VA50 Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 (edited) Looking for a budget dac to fill my needs. Heres the situation, my main amplification is a marantz 2270 that does not have any digital inputs for the obvious reasons. This doesn't bother me as all of my main sources are analog including my cd player anyway. However i do have a home theater pc that i use both for movie watching and online music when i'm not sitting down for critical listening. At the moment i have the line output of the pc connected to the marantz which while frowned on by many still sounds reasonably good and is adequate when the pc is mainly used for youtube music when flicking through new artists and listening to music while walking around the house. However the problem is i don't want to run the amp all the time just for tv purposes, i have a sound bar for that and reserve the stereo system for music only. Besides, listening to regular tv content through a full hifi system has never really been my cup of tea anyway. Because the pc will only let you output music over hdmi or analog at any one time i am always having to switch between hdmi and line out on the pc's settings which makes the whole system feel clunky and annoying to use. Now the tv has an optical out that outputs any audio the tv is receiving constantly. I figure i could use a dac to feed this to the marantz allowing me to remove the need to switch any inputs on the pc when i want to use the pc for music or movies. When i really want to sit back and enjoy an album i will still put on a record or a cd so i don't need an amazing dac, if it sounds as good as the standard line out on a computer that is good enough. Anything worthwhile around $100 or so? Edited January 14, 2018 by VA50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Macfarlane Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 (edited) Grab one of these : https://www.aliexpress.com/item/upgrade-Talema-DUAL-AK4495SEQ-AK4495-DAC-decoder-AK4118-PCM-384KHZ-XMOS-XU208-USB-support-DSD-with/32801672037.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.1.2a734318NS3zQu&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_1_10152_10151_10065_10344_10130_10068_10342_10547_10343_10340_10548_10341_10084_10083_10615_10307_10131_10132_10133_10059_10314_10534_100031_10604_10103_10142,searchweb201603_6,ppcSwitch_5&algo_expid=75893257-15a3-403a-a45d-24afe1db7760-0&algo_pvid=75893257-15a3-403a-a45d-24afe1db7760&priceBeautifyAB=0 About $350 us. Got one for a friend and we were both over the moon with the performance. Well built and with genuine parts. OOPS missed the budget requirement. Edited January 14, 2018 by Ozcall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VA50 Posted January 14, 2018 Author Share Posted January 14, 2018 40 minutes ago, Ozcall said: Grab one of these : https://www.aliexpress.com/item/upgrade-Talema-DUAL-AK4495SEQ-AK4495-DAC-decoder-AK4118-PCM-384KHZ-XMOS-XU208-USB-support-DSD-with/32801672037.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.1.2a734318NS3zQu&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_1_10152_10151_10065_10344_10130_10068_10342_10547_10343_10340_10548_10341_10084_10083_10615_10307_10131_10132_10133_10059_10314_10534_100031_10604_10103_10142,searchweb201603_6,ppcSwitch_5&algo_expid=75893257-15a3-403a-a45d-24afe1db7760-0&algo_pvid=75893257-15a3-403a-a45d-24afe1db7760&priceBeautifyAB=0 About $350 us. Got one for a friend and we were both over the moon with the performance. Well built and with genuine parts. OOPS missed the budget requirement. All good, if i was using my pc for serious audio listening i'd shoot my budget that high but at this stage the only music coming from the pc is pretty much youtube thats usually average at best to begin with. In the future i will end up ripping all my music to digital storage and going down that path for ease of use but for now cd's, vinyl and internet streaming it is. As my collection grows bigger though it really does make sense to go fully digital except for my vinyl collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Macfarlane Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 Jaycar have a few inexpensive dacs with optical input or something like this : https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Sabaj-D3-Audio-DAC-Headphone-Amplifier-with-Optical-Coaxial-32bit-384kHz-USB-Input-Black-Silver/32822128478.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.159.U7AmUD&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_1_10152_10151_10065_10344_10130_10068_10342_10547_10343_10340_10548_10341_10084_10083_10615_10307_10131_10132_10133_10059_10314_10534_100031_10604_10103_10142,searchweb201603_6,ppcSwitch_5&algo_expid=ec8ffefb-f274-4d7d-9301-5d04e5d145eb-23&algo_pvid=ec8ffefb-f274-4d7d-9301-5d04e5d145eb&priceBeautifyAB=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjs Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 (edited) You could do something better for a couple of hundred bucks https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/collections/digital/products/schiit-audio-modi-2-usb-asynchronous-dac a few devices around this price point Edited January 14, 2018 by mjs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BATMAQN Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 http://headphones.com.au/product/fiio-taishan-d03k-dac/ I reckon this will do what you want I used it for the same reasons a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob181 Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 (edited) @Ozcall has got it right... Buy for 1 year from now...not for today... Edited January 14, 2018 by Rob181 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rmpfyf Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 @VA50, get a second-hand Music Fidelity V-DAC. Last one sold on eBay for A$63+shipping. Don't even get the second version, go straight for the original. Want to upgrade it? Find the matching linear power supply. Do that later if you care. Pretty good for the money. Discreet. The original one is better on TOSLINK than USB, which isolates inherently anyway. Had one running on a Kodi rig nearly in your situation (I used Kodi as a TV interface) for years. Then used it as a sub DAC when I got very serious for a bit more. Acquired the matching LPSU when it appeared unloved on eBay somewhere through this story. Now it powers a relative's work headphone rig. Seriously, they're awesome for <$100. 10 years old but awesome doesn't date. Contemporary review of the thing you're looking for here https://www.stereophile.com/digitalprocessors/musical_fidelity_v-dac_da_processor/index.html. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob181 Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 2 minutes ago, rmpfyf said: awesome doesn't date This is a very brave statement... Cause yeah...it does... