S Tier Geshelli J2 (Forgot to Mention in the Video) bit.ly/3l9ND4b Schiit Modi 3+ amzn.to/3AyzvHq Earstudio M100 ii amzn.to/2YwT2el Apple lighting to 3.5mm amzn.to/2YJ2nzw Denafrips Ares 2 bit.ly/3Av6Kwc A Tier Topping E50 amzn.to/3iMJSku Hidizs S9Pro bit.ly/3iSyqo5 B Tier SMSL SU8s amzn.to/3mI4fkf Schiit Bifrost 2 bit.ly/3lp6qtx Orchard Audio Pecan Pi bit.ly/3Fwbcxc FX Audio D01 amzn.to/30dxfJ5 Prozor amzn.to/2YF10Sz Helm Bolt amzn.to/3AuaMDM Soncoz LAQXD1 bit.ly/38FFIpq Topping EX5 amzn.to/3Duww4i C Tier SMSL Sanskrit amzn.to/3DqF902 Dragonfly Red amzn.to/3Ft8fhb Ifi Zen amzn.to/3oOodfW SMSL M300 ii amzn.to/3FA5LgI D Tier Matrix Mini Pro bit.ly/3DqFAYe Topping D50s amzn.to/3Fv4yrd SMSL M200 amzn.to/2YF1A2H F Tier Ifi Neo IDSD amzn.to/3mK8SdI Topping E30 amzn.to/3BsjQut Topping D90se amzn.to/3akLVYJ Hifiberry (Not a DAC) digi hat amzn.to/3Dsbpjm

@KevinTernes

2 жыл бұрын

Randy, what is your justtification for placing the Geshelli J2 in S?

@petermortensen2405

2 жыл бұрын

I'm using the EarStudio M100 Mk 2 with my HiFiMan Sundara and it's quite awesome with the companion app. Lots of much more expensive DACs fail by lack of proper EQ and other essentials. Most headphones and speakers at any price can benefit from some careful EQ.

@cheapaudioman

2 жыл бұрын

@@KevinTernes balanced. Sounds similar to d90se. Great soundstage. $300

@kateg151

2 жыл бұрын

Hey Randy. I do have a Dragonfly Cobalt and Apple Lightning to 3.5mm adapter. I don't think I can tell the difference in sound quality, the Apple adapter is just a little bit "rolled off" but no lack of details and which is "warm sounding" in "sound signature" if I speak in "audiophile's language''. Maybe that is why Apple never mentioned cutting edge DAC in their new products announcement event.

@deathowner88

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Randy you already answered my question I came here to the comments just to do that ask about the gicelli.

Never apologize for being interrupted by your children. They will be grown up and gone before you know it, cherish every moment you get to spend with them.

@seancurtin5131

2 жыл бұрын

BS, 20 to 30 years is not a short time and it's life sucking.

@CarefreeRambler

2 жыл бұрын

I agree but doing the opposite.

@logotrikes

2 жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more dude. You'll regret all the things you didn't do when you had the chance to do them. Sounds a bit trite, but true nonetheless..

@patrickheredia1431

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah no worries. I'm there with ya my dood. 3 under 2.

@harisjaved1379

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed!

Oh heck man,, it's ok when child comes in. It is who you are and we understand. Too many DACS, a lot of details but this really helps my next step. Keep on!

I don't care what you are reviewing...you are funny as heck...continued success!

Came in looking for some advice regarding my first DAC for my upcoming setup. Got not only that, but also witnessed one of the most wholesome dad moments on the platform. Great content, brief yet detailed, touched on the most important parts when it comes to purchasing such a device. Getting pretty long here but thanks for the video, quality stuff. Keep up the good work.

I completely agree with your assessment of the Topping E30. I sent it back because it was an ear burner. So many people were saying how wonderful it was when it came out. They kept going on and on about the wonderful measurements. Where we differ is on the SMSL Sanskrit MKII and Schiit Modi 3+. I have the opposite impressions of them. I find the SMSL to be smoother in the mids and highs and it certainly isn't thin sounding to me. I like the Modi, except I can't stand the bright LED. It gives me flashbacks to gaming rigs from 15 years ago.

Thanks Randy, really appreciate you listing the different tiers for dacs. I know all things are subjective but I watch because you give your honest opinion and don't worry about what some people say.

