Today I receive my new Wiim Ultra, and man... I love that thing. Just with the ARC HDMi for my TV plus Xbox Series X it's amazing. But the simplicity of using Tidal Connect on my home with my Amp and my speakers is day and night. Before if this dac, the only way of using tidal on my main room was using Bluetooth on an iphone... And that's only over the AAC codec. Now, I'm in a system that give me full lossless sound, and that all that matters. Thanks for the recommendation.
I'm just here because I need my reminder to sit down and grab a cup of coffee. If I learn about some cool new, inexpensive products at the same time, well that's just a bonus.
@@ethimself5064yes, both Topping and SMSL are Chinese. So is Denefrips. Ultimately you get what you pay for. Sub $200 products aren’t expected to perform nor be built like $2,000 products. Denefrips and Gustard are also Chinese but you see less product failure. Coincidence?
They are Chinese. But i have a one for about a year now and have not had any issues and has been a great performer for me. Pretty heavy use as well. Failures seem to be pretty rare but it is something to consider since you dont have a lot options of recourse.
@@jungtarcph It might be different in the E.U., but in the U.S. most stores only help you for 15 - 30 days. After that you have to go to the manufacture. 😞
Fortunately there are channels that are sophisticated in DAC reviews Two off the top that crush the Dayzee Pontus 15th or even the Aries 15th for less $$$ LAiV Harmony would easily be the best DAC of the year for mere mortals…no contest The new Gustard X26III is significantly better at a comparable price The Dayzee is an excellent DAC by all accounts and I would be happy to own one
@@R2D2-V2D2 I have the 851n streamer from cambridge. Its better then cxn100! But its hard to find it in the used market! No wonder! Its almost like the edge nq streamer.
You're good enough You're smart enough... And gosh darn it, people like you! You are a zestful loving genius. Everyone, altogether now: I am a zestful loving genius...
Ifi ipower2 and if 5v fed I to a UcConditioner. Incredible performance at a moderate cost. Price performance is hard to beat. Not a LPS but will outperform most LPS in every way including ripple voltage
The SMSL DL200 you mentioned does not have the HDMI input you claimed. Really wanted to want the Cambridge Audio CXN100 for my second system with it's matching Transport, but really want HDMI and find it hard to justify considering the offerings from Topping, SMSL, and that you can get an NAD pre with digital inputs, streaming, balanced output and DIRAC for around £899 quite often further makes it offputting and back to square one. I just need a matching transport and dac which also does streaming, I have pre amps. Geshelli looks pretty in that wooden cabinet too though.
Not to disagree, but I would encourage people to scrape together another few bucks and get the SU-1 as an inexpensive DAC. For that matter, same for people who prefer the AK side of the douk dual DAC. For peeps who want to spend a bit more for better sound they can keep the SU-1 and plug it into a cheap clean linear power supply (around $30 on Ali..). If someone wants more than that they should jump to the base level socketed Geshelli J2 and then mess with diff op amps until they find what they like best. If someone thinks they need more than a J2 with top level Sparkos op amps they clearly have more money than brains 😂
I'm almost completely sold on the Douk Q11 for my first and hopefully last outboard DAC. My first purpose was for curiosity wondering if an outboard DAC would "upgrade" my CD player or make it sound more "natural". (I think the answer to that will be "not likely"). The second purpose is to override the poorly implemented DAC in my high-end preamp. I don't recall what number of ESS it is and it doesn't matter anyway as the only thing that changes in DAC chips models is the number. I just hope the Q11 stays around $150 long enough for me to save up. I fear it won't and by the end of Jan/beginning of Feb it will be around $400 thanks to stupid tariffs and sanctions! (Already seeing the effect and it is not even officially back in power yet). As for getting a linear power supply for it, I call hogwash. Why would I want to spend $200 to $300 on a power supply that will make NO audible difference after spending $150+ on the unit itself? It makes zero sense. It may measure differently, but who can hear measurements? I was going to save up for a J2 (which uses the same chips as the Douk), but I would have to roll dice and choose one, plus it is $100 more. Not that $250 is bad for a DAC, that is a very good price for a DAC, but the design between the Douk Q11 and the J2 are carbon copies and with the Q11 I get to play subjective games with my music. Plus since I take a big loss if I notice nothing or don't like the unit, it makes sense to go less expensive on that premise as well. I'm looking at the Wiim Pro for later. I was going to get one last month on sale, but discovered that I don't have much use for it right now and don't know if I will have more use for it later, I might. I like the Wiim Pro better than the Ultra. The ultra is not as useful for me. The Ultra is also not a streamer, it is a preamp that has streaming ability. In my opinion, a rather disappointing product given the fact that it is nothing like what was promised. Jitter smitter: Just don't pour coffee down it and it won't have any jitter. Ok, being silly, but seriously, one can't hear "jitter" and of you can then you have bigger problems with said product that you can hear jitter with than a simple swap of a cord or whatever will fix.
