DAC Recommendations Please

I’m in the market for a DAC. I want to play my iTunes purchased music and stream music from my 2010 iMac to my 1988 stereo system, this is my prime intention. I don’t want wifi but wired from iMac to stereo, my Yamaha C-85 Preamp. I need to go ~40 feet between the iMac and stereo.

The ports on the iMac are; Ethernet, USB 2.0 type A, FireWire 800, Audio in/optical digital audio in port (this port is also a S/PDIF stereo 3.5 mini-phono jack), Headphone out/optical digital out port (this port is also a S/PDIF stereo 3.5 mini-phono jack), and a Mini DisplayPort.

My Yamaha preamp specs & rear panel see attached. The preamp does not have wifi, USB, ethernet, or optical connections, basically just RCA inputs. My stereo CD player is a 1994 Pioneer PD-M700 (not high res or wifi etc). I do have a Blu Ray player.

I understand that the asynchronous DACs are the best way to go but are far to expensive for my purpose. I don’t believe the iTunes music is better then standard CD quality and I’m not sure of the quality of streaming music stations except that a couple are undoubtably higher quality then CD & iTunes quality. Ideally I would like a DAC that would be capable of converting a high quality streaming music station. I also see that some DACs have asynchronous USB inputs, I don’t think some of those DACs have the actual inner asynchronous capability though. Is there a benefit to having the async. USB input in that case & relative to my use?

Any recommendations in a good compatible DAC (brands, models) for my system and use would be appreciated. The type of cable/usb & connectors needed to run the 40 feet would also help. I would think something must be available in the $2-3oo for my system and use?

Thanks, Robes

 

Asynchronous vs synchronous USB were the buzzwords 5+ years ago. Today they're no longer an issue. All good DACs of recent design and manufacturer are doing USB the better way. So don't worry about it unless you're looking at older used DAC with USB. And if you do find an older DAC you want but it has old-school synchronous USB, then buy something like a Schiit Eitr ($179) USB to coax SPDIF converter to use as an interface to the DAC and you'll get the new good USB.

The biggest problem you're going to have is figuring out how best to run 40 feet of either digital or analog cable. You can run 40 feet of analog cable buy you lose signal. It will work. But sound quality may suffer.

Maximum length for a USB cable is 12-16 feet. Maximum length for a coax S/PDIF is 10 meters (but can go longer if transmitter and receiver and cable are all of high quality). Optical S/PDIF can also go about 10 meters with quality glass fiber cable. So 12 feet of USB plus about 10 meters of coax S/PDIF cable can get you that 40 food length with a little distance to spare.

To do about 40 feet you're going to be using most of your budget just on cable. With not much left over for the DAC. 30 to 40 feet of optical or coax SPDIF cable from someplace like Blue Jeans Cable will be about $40-$50. 40 feet of quality RCA audio cable from Blue Jeans Cable will be over $100. 40 feet of RCA audio cable from some place like Monoprice will be about $20 - $30.

For a DAC I'd just suggest getting as much DAC from Schiit Audio as you can afford. They have a $99 DAC that is USB only. And a $149 DAC that is USB and also SPDIF.

 

Chord Mojo...

Dunno what happens to the price in the middle of the Atlantic but it should be in the ball park.

 

I have to think that 40 feet will be a problem as well. You could consider something like the AURALiC Aries MINI renderer/DAC combo hooked up to your network via 38 feet of Ethernet cable, and then the last two feet would be RCA. It is more like $550 though. You could also consider a DIY Raspberry setup to a DAC next to your stereo, much cheaper but more initiative required.

 

Whatever you do, make sure you get quality coax or optical cable from BlueJeans. I bought 25' digital coax cables from Monoprice and in doing needledrops, I can hear the signal "fluttering," or at least that's the best word I can use to describe it. I'm trying out a shorter, Belden 1694A run from BlueJeans that I'm hoping solves my issue.

 

40ft means ethernet. If you can run it from your router to your stereo great. If you can't you will need a ethernet switch at your iMac along with a additional patch cable and the 50ft ethernet cable.

Only affordable streaming DAC solution to keep you under budget at this point is a Raspberry pi. Maybe one with a better add on DAC.

 

Thanks everyone for your recommendations. Last night I finally pulled the trigger on the "Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus" for $349. Too many out there as well as so many different prices to study each one. This one has the 2 optical outs I need as well as others I can grow into. I'll be running Ethernet line to keep it hard wired.
Robes

 

I'm not sure I follow how you intend to run the DacMagic Plus. It has one optical output and two optical inputs.
Can someone enlighten me on the use of a digital output on a DAC? Seems a bit useless.

Next, the DacMagic Plus does not have an ethernet jack. The connection you would use would be computer/laptop to the DacMagic Plus via USB or SPDIF/Toslink then analog outputs to your preamp.

If you can use the XLR connection to your preamp then a 40' run of XLRs would solve your distance issue. Unfortunately it looks like the C85 does not have balanced inputs.

Have you figured out how you will traverse the 40' distance?

 

Connect the iMac ethernet socket by ethernet cable to my router. Connect my Airport Express to my router by ethernet cable. Run a Mini Toslink to Optical cable from my Airport Express to a stand-alone DAC, and run RCA cables from the stand-alone DAC to an input on my Pre Amp. This uses the DAC inside the stand-alone DAC, the Airport Express will not use its own DAC; it will just forward the music to the stand-alone DAC.

I have my Stereo and TV together, a stand-alone DAC with multiple inputs will allow me to connect my Airport Express, and also my TV and any connected equipment such as a Blu Ray Players etc via the high quality DAC to my Pre Amp.

This will work well (I believe) for music concerts on the TV, accessing my iMac iTunes music over the Apple TV (nice interface) and just for general TV and movie viewing.