Recommendations for a DAC/Pre+Remote+XLR/RCA

Studio19atx · « **Reply #20 on:** 31 Aug 2018, 07:36 pm »

This is a really good implementation. Out of box, this sounds very good. I used XMOS.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HIFI-ES9038-ES9038PRO-DAC-DSD-audio-384k-XLR-decoder-Option-XMOS-or-Amanero/132434162496?hash=item1ed5b0f340:g:7tkAAOSw4jFa-BRD

I am currently exploring trying Amanero USB, SparkoS labs regulators and opamps. It will be hard to beat the performance for the price. Sounds better some very high end dacs.

RolandButcher · « **Reply #21 on:** 31 Aug 2018, 09:17 pm »

Just a quick update - thanks to a tip from a fellow AudioCircle member, I got an excellent price on a PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC and am currently breaking it in. I got it in black, and I really like the simple aesthetic. Right out of the box it sounded quite good - but not spectacular. I'm not sure how many hours I have on it so far (maybe 20), but it is just starting to open up. The difference is not subtle. It's pretty cool to hear it change. From what I've read, it takes a while to break in. I'll send another update once it is fully broken in. Very happy with the choice so far. Thanks so much to everyone for their suggestions!

JLM · « **Reply #22 on:** 1 Sep 2018, 12:43 pm »

Let us know how you like it (after a full break-in). In fact, please write up a review for the critic's circle.

Luxmancl38 · « **Reply #23 on:** 1 Sep 2018, 03:57 pm »

Quote from: jonbee on 7 Aug 2018, 02:18 pm

A used NuPrime DAC10 is a super bargain at your price. I have 2 of them.

Just picked up the RME ADI2 DAC. $1099.a 32/768 kHZ converter. Has both a Headphone and IEM outputs. Has a parametric EQ which allows for Dual eq for each ear on headphones. RCA and Balanced inputs are included. Has optical coax and usb inputs. A very detailed Loudness function. Crossed for your headphones. A Mono function. You can also use a battery pack to make it mobil. Full function remote is also part of the package. Comes w/a detailed 68 page book. RME is a German Pro audio company that's been around for 20 years. This is basically their first product for the home audio crowd. Excellent review in the June Pro Audio magazine Sound on Sound. May have missed some features but you can get more info on the RME website. Available on the Guitar Center website. The Steady Clock reduces jitter to femto-seconds which is one quadrillionth of a second. Most clocks still use pico seconds one trillionth of a second. The Belcanto 3.7 uses the same clock as the RME. Great DAC that can really sell for 3 times the price.

who?me? · « **Reply #24 on:** 1 Sep 2018, 04:23 pm »

@luxmancl38

Interesting about the RME, sounds like a combo for success: over engineered German Prof audio
company wants to use their high end tech to offer home users the trickled down tech.

But I have to second the prospect of the Bel Canto DAC 3.7 as mentioned. superior jitter control and clocks.
Built in Preamp, can use the XLR outs and the RCA outs simultaneously (I do to run my sub).
Hi resolution, fast, musical. I have used the Bel Canto DACs for 5 years. It also has analog inputs
with an ADC that will take the signal (whether MP3 or a radio signal) and increase resolution to 24/192.

The 3.7 DAC/Pre isn't just a replacement DAC, it is a Reference level, end-game DAC.
It runs cool with Class D (tho it does have a small transformer), has an external PSU,
but it won't jack your Electric bill like tubes and some SS designs (250w per hour!)
and increase your room temperature 10 degrees.

Luxmancl38 · « **Reply #25 on:** 1 Sep 2018, 04:53 pm »

This DAC also runs cool. Found it interesting they used a clock of this quality at this price point. My local dealer decided to carry this DAC after hearing from a customer that owned one. He's already sold about 4 in 2 weeks and has some customers coming in today to demo it. He laughed and told me well there go the Chord sales.

JLM · « **Reply #26 on:** 1 Sep 2018, 07:54 pm »

BTW the ADI-2 DAC has a preamp too, in fact it offers several different output signal strength ranges to be uber flexible for both professional and home environments.

But Luxmancl38, do you find it easy to maneuver through the menus and have you successfully 'played' with the PEQ?