One of your best videos yet Randy and Im glad you included your kiddie interruptions. You not only show your kids lots of love which in today's world is special, you do a superb job of tiering a complicated item.

8 months ago you reviewed the topping e30 and said it "sounds great and a great value and a great dac" Today you "can't even listen to it"and it's bottom of the list. What changed?

@AenimaEater

2 жыл бұрын

Was wondering the same...

@sergeysmelnik

2 жыл бұрын

He doesnt know what hes talking about

@Feliciano12v

2 жыл бұрын

Maybe he has heard better sounding units which pushed it to the bottom of the list.

@musicm8kr

2 жыл бұрын

If it sounds harsh now, it would've sounded harsh then (during his first review)...

@mongo2044

2 жыл бұрын

Sometimes I cannot listen to my favorite DAC. Harshness seems to be the big thing with it. So I use a softer sounding one. The mammalian inner ear is one friggin amazing piece of evolution. People have no idea. Many chambers. Different cells and even crystals that float on a jelly! People also listen to music too loudly for too long. If you limit to no more than an hour a day, you should be OK. But it is cumulative. If you burn up your ears in an hour, it will be elevator levels the rest of the day. Also, as you age, your hearing goes to hell. Starting in your early 20s! But more noticeable by mid 40s. Especially for men. All of this adds up. A DAC really needs a month of testing and comparison to be sure. Even then, as always, the audio engineering is what really matters the most! I have some 16/44.1 recordings that are incredible. But there are plenty of 24/192 or higher that are garbage. Many pop recordings after 2000 are also heavily over manipulated and in doing so, they eat up resolution. Some pop music is only 8 bits! This is why used CDs are a big bargain right now. Cheap. You own them. The Sony and Phillips engineers knew what they were doing and 16/44.1 is really all 95% of us need!

I would find this more useful if you first rated their sound quality & features without considering their cost. Then once you have them classified as, say A class, you show cost by its placement horizontally with the cheapest to the left & the most expensive to the right. So the sweet spot is higher & to the left. That way you could look & see what are the best DAC’s for under a $100 or the top contenders for around $200-$250 or the best irregardless of price. A combined rating mixing cost, sound quality & features into a single combined score just isn’t as useful.

@scotto541

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed, while I Really loved the vid and want more of them, THIS is what I was hoping for. I watch because I trust your opinion (and like how you present it). With a pure SQ ranking I could just scrub the list for my budget and be happy.

@quincyfreeman2901

2 жыл бұрын

That seems like a big ask… knowing your own budget, you could easily just see what’s at the top in you price range and connection style needs.

@tomons8059

2 жыл бұрын

I totally agree. IMHO It's more usefull if the tier is based on sound and not the price. You can fit your budget thereafter--and budget is flexible.

@chrisandrew_tv

2 жыл бұрын

See the name of his channel...😂

@westernartifact580

2 жыл бұрын

Good idea

I bought a Dragonfly Red nearly seven years ago, and have been quite pleased with its performance. If I'd watched this video first, I might have bought something else instead. I'm not feeling an urgent need to upgrade at this time, but this is an excellent video for people who want to purchase their first DAC... which should be everyone who does not currently have one. Thanks! Edit: Wow, that Geshelli J2 looks wonderful. Now I actually have a slight urge to upgrade.

You hit the nail on the head.....for many higher priced products, there is nothing in the quality of the output that justifies the price. I have been able to purchase a wider variety of (mostly portable) audio equipment by watching Vids from Zeos, DMS, Josh Valour and now you.... keep up the good work.

Loved the vid today complete with the child interruptions! Always entertaining and informative. Covered so many of the DACs featured by the manufacturers.

Thanks for all the great work. I have to disagree on some of what you say - but not much. Your channel is growing on me and I find myself seeking it out when I have a bit of downtime to watch. I like your no-nonsense approach. I hope your subscription base grows bodaciously! I'm going to try one of those DIY speaker sets. Back in the 1970s, I virtually memorized the Speakerlab Tech papers. They were really great. Looking forward to expanding what I think I know 😃. Best of the Best to you, Brother!

Geshelli j2 for me at the moment. Got it on your recommendation and arrived here in Ireland in 6 days. Really good DAC and every bit as good as the audiolab m-dac + I had at 3 times the price. Well done Geshelli.

@barrystamp8600

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Sean, where did you purchase? How about custom fees into IRL?