WIIM Ultra is on my watchlist for the next year. Though... I've never seen any bad reviews, I want to see if there's any local retailer here (in europe) who also got good service. Heard about Bluesound? They are run though one of the national chains, who (usually) got good service etc. The BS Icon is quite a new product, so there's not that many reviews around. But looks promising.. so also wants to see some comparison between the 2. Why use twice the money on ICON when I can get nearly the same on the ULTRA?
I got the wiim ultra this year based on watching your videos(and also the fosi x2 phono preamp). I love it, but it seems to drop connection with the app or streaming service and need a complete reboot from time to time and other Wierd issues. Keep up the good work Randy! Ps, and any thoughts on alternatives for the emotiva xb2's? They are a pain in the butt to get in Canada. Also price difference in Canada for the elac dB 3's are $200, are the 6inch ones $200(140 USD) better? Thanks again!
I don't think he reviewed it this year, so it doesn't qualify for his awards. I'm hoping he reviews it next year. I own one and love it, so I'm mostly curious on his take. 🙂
@@johnnyJoe10Probably unrealistic to expect any DAC to do that. What you are looking for is increased clarity, soundstage, etc. Eq or amp pairing are a better bet for your Klipsch ear piercers.
SMSL and Topping stick to the actual function principle of DACs and need no gimmicks. Douk and Geshelli are clever (the latter knows how to market) but once one goes down the road of fiddling and comparing the casualty is music.
I still don't completely understand why someone would buy a "streamer" when you can get a used laptop for cheap that makes using whatever service that you like way easier, and most dacs are usb these days anyhow... I love my smsl su-8s + pc combo.
@@joshhardin666 nothing wrong with a used laptop. I went with a Wiim though for a couple of reasons. 1. It has its own DAC and I wanted to see if I liked the AKM chip more than the ESS DAC in my integrated amp. 2. I can control it from the couch with the remote control or the Wiim amp on my phone. 3. I can use home automation to play music, e.g. "Hey Alexa play my station on the stereo" 4. The Wiim includes an EQ and room correction. Again, a laptop is fine, I'm just giving some examples of why I picked one. 👍
I'm interested in the Denafrips Pontus 15th...and the Geshelli Labs Dayzee. I would need the folks from Geshelli Labs to handhold me through designing my Dayzee, tho...as I'm clueless about Opamps, different DAC chips, blah blah etc etc. ...but it wouldn't hurt my feelings at all to have a Dayzee with a wooden case that matches my hardwood floors & rack. I would also like to have wooden cases made for my Black Ice Audio components. This is my forever gear...so I would like to customize it. Does anyone know of a woodworker who does this type of thing (wooden cases like the Geshelli Labs Dayzee & Black Ice Audio Aeris)????
@@davidzwicker9988 I had been looking at that as well...but for whatever reason the full-sized components were hollerin' at me. I enjoy my current Black Ice Audio gear quite a bit. If they had a full-sized DAC, I'd have already purchased one. Right now I'm using the DAC in my Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition for TIDAL & .flac files on the internal SSD. I use a little Pioneer usb optical disc drive to rip CDs onto the Eversolo's SSD...but I occasionally use it as a CD transport. Would you mind telling me a bit about how you're using your Black Ice DAC? Thanks for the input....