Luxmancl38 · « **Reply #27 on:** 1 Sep 2018, 10:48 pm »

There is a learning curve. Between work and family matters it took me a few days. The book isvery good and puts you through step by step. If you get it you'll have to read the book. Also RME has a forum to help out. I stopped by my dealer today and he's now sold 5 RME's. When I first heard this Dac we A/B'd it w/a Chord Hugo. The system was a Luxman 505 Integrated, Bluesound Node and a pair of Spendor A-7's. The RME was cleaner and the detail and tone of the instruments very realistic. You could hear a definite difference between the Tom and Star drums. Cymbals had a realistic metallic sound w/a shimmer. The Chord was softer less detailed sound. But whether you like either sound is a matter of taste. The volume controls the DAC is digital. RME feels this is more accurate than a analog volume control. Apparently RME is ramping up production Synthax the company that distribute this Das ran out of stock. Check out the June Sound on Sound review. Gave it a big thumbs up. Gave it all Pros and no Cons. W/all the features it has I doubt you'll find a better Dac in this price range. IMHO

JLM · « **Reply #28 on:** 2 Sep 2018, 02:23 am »

Thanks, but I'm an old fart and much of this doesn't come easy. I've been trying to wade through the RME ADI-2 DAC manual online, but imagine it's easier with the device in front of you.

But how about the PEQ/DSP features? Have you experimented with them? How does one set them without a microphone/test tones? I suppose the professionals can get close by ear. I have a DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core (DAC, preamp, and bass DSP) that uses a microphone and test tones to automatically scan and make adjustments (a simple version of popular room correction software - REW or Dirac) that I'd hate to give up as it takes care of a 10 dB spike at 52 Hz in an treated ideally shaped room with mid-field setup using very good speakers (JBL 708P reference active studio monitors).

If I can't get the Parametric Equalization (PEQ) features to work, my next option is the newly released miniDSP SHD ($1200 server/DAC/preamp/DSP, with microphone, very sophisticated room correction software - frequency and impulse - that is easier to setup than the ADI-2 DAC, even more inputs/outputs, and remote). But waiting for full reviews as previous miniDSP products have pretty lousy DACs.

Thanks for your help.

RolandButcher · « **Reply #29 on:** 4 Sep 2018, 02:45 pm »

Just FYI, Audiostream posted a review of the PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC and M700 monoblock amplifiers on 9/2:

https://www.audiostream.com/content/ps-audio-stellar-gain-cell-dac-and-m700-monoblock-review

Luxmancl38 · « **Reply #30 on:** 4 Sep 2018, 10:23 pm »

Quote from: RolandButcher on 4 Sep 2018, 02:45 pm

Just FYI, Audiostream posted a review of the PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC and M700 monoblock amplifiers on 9/2:

https://www.audiostream.com/content/ps-audio-stellar-gain-cell-dac-and-m700-monoblock-review

You really need the DAC w/the book but it's a learning curve. I fine tuned the DAC today as I went from a shop response to a slow response. This Smoothed out the top end. Excellent for full band sounds. Also had the stereo at 1.o max. Gives a nice wide soundstage. I'm a fellow old Fart but back in the 70's while in the Army I had a live radio show for 4 years. So working w/audio equipment is still intuitive for me. And I enjoy doing the tweaking. I'm having fun w/this little DAC and the SQ is excellent. This DAC is sort of under the radar as you don't read about it in the normal audio mags. My dealer who sells them started because a customer of his had one. After he demoed it at the store he decided to carry it. Doubt very many dealers know about this item.

JLM · « **Reply #31 on:** 5 Sep 2018, 01:57 pm »

Quote from: Luxmancl38 on 4 Sep 2018, 10:23 pm

You really need the DAC w/the book but it's a learning curve. I fine tuned the DAC today as I went from a shop response to a slow response. This Smoothed out the top end. Excellent for full band sounds. Also had the stereo at 1.o max. Gives a nice wide soundstage. I'm a fellow old Fart but back in the 70's while in the Army I had a live radio show for 4 years. So working w/audio equipment is still intuitive for me. And I enjoy doing the tweaking. I'm having fun w/this little DAC and the SQ is excellent. This DAC is sort of under the radar as you don't read about it in the normal audio mags. My dealer who sells them started because a customer of his had one. After he demoed it at the store he decided to carry it. Doubt very many dealers know about this item.