@seanoreilly8603

2 жыл бұрын

@@barrystamp8600 Hi Barry. Straight from Geshelli labs in Florida, lovely to deal with. €25 delivery to my door in Dublin. No customs fee yet. Its 2 weeks since I got it. So don't expect a vat or tax bill at this stage. Hopefully. Have had tax and vat bills in the past. Don't know how it bypassed customs. But got a schiit mani from schitt to my door in the past, also avoided customs.

@barrystamp8600

2 жыл бұрын

@@seanoreilly8603 Thanks Sean, looking at this or maybe the new Topping DX3 PRO+.

@seanoreilly8603

2 жыл бұрын

@@barrystamp8600 don't know the topping. But the Geshelli still good. If you are in Ireland, I was hit with a very late FedEx customs bill for €57. I paid it. But dac still only stands me €350 or maybe a little less actually. 2 x coaxial and 2 x optical out. Plus I paid extra for the USB port. You could save if not needed.

Yo my good man, it’s amazing when you allow the kids to add a little bit of sparkle in your video. Shows how awesome of a dad you are. Have a great night and thank you for an amazing review

Dude, you took the time to make this AND THEN GIVE ALL THE LINKS! This is amazing and what I was looking for. Thank you! 😁

I admire the fact that you took the time to review the most popular DACs out there. I as looking for a review like this. One reason why I dislike the SMSL DACs (or any other company which does so like them) is that they don’t include a power supply for their DACs, which is why they are misleadingly cheap. Not everyone uses a DAC only for USB, which is why the Zen DAC was given a low score and also USB requires a lot of treatment to sound better than spdif fibre optic toslink or coaxial rca.

Thanks for the information as an old poor getting back into music and audio. Upvote because of your daughter's interuption - as my daughters are now grown and it melted my heart to hear her little voice and to remember the joy of those days when they were small. Enjoy your family and children, it goes so fast.

@chiphill4856

3 ай бұрын

It happens in the blink of an eye. My wife and I are recent empty nesters. We miss them terribly.

Love the authenticity, on your evaluation as well as your style..thank so much for your work.. from a Hong Kong audiophile

I've been using minidsp products for many years with great success. It let's you really roll up your sleeves with the software, including EQ, crossovers and REW. The specs are great and sounds wonderful once dialed in. Not plug and play but great for learning and affordable.

Cheap audio man this was a really good review. I’ll be looking back at this video to reference relative differences between decks. Really nice job and unlike most videos I’ll be looking back at this one for reference thank you

I love my ifi Hip DAC 2. Pretty well priced, sounds great, has good power output, has 3.5 mm unbalanced, and 4.4 mm balanced outputs, is very well built, and it's portable so you can take your more portable cans or IEMs with you. The battery life on it isn't bad and it charges quickly. Definitely recommend for $189.

Randy… amazing review! Although there have been so many DACs out to date. However, I personally have an Apogee Groove USB DAC. I highly recommend it

Great video Randy! Lots of substance and information and still fun! Keep on mate!

I can’t get enough of your delivery! And your daughter interrupting is so my life! Keep up the great work.

Great job man thank you for all the great vids and showing how to save and have great sound and being respectful over the kids they are truly a gift my 2 are the best thing that ever happened to me have a son and daughter my best friends my son got me back into audio he is such a good little guy blessed keep up the hard amazing work thank you again man

Great content. Love it. You should check out the Beresford DAC, particularly the Camen DAC from a little known manufacturer (globally) from the UK. They do ship internationally at very small cost for amazing sound quality and it's eminently modifiable. (I have zero sales attachment to this Company).

Excellent, will be purchasing a Sith Audio training sword in the near future. People might get antsy about teaching children about blade use at a young age, but the younger you start, the safer they'll be when they're older. Just requires knowledge of the three fundamental rules of Sith Audio blade safety: 1. Treat every Sith Audio blade as if it were loaded. 2. Leave the safety on and your fingers off the hilt until ready to slice or stab. 3. Never aim your Sith Audio blade at an object unless you are prepared to destroy it. Happy blading!

Do like my DAC. Old school. Pink triangle Da-capo (HDCD filter), spdif and clock lock input cards. Full DC psu in separate box. I use it clock locked to a Logitech Transporter in my LMS setup. One of few dac’s that doesn’t use an off the shelf dac chip but actually relies on a 1bit discrete circuit to fulfill DAC duties. It may not be best any more in all areas but still one of the most solid and analogue sounding DAC’s ever produced. I do occasionally compare it to newer equipment but still haven’t found something to unseat it from my rack.