Wouldn’t recommend purchasing anything from Aoshida unless you’re willing to wait a month. Literally a Slow Boat From China would be faster. Ordered an SMSL P0100 on Black Friday and it still hasn’t departed from China. Purchased lots of other audio gear, cables and drivers; never had to wait so long.
You always have to consider the convenience of a dedicated streamer. Especially if using WiFi. I don't have a PC anywhere near my stereo. A laptop could be more convenient but I'd personally still prefer a streamer. Nothing wrong with using a PC/Laptop though.
I can't control my PC with a remote control. My PC doesn't have an AKM DAC. I can't tell Alexa "Hey play my station on my stereo" with my PC (but I can with my Wiim).
As a pure streamer (no DAC) the Bluesound Node Nano would probably have been in this review if it hadn't been released a bit late in the year. For sound it is said to leave the Wiims and the Cambridge way behind. Similar price to the Wiim and much cheaper than the Cambridge. Software among the best out there.
@@seaman5705 Pure streamers (there are many available) are meant to be connected to an external, separate dac. Many people believe that all components in a system should be separate in order to achieve optimum sound with no compromise. Eg streamer/cd transport -> dac ->preamplifier -> power amplifier->speakers.
Is it another of your tasteless chinese death boxes you've been fooled into buying on dreadful Amazon? Yes, probably. No class, no dignity, but I like you, for a tasteless American. At least you are not wearing a baseball hat and saying 'Super' and '100%' constantly.
DAC stands for Digital to Analog Converter. It takes a digital signal, which is useless to we mere humans, and converts the signal from that digital device like a computer or raw digital streaming device into an analog signal that our preamps and amps and headphone amps can use and send to our speakers to be heard. It can be made very cheaply and built into devices like CD/DVD/BluRay drives, or AVR multichannel receivers, but can also be stand alone devices that can be many time better sounding than most built ins. There are hundreds of DAC micro chips that all perform similar functions and can often be swapped out to tailor the sound to your specific liking. Then there are the R to R , resistor ladder DACs, which are a much older design, but many, like myself, think sound even better than the much more common chip designs. As you improve your system, in an intelligent, systematic way, you will inevitably come to the DAC conundrum and will jump down that rabbit hole. Forget opinions, listen to what you like, and DON'T jump into a big money DAC without having listened to more than one more affordable designs. You'll need that education to make a proper decision down the road. I hope this helps your understanding about what DAC is . Above all, educate yourself on what is possible in the final sound. Never look down on small speakers as they allow you much more levity is placement and acoustical matching to your room than large speakers which get placed and that's it. Max volume should be much lower on your list than clarity and low listening fatigue and sound that draws you in emotionally, regardless of what style music it is. I'll shut up for now but I personally wasted over 50 years of audio with bombastic monster systems only to come full circle into much smaller systems with far more beautiful sound qualities that can still hit hard for metal and other aggressive musical styles when called for. Audio is the greatest, most fulfilling hobby/lifestyle a person can have and will follow you all your life.
@@OldTooly "As you improve your system, in an intelligent, systematic way, you will inevitably come to the DAC conundrum and will jump down that rabbit hole" Ugh, this hits home. I put together my first "decent" stereo this year. First I just lived with the built in DAC that came with my integrated amp. Then I got a Wiim Pro Plus and started using the DAC in the Wiim. But then doing some A/B testing I decided I liked the DAC in my amp after all. Just recently I picked up a Fiio K11 R2R and man, it's the best of the three (to my ears). I keep telling myself "that's it, it sounds awesome, I'm done"
Under $30 SMSL PS100 amzn.to/3VC4kYW (affiliate)
Under $200 Douk Q11 amzn.to/4iC9ON2 (affiliate)
Under $200 SMSL DL100 amzn.to/3ZRTvV8 (affiliate)
Under $300 Topping D50iii amzn.to/41z3hgb (affiliate)
Roon Nucleus One store.roonlabs.com/products/nucleus-one/
Best Streamer Under $300 Wiim Ultra howl.link/2mselu73cc4h5 (affiliate)
Best Streamer Cambridge Audio CXN 100 howl.link/clIpOMI0sy6 (affiliate)
Best DAC any Price Geshelli Labs Dayzee geshelli.com/dayzee/ (affiliate)
Today I receive my new Wiim Ultra, and man... I love that thing.
