[gychang]

Has anyone tried this: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/MUSE-X5-HiFi-PCM2704-USB-to-Headphone-Converter-DAC-Sound-Card-USB-Cable-Mini-Size-64mm/1183493292.html

review seems favorable, considering hooking up to my laptop to my amp or headphone...

[srb]

Has anyone tried this:http://www.aliexpress.com/item/MUSE-X5-HiFi-PCM2704-USB-to-Headphone-Converter-DAC-Sound-Card-USB-Cable-Mini-Size-64mm/1183493292.html

If you had a space between "this:" and "http:" it would be a clickable hyperlink.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/MUSE-X5-HiFi-PCM2704-USB-to-Headphone-Converter-DAC-Sound-Card-USB-Cable-Mini-Size-64mm/1183493292.html

I've seen no shortage of < $15 PCM2704 16/48 USB headphone DACs from China in an aluminum enclosure, but that may be the smallest one yet.

Steve

[gychang]

I've seen no shortage of < $15 PCM2704 16/48 USB headphone DACs from China in an aluminum enclosure, but that may be the smallest one yet.

Steve

I can connect my t-amp on the "headphone" out and drive the regular speakers right?

[srb]

I can connect my t-amp on the "headphone" out and drive the regular speakers right?

Yes, but it is an amplified headphone output and not a line level output (some of their other models have both a headphone output and a line-level RCA output).

Depending on the headphone output and the input sensitivity of your amplifier it is possible that a good amount of digital volume attenuation at the computer source could be necessary to prevent overdriving the amplifier.  You could also have a higher background noise level when driving an amplifier input with an amplified headphone output.

Steve

[gychang]

Yes, but it is an amplified headphone output and not a line level output (some of their other models have both a headphone output and a line-level RCA output).

Depending on the headphone output and the input sensitivity of your amplifier it is possible that a good amount of digital volume attenuation at the computer source could be necessary to prevent overdriving the amplifier.  You could also have a higher background noise level when driving an amplifier input with an amplified headphone output.

Steve

sounds like a risky proposition, will have to look for a unit with separate lineout/headphone...  anyone know a cheap functional unit ebay or....?

[srb]

In a larger enclosure (and at > 2X the price  ) is another PCM2704-based DAC from Muse that has a pair of RCA line out jacks, a headphone jack and also functions as a USB to S/PDIF (optical or coaxial) converter that can be used as an interface between a computer and a DAC without a USB input.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MUSE-PCM-2704-HIFI-USB-to-S-PDIF-Converter-USB-DAC-/171091460066?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item27d5d87fe2

My somewhat limited experience with these low-cost USB DACS (including the ~ $30 Behringer UCA-202 / UFO-202, a PCM2902 interface that also has an internal ADC for recording) as well as conversing with others who have bought them, is that they usually end up being used as transitional devices before stepping up to one of the many ~ $100 DACs that have a little better sound quality and also usually accept higher resolution files (24/96 or 24/192).

Steve

[gychang]

In a larger enclosure (and at > 2X the price  ) is another PCM2704-based DAC from Muse that has a pair of RCA line out jacks, a headphone jack and also functions as a USB to S/PDIF (optical or coaxial) converter that can be used as an interface between a computer and a DAC without a USB input.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MUSE-PCM-2704-HIFI-USB-to-S-PDIF-Converter-USB-DAC-/171091460066?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item27d5d87fe2

Steve

this looks very good, I forgot to mention I only use linux at home.  Output via headphone jack on my laptop running archbang linux works and adding this hopefully work.  Guess plan on trying it...  thanks for all the input.

[wushuliu]

Um, something crazy is happening. I've got a cheap Signstek PCM2704 usb/spdif converter that also works as a DAC. Been using it as a cheap converter past few months for some projects. I was impressed with the converter sound quality but didn't even bother to try out the dac part til now. Interesting results.

This thing sounds f*cking good. I mean *GOOD*. I don't know why. I have looked inside and apart from an interesting additional component, it seems to be all more or less according to the datasheet. Amazon reviews are stellar with one customer doing mods because they liked it so much. All well and good, done my share of that with cheap dacs. But there's something else going on here. I have a Dragonfly Red hooked up to my PC and main speakers. It sounds terrific. Right up there with the ifi gear. This frickin cheap Signstek sounds better. MUCH better.

I had to take notes: Intimate. Sweet articulation, separation. Timbre, realism of instrument. Quiet. Liquid, organic. Barely any digititis.

The downside is it's 16/44 only, but I don't care. I would rather take exceptional 16/44 over digititis 24/xxx, etc.

I know there are a couple elements giving it a boost: iSilencer usb attached, my drives are powered by linear supplies, and the Microsoft UAC2 drivers/Creative Update which I think is a step up in sound quality. So maybe it's a case of having really good source feeding it.

I just want to listen to it all day. Need to figure out why it's so easy on the ears. Maybe it's synergy, but I can't believe how good this thing sounds.

https://www.amazon.com/Signstek-Coaxial-Converter-Decoder-Analogue/dp/B00FEDHHKE

[charmerci]

I just noticed the Fiio DAC that does the higher rez for 5 bucks less.