This is my first time on your channel. The reviews was good and the children interruptions was lovely 😊. I replace my Schiit modi 3 for a Schiit Modius and it sounds great. At 199 US $ I think it worth a try.

@markostendorf1122

2 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the heads up …. was considering the Modi 3….will consider the modius now

@luctardif8444

2 жыл бұрын

@@markostendorf1122There’s 15 days satisfaction policy for Schiit products. So you can return it if you don’t like it. It is very easy.

@kamadeva1

2 жыл бұрын

The Modi Multibit is a revelation compared to both of those for $250. It's a mini Bifrost, and is incredibly smooth and detailed.

SMSL su-8 should be in S tier . for such an inexpensive DAC , it actually performs well in a HIGH END system and budget system. The same can be said for Bifrost 2. Congratulations for the success of your channel.

Hey Randy…I think you promised me a tiered list or better yet, an X-Y graph of cost vs sound quality (maybe color coding warm vs analytical for amp matching) for speakers a while back…did I miss that? Would still love to see that…and maybe one for amps as well! Keep up the hard work…we are beneficiaries of that with every video.

@SteveRyder

2 жыл бұрын

This idea is far better than a tier list which is either performance or value but not both.

@photodesignch

2 жыл бұрын

Are you suggesting the hot & crazy scale? :p

Very interesting information. Loved the interruptions, time runs Fast so enjoy your time with your kids!

Thanks to you, I bought a Schitt Modi 3 DAC today. I haven't had a good chance to really listen, but I noticed that I had to decrease my sub volume a bit so it looks like my bass response is already improved. Can't wait to crank it up!

You're still the chief of cheap in my books. Thanks for this excellent service. I've already ordered a sword for my new born nephew. He'll not be swordless, not if I can help it.

You started your video by acknowledging and appreciating others in your field because you believe they deserve it. First time viewer and I like you already.

My favorite video of yours to date. Thanks, mainly, for the child interruptions. You are so great with them. ❤️

Thank You for putting in all the work to bring us this review!!! It took me some time with a few different DACs to hear a difference, but I now believe. 👍👍👍

If you have a SMSL M100 and find it too bright, use your remote to set the filter to FL4. FL4 lowers the treble to -5dB @ 20khz (maybe even -5dB @ 15khz - that’s a really smooth slope, really makes a difference).

@thunderpooch

Жыл бұрын

15khz is mostly inaudible, especially as one ages, and most music doesn't even contain much content at those levels. I wonder if it's an issue with the device 🤔

@LeDechaine

Жыл бұрын

@@thunderpooch It's more that I have weird hearing quirks and I can very much hear 15khz+ (too much actually) so that helped.

Sill happy with my SMSL m300 mkII, specifically because it has balanced out and it's form factor (i don't have a lot of room on my audio/computer rack) and it fits just wonderfully next to my speaker amp.

I own a Cambridge CXA61 that has a built in DAC ES9010K2. The sound the system produces however is not as clean as I would have hoped for, when I bought it. I decided to take the Topping E50 and tested it the integrated experience for a few days. Today I did an A/B audition and decided to return the E50; at least I could not notice a big difference.

Suggestion, I've been watching quite a few of your review videos and one thing I try to do is place a currently reviewed item somewhere in the "impressed" order with those similar items previously reviewed - waiting for the one that stands out from all the others at that time. Since you've created a very useful heirachial layout of a bunch of items, it would be cool to see where you would place the new item reviewed in your "goodness" layout. As as video viewer that would be a very useful suggestion to other reviewers as well. Keep up the great work..... I'll be watching....

Thanks for a good summary of bang for buck, love it. If anyone knows why the Toping D50s is tier 3 (Randy, you said long in the tooth) yet it measures higher accuracy than many in the list at audioscience and can be had sub $200. I can't see why it is ranked D vs C or even B given price/cost. Which similar priced and functioned DAC would be the best in it's place (that doesn't just have balanced output)? This is an open question for you viewers. Thanks for any suggestions. I guess the E50 but two tiers higher?

@deeplyclosetedindividual

2 жыл бұрын

Measurements really don't mean that much. Sound quality can't be measured by a computer.