Just with the ARC HDMi for my TV plus Xbox Series X it's amazing. But the simplicity of using Tidal Connect on my home with my Amp and my speakers is day and night.
Before if this dac, the only way of using tidal on my main room was using Bluetooth on an iphone... And that's only over the AAC codec.
Now, I'm in a system that give me full lossless sound, and that all that matters.
Thanks for the recommendation.
I'm just here because I need my reminder to sit down and grab a cup of coffee. If I learn about some cool new, inexpensive products at the same time, well that's just a bonus.
The SMSL DL200 died after 10 months (in Europe we have a mandatory 3 year warranty) and SMSL never answered emails, so I would never recommend them.
A valid point. Are they a Chinese product?
@@ethimself5064yes, both Topping and SMSL are Chinese. So is Denefrips. Ultimately you get what you pay for. Sub $200 products aren’t expected to perform nor be built like $2,000 products. Denefrips and Gustard are also Chinese but you see less product failure. Coincidence?
They are Chinese. But i have a one for about a year now and have not had any issues and has been a great performer for me. Pretty heavy use as well. Failures seem to be pretty rare but it is something to consider since you dont have a lot options of recourse.
Your store should Replace / fix it. Not smsl
@@jungtarcph It might be different in the E.U., but in the U.S. most stores only help you for 15 - 30 days. After that you have to go to the manufacture. 😞
That CXN100 is on my very short list! Thanks for sharing Randy! 👍👍👍
I love the topping d50 mk iii. It's as transparent as my RME babyface pro fs. Highly recommend.
Fortunately there are channels that are sophisticated in DAC reviews
Two off the top that crush the Dayzee
Pontus 15th or even the Aries 15th for less $$$
LAiV Harmony would easily be the best DAC of the year for mere mortals…no contest
The new Gustard X26III is significantly better at a comparable price
The Dayzee is an excellent DAC by all accounts and I would be happy to own one
He did say only DAC’s he had listened to.
i bought the Wiim ultra on your rec and I'm super happy with it. Thanks Randy. also bought the Sony SCC5 speakers because of one of your videos.
Who is singing the Christmas is just around the corner? Has become earworm
I subscribe because you're the man !
Thanks Randy
Thanks Randy, hopefully this helps with your insecurity issues 😊
I bought CXN streamer after watching your video 😊
@@R2D2-V2D2 I have the 851n streamer from cambridge. Its better then cxn100! But its hard to find it in the used market! No wonder! Its almost like the edge nq streamer.
I'm subscribed, maybe even twice!
What is the 60$ product that cleans up the jitters from the Wiim that is making people's heads explode????
Schiit Gungnir 2 (or Yggdrasil) FTW.
Dual watches 😵💫😵💫, heck I can barely keep up looking at one wrist 😂
@@alwayspushing2031 me too 😂
You're good enough
You're smart enough...
And gosh darn it, people like you!
You are a zestful loving genius.
Everyone, altogether now:
I am a zestful loving genius...
I would love to hear a video on a a recommendation for a linear power supply
Ifi ipower2 and if 5v fed I to a UcConditioner. Incredible performance at a moderate cost. Price performance is hard to beat. Not a LPS but will outperform most LPS in every way including ripple voltage
The SMSL DL200 you mentioned does not have the HDMI input you claimed.
Really wanted to want the Cambridge Audio CXN100 for my second system with it's matching Transport, but really want HDMI and find it hard to justify considering the offerings from Topping, SMSL, and that you can get an NAD pre with digital inputs, streaming, balanced output and DIRAC for around £899 quite often further makes it offputting and back to square one.
