The topic of DACs is always interesting. Whether stand alone, or built into an integrated amp or preamp, DACs have a lot of influence on the sound of your music and TV.
To get cut above performance, you can’t beat beefy, linear power supplies. The DAC chip you use is just the start.
It’s actually more important to make sure your DAC has big linear supplies- than just buying something with the latest chipset in it. We’ve learned that some of the latest high processing chips, sound considerably more “electronic” than older chips that have less processing power. Without muscular supplies, it doesn’t matter what chipset you use because you won’t get much out of it.
Most companies out there build flimsy DACs in China. They will prey on your naivety and try to win your biz by using today’s hot shot chipset- built within a wimpy infrastructure. However, if you put even the fanciest DAC chip in a lightweight DAC or streamer, you’re not going to glean much from it.
It’s far smarter to be sure your DAC, whether stand alone or within an integrated or preamp, has a large transformer (s?) and big array of filter capacitance to deliver a smooth, muscular sound. In short, you can’t win with the latest chip alone. You’ve gotta have the strong power supply to achieve a weightier, smoother sound.
Bluesound
Here’s a case in point. Bluesound makes the excellent Node streamer, $550. It streams like a champ. No streamer is more reliable and less problematic. Node has a new Sabre DAC chip on board. The Node sounds pretty respectable on its own, running analog out.
Butttt, you can up your game tremendously by running digital out into a superior DAC design, that DOES USE a beefy transformer and massive array of filter caps.
The Node weighs 2.4 pounds. You simply CAN’T get state of the art sound with dinky power supplies. Yet we have a solution for that. We want Bluesound for its streaming prowess. We’ll tie into a superior DAC product to improve our sound.
TAS
I was reading TAS’s search for fine DACs in its issue 352 at the Munich Hi-Fi show. The writer saw a CH Precision for $91k, an MSB for $95k, an Ideon for $50k and a Wadax for $40k. Hmmm. Let’s get back to the real world.
Stand Alone DACs
Bryston BDA-3 $4k
Bryston’s BDA-3 at $4k is as good as anything out there. I’ll bet we could blindfold Mr Fancy Pants who likes the $90k DACs above- and he couldn’t hear the difference. Made in Canada in Bryston’s own house, BDA-3 has been pushing the state of the art since it came out a few years ago. Bryston includes this DAC in its BR-20 ($6800) stereo preamp. THAT… makes a smokin’ deal of a combo. You get a state of the art DAC and fabulous preamp in one box for $6800.
Mytek Liberty 2, $1495
Liberty 2 runs multiple linear power supplies with a current Sabre DAC. Mytek makes it in Poland where the owner is from. He became an American citizen. Liberty 2 is a serious DAC with single ended and XLR outputs. Mytek builds it on a small chassis so it can fit more easily in your rack.
Atoll
Atoll of France is especially tantalizing! Atoll makes its gear in France with a 3 year warranty. Atoll does not hire poopbox of China to slap together a DAC for them to market as a Euro product.
Atoll DAC100 Signature $999
DAC100 is built on a sturdy steel chassis and has a brushed aluminum face plate, not plastic. It runs two transformers, one for the digital section and one for the analog section. It runs 7 regulated linear power supplies. It comes on small chassis so it’s easy to place in your rack. It uses a 24/192 Burr Brown DAC that it runs with no negative feedback. It uses Mundorf caps that are housed in their
own mu-metal boxes to prevent RFI. If you’re looking for an affordable DAC that’s better than what’s in your streamer or CD player, you can’t beat Atoll for value.
Atoll DAC200 Signature $2700
DAC200 is a bigger brother to DAC100 above. It’s built on a full sized chassis which can house bigger transformers and caps. It has 12 supplies instead of 7 and uses a higher processing Sabre chipset. The chipset has to be governed by more substantial electronics, which is no problem given the size and money allotted to DAC200.
DACs In Integrated Amps Or Preamps
My favorite way to get cut above sound from your source is to get a DAC built within an Atoll integrated amp or preamp. The beauty of this plan is that Atoll builds all of its products with very big power supplies. The result is, all you need to do is buy a DAC board for $320 to unlock better resolution.
You might think gee, how can $320 buy me a great DAC? On its own, it couldn’t. But we’re installing it in an integrated amp or preamp with Gibraltarish supplies. Because the infrastructure is hearty in these Atoll pieces, it IS logical to just add the DAC board and away ya go!
The DAC board is optional on Atoll integrateds up to IN300 Signature, $4500. IN300 Signature’s price INCLUDES the DAC board, which along with its other strengths, makes IN300 Sig one of the best values in high performance integrated amps.
When you see a skinny preamp or D integrated, the DAC on board isn’t going to help much. It just doesn’t have the support it needs to derive the sound you’re looking for.