What's the Best DAC for the Money - DAC Tier List - 25 DACS in 22 Minutes wt 3 Child Interruptions!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- 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
Amazon Music and Disney Plus Free Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9
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Recommended Speaker List
Around $100 (These prices will fluctuate between $75 - $150)
Sony SSCS5 - Lively amzn.to/3pZNnGk
Pioneer AJ First Gen - Laid Back
Neumi BS5 -Neutral amzn.to/3q0SR3B
Around $200
Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ - Crystal Clear and Punchy emotiva.com?aff=9
Elac Debut b5.2 - Neutral amzn.to/2WPNQxw
Wharfedale Diamond 11.2 (In and Out of Stock) - Laid Back/Bassy/Detailed amzn.to/37W8hPA
JBL Stage A130 - Neutral/Great All Arounder at $179 the best value amzn.to/3t7gOHe
Around $400
Klipsch RP600M - Neutral amzn.to/3pBoXCf (This speaker’s price can fluctuate between $440-630 which is really dumb)
Jamo C93ii Bit - Boosted on Top amzn.to/3beIG6F (Can also be found cheaper at Crutchfield)
Q Acoustics 3030i - Neutral with Punch - amzn.to/2OQkpLo
Around $500
SVS Prime bit.ly/2LozJgF
Wharfedale Diamond 12.2 bit.ly/2ZckoD9
Around $600
Elac Uni-Fi UB5.2 - Neutral amzn.to/3s3srPG
Elac Debut Reference - Buttery but Detailed amzn.to/39bt6WC
Polk Reserve R100 - Neutral
Aperion Novus - Neutral and probably the best desktop speaker one can get $599 bit.ly/2Q1H9rW
Aperion Novus Open Box $449 bit.ly/3us8zGx
Wharfedale Diamonds Lush and Detailed amzn.to/3aBAso0 Come as singles
Recommended Amp List
Under $100
Aiyima A07 - Neutral and Full amzn.to/3g9YLNf
Around $130
SMSL AD18 - DAC/Amp Lively on top but solid tone controls amzn.to/3rVZxkN
SMSL SA300 $140 amzn.to/3u83oLs
Around $250
SMSL DA-9 Balanced Amp amzn.to/34SdbLs
Around $400
Emotiva TA-100 - DAC, Phono Stage, Pre Outs - Balanced and Tasty emotiva.com?aff=9
Vista Audio Spark www.vista-audio...
Recommended DACs
Ifi Zen DAC amzn.to/2T3wuyY
FX D01 amzn.to/3d9GY6U
SMSL SU8s amzn.to/2SWTGiw
Denafrips Ares 2 www.denafrips....
Subs
Emotiva SE8 emotiva.com?aff=9
Emotiva SE12 emotiva.com?aff=9
SVS SB1000 Pro bit.ly/3scmwsc
![ได้เวลา! พาน้องแฝดฉีดวัคซีนครบ 1 เดือน🫣 [cc] แดนแพทตี้ SS2 | EP.52 |](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IzeLtaXBLNE/mqdefault.jpg)
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
Randy, what is your justtification for placing the Geshelli J2 in S?
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.
@@KevinTernes balanced. Sounds similar to d90se. Great soundstage. $300
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.
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.
BS, 20 to 30 years is not a short time and it's life sucking.
I agree but doing the opposite.
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..
Yeah no worries. I'm there with ya my dood. 3 under 2.
Agreed!
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?
Was wondering the same...
He doesnt know what hes talking about
Maybe he has heard better sounding units which pushed it to the bottom of the list.
If it sounds harsh now, it would've sounded harsh then (during his first review)...
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 don't care what you are reviewing...you are funny as heck...continued success!
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
See the name of his channel...😂
Good idea
Look Randy...how did you bloody well know...I've been after Sith Audio Plastic Japanese Fighting Sword Replicas for like...EVER! Come on, Randy spill...where d'ya get it...