I just need a matching transport and dac which also does streaming, I have pre amps.
Geshelli looks pretty in that wooden cabinet too though.
Thanks!
wow! thank you so much!
Not to disagree, but I would encourage people to scrape together another few bucks and get the SU-1 as an inexpensive DAC. For that matter, same for people who prefer the AK side of the douk dual DAC. For peeps who want to spend a bit more for better sound they can keep the SU-1 and plug it into a cheap clean linear power supply (around $30 on Ali..). If someone wants more than that they should jump to the base level socketed Geshelli J2 and then mess with diff op amps until they find what they like best. If someone thinks they need more than a J2 with top level Sparkos op amps they clearly have more money than brains 😂
Feel better about yourself, I gave you at Thumbs Up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm almost completely sold on the Douk Q11 for my first and hopefully last outboard DAC. My first purpose was for curiosity wondering if an outboard DAC would "upgrade" my CD player or make it sound more "natural". (I think the answer to that will be "not likely"). The second purpose is to override the poorly implemented DAC in my high-end preamp. I don't recall what number of ESS it is and it doesn't matter anyway as the only thing that changes in DAC chips models is the number.
I just hope the Q11 stays around $150 long enough for me to save up. I fear it won't and by the end of Jan/beginning of Feb it will be around $400 thanks to stupid tariffs and sanctions! (Already seeing the effect and it is not even officially back in power yet).
As for getting a linear power supply for it, I call hogwash. Why would I want to spend $200 to $300 on a power supply that will make NO audible difference after spending $150+ on the unit itself? It makes zero sense. It may measure differently, but who can hear measurements?
I was going to save up for a J2 (which uses the same chips as the Douk), but I would have to roll dice and choose one, plus it is $100 more. Not that $250 is bad for a DAC, that is a very good price for a DAC, but the design between the Douk Q11 and the J2 are carbon copies and with the Q11 I get to play subjective games with my music. Plus since I take a big loss if I notice nothing or don't like the unit, it makes sense to go less expensive on that premise as well.
I'm looking at the Wiim Pro for later. I was going to get one last month on sale, but discovered that I don't have much use for it right now and don't know if I will have more use for it later, I might. I like the Wiim Pro better than the Ultra. The ultra is not as useful for me. The Ultra is also not a streamer, it is a preamp that has streaming ability. In my opinion, a rather disappointing product given the fact that it is nothing like what was promised.
Jitter smitter: Just don't pour coffee down it and it won't have any jitter. Ok, being silly, but seriously, one can't hear "jitter" and of you can then you have bigger problems with said product that you can hear jitter with than a simple swap of a cord or whatever will fix.
Speaking of DACs, any chance of reviewing the new Schiit Gungnir 2 soon?
WIIM Ultra is on my watchlist for the next year.
Though... I've never seen any bad reviews, I want to see if there's any local retailer here (in europe) who also got good service.
Heard about Bluesound? They are run though one of the national chains, who (usually) got good service etc. The BS Icon is quite a new product, so there's not that many reviews around.
But looks promising.. so also wants to see some comparison between the 2. Why use twice the money on ICON when I can get nearly the same on the ULTRA?
I got the wiim ultra this year based on watching your videos(and also the fosi x2 phono preamp). I love it, but it seems to drop connection with the app or streaming service and need a complete reboot from time to time and other Wierd issues.
Keep up the good work Randy!
Ps, and any thoughts on alternatives for the emotiva xb2's? They are a pain in the butt to get in Canada. Also price difference in Canada for the elac dB 3's are $200, are the 6inch ones $200(140 USD) better? Thanks again!
Amazing video as always question do you think the wiim mini and the SMSL S U 1 will go on sale again.
Is Dayzee DAC only available is the US or is it now possible for international customers to order?
Are you gonna review the Emotiva XB1's??
I'd tell ya how great the xDuoo TA-22 is, but it's on backorder!! 😖😫
Fiio K11 R2R???
