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Good cheap DAC?

Hello,

 

I'm looking at getting a DAC but I want something that is good value for money. obviously the cheaper the better.

 

Any advice much appreciated 

 

Thanks in advance

BlindGam3r

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Hello,

 

I'm looking at getting a DAC but I want something that is good value for money. obviously the cheaper the better.

 

what are you connecting to it

Desktop - Corsair 300r i7 4770k H100i MSI 780ti 16GB Vengeance Pro 2400mhz Crucial MX100 512gb Samsung Evo 250gb 2 TB WD Green, AOC Q2770PQU 1440p 27" monitor Laptop Clevo W110er - 11.6" 768p, i5 3230m, 650m GT 2gb, OCZ vertex 4 256gb,  4gb ram, Server: Fractal Define Mini, MSI Z78-G43, Intel G3220, 8GB Corsair Vengeance, 4x 3tb WD Reds in Raid 10, Phone Oppo Reno 10x 256gb , Camera Sony A7iii

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Fulla schiit (this is a DAC/Amp) , Modi, ODac. :)

 

Thanks for the quick response buddy, ill check those out cheers

 

 

what are you connecting to it


Do you mean what device or what headphones?
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Do you mean what device or what headphones?

 

What headphones

Desktop - Corsair 300r i7 4770k H100i MSI 780ti 16GB Vengeance Pro 2400mhz Crucial MX100 512gb Samsung Evo 250gb 2 TB WD Green, AOC Q2770PQU 1440p 27" monitor Laptop Clevo W110er - 11.6" 768p, i5 3230m, 650m GT 2gb, OCZ vertex 4 256gb,  4gb ram, Server: Fractal Define Mini, MSI Z78-G43, Intel G3220, 8GB Corsair Vengeance, 4x 3tb WD Reds in Raid 10, Phone Oppo Reno 10x 256gb , Camera Sony A7iii

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What headphones

 

Beyerdynamic DT770 250OHM 

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Fiio E10k

 

One thing to note - it goes up to 150ohms, but is more than enough for a pair like those. I myself have the DT990 Pro 250ohm headphones, and it powers them fine.

Shot through the heart and you're to blame, 30fps and i'll pirate your game - Bon Jovi

Take me down to the console city where the games are blurry and the frames are thirty - Guns N' Roses

Arguing with religious people is like explaining to your mother that online games can't be paused...

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Schiit Fulla or Fiio E10k.

 

I have a review of the Schiit Fulla, but it may not help you since I don't own that tier of headphones.

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Fulla Schiit or Fiio E10k. Best under $100

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Fiio E10k

 

One thing to note - it goes up to 150ohms, but is more than enough for a pair like those. I myself have the DT990 Pro 250ohm headphones, and it powers them fine.

 

The E10k looks like a good option at the moment :) Thanks

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The E10k looks like a good option at the moment :) Thanks

If you do end up getting one, make sure to turn the gain to High, otherwise the bass will be a bit lacking.

Shot through the heart and you're to blame, 30fps and i'll pirate your game - Bon Jovi

Take me down to the console city where the games are blurry and the frames are thirty - Guns N' Roses

Arguing with religious people is like explaining to your mother that online games can't be paused...

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I'm personally partial to our friends at schiit.com, especially with the Modi II ($100) or Modi II Uber ($150). Be warned, however, that this is just a DAC; you will need a separate amplifier. 

 

The new Schiit Fulla, an $80 USB DAC + amp combo also has excellent reviews. 

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Fulla Schiit or Fiio E10K

The Fulla Schiit is somewhat untouchable (like, literally untouchable), or so I'm told, since the edges aren't "sanded" or "grinded down" which makes it sharp and could give you cuts, plus the only dial is slippery. If that was just the first batch, I hope the second batch doesn't have that.