Time to update or delete this video - Many of the links say "Product Unavailable" - kind of frustrating.
Any truth to the rumor that Zeos moonlights as a life coach?
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 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.
Some day when you get real sponsors I hope the style of delivery remains the same.😀
Lol. Me too
What do you mean, they're not real?!
@@deeplyclosetedindividual As real as you need them to be!
Hang on I bought the audiophile sander last week, had to haggle him up from $390 to $797 and still wasn't sure I was paying enough.
right before they were eaten by sharks, that's why I watch this, love it
In Jan 21 - th-cam.com/video/ev0OI-vi_Lk/w-d-xo.html - you liked the E30, now you 'cant listen to it'? ;-) what happened?
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.
This idea is far better than a tier list which is either performance or value but not both.
Are you suggesting the hot & crazy scale? :p
TOPPING DX3PRO+ USB DAC QCC5125 Bluetooth 5.0 CSS ES9038Q2M XMOS XU208 DSD512 APTX-HD Headphone Output AMP LDAC DX3 PRO. will you please review this item.
You know, got “nuutttin’ but luv” fer ya, but I’m not feelin’ your show this time. Here’s the deal: Y’a said the ratings were based on value, BUT you from time to time seamed to base a resting on quality of sound. So for me things got a bit muddled. Recommendation: Do two ratings. One on value, AND one on sheer sound quality regardless of value. That would be helpful.
Just suggestin’
It was value for the sound. If that makes sense.
Got it, but your show is all about value for sound, so what you review is by definition “value” equipment. So if you did just a rating on sound from the list of value equipment you already work with, what would that list look like?, what would the ratings look like? I suspect it would look different. Would love to see that rating. But hay, got NBL (Nuttin’-But-Luv) for your YT channel!
@@cheapaudioman Maybe you could include the explicit rating of each item in one of these Tier Lists on two variables: Audio Quality and Price. If each was rated on a similar scale, say “Zero to Ten,” then you could put that scale on the X and Y axes and drag each item’s chart icon to its spot, as you discuss how you came to your judgment on the particular item. What do you think?
@@christophernoto you r onto something…but the struggle is the limitations of an X / Y structure.
Maybe…
X (vertical) = List of equipment (DAC)
Y (horizontal) = Rating 1 (value) | Rating 2 (sound quality)
S1 = High sound quality
V1 = High value quality
Eqpmt. V1 S1 V2 S2 V3 S3
DAC1. X. X
DAC2. X. X
DAC3. X. X
DAC4. X. X
Just an idea….
Also…you could put the pic’s of the DAC’s under the equipment column
New Product Alert - Sith Audio Child Remote Control...'Stops your kids interrupting in a non-psychologically damaging way - You KNOW you want one...'!!
Didn’t Adam Sandler do a movie about that product?
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.
Hi Sean, where did you purchase? How about custom fees into IRL?
@@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.
@@seanoreilly8603 Thanks Sean, looking at this or maybe the new Topping DX3 PRO+.
@@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.
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?
Measurements really don't mean that much. Sound quality can't be measured by a computer.
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..
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 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.
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.
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
Bifrost B while denafrips is S? i am cofused. They sound different but both great, and that is subjective anyway. the Bifrost is a wee bit cheaper and based on value i would have expected these two in the same tier.
Never heard any reviewer gush about the sound of the Bifrost like every reviewed does about the Denafrips.
@@soulshinobi well, yes. And i am not denying the qualities of the Ares II, but this list was majorly about value, wasn't it? So tell me how good does a freaking DAC have to sound to be S class value at 1100$ ? I would alrdy consider the Bifrost on the pricy side for a dac, So does the Ares II sound 300$ better then the Bifrost ?^^
I mean even in build quality these two are not really apart, which is and always was one of the strength of Schiit products.
so as i said: i am just a bit confused about the gap.
@@Sporting1210 "So does the Ares II sound 300$ better then the Bifrost" I haven't heard them myself, but from every review I've seen the answer is yes.