The RME ADI-2 DAC has prosumer intentions. It comes from a professional background so might have a hard time fitting into audiophile marketing. If they don't advertise they won't get magazine reviews. That's where sites like this come in to give the product a kick start.

envydd · « **Reply #32 on:** 5 Sep 2018, 03:10 pm »

Hi JLM

What’s the difference between the prosumer and the audiophile market? A prosumer product should ideally have good specs and Sonics. Right?

macrojack · « **Reply #33 on:** 5 Sep 2018, 04:50 pm »

I suspect the notion is that professional products are more businesslike and more honest in presentation. Prosumer likely means professional advantages in consumer skin. Does that mean watered down or compromised? I don't know -- maybe it just means we don't need built in limiters.

Luxmancl38 · « **Reply #34 on:** 5 Sep 2018, 11:11 pm »

Worked on some tweaks today w/the DAC. Maxed the stereo and activated the Dual EQ. Stereo sound stage really opened up. Music was coming outside the speakers. Also worked w/the DA filter. They have 3 options Short delay Sharp, Short Delay Slow and NOS. I chose Short Delay Slow. There is a certain hardness at the top w/many digital songs. It smooths out the top end and you still get full detail out to the top end. Sort of controls the digital hash. May not have an attractive box like the more expensive DAC's but SQ and feature wise has options that many of those boxes don't have.

JLM · « **Reply #35 on:** 6 Sep 2018, 11:40 am »

Prosumer is a crossover between professional and consumer. In this case RME (a German company that has been selling to the professional community for 20 years) has released a spin off from their more expensive ADC/DAC (same cabinet) that actually has improved reference level performance. Professional gear offers no-nonsense features/performance, is well built (to be rugged yet reliable, normally without 1/2 thick face plates), and use balanced design. As a prosumer product the ADI-2 DAC also includes specially designed separate IEM and singled ended (RCA) outputs with other useful home features (remote, PEQ, a 'real' loudness control, bass/treble controls, multiple output levels to match your gear/setup, improved jitter reduction, 5 different crossfeed headphone adjustments, etc.).

Like the consumer market, professional gear can also be built to meet a price point (not every studio is top drawer, in fact many are near hobbyists running out of a spare bedroom or the garage). So not all professional gear is top drawer. But in general professional gear is intended for production (work) versus consumer gear that is used for personal entertainment, so it's serious/bottom line stuff that hopefully will enable staff to get to a quality final recording as quickly and easily as possible with good sound quality and useful features/controls.

We audiophiles have much to learn from the professionals. Active monitors (with all their advantages) are the norm. They use near/mid-field setups to minimize room interactions. They use balanced design (inherently lower distortion in the gear, cables are self-shielded). And long ago, they gave up on vinyl (except for DJ's and a few vintage audiophiles) and tubes. And they don't tweak or give into marketing hype. Professional gear is what's used to produce the music you listen to.

Congrats to you Luxmancl38 for seeing the light.

rollo · « **Reply #36 on:** 6 Sep 2018, 02:14 pm »

Check out Peachtree products. Not a dealer of such.

charles

RolandButcher · « **Reply #37 on:** 6 Sep 2018, 04:10 pm »

I have both a Peachtree decco65 and a nova - two older models. Two issues - they don't have XLR, and one quick press of the remote control increases or decreases the volume so significantly that it is frustrating to use. I love Peachtree for my desktop setup where I can adjust the volume manually, but I don't like it for my main rig.

Quote from: rollo on 6 Sep 2018, 02:14 pm

Check out Peachtree products. Not a dealer of such.

charles

gab · « **Reply #38 on:** 6 Sep 2018, 06:23 pm »

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-rme-adi-2-dac.2582/

A review with measurements of the ADI-2 DAC. Very nice performance!

JLM · « **Reply #39 on:** 6 Sep 2018, 11:30 pm »

Here's a few more reviews of the RME ADI-2 DAC (not like I'm doing shopping research

):

http://www.rme-audio.de/download/sos_%20adi2dac_review_e.pdf

https://headfonics.com/2018/04/rme-adi-2-dac-review/

http://earphiles.org/2018/03/rme-adi-2-dac-review/

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/rme-adi-2-dac-thread.868015/

Waiting for professional audiophile reviews that compare it to say Benchmark DAC3. Another contender, if room EQ is a priority, is the newly released $1200 miniDSP SHD that comes with microphone, software, and server functions. The first 'review' (audiosciencereview.com) is promising.