@skkayman

2 жыл бұрын

I would like to know too, I know it but reviews usually praise it. Is it because there are 1Mii copies? That does not make sense to me..

@TheRealPotoroo

Жыл бұрын

I thought he was harsh on the D50S. It might lack balanced out but it's got BT 5.0 in which the E50 doesn't have.

I bought an ES100 back in 2019 great little device but never liked the physical buttons. It unfortunately died for a couple months ago since it’s charging port decayed.

Waiting on a Geshelli JNOG 2 I ordered about seven weeks ago based mostly on your recommendation. I also ordered the Archel 2.5 XL headphone amp. I’m anxious to get them, and try them out. I ordered the JNOG 2 with the optional USB input, and both with a red oak case.

Loved your thoughts on these. Would love to see more rankings more dongle dac! P.s. well done for being a great dad : )

Another great video I think you should be on TV Your sarcasm and the way you talk to the camera is world class I do have a question I wanted to buy a standalone dac , will all of these work?

Randy, I bought a used Pioneer DV-563a DVD player on the advise of a few people, including my best friend, for just a CD player because of the internal DAC. And after hooking it up to my Pioneer SX-780 and I’ll say is sounds fantastic. I got it off eBay for $65 + reasonable shipping, in the orig box with packing, user manual, remote control w/batteries that worked. Very happy with this purchase. What are your thoughts?

I’ve been running a raspberry pi 2 on KODI for years, but I take the usb into an external dac and hdmi into my my tv. I use an air mouse to control the player. Source using external drives with mp3s. You motivate me to try the 4 with Volumio and WiFi.

For some reason this video autoplayed after I watched New Record Day's latest post. I still watched it all. Thanks for this Randy!

I'm so glad you didn't edit the girls out. Very sweet, bossing the Dad day job, but - she left without the Sith Audio Plastic Learn To Fight Japanese Sword.

Apple's latest Mac Pro 14 and 16" high fidelity audio jacks also produces phenominal sound quality. Feed them to a Fosi amp and a set of Diamond 12.2 speakers and you have something truly AMAZING!

Great list! Out of curiosity you ever looked at the JDS Labs DAC/AMP (Element II)? I think they are great but I would love to hear your opinion

Don't know which video I saw the Topping D10S in, but it mentioned the optical output. This is exactly what I needed when my onboard sound circuit died on my Asus X570P motherboard. Number one i needed a soundcard or equivalent. Secondly I have a Samsung soundbar that I use for the computer and it is only a HDMI or optical input. The D10S is working great with no sync issues like bluetooth was having on my PC. Thanks cheapaudioman.

Practical, no-nonsense, real world comments -- fun on the side! Great work Sir!

Fun list and I love that you leave the child interruptions in your videos.

Cool review Randy. I'm really enjoying the FX AUDIO DAC-X6 MKII, it's not on this tier list but I'd be curious where it would end up if it was. I think it is a wonderful sounding DAC/headphone amp as-is, as a bonus the Op amp is replaceable so you can fine tune the sound to your liking... for only $80 shipped. Next on my list to try is the Modi 3+, at $120 it sounds like a helluva bargain.

@rajendrabiswas

2 жыл бұрын

I am Looking for DAC amp for movies gaming surround sound feel is the FX audio good

@akersquarteracre8002

2 жыл бұрын

@@rajendrabiswas It's a great budget-friendly DAC with very good sound as-is, but I wouldn't be able to tell you how good compared to others as I have had very little experience. The fact that it has a replaceable Op amp makes it very versatile, since you can fine tune the sound cheaply and easily just by swapping it out for a different one. That said, the OPA2134 op amp that is included is a very good one to begin with.

@rajendrabiswas

2 жыл бұрын

@@akersquarteracre8002 here in india I am Looking for my first DAC amp for my HD 599 . I have in mind xduo basic x5d or schiit hel 2 or soemthing like FX audio but I can’t find them here in right price .. I am some one who loves my iPhone earbud and this surround spatial feel when I listen music games movies .. it raised the bar ... but I hope the DACs can juice up my HD 599 as well ..

@inmedicalschool3541

2 жыл бұрын

@@rajendrabiswas from where are u buying ?

Nice! Have you heard the Schiit Modius yet? I did watch the whole video but I do agree with the others who said it might make more sense to rank them all in an absolute sense just based on how good the DAC is. And then do a secondary list that ranks the products’ overall value based on the DAC itself as well as the other features and the price. Just my 2 cents

Great list! Thanks for putting it together.