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
I really enjoy your videos, but being an engineer, I must say that I get a stomach ache when I hear MQA being a "feature". I would encourage people to do their homework, run tests and look past MQA's shiny marketing claims. Unfortunately MQA is not lossless, in fact some other people ran tests and found significant oversampling aliasing that mirrors HF signals back into into the audible range, especially in the "folded" 44.1/16 versions. "Unfolding" and "rendering" the MQA file, and playing back at 88.2 reduces the aliasing, but introduces significant noise certainly not present in source files. This silly MQA, which authenticates absolutely nothing, ruined Tidal for me. My respect for their marketing staff, which fooled me for quite some time!
I like it when mqa is mentioned for any reason as it makes it easy to eliminate products from consideration :) but yeah, I wish it was called out as the junk it is.
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.
Appreciate the heads up …. was considering the Modi 3….will consider the modius now
@@markostendorf1122There’s 15 days satisfaction policy for Schiit products. So you can return it if you don’t like it. It is very easy.
The Modi Multibit is a revelation compared to both of those for $250. It's a mini Bifrost, and is incredibly smooth and detailed.
Don't be fooled by the gossip that soundstage is affected in any way by the DAC. Unless your DAC is severely broken, it will have no effect on soundstage. Soundstage starts with the source material (the way it was mixed and mastered) and is affected by external factors like speakers design, speakers placement, amplifucation and room acoustics (including treatment or lack of it).
A DAC does exactly what it says: it converts a digital signal into an analog signal and its performance and final sound signature is affected by dynamic range, signal to noise ratio, total harmonic distortions, channel separation, frequency response and the quality of its power supply, electronics and analog output stage components.
Agree. That's why these reviews of DAC's are total crap. Either they work or they don't.
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 am happy with Sound Blaster X3. And it have sub out :) .
SMSL Sanskrit and Topping E30 have same dac-chip, same price and same sound. Both have remote and display. SMSL C and Topping F tier?
th-cam.com/video/naTV0HPxTO8/w-d-xo.html
Yeah. Crazy isn't it?
@@JonCurcio Topping sounds just a little bit more detailed. If I close my eyes while listening, I can’t always hear which one is playing. Maybe younger ones can hear because I hear highs only up to 14kHz.
@@jari121 When I close my eyes I find the blackness a bit distracting.
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!
hahahaha that intro
Needed the list a lot. So this isnt pure performance list more of a best value list.
CAM wouldn’t be “Cheap” Audio (THE) Man if there wasn’t a value component to the tier. That being said I have the (D tier?) SMSL M200 and “for the money” it clicks my boxes - most of all the XLR outputs in conjunction with the variable output and remote control, since my speaker amp only has XLR inputs, and the RCA to XLR cable was a bottleneck for the SQ. BT not a deal breaker but I’m using it now with HP for YT. I use the M200’s SE outputs for Schiit Heresy (tube buffer first, which for me helps the soundstage and imaging, which is where points come off for SQ via the speakers). Suggest something better before I retire and have to really pinch the pennies.
Maybe the next time, in addition to the value ranking, a side-by-side list of DACs by sound quality could be shown, along with their price tag. Just a thought.
RME Adi2 where?
You want a downside of the Ares 2? It LAGS. There's apparently a 40ms to 90ms latency to process audio and, well, make everything sound better. Apparently it's quite common in higher-end audio. Maybe it sounds glorious, but some people find it useless for movies or gaming. Some people don't care. Results may vary.
Apple dongle is not a DAC :-D
I did an A/B with the Schiit Multibit and the Sanskrit 2 and bought the Sanskrit. The Sanskrit is much better as it has a remote.
The bracelet was an excuse she stole her sword back.
Pretty sure your daughter is wondering why did daddy say he is working but he is doing the same thing he always does. lol kids are the best!