[wushuliu]

I just noticed the Fiio DAC that does the higher rez for 5 bucks less.

Yes, I have one of those. It also punches above its weight and depending on configuration compares well to the Dragonfly. However, it doesn't have much gain and it's dependent on a good spdif source and usb power. Has a very nice midrange quality, a little gritty. Thing is, it still sounds like a usb dac like the dragonly and ifi, etc.

The Signstek has something else going on entirely. Kind of like my Soekris R2R, kind of like the TDA1543 dacs I've heard. Anyway, sounds too good to be true I know. But it's not perfect. Highs are a little scattered and there's very slight nasality in the mids, but not offensive. Still, addictive as hell. Probably just synergy.

[S Clark]

Well, I've got a Signstek on the way.  I had a an older Buffalo dac for sprucing up a Piano CD player, and it gave up the ghost about a year ago.  I'll report back on what $25 bucks will buy in hi fi. 

[wushuliu]

Well, I've got a Signstek on the way.  I had a an older Buffalo dac for sprucing up a Piano CD player, and it gave up the ghost about a year ago.  I'll report back on what $25 bucks will buy in hi fi.

Great, cause I'm completely flummoxed as to why I'm hearing what I'm hearing. There's another person getting one who i trust on dacs and hopefully he'll have some insight.

[Doublej]

How does one power the Signstek? Is it powered by the USB in even if that's not your audio source?

[srb]

How does one power the Signstek? Is it powered by the USB in even if that's not your audio source?

Yes, it's powered by USB 5V, but USB is the only digital input - coaxial and optical S/PDIF are outputs when used as a USB to S/PDIF converter.

Steve

[wushuliu]

As a direct headamp vs DF Red, this dac fall short. PC volume integrity/cable length could be at fault since the DF is designed to keep bits in that regard, but the pcm2704 sounds like I what I would expect from a cheap dac. As a line out to my amp though, wow. Perhaps its sins of omission just happen to work out in my favor.

[lacro]

Another great sounding USB DAC that pulls way above its price: https://www.musicservertips.com/product-reviews/usb-dac-diy/

[charmerci]

So how does this one compare to your highly recommended -

"I may flesh out this post later, but anyone with a coax input DAC needs to check this out, like NOW

F-1 XMOS USB Digital Interface Module XU208 U8 upgraded version - $180"

[wushuliu]

So how does this one compare to your highly recommended -

"I may flesh out this post later, but anyone with a coax input DAC needs to check this out, like NOW

F-1 XMOS USB Digital Interface Module XU208 U8 upgraded version - $180"

Just to clarify, the F-1 is a usb/spdif converter, not a dac. I am talking about the Signstek in terms of dac performance only. As for the F-1 and equivalent XU208, yes, those are must haves for anyone with spdif input or able to diy the I2S. You can get an uncased F-1 equivalent with multiple outputs for only $100 now btw.

biggest gripe about usb dacs has always been the layer of haze and/or hash that always seems present to some degree or other. There’s a reason why there are a bajillion doodads for cleaning and reclocking usb and the Xu208 based stuff works wonders for the money.

That said the The Signstek is just doing something for me that defied my expectations and I’m curious to know why and part of that is somehow it comes across as almost hash free. Maybe it’s the low pass filter. Maybe the iSilencer is particularly effective with it. I don’t know. All I know is I’ve played with usb ,non-usb digital sources, and vinyl enough to know I’m sensitive to the hash and digititis regardless of bit rate.

The Signstek doesn't shoot out rainbows, but after repeated listening regardless of time of day, remains almost hash free and very very listenable in a way that only my convoluted heavily modded Oppo/Ethernet/battery-powered/reclocked soekris r2r dac could deliver.
 

[charmerci]

Just to clarify, the F-1 is a usb/spdif converter, not a dac. I am talking about the Signstek in terms of dac performance only. As for the F-1 and equivalent XU208, yes, those are must haves for anyone with spdif input or able to diy the I2S. You can get an uncased F-1 equivalent with multiple outputs for only $100 now btw.

biggest gripe about usb dacs has always been the layer of haze and/or hash that always seems present to some degree or other. There’s a reason why there are a bajillion doodads for cleaning and reclocking usb and the Xu208 based stuff works wonders for the money.

That said the The Signstek is just doing something for me that defied my expectations and I’m curious to know why and part of that is somehow it comes across as almost hash free. Maybe it’s the low pass filter. Maybe the iSilencer is particularly effective with it. I don’t know. All I know is I’ve played with usb ,non-usb digital sources, and vinyl enough to know I’m sensitive to the hash and digititis regardless of bit rate.

The Signstek doesn't shoot out rainbows, but after repeated listening regardless of time of day, remains almost hash free and very very listenable in a way that only my convoluted heavily modded Oppo/Ethernet/battery-powered/reclocked soekris r2r dac could deliver.

Sure - I had gotten that. I was changing the subject to it being a usb/spdif converter just because I was interested.

Thanks.

[wushuliu]

Got it. Yes the Xu208 cards like F-1 etc. are well worth the money. Especially the ones that can be powered by linear power supply of your choice. No brainers.