Back when I started buying decent headphones, I remember Ibasso D2+ Boas were popular. You ever try one of those? How would one of those rate on the list?

Denafrips Ares 2 all the way! I just check for this here, and you put it at the right spot: S!!! Best DAC ever for me!

Also, I love that you kept the child interruptions. They’re freaking adorable!

@cheapaudioman

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, man.

Thanks for this - I have the SMSL M200 and wondered if I could do better? It was my first DAC and sounded ok to me ... I guess I should expect even better with the higher tier DACs. ( Could a tier list be done for speakers? )

For a budget home theater I need a Dac with remote. I have an amp and JBL 530. Is the Sanskrit the way to go? Any suggestions in that price range? I am considering the Loxjie A30 but the extra $40 does not seem worth it.

Schiit Modi3 and done. Was my gateway to hi rez music. Now have a Node. Your channel is great because it’s “real”. Best part was the kids.

Was wondering where the Geshelli was! Thanks for adding them on the comment. I agree, they're S-class!

Hi. I like the topping brand for a DAC, already have a schiit mani for records, but looking into topping because of the kHz indicator. A bit confusing though because they have different levels ( understand that ) but what is the difference between the E and D lines?

I must be deaf, I can't tell apart E30, D10s (Balanced), Ares II, E50, D90SE, my friend who own some of those can... but at the same he can't tell apart headphones from different batches and I can.

Hello, great video! Could I please get some advice? I’m running Focal Clear Pro headphones with my Luxman L-225 Amp (made in 1985). And I love both of these components. But, for the Dac I’m running the Schiit Modi 3+. Do I need to upgrade the Dac to something higher up to keep inline with the great quality of the rest of the set up?

Here I am just getting into serious amplified music, both in listening and recording. I know next to nothing about professional setups. I'm coming fresh off of "plugging it in 101" and am fascinated that there's a tier list for this kind of thing. Thank you kindly.

glad you mentioned apples usb c to 3.5 ...coz cam a big fan of the new lightning EarPods ...has dac amp inside it by cirrus logic...hoping to try this adapter with my m1 air no idea why the store guys told me it won't work with m1 air usb c..I guess they were wrong...my m1 Mac does have 3.5mm though..but maybe the adapter will amplify better.

Which equipment requires 'break in' ? Amps, speakers, cables n' interconnects, DACs, streamers, DAPs . . . if so, do you allow time for this? Do you notice improvement, with some gear, after a period of time?

Have you experienced any of the Aune products? Bought an X1s on a whim and have been very pleased but I don't have anything to compare it to. Trouble is that I can't get better than a certain quality out of my laptop with the USB connection so I can't actually hear it "full strength".

Great video! Noticed that you commented on a lot of the dac options based on if using with speakers or headphones. I am looking to get a dac/amp for the hd560s headphones. Is there a specific dac/amp(s) you would recommend for these headphones? Once again great video.

Great video I just wonder about what dac for what you need it for. Looking to upgrade my CD player sound. Under 300 bucks or go for the Emotiva cd play

Got the Schiit Modi 3+ awhile back. It does everything I need it to without sounding too thin and analytical. Yes, there are definitely better, but price to value ratio is high. I might get a better DAC someday, but it would have to be something like the Denafrips I think to get an increase in quality to justify it. Would love to hear a Geshelli J2 though. Great review and tier list. Will help a lot of people decide.

@vavent_

2 жыл бұрын

Pls, commit proper blind A/B/X test with matched volume between your modi and denafrips and you will open your eyes. Your modi sounds just great, he is doing his job and that's all, headphones/speakers change sound, not other components, save your money and buy better headphones, if you don't own Susvara already, I don't see why you should burn your money, just buy better HP if you want better sound

@rosswarren436

2 жыл бұрын

@@vavent_ maybe. I've not heard the Denafrips Ares II or Pontius. The two external DACs I have are the Modi 2 and the FiiO BTR5-2021. The Modi is AKM based and the FiiO is ESS based. Everything I've read says both the implementation of the DAC chip, the power supply, and most of all the analog output stage affects the sound more than the chip itself. Still, a lot of "audiophiles" fawn all over the Ares II and its old school R2R DAC. At the end of the day would I hear an appreciable difference, and if so, would it be something I would prefer? As you stated, instead of spending another $1000 to $2000 on another DAC, why not get a set of better speakers, headphones, or even a new amp - maybe try out a tube Willsenton R8 or R800. BTW, I'm deciding between HiFiMan Sundara or Sennheiser HD660 S in the $400 range. I have a Schiit Mani headphone amp and it powers about anything. Currently I have a very old pair of AKG K240 Monitors that are 600 Ohms and it can make them jam plenty loud. The $6000 Susvara are out of my price range.

