When to consider a DAC?

The new DACs made with the new ESS chips aren't so brightish or have the old Sabre glare.

 

A little late to this thread, but here's my view. There are two reasons I can think of to get an external DAC.

1. If the external DAC sounds better to you than the DAC in your disc player. Or maybe if it sounds different, and you want to switch up the sound from time to time.
2. If you want to have more than one digital source; say, a disc player and a streamer. Then, IMO, it makes sense to have a single DAC that can serve both sources, rather than pay for several lesser DACs (one in each device). The single DAC might be a stand-alone component, it might be a disc player with auxiliary digital inputs, it might be a DAC-preamp or DAC-integrated, or it might be a streamer with auxiliary digital inputs. (I's sure I've forgotten some possibilities.)

If it's (2), I would discourage all but the very wealthy from getting a disc player with extra inputs. I believe that a disc player, because of its moving parts, is likely to fail sooner than purely electronic devices. If you're rich enough, that might not matter.

Let me add, I think that trying to judge a DAC by the particular DAC chip it contains is a losing proposition, because the sound depends so much on the surrounding circuitry. We audiophiles always are looking for a simple way to judge stuff without painstaking listening. I'm convinced that once the specs demonstrate competent engineering, there is no such simple way.

 

Dude....Let me explain a couple of things about the 2 "DACs" i've got.
a) Denafrips Venus
b) Technics SL-G700 SACD player

Why am i calling this Technics player a DAC?! Well, it has digital inputs and it can be used a DAC. I think it sounds even better than the Denafrips Venus. Both the Denafrips and the Technics are priced at about 3k, except that the Technics is also a top notch SACD player in addition to serving as a top notch DAC. The Denafrips is a great DAC, but, it is a one trick pony when compared to the Technics. Even if the disc player on the Technics fails, it is still a top notch DAC. Hope that makes sense....

 

It makes a lot of sense. Enjoy it!

 

It's my experience that new DAC's are not necessarily better than (even very) old DAC's. Yes, you'll here a different sound, but if it's worth replacing?
If you like your current player and are thinking of upgrading it's more likely that changing the amp or loudspeakers will bring you a lot more.

 

Thanks for that.

I do that I'm suffering a bout of upgrade-itus. I really do need to try and settle for what I've got right now, and simply enjoy. Any real deficiencies will arise over time.

 

Just put the money into the audio side not the power side.

Nothing will sound decidedly better or worse, just different. How you feel on the day makes a bigger difference I reckon.

Buy a £20 Fiio Taishan DAC for a laugh and see how you get on. Show you what a more modern DAC can do for very little. If you don't like it it's a handy bit of kit to keep about for TVs etc.

 

Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) exists in many types of ways lol. One thing I always forget in my listening setups is the room as well. I'm also the type to consider upgrades but sit for a year on it to let it marinate and allow me to casually research what exactly I want to get out of a purchase.

 

Also an important thing I realize with gear it's just always "different" but as time and use goes on I come to fall in love with certain parts and realize what I'd like better in other areas. It's like setting low expectations so you don't have that buyers remorse, but there's also the buyer first impression or going with your gut that speaks louder volumes than high expectations go.

Things are just hard these days because there are far less brick and mortar HiFi shops where you can setup and test loads of items and know what you want. Now it's watching reviews and ordering things. Blind faith turns into.....deaf faith? Lol

 

If you are happy with the sound, I would definitely just stick with what you have. In my case, I actually felt like there was something missing. Like, my playback all sounded really one dimensional (with speakers known for their imaging) and kinda ice pickey. Didn't feel like I could really crank my system that I just paid dearly for. I knew my speakers and amp were up to snuff and I was sure digital recordings HAD to be capable of sounding better on $5000 worth of speaker and amp, lol. If I had hooked everything up on day one and been totally satisfied, I wouldn't have gone looking for a separate DAC. Just was clearly the weakest link in my chain. Sounds like the DAC in your CD player does everything you need it to.

 

So that's the thing, right? My biggest fear is getting a new DAC, and finding it does nothing. I don't get out much due to health reasons, so I can't go and listen in a showroom. The Audiolab M DAC Mini I bought - that yes, is very inexpensive - was horrific. Now I'm aware of the Rega DAC that's tempting, since I have the Rega amp. I don't know how well the Chip is respected (Wolfson WM8742). But as a discontinued product it lacks DSD, which is a shame. Also, apparently, it's USB isn't great (not that I use it). I can't get away from thinking that, sure, it's affordable - but it's clearly been bettered feature wise.

 

Maybe 5-7 years ago, it was a respected dac at a reasonable price, even What HiFi gave it a nice review. Can’t guarantee it’ll be a majorly better or different then your current system though, if you want that you’d probably have to jump up in price to a different more complex dac chip. Something like a Chord Qutest, I’m sure there are stores for that dac that have free returns. Chord DAC’s have completely custom chips, Schiit Gungnir also is a DAC that has a more custom multibit processing. In the US Schiit allows returns, not sure what the policy is by you.

 

At the moment it looks like you've got a very good well balanced system, so the fact that you can't get to a dem makes it a difficult choice.

However in the past I've had 2 CDPs on loan from a local dealer, to see how they sounded in my system, or if you buy on line you often get a 30 days return policy.

 

Looking at your system gives me no clues on what to change
Don't know the kit
A DAC may or may not improve the sound and that may or may not be because of the DAC

Any mains power improvements will help all of it to give a better sound and it will be there for any future upgrades.
Cheap or maybe free would be an unswitched socket if you have one around
*Only* change them yourself if you are completely confident and now what you are doin.
Spend a bit more for a bank of them.
Russ Andrews do 30 day returns for all of their kit so you could try before you buy
I'm sure others do too.