What is the best relatively cheap DAC I can get?

[TheSloth]

Sloth, have you written a review of the Desktop on any of the boards? I'm considering a purchase.

I did a while back of the Desktop with Max '05 Module/Max DAC/DPS/SA 'over there'. But I would prefer to answer any questions you may have at this point - I have a lot more experience with headphone amplifiers and headphones since I wrote that review. But feel free to search and check it out. I was amazed by it as a system that fitted all of my various needs in one small box.

[TheSloth]

What do people think of this DAC?

http://cgi.ebay.com/TDA1545-TDA1545A-Non-OS-TUBE-DAC-Paradisea_W0QQitemZ9726203340QQcategoryZ14978QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem.

Seems like an upgraded Dialogue II.

[tkam]

Yeah it looks like a Dialogue II with a tube output stage and maybe some other upgraded parts. I've heard a stock Dialogue II and unless this is a drastic improvement its no competition for the MAX Dac.

[TheSloth]

Yeah it looks like a Dialogue II with a tube output stage and maybe some other upgraded parts. I've heard a stock Dialogue II and unless this is a drastic improvement its no competition for the MAX Dac.

Thanks! I've never really understood this whole DAC world with non-OS and passive I/V stages. I've read about the supposed advantages of such a system, but it is usually surrounded in audiophile buzzwords like 'musicality' 'weight' and suchlike, and little evidence as to why it should be better than a well implimented modern DAC design. Can anyone shed any light?

[Grand Enigma]

Thanks! I've never really understood this whole DAC world with non-OS and passive I/V stages. I've read about the supposed advantages of such a system, but it is usually surrounded in audiophile buzzwords like 'musicality' 'weight' and suchlike, and little evidence as to why it should be better than a well implimented modern DAC design. Can anyone shed any light?

I love me my 44.1

[elnero]

What do people think of this DAC?

http://cgi.ebay.com/TDA1545-TDA1545A-Non-OS-TUBE-DAC-Paradisea_W0QQitemZ9726203340QQcategoryZ14978QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem.

Seems like an upgraded Dialogue II.

No that DAC has more in common with the Constantine, both those use the TDA1545 DAC chip and an opamp output stage whereas his Dialogue II and Renaissance II use TDA1543's with passive I/V stages.

Yeah it looks like a Dialogue II with a tube output stage and maybe some other upgraded parts. I've heard a stock Dialogue II and unless this is a drastic improvement its no competition for the MAX Dac.

The Renaissance II not the Paradisea has some similarities to the Dialogue II but from my understanding they are quite different designs as well.

Thanks! I've never really understood this whole DAC world with non-OS and passive I/V stages. I've read about the supposed advantages of such a system, but it is usually surrounded in audiophile buzzwords like 'musicality' 'weight' and suchlike, and little evidence as to why it should be better than a well implimented modern DAC design. Can anyone shed any light?

From my admittedly limited understanding of non-oversampling DAC's a big part of what sets them apart from other designs is the lack of digital filters. The idea behind not using digital filters is less manipulation of the signal which supposedly gives a more natural sound that lacks an element of glare and hash typically found in oversampling DAC's.

The passive I/V stage means that the output from the DAC is high enough to be used without an added output stage, in a passive I/V stage a resistor is used to convert the signal from current to voltage. Again the feeling is using opamps or even a discrete output stage is going to add something to the overall sound.

So I see the general idea behind non-oversampling as being less manipulation for a purer more natural sound. Of course nothing is perfect and non-oversampling DAC's have their own limitations and hurdles to overcome. I think part of the reason they're so popular today is they are reasonable cheap to produce and they generally sound pretty good but in the end it's the implementation of the design that's going to determine the final sound. I figured because my new Storm Digital D02 used the same DAC as the Dialogue II there would be general similarities and I guess there are some but not quite what I was expecting. To use an analogy I would liken the Dialogue II to the stereotypical SET amp, it has a warm character with rich tonality and an easy treble and bass is a bit fat and round. It's a pleasant "musical" DAC to listen to but ultimately it falls short of the big boys but I think it does quite good for a DAC that typically goes for around $225 - 250 including shipping. The Storm D02 on the other hand is a completely different beast, that plays in a completely different league. I won't go into too much detail about how it sounds here, for that you can read my impressions thread and I'll also try to get a more indepth review posted sometime in the relatively near future. Suffice it to say, I think the D02 overcomes most if not all the limitations and shortcomings of the Dialogue II and can play with the big boys.