@vavent_

2 жыл бұрын

@@rosswarren436 have Sundara and Hd650, both are beautiful, but to my taste planar headphones from HiFiman just sound better, solid state amps also sounds the same, if they're made good. Schiit top of the line desktop amp Jot2 cost 400$, deliver 6w at 32ohms, have good measurements and different features, better than this you can't find, but it's about Solid States(SS) amps. Tube amps is another story, have seen one tube amp for 4500€, well they give harmonic distortion to the sound, someone likes, someone don't. If you need more power/features/outputs/inputs only then buy new amp, otherwise use what you already have, because sonic differences can be 0 I tested, but without blind testing and volume matching(so this test dont provide objective conclusions), I hardly heard differences between my IMac internal dac/amp and external iFi Zen Dac and Topping DX3Pro, while between Sundara and 650 I CLEARLY HEAR DIFFERENCES So be careful, reviewers can say anything they are paid for, better buy new headphones

@rosswarren436

2 жыл бұрын

@@vavent_ thanks. I'll try seeing if I can hear some HD 660 S and might order the Sundara. I could send them back if I have to I guess within the 30 day return period. Do the Sundara have what you'd call good bass? Does it go down low with definition? My nephew has their HE-400 (I can't remember which model, the "i" I think). And it sounds pretty good to me. I've read a few reviews of the HD 660 S where they say it seems like they took the "best" qualities of the 650 and 800 and created a better sounding headphone than the HD-700, with more pleasing highs. Thanks again.

DACs are typically added to small computers, but the internal ones are usually cheap. Without a DAC at all, you can't hear your digital music as music. because we hear in analog. I bought a combo DAC/headphone amp which ran from the USB on my last PC, but it kept jittering and haulting no matter how I connected it or how many other services I killed. Now I have a new iMac, and I may try it on that. I currently use the DAC built in to my guitar pedal board.

Is it really needed when my pioneer elite has multiple 32 bit 192k DACs in it already? Especially when AVRs convert analog inputs into digital for time alignment and DSP anyway and then back to analog before the amp stage.

A noobie question; for my home stereo; Adcom GFA 555 (1988) Adcom GFP 915 preamp (the only recent purchase because the old GFP 555 just died), Yamaha TX 492 tuner (2) Yamaha 585 CD changers and a pair of Klipsch La Scala speakers also from 1988, what sound improvement if any could I except by adding a good quality DAC say the Denafrips Ares II? Or do I need an such an addition at all to my system? Although I have watched several of your excellent videos on the subject but just the same I probably are still a DAC agnostic. Your advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Best regards. Lajos

Thanks! i very much enjoy watching and learning from your vids. Keep up the excellent work.

Nice. Which is a good dac to upgrade my Bluesound node streamer?

A question, if I am using a portable DAC between my headphones and my 3.5mm jack MP3 output, is it better to use the balanced output jack instead or it does not matter since I am using DAC?

I just ordered my first IEM, the KZ ZS10 pro. If I like it, I might get a DAC to use it with instead of plugging it straight in my phone or laptop. Correct me if I am wrong, but the Earstudio M100 ii seems like a good one for its price and quality to start with!

@V1ralB1ack

2 жыл бұрын

iems don't really need dacs. Most don't even have a low noise jack for iems and if it's a dac amp with high power you could blow up the iem internally they're very sensitive and small with almost no power handling ability sometimes

I was actually thinking about buying the ifi zen dac v2 but after watching this I’m kinda hesitant on buying it now. Would the ifi zen dac v2 be a good upgrade from the FiiO btr5 and FiiO k3? Or should I just go for the ones that tier put on top tier. Trying to run both OH10 iem and Dt 990 pro 250 so I’m in a position where I don’t know anymore. And for the price to be below $200 if possible.

