Small cheap and decent DAC

[Amormusic]

Hi folks,

My kitchen setup consists of a Naim QB (v1) with a CCA attached to it as I got pissed off with absolutely shite Naim control app. So instead running from Tidal native app via CCA.

This is used a fair bit in the kitchen, and it's occured to me that currently I'm using the Naim as a speaker only and using the DAC from the CCA. This can presumably be easily improved upon...

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions upon a v.small form factor DAC, low cost, that might improve the experience?

Needs only a single output and no bells or whistles. It will be tucked behind my corner seating thingy, so I won't even see it. Low cost please only.

Thanks,

 

[garn63]

Hi folks,

My kitchen setup consists of a Naim QB (v1) with a CCA attached to it as I got pissed off with absolutely shite Naim control app. So instead running from Tidal native app via CCA.

This is used a fair bit in the kitchen, and it's occured to me that currently I'm using the Naim as a speaker only and using the DAC from the CCA. This can presumably be easily improved upon...

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions upon a v.small form factor DAC, low cost, that might improve the experience?

Needs only a single output and no bells or whistles. It will be tucked behind my corner seating thingy, so I won't even see it. Low cost please only.

Thanks,

Hi Pete. The small Audioquest will prob do the job ?
Got a cheap one (not audioquest) that I used in an emergency you could have..but its rough.

 

[MF 1000]

I use a xiang sheng valve DAC fir my sky box etc and it’s quite decent ….one on eBay at present at £70 collect from Cardiff

item no 265927805823

 

[Lurch]

I can thoroughly recommend a FiiO Taishan, it's what I use with my CCA in the 2nd system. Either that or an unbranded Chifi matchbox DAC, as they're probably the same animal without the nice box & name tag.
Taishan <£35, Chifi <£20. I power the CCA & Taishan from a Chifi 5v LPS (via a 2 port usb adapter) which yields stupidly good SQ, also does 24/192 on