the Apollo also used a wolfson dac. I found the DACMagic to sound worse than the Apollo & didn't care for the sound much. It had the good rhythm of the Apollo, but the sound was otherwise less transparent and otherwise duller / more opaque. I didn't understand what the big whoop was over the DacMagic. The new DacMagic's carry on with the somewhat upgraded Wolfson 8742 vs the 8740 of the previous generation. While I've not heard these newer DACMagics, I have heard higher end DAC that use that DAC chip, mainly the Rega DAC and a Bel Canto C5 receiver. On both these DACS, which sounded similar, I also noted good rhythm, but also reduced transparency, detail, and dynamics vs other DAC's in that price range with different DAC chips. E.g. DACs with Analog Devices or Burr Brown DAC chips. I found the AD DAC chips to be the most analytical, with the BB kinda the happy medium. Since then I've heard different implementations of the ESS Sabre DAC chips, and I can understand the enthusiasm. They have lots of detail and dynamics, but aren't too strident. So ultimately when Steve suggests that the DacMagic may be better for MP3's and less then perfect recordings, I think it's because a less resolving DAC like the DACMagic will mask to some degree those sins. I on the other hand would prefer the DAC-It because I'd prefer to have the info there & tone it down as necessary vs having it missing and not being able to get it back. But, lastly, for the above mentioned point about the quality of the post DAC chip side, I suspect that in that price range the Schiit Audio Bifrost, particularly with the $70 optional analog section upgrade, would be the best choice of all. It also features AKM's best 2 channel DAC chip : the AK4399. I have AK dac chips in Marantz gear, and it's not too bad. Has decent detail + transparency, but a bit smoother than the AD & ESS DAC's I've heard. But that may also just be the Marantz back end, which has a smoother house sound.If you don't need the USB section, you can save $150. And if you want it later, you can always order it and install it. Another nice thing about the Bifrost : upgradeability. And the 15 day trial. The Bifrost is the budget / entry level DAC upgrade to the SB Touch's that I would try if it were me.
I doubt the EDO mod is going to do anything to your graphical interface on the SB, nor the ability to control via iphone etc. You might want to ask around to those who've done it, but I don't see any reason why it should. As for doing the mod then using USB out vs SPDIF RCA or Toslink : I don't think you'll hear a hugh difference. Good USB to me is critical when you're using a PC media server. The SB Touch I'm going to guess was optimized to use the SPDIF RCA or Toslink (I'd give the nod to the SPDIF RCA, which will also allow you to experiment with different cabling if necessary).
Larry : The only thing thats a "waste of time" is lame defensive posts like your last one. You wanted to point out that doing the EDO mod to the SB was worth it in order to use it's USB as an output. Good & useful point. Don't know why you otherwise feel such hostility and impatience.Budyog : in answer to your questions / concerns : I doubt the EDO mod is going to do anything to your graphical interface on the SB, nor the ability to control via iphone etc. You might want to ask around to those who've done it, but I don't see any reason why it should. As for doing the mod then using USB out vs SPDIF RCA or Toslink : I don't think you'll hear a hugh difference. Good USB to me is critical when you're using a PC media server. The SB Touch I'm going to guess was optimized to use the SPDIF RCA or Toslink (I'd give the nod to the SPDIF RCA, which will also allow you to experiment with different cabling if necessary).As for the DAC choice : I still think the Bifrost, with or without USB, is the best budget dac for the money. There are some new USB only DAC's out there, such as the Audioquest Dragonfly, the HALIDE DAC, and The Arcam R-DAC, which are well regarded for the money, but I think you're better off paying just a bit more for something like the Bifrost. It gives you more options now and in the future and is likely to have the better analog section. Afterall - it doesn't all stay in the digital domain!Hope that helps & good luck!
I run the EDO app and it works great, has not caused any problems in the least that I am aware of with my SB Touch. Simply does its thing in the background and is very easy to install. I would not say that the sound difference is night and day, but I do notice an improvement with EDO running, in particular a smoother top end. I am running the Touch directly into my DAC via coax, but have not tried it using the USB as an output since my previous DAC was not supported (my new one may be supported but I need to test it out). Since the Squeezebox is essentially a tiny PC running Linux, I could see that using it via USB might result in some improvements.FWIW - I prefer the Soundcheck TT software mods, but those are much more cumbersome to install and use, and I have since gone away from the Touch as my "reference" digital transport. Plus, you still need the EDO app if you are going to use the USB as an output.