Check out the Fosi Audio K4, not to be confused with the Q4, only available on the Fosi Audio website. The Fosi Audio K4 is unique in that it’s the only DAC with separate bass and treble controls sporting a TI PCM-5100 DAC feeding an excellent Analog Devices MAX97220 headphone amp/ preamp chip. Its got usb-c, toss-link, and coax inputs, as well as RCA preamp outputs. I’ve compared this humble $67.00 dollar DAC to about a dozen other DAC/ headphone amps from the $180.00 dollar HipDac to the $1000.00 dollar plus Diablo, and none of them sound as good as this Fosi Audio K4! I do react very positively to TI DACs and Analog Devices DACs and Amp chips, but a lot of those DACs I compared the Fosi Audio K4 to had TI Burr Brown DACs. However, none had separate Bass and Treble controls like the humble K4. I use those controls constantly. Not everyone will hear the way I hear, but I think the Fosi Audio K4 might be a possible giant killer, maybe. Certainly worth consideration at this price point. Indeed, regardless of price, I would choose the K4 over the Diablo and the HipDac and everything else. I can always get this humble little thing to sound exactly the way I want it to. However, I don’t like the Fosi Audio Q4 at all, and it’s more expensive and very popular. The Q4 has a Cirrus Logic DAC. That might be why I don’t like it. Of course, these are just my subjective perceptions. I have freakishly sensitive hearing and my ears are almost impossible to please.
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.
Also, I love that you kept the child interruptions. They’re freaking adorable!
Thanks, man.
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!
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 🙏🏼
Apple would win...
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.
R2r Cayin ru6 for smartphones smacks all of them down. Yes folks batteries are silent vs noisy home electrical, you spend a fortune to quiet it down.
I can’t get enough of your delivery! And your daughter interrupting is so my life! Keep up the great work.
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!
I love the ES100 but the Qudelix is just a way better user exp.
What's that new commercial by a major soda brand? "Try it first?
If I have a Pioneer txh94 Elite, 140x7, Elac 2.0, Sony 3de 375 CD player, And sound is really good. Sound stage 3d vertical and behind. Running as 2 channel. I know I have DAC CD and receiver
Is it worth getting a DAC Thanks
Hey thanks for the great video! Have you released an update video by any chance since this one? Just got a Schiit Magni Heretic for $59 on closeout sale for my Hifimans, Senns, and Philips and now looking for a value desktop dac (or portable dac with line out) to pair it with!
E30 harsh 🤨? Is that the version with the AKM or the Cirrus Logic receiver chip? Imho the E30 / AKM is not harsh at all, quite the opposite...
Topping D10S via coax into Schiit Modi into Schiit Mani Heresy - have already and aspire to Denafrips Ares 2
18:30 - "Sorry, I'm not very good at this."
Only the best there is. Plus, at only one hundred and twenty-five hundred dollars, a deal at half the price...
Hi I appreciate that you don’t delete (when your child’s open the door and need your help or just for be kids 😅) I’m a dad of two , thanks for make your videos. I think 🤔 I came late to this video , I’m new of highend systems and I’m new abouth DAC. My cuestions is I have a DENON receiver AVR S530BT and what do you recommend me ? Changed for a DAC? And if I changed there is a dac in the market that have the connections for speaker in the back and be Bluetooth at the same time. I don’t use headphones 🎧 just 🔊 speakers . AND IF YOU RECOMEND ME TO BUY A DAC TO CONECT TO THE DENON .. AND IF YOU SAY IS BETTER CONECT I WANT TO DONT HAVE PLUGS 🔌 FOR ELECTRICITY ⚡️ I WANT JUST WHEN I TURN ON THE SYSTEM IS HAVE TO TURN ON THE DAC … can you help me please 🙏 thanks .
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
ES100 doesn't have a PEQ, but Qudelix-5K does.
Its like the most reviewers:
The Topic is about DACs but what i get is a bundle DACs with additionel Stuff like Headphone amp, bluetooth, preamp.
I think that is not helpfull.
I am lookin for DACs.
ONLY DACs.