The Fiio E10K is pretty good, too... but yeah, my vote is on the Fulla Schiit since its tiny as FUCK and could probably be modded to use with smartphones (unless someone's done it already)

My Grading System on headphones: SS= 98-100, S= 95-97, A+= 91-94, A= 86-90, A-= 81-85, B+= 76-80, B= 71-75, B-= 66-70, C+= 61-65, C= 56-60, C-= 51-55, D+= 46-50, D= 41-45, D-= 36-40, F+= 31-35, F= 26-30, F-= 21-25, Tier 1 crap= 16-20, Tier 2 crap= 11-15, Tier 3 crap= 6-10, Dahell tier= 1-5, No hope= 0                 Nevertheless, "Enjoy what you enjoy without starting some silly culture war" - Lachlanlikesathing. If you Recommend the M50/X in a thead, I would probably send you a dick pic.

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What about the SMSL SD793II ? This one has different inputs (Optical IN or Digital Audio only, NOT USB), but I heard it's pretty good and even better than the E10K. Or SMSL also has the M2 for USB and portability.

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What about the SMSL SD793II ? This one has different inputs (Optical IN or Digital Audio only, NOT USB), but I heard it's pretty good and even better than the E10K. Or SMSL also has the M2 for USB and portability.

 

I was just going to say, the SMSL is the best under $100 if optical is available. 

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I was just going to say, the SMSL is the best under $100 if optical is available. 

 

One question : Can you remove the drivers on the onboard soundcard (Realtek in most cases) and still output from the optical out of your motherboard to the SMSL ? My logic says no, because Windows won't see any soundcards after removing the drivers, but I have never worked with Toslink output before.

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One question : Can you remove the drivers on the onboard soundcard (Realtek in most cases) and still output from the optical out of your motherboard to the SMSL ? My logic says no, because Windows won't see any soundcards after removing the drivers, but I have never worked with Toslink output before.

 

I doubt it, no reason not to install your audio drivers in any case.

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Fiio E10k

 

One thing to note - it goes up to 150ohms, but is more than enough for a pair like those. I myself have the DT990 Pro 250ohm headphones, and it powers them fine.

 

Kinda make you wonder, 'powering' might not be about the ohms, doesn't it?

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One thing to note - it goes up to 150ohms

 

Amplifiers do not "go up to" a certain amount of resistance.

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Amplifiers do not "go up to" a certain amount of resistance.

Fiio E10k is a DAC & Amp. And regardless of how i worded it, it's impedance varies between 16 - 150ohms.

 

Now, would you kindly do one?

Shot through the heart and you're to blame, 30fps and i'll pirate your game - Bon Jovi

Take me down to the console city where the games are blurry and the frames are thirty - Guns N' Roses

Arguing with religious people is like explaining to your mother that online games can't be paused...

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Fiio E10k is a DAC & Amp. And regardless of how i worded it, it's impedance varies between 16 - 150ohms.

 

Now, would you kindly do one?

 

No, amplifier impedance does not vary. They do have a static output impedance, but that is not what you think you are talking about. 

 

Amplifiers DO have a fixed voltage output, variable if they have a gain setting and by the volume knob, which translates as a varying amount of output power dependent upon the load impedance (headphone). FiiO may recommend the using 16-150 ohm headphones in their spec list, but that is not a number measured off some component within the unit.

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Fiio E10k is a DAC & Amp. And regardless of how i worded it, it's impedance varies between 16 - 150ohms.

 

Now, would you kindly do one?

 

Amplifier will supply power regardless of the headphone's impedance.

 

Rather than saying "oh it's a 300 ohm headphone it needs an amp", it's important to look for the sensitivity. How loud a headphone will get per mW supplied into it.

 

A combination of resistance and sensitivity determines how hard-to-drive the headphone is

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The question is, do you need a dac?

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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Like shearme said above, it's not about 'I don't like you in particular, and I'm gonna make your post stink', it's about giving the right information, and clearing up misconceptions (which are quite a lot in audio) for people who are genuinely seeking more knowledge.

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