[NeilT]

Hello Cheap and Cheerful, 
I would like to spend around 5 to 8 hundred. Not a USB only.
2 channel music, DVD concerts.

Music Hall
Maverick
Cambridge
?
Wait for Gary Dodd's offering?

Tube DAC or not?

Thanks
Neil

[tabrink]

Hi Neil,
I think you should add the Eastern Electric as well. I do love mine. I also have the Maverick and think it is a stellar performer as well. Not  at the same level as the Eastern Electric but performs way above it s price range. I recently added the Raytheon matched tubes and find it pretty outstanding.
Right now I would probably rate my Eastern Electric DAC as one of my personal favorite purchases on par with The Virtue 901 Sensation and Omega Super 8s.

[eclein]

Neil- I heard the Eastern Electric DAC at a Rave almost a year ago and it was a head turner for sure. With your budget its doable, I have a Grant Fidelity Tube DAC-09 which is identical for the most part to the Maverick and it ran me $200 on sale...lots of tube to try, lots of options- I use it as a DAC/Pre-amp/Tube Buffer and Grant has excellent customer service I have found.

I have not heard the others but if you handed me $800 and said buy a DAC I'd get the Eastern Electric and enjoy.
Have fun, your in a budgetary area that has a bunch of options.....

[NeilT]

Thanks for the feedback; I will definitely add the Eastern Electric DAC to my list.

Neil

[timind]

Even though $500=800 DAC isn't cheap, I'll recommend you look at the PS Audio DLIII. It's an excellent piece for the money (used).

[NeilT]

Music Hall
Maverick
Cambridge
?
Wait for Gary Dodd's offering?
Eastern Electric DAC
PS Audio DLIII

The list is growing and thanks guys.
Neil

[Elizabeth]

You mention DVD.. ahh DVD is not going to be easily decoded by the usual DAC.
Your DVD player would have to have the ability to put the DVD music/sound into two channel code suitable for a two channel DAC. Most DVD players will put out a multi channel code that the two channel DAC will NOT recognize at all, or just make a lot of clicking noises. (one of my DVD players does have the ability to output any codec into two channel for a DAC (a Technics DVDA-10)
To include DVD multichannel output, you are stuck with a Receiver, unless you spend BIG bucks (as far as I know, and I do not know for certain that no reasonable priced two channel DAC does multi channel DVD.)
One other thing is many used two channel DAC are very good.
You can buy a good thousand dollar in it's day DAC for under $200. over on AudiogoN.

[NeilT]

You mention DVD.. ahh DVD is not going to be easily decoded by the usual DAC.
Your DVD player would have to have the ability to put the DVD music/sound into two channel code suitable for a two channel DAC. Most DVD players will put out a multi channel code that the two channel DAC will NOT recognize at all, or just make a lot of clicking noises. (one of my DVD players does have the ability to output any codec into two channel for a DAC (a Technics DVDA-10)
To include DVD multichannel output, you are stuck with a Receiver, unless you spend BIG bucks (as far as I know, and I do not know for certain that no reasonable priced two channel DAC does multi channel DVD.)
One other thing is many used two channel DAC are very good.
You can buy a good thousand dollar in it's day DAC for under $200. over on AudiogoN.

Thanks for the feedback Elizabeth.
According to the manual for my Pioneer Elite DV-46AV, the digital output is 2 channels, if linear PCM is selected as the output.
I think that I will be ok?
I have been looking at Audiogon and have seen the various mentioned brands. But not knowing what is good or not is my problem. Price is not always and indicator of what is better. I will start high, relatively, and hopefully find a great deal on a well respected product, and they is where you guys come in. I will go with the general consensus or advise of you good folks.

Thanks again
Neil

[eclein]

My Grant Tube DAC-09 is used to watch blu-ray movies and concert vids, using a PS3 and the DAC handles the LPCM from the optical very well. If you put a tube in the mix you'll get that golden tone on concerts, its great....I'm pretty sure most DACs will take the 2 channel OK.
 Ed....

[JLM]

If you want CD/DVD for that price, why not look at Oppo 93 (or wait for the 95) and dump your current player?

[jelt2359]

Audio-Gd's DACs are a good price too.
Meier StageDAC has great options to customise the sound.
and Virtue Audio, my personal fav, says they've completed their design and are going to send their DAC for manufacturing.

[NeilT]

Is there any info out there on the Virtue DAC?

Thanks
Neil