I don't think he reviewed it this year, so it doesn't qualify for his awards. I'm hoping he reviews it next year. I own one and love it, so I'm mostly curious on his take. 🙂
@jimdog cool! I'm thinking of getting one myself. Wonder if it will smooth the highs out of my Klipsch RP-600M II.
@@johnnyJoe10Probably unrealistic to expect any DAC to do that. What you are looking for is increased clarity, soundstage, etc.
Eq or amp pairing are a better bet for your Klipsch ear piercers.
SMSL and Topping stick to the actual function principle of DACs and need no gimmicks. Douk and Geshelli are clever (the latter knows how to market) but once one goes down the road of fiddling and comparing the casualty is music.
Ps100 over su-1 for dac of the year?
I have a Wiim pro and a Wiim ultra. Frustrated that the pro can use airplay but the ultra does not use airplay. Seems like a simple software update.
It requires hardware and probably a license knowing Apple
Ma hai provato per caso il Fiio k11 r2r?
Sono curioso di sapere come si comporta abbinandolo al wiim pro plus…
Can you talk about how Wiim can only see 500 tracks at a time?
What about fosi zd3
I still don't completely understand why someone would buy a "streamer" when you can get a used laptop for cheap that makes using whatever service that you like way easier, and most dacs are usb these days anyhow... I love my smsl su-8s + pc combo.
@@joshhardin666 nothing wrong with a used laptop. I went with a Wiim though for a couple of reasons.
1. It has its own DAC and I wanted to see if I liked the AKM chip more than the ESS DAC in my integrated amp.
2. I can control it from the couch with the remote control or the Wiim amp on my phone.
3. I can use home automation to play music, e.g. "Hey Alexa play my station on the stereo"
4. The Wiim includes an EQ and room correction.
Again, a laptop is fine, I'm just giving some examples of why I picked one. 👍
The Santa part and music reminded me of the latest in AI generated vids in youtube. They are awesome
Love ur reviews bruh. You’re also amusingly funny…for a snipe😂😂😂.
Anything
That doesn't reveal my moments of stupidity.
If you output via optical in WIIM id the jitter still an issue????
Pause ⏸️ Mute 🔇 play ▶️
Rinse Repeat
I'm interested in the Denafrips Pontus 15th...and the Geshelli Labs Dayzee.
I would need the folks from Geshelli Labs to handhold me through designing my Dayzee, tho...as I'm clueless about Opamps, different DAC chips, blah blah etc etc. ...but it wouldn't hurt my feelings at all to have a Dayzee with a wooden case that matches my hardwood floors & rack. I would also like to have wooden cases made for my Black Ice Audio components. This is my forever gear...so I would like to customize it.
Does anyone know of a woodworker who does this type of thing (wooden cases like the Geshelli Labs Dayzee & Black Ice Audio Aeris)????
Black ice dac is a winner.
@@davidzwicker9988 I had been looking at that as well...but for whatever reason the full-sized components were hollerin' at me.
I enjoy my current Black Ice Audio gear quite a bit. If they had a full-sized DAC, I'd have already purchased one.
Right now I'm using the DAC in my Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition for TIDAL & .flac files on the internal SSD. I use a little Pioneer usb optical disc drive to rip CDs onto the Eversolo's SSD...but I occasionally use it as a CD transport.
Would you mind telling me a bit about how you're using your Black Ice DAC?
Thanks for the input....
Roon Nucleus - nu-kle-us, not nu-ke-lus. 😉
Don’t feel bad. 60% non-subscriber viewers is not uncommon at all on TH-cam.
Wouldn’t recommend purchasing anything from Aoshida unless you’re willing to wait a month. Literally a Slow Boat From China would be faster. Ordered an SMSL P0100 on Black Friday and it still hasn’t departed from China. Purchased lots of other audio gear, cables and drivers; never had to wait so long.
Ho ho ho, let’s go!
WiiM can't do anything your PC can't, and you already have a PC.