DACs are subjective but you should be more consistent. For example The Topping D90SE has all the connectivity you could wish for, sounds great, can act a a good preamp and is dead quiet. It is expensive but is not an F in any way. I I have the D70S and for me it is better than the D90SE and an easy S Tier and would be one if not the best on this list.
I didn't have the D70 but that would have been great to compare.
@@cheapaudioman If you can try the D70S for me it was better the D90 equivalent. The soundstage is bigger, more holographic and it has slightly more output if using as a pre-amp. With the myriad of inputs, single and balanced outputs I have not tried a better DAC at its price point.
@@colinwilby8803 agree! d70s is awesome very natural yet very precise as well.
Butt hurt comment.
@@SatanDynastyKiller Maybe you should explain yourself, rather than make a meaningless statement.
Child Interruption is definitely S Tier.. More important than the DACs. Thanks for the reviews..
What am I missing? I am trying to find a 5.1/7.1 DAC. I want something with usb input. There is barely anything in this field. I have a 30yo 5.1 the b&w305 and so on, which is capable of better, but the yamaha 520 is not, it is noisy. I use an asus xonar external soundcard, and the 6 channel input on the yamaha. The reason I never upgraded, is that I listen to music and watch movies as well, and... because of nothing is good for both, so I thought a component system might do. Listen to music in 2.1, capable of 5.1, why is that a so rarely discussed topic? Or what am I doing wrong?
My DAC is a 1995 Philips 1549/T1. I found some information about the 1549 and other versions too but not about my specific T1 version. Can someone who really understands about HIFI help me? I'm new and confused with this about DACs.
Can someone tell me if my DAC is good/normal/bad quality? what potential does it have if I combine it with other components? I can't find much information on the internet.
Thanks
You just made a new thing.
It’s called Price-Fi
Compair cheap with expensive. And rate it on price vs quality.
So when you have a system where we definitely have the law of diminishing returns. Where you have a exponentially growing curve, it’s not a fair test.
Next do 2$ barely working headphones vs 5000$ and rate the 2$ once on s tier..
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.
I bought the Topping E50. Worked for two hours and then sent a "d3" defective unit code. I'm going to send it back and go with the Emotiva BasX unit. Buy once cry once rather than roll the Chi-fi quality control dice on this one.
So I have watched a small bunch of your videos and I was sitting on the fence - subscribe or mark you down a few tiers, if you get my meaning. I have to say that I was ready to move on until the first visit from you daughter. That was beautiful. Thanks for that. Keeping it showed me you have more potential I had not yet noticed. The second visit was nice, but no magic. But wait, on the third visit you seemed to get a little testy. Bad, Randy, no - no! Do I jest? A little. But seriously, the playful interaction with your child MAKES you, and your opinions, more interesting.
Thumbs up, with a snap!
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
Remember friends: If your dongle dac isn’t properly amped…it can lead to poor quality output.
please review the following Cheapaudio man ! SMSL Sanskrit 10th MKIII Thank you !
Very surprised where you put Topping E30. I bought the stack after watching a few reviews including yours
I just got my E30 and I agree that Randy dropped the ball. It's right up there with best, with a very low noise floor and near-zero distortion compared to my Behringer UMC202HD's perfectly adequate DAC section -- and I paid only $125 via Drop.
I am a bit confused. In his E30 test, he said it was very good. Now later, it is harsh and fatiguing. Where did this all change so suddenly? Randy, did you talk about another Topping Dac in this video?
E30 made the AVR DAC sound like crap. Good value. But I'm using Bifrost 2 now. Worth the upgrade.
I have a raspberry pi and a Auris Audifi streamer. I am going to buy a dac . Should I go get a Smsl do100 for the streamer or a digihat for the pi ? I am having issues with getting 96khz from the Auris audifi? Does it limit the coax output to 44.1?
How do I know what kind of shape my headphones have? I have Audio technica ath-1000x
The Denafrips Ares 2 and the Orchard Audio Pecan Pi are now both the best dac's that cheapaudioman has ever heard.
