what is the cheapest best dac to bay

>>60522422
Schiit modi 2

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>>60522422
MBL 1611

only $15,500.

>>60522495
/thread

Also interested in this

That's a pretty good one. I bought it for $90 used on eBay and have no complaints, nice to have the USB and optical inputs and a nice basic headphone amp.

You can probably go cheaper though.

>>60522495
>Schiit modi 2
sounds like shit lol, wouldn't trust this

>>60522422
Hooking up to computer I assume? Does your comp have optical outputs or capability to add a sound card with optical out?

>>60522960
Why bother?
Just get a USB DAC.

>>60522422
Fiio E10k.

>>60523027
Used to think that. Then did head to head between E10K/ODAC on USB and a JDS Labs OL DAC fed with optical. They were close but the optical was clearly cleaner with less edginess/glare in the highs. Not night/day, but plainly noticeable. Inb4 double-blind AB bullshit.

>>60523033
If you're going USB on a budget, this is a fine specimen. DAC section is in the same league as ODAC, ever-so-slightly leaner presentation. Preferred it to the ODAC with electro/ambient music.

>>60522495
That or the objective 2

>>60523122
Should probably add that the OL DAC also has USB (switch on the front to toggle between optical/USB)...optical showed same strengths there as well, so it wasn't just the different chips accounting for the differences in the test mentioned above.

>>60522422
I have one of those. It buzzes if it's not plugged into a nice USB power supply. :P

>>60523122
I always have E10K with the bass boost on, it sounds off on both modes for me either too little bass or too much. Using line out in the rear sounds fine though.

So what do these do exactly?

I have my PCs 3.5mm line out running through RCA to a stereo receiver powering two 75w 8ohms floorstanders.

Will a DAC do anything to improve this? What would be the point of adding a DAC, or even a dedicated soundcard for that matter?

This all seems kind of frivolous, please enlighten me.

>>60523033
I have this, it's good for my needs with my meme phones le ATH-M50x

>>60524266
Depends, really. If you're having any noise issues with the PC's onboard sound, external DACs will typically clean that up (USB DAC's can sometimes pick up the same noise if you aren't using power isolation somewhere in the chain, but even then the noise is lessened). I've found the general sound out of an external DAC to be slightly clearer with more 'realism' to the music (easier to pick out instrument locations, cleaner separation of instruments, etc). However, if you are satisfied with the sound you are getting and don't have any noise issues with the onboard sound, by all means save your money. Enjoying the music is the goal of all of it so if you don't feel like you're missing anything, keep on keeping on anon.

>>60522495
I'm a retard. What is the point to DACs. How can sound be cleaner & clearer than what your audio chipset produces.

>>60522422
Focusrite scarlet 2i2

>>60522495
>head-fi shills actually think this is a good piece of hardware

>>60525766
>audio interface with mediocre DAC meant for recording with powered mics
>good
Let's stop this meme shall we friend?

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Audio noob here. I have pic related and really enjoy the ability of fading tracks from left to right, adjusting the EQ, and other tweaks from the mixer.

however, I want superior sound from a better DAC as I doubt the behringer as anything special. what piece of hardware am I looking for?

tl;dr Looking for a great DAC/amplifier + EQ potential,

*note: I am aware software exists for this. however I enjoy the physicality of the device as well as it's "plug and play" capability.

>>60522422
make your own best and cheapest DAC
http://www.diyinhk.com/shop/

>>60523122
>>60523148
Go back to head-fi

>>60525929
Tell me the alternative senpai

>>60523122
You're a fucking braindead twat who doesn't know shit about electrical engineering.

That being said the ODAC is the only DAC worth $100 or more and should be the only DAC anyone ever buys.

https://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2012/03/odac-update.html

https://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2012/04/odac-released.html

>>60525111
the placebo effect is real

>>60522538
why can't audiophiles into design. this looks cheap af.

None. DACs are a fucking meme. Placebo at it's finest.

>>60529232
>>60529384

itt fucking casuals who don't use audio DACs and ADCs for low frequency signal generators and oscilloscopes.

https://www.amazon.com/Signstek-Coaxial-Converter-Decoder-Analogue/dp/B00FEDHHKE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495458348&sr=8-1&keywords=signstek+usb+dac

Picked one of these up a couple years ago so that I could get cheaper motherboards. Works well, sound quality is pretty good. Worth $20 which it basically always is. Works out of the box with Linux. Powered over USB.

SoundBlaster E1

Just get a Steinberg audio interface if you are concerned with price. "Audiophile" shit is overpriced and in your price range any dad you buy will be just as good as a $150 Steinberg. I have the Steinberg with HS8 studio monitors and sub and there is absolutely no noise in my system.

>>60525111
without playing any music turn the volume to max, you'll hear some white noise
DACs among other things fix that

i was thinking about buying the fx audio Dac-X6, is it worth the money?

hifi.me

Schiit Fulla 2.

Pretty much a modi 2 with a builtin headphone amp, volume knob and auxiliar inputs/outputs.

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Breeze-audio-SU4-AK4490-coaxial-USB-192K-24BIT-decorder-DAC/331129_32798153019.html

The XMOS version should be better than vanilla Modi 2 but not the multi-bit or Uber version.

>>60523122
I have no change in sound quality when I use optical inputs over USB on my amp. In fact using optical inputs actually limits my choices for audio formats.