You always have to consider the convenience of a dedicated streamer. Especially if using WiFi. I don't have a PC anywhere near my stereo. A laptop could be more convenient but I'd personally still prefer a streamer. Nothing wrong with using a PC/Laptop though.
I can't control my PC with a remote control.
My PC doesn't have an AKM DAC.
I can't tell Alexa "Hey play my station on my stereo" with my PC (but I can with my Wiim).
But everything I get an e-mail, my music is interrupted. And I have to deal with the audio on the motherboard.
comment about anything? How does one "subscribe" on a smartphone[dumbfone!]?? Do Not See A Button Anywhere...?
As soon as you say “sit down and have a cup of coffee” I hit “like”.
As a pure streamer (no DAC) the Bluesound Node Nano would probably have been in this review if it hadn't been released a bit late in the year. For sound it is said to leave the Wiims and the Cambridge way behind. Similar price to the Wiim and much cheaper than the Cambridge. Software among the best out there.
And how one could hear the sound if there is no Dac ?
@@seaman5705 Pure streamers (there are many available) are meant to be connected to an external, separate dac. Many people believe that all components in a system should be separate in order to achieve optimum sound with no compromise. Eg streamer/cd transport -> dac ->preamplifier -> power amplifier->speakers.
Would it really help if I unsubscribed and then a week later resubscribed?
Is it another of your tasteless chinese death boxes you've been fooled into buying on dreadful Amazon? Yes, probably. No class, no dignity, but I like you, for a tasteless American. At least you are not wearing a baseball hat and saying 'Super' and '100%' constantly.
newby here,what the f is a dac
DAC stands for Digital to Analog Converter. It takes a digital signal, which is useless to we mere humans, and converts the signal from that digital device like a computer or raw digital streaming device into an analog signal that our preamps and amps and headphone amps can use and send to our speakers to be heard. It can be made very cheaply and built into devices like CD/DVD/BluRay drives, or AVR multichannel receivers, but can also be stand alone devices that can be many time better sounding than most built ins. There are hundreds of DAC micro chips that all perform similar functions and can often be swapped out to tailor the sound to your specific liking. Then there are the R to R , resistor ladder DACs, which are a much older design, but many, like myself, think sound even better than the much more common chip designs. As you improve your system, in an intelligent, systematic way, you will inevitably come to the DAC conundrum and will jump down that rabbit hole. Forget opinions, listen to what you like, and DON'T jump into a big money DAC without having listened to more than one more affordable designs. You'll need that education to make a proper decision down the road. I hope this helps your understanding about what DAC is . Above all, educate yourself on what is possible in the final sound. Never look down on small speakers as they allow you much more levity is placement and acoustical matching to your room than large speakers which get placed and that's it. Max volume should be much lower on your list than clarity and low listening fatigue and sound that draws you in emotionally, regardless of what style music it is. I'll shut up for now but I personally wasted over 50 years of audio with bombastic monster systems only to come full circle into much smaller systems with far more beautiful sound qualities that can still hit hard for metal and other aggressive musical styles when called for. Audio is the greatest, most fulfilling hobby/lifestyle a person can have and will follow you all your life.
@@OldTooly "As you improve your system, in an intelligent, systematic way, you will inevitably come to the DAC conundrum and will jump down that rabbit hole"
Ugh, this hits home.
I put together my first "decent" stereo this year. First I just lived with the built in DAC that came with my integrated amp. Then I got a Wiim Pro Plus and started using the DAC in the Wiim. But then doing some A/B testing I decided I liked the DAC in my amp after all. Just recently I picked up a Fiio K11 R2R and man, it's the best of the three (to my ears). I keep telling myself "that's it, it sounds awesome, I'm done"
👍👍👍🇩🇪
Nu cu lus? Really? Come on. It’s Nu clee us. Please.
You're such a weirdo 🙂 Still can not get use to it when I watch your videos...
Sorry you have low self esteem. But i still think you are full of it. Merry Christmas. I still follow you
Where is that link... oh yea, do not recommend channel.
ciao