And Denafrips Ares 2 is way down the S Tier while Pecan Pie is number 3 in the B Tier. Hu hum . . .
In the topping E30 review he was positive about the E30. Doing this tier list, its a crap dac......?... how can i take any review of this dude serious from now on?
If you are still using a 25 dollar pair of ear buds you won't hear the benefits of having a good dac. If music is important to you, and are you are using a 300 or more pair of Sennheiser's you can hear the differences provided you have good source material.
This is really not it. Value things differently i guess,but dac sole purpose is to convert anyway, so sound quality should be in priority, then the others follow. Like that earstudio, its tier s, but only commenting the usability n none of its sound quality. wouldnt even want that.
DACs are not snake oil but today they are getting very transparent and reliable, don't need to spend a fortune...your comparison using a Dragonfly is quite misleading, you get a better sound off those units because of the headphone amp (being way better than a laptop output) not because of the DAC.
I’m a bit confused with dacs I was considering buying an av amp that would suit my needs yet you would think the dac would be good ? So basically from what I gather all dacs are not great and you have to buy one seems strange and it’s extra cost to the expensive amp you would buy anyway may as well buy an old amp then
I have both the Topping E50 and the original Khadas Tone Board. People like to say, "All DACS sound the same unless one is not working right" which is complete BS! The E50 specs better, but for sound quality, surprisingly the Tone Board 1 sounds much better and fuller, plus my E50 has an upgraded power supply. Music sounds sterile and lifeless on the E50, the Tone Board sounds fuller and perfectly balanced (lows, mids, and treble). Tested with multiple speakers, the TB sounds way better and it is not just subtle.
@cheapaudioman Would you see any benefit to running a WIIM Pro into a Geshelli Labs J2? Thanks, Brent
Enjoy the kids they will be grown and gone before you know it, my daughter just moved out and the house is kinda empty..opportunity for more hifi equipment….😋
I for one like the ifi iDSD Neo, a lot, sounds great (I do not use the headphone exit, only as a DAC), has all INs and OUTs I needed. Price is what it is, sure...
I, for one, like the child interruptions. I love the whole cottage industry thing.
Most are far overpriced.... a Dac should be... 100$...not more, there is nothing in it.
Sith Audi, plastic swords...we clearly do live in a pissing clown world, fair play. What? No chord Mojo..🤔
What is the difference between the ifi Zen, the ifi Zen Air, the ifi Zen 2, and the ifi Zen signature?
Nothing remarkable about the iFi DSD Neo!? WHAT? Woah! Things that sound natural regularly tend to have this perception I have found. Oh... sounds like it should, big deal. Can you give me more bass, spark, detail, something more... "shiny"? In that regard, yeah, nothing special, EXCEPT it timbre is SO DARN RIGHT!
just set up a Wiim Mini to a Schiit modi 3 to a NAD amp and then to my 50 year old JBL speakers and it sounds GOOD!
I own the ifi zen dac for my stereo setup with expensive tube amp and monitor audio gold speakers. Does the dac need replacing? How much do i stand to gain?
I'm not buying the sword replica if it doesn't say hifi on the box. Smh how could this get through sith audios quality control department
Where would the Xbox series x fall in the list? Sounds pretty good on my denon and b&w 602.3 speakers...
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.
Is it worth getting external DAC? With the Pioneer Sony CD Elac speakers
This guy loved the ifi neo in his review?
I got Geshelli J2 + Topping A90+ Hifiman Sundara. Was thinking of updating headphones for better soundstage. Any suggestions?
Apple disappointed me long time ago the biggest rip off ever as a company just a very must loved company but in my silly mind should be shunned just as audiophile grade speakers etc that cost to much
I would skip the dragon fly black. Go to the red. Red is definite worth it compared to your phone/laptop output.
Using the topping e50-l50 someone new to the hobby. I added the Aiyima tube pre amp depending on the headphone I am using