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gremrock Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 9 minutes ago, Rob181 said: This is a very brave statement... Cause yeah...it does... I have to agree with this.. I borrowed a 15odd year old MSB dac that was easily north of $10k in its day, and it was atrocious compared to my $599 Musical Fidelity dac from 2011, its simply some technologies move faster than others, and I think in this game DACS are probably the fastest moving of them all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rmpfyf Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 26 minutes ago, Rob181 said: This is a very brave statement... Cause yeah...it does... Not for $63 and a perfect fit to brief it doesn't. I'd wager, FWIW, some DACs of their day sound just dandy today. Take on a sorted TDA1541A at your peril Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob181 Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 8 hours ago, rmpfyf said: Take on a sorted TDA1541A at your peril I have one of them but a half decent one properly implemented... Will cost north of $2k...a good chip will cost more than the $100 being bandied about here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rmpfyf Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 1 hour ago, Rob181 said: I have one of them but a half decent one properly implemented... Will cost north of $2k...a good chip will cost more than the $100 being bandied about here... As to I. Neither the chip nor the implementation are cheap. As for the OP's request - <$100, TOSLINK, sounds as good or better than standard line out on computer - if there's anything better than the awesome suggested... 'twas a very tweakable DAC in it's day with a decent PCB layout, some good components throughout for the dollar and would do surprising things with a good LPSU. Was also nearly $400 new down here at the time. One even went for $53 a few months ago! See? Much like the venerable TDA, some things do age gracefully and find a new awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VA50 Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 Well i just picked up an Arcam Rdac for next to nothing. As in $5 from a tip shop bin type nothing, have yet to test it but i may have just found the bargain of a century. To think i was trying to avoid going there in the first place.. I expect it to be dead though as its not the type of thing that ends up in these shops working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob181 Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Just now, VA50 said: I expect it to be dead though as its not the type of thing that ends up in these shops working And if not working... What the phark are you going to do... With a dead duck...err...I mean...DAC... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VA50 Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 1 hour ago, Rob181 said: And if not working... What the phark are you going to do... With a dead duck...err...I mean...DAC... Feel the same way I do everytime my lottery ticket doesn't win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 This is worthwhile if output from pc is usb Neo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VA50 Posted January 17, 2018 Author Share Posted January 17, 2018 Wouldn't do the job unfortunately as the PC would see it as a separate audio device. I need to output the audio over hdmi then take the digital coax feed from the TV to the dac. That way I can still use the tv's Sound bar which is run from the tvs headphone output and I can also output to the amp simultaneously. As suspected the arcam rdac is dead so it's back to the drawing board. This is a really over complicated way of doing things but there are reasons I have to go about it this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungbean66 Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 I'm surprised no one has told you to get the Muse TDA1543. Can be had from Ebay, Amazon and Ali Express. Definitely comes under the $100 limit; coax and optical.Also could check out some of the China-fi websites if you can increase your budget a little bit. Prices can't be beat and build quality is usually pretty good.Second hand is also worth looking at. Saw a Lite-Dac for $250 on Stereonet the other day which would be better the most Dacs under $1000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batty Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 At the sub $100 mark the DAcs are sometimes limited as to sample rate and bit rate, I fell into that trap when I wanted to do the same thing the OP is wanting to do. If the source is a higher rate than the DAC can deal with there is an aweful hash fed into the amp and of course this is heard at the speakers, not good. Basically the OP will need a DAC that is capable of handling these higher rates or risk equipment damage. The DAC I use is 192/24 and has no problems, my TV only has optical out and to save a 5v plugpack I butchered a USB cable and fed 5v to the dac from the TV via an unused USB socket, this also only powers up the DAC when the TV is turned on. Sorry, but I cannot remember which DAC I bought and it is hidden behind the TV somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungbean66 Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 Also depends on the TV. Some will downsample to 96kHz which would be ok. The OP also mentioned he wanted it for music so unless he's playing hi res then it should be fine. Ultimately the OP can do a little bit of research and see what requirements he needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VA50 Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 I ended up buying one of the cheap dacs jaycar sell. A mate of mine works for them so was able to do me a good deal. It runs off a 5v adapter so like batty i butchered a usb cable but instead of the tv i powered it from the computer. I can't remember its sample rate though it seems to work fine. Sounds wise for what it is its better then i expected, thats not to say its "good" but for the price i paid it definitely sounds way better then the standard audio out on the pc. Any proper dac would absolutely destroy it but for youtube music which is compressed mp3's anyway i don't feel its really restricting anything. I'm almost ashamed to say it but unless i'm sitting down really listening i actually quiet enjoy how the little thing sounds, its not dull or bright or really lacking or shining in anything its pretty plain but thats not necessarily a bad thing in my mind. If i was to give it a strike it would be that it sometimes almost stutters if thats the word on really high frequencies though i have not noticed that since using the pc's usb as a power source so perhaps the cheap switch mode wall adapter supplied played part in the problem. When i eventually go the hi res digital route then an upgrade will be first on the list but i think for now youtube would just be a waste of a decent dacs capabilities anyway. Doesn't matter how good the dac is it can't put back what has already been lost not to mention i am sure the tv plays a negative part in this setup as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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