I was having terrible interference on my pc, got an fx-audio plugged in via usb, routed to a speaker amp(which technically has it's own dac as well, but I got the fx-audio first for headphones) and haven't heard a single pip out of it since. Before, it was HORRIBLE about buzzing and grinding any time I typed or moved the mouse.

Sample Rate wasn’t mentioned in any of these DACs, I thought that’s the most important functionality. I wish if you make another video of DACs comparisons price vs quality. Thanks 🙏🏼

@GuitarSpotTV

Жыл бұрын

Apple would win...

Every time I see a conversation about DACs I wonder if I'm missing out on something. I love my Marantz AV receiver with all of its capabilities. Is the DAC in the receiver THAT bad?

I got Geshelli J2 + Topping A90+ Hifiman Sundara. Was thinking of updating headphones for better soundstage. Any suggestions?

Great review! Thank you. If you’d compare directly E50 vs Ares II, what might be the main diferences between then, including “audio signature” some say about R2R DACs?

@iikatinggangsengii2471

5 ай бұрын

both doesnt have 'um soundsig' and just real flat uncolored sound like flat

@iikatinggangsengii2471

5 ай бұрын

for pros i suggest have 1 then another for monitor 'their system/sound' le jardin simply can monitor everything no need another pair

I'm thinking of getting either SMSL DA-9 or the AO200 and a DAC that costs up to US$250-300. Is it better to get a DAC with balanced outputs suchs as the Soncoz LAQXD1 or is the Topping E50 a better choice even if it has no balanced outputs?

@johnhogg9756

2 жыл бұрын

Depends on your system and future plans. If your amp doesn’t have balanced inputs and you don’t plan upgrading to something that does then there is zero reason to seek out a DAC with balanced outs.

Hello sir! Love your videos. So I have been looking at the TOPPING D10 *OR* a Behringer UMC202HD (stereo mic pre amps for recording + 192kHz 24 bit playback $89) have you listened to either or both of those? I liked this review - you seemed to really LIKE the TOPPING E50 (you did NOT seem to like any of the other ones) The E50 uses ES90668AS - the D10 uses the ES9038Q2 - do you think it is that DAC chips in these things that causes you to say one sounds GOOD (E50) and another (E30) sounds harsh. I do no want harsh, I am not sure what the Behringer uses... I don't want to spend $$$ - like $100-ish would be OK. I mostly want to use to listen to Amazon Music Ultra HD (24 bit, 96/192kHz - although I am not sure where they get the sources, etc (not that that matters as long as it sounds good)! THAT would be a cool video for you to make - where do Amazon/Tidal/Apple Music/Spotify get their files from? I have listened to the same songs on multiple services and there appear to be completely DIFFERENT versions - some older (classic) recordigs have hiss (I like hiss) , some don't (hiss reduction), some sound good, some don't etc, Hard to tell exactly what the heck you are listening to but Amazon Music does make some attempt to tell you what is supposedly making it to the DAC and being turned into an analog signal... I would be plugging a laptop USB out into the DAC and running probably RCA outputs into an analog PREAMP / POWER AMP (Carver C-1 and Carver M-1.5t running Dahlquist DQ-10s). I have all of that classic gear sitting around - it all needs various refurbishing but I am thinking that would be fun (and expensive, and probably would end up sounding not that great (LOL))

I like it when you take a minute for your kids, it's wholesome

I'm curious about the difference in audio profile between the Ifi Zen and FX Audio - I've got Sennheiser HD600s and I prefer a mellower sound in the high end

I was disappointed you didn't rate the Onyx THX. I purchased one for my LG V50 to replace the onboard dac on the phone and was extremely surprised by the rich, detailed sound and the amount of clean amplification. Paired with my Airmotiv GR1s, I sold my dragonfly red.

Great video man well done. That E50 seems a great buy.

Us dad's never get time off. Enjoyed the vid. Thank you for your time.

I have the SMSL SP200 Amp Looking at a Dac Was looking at the SU-9 EX5 and the E50. How is the amp on the EX5 and does the othere amps sound different then the thx sp200

Curious where my Cyrus Soundkey would have landed. I enjoy it and have no regrets with it. That said I am now looking for a desktop dac to use between my laptop and Edifier R1700BTs powered speakers.

Thank you very much for the comprehensive comparison. For the next time I suggest to test the »Henry Audio DAC 128 MK 3« - this is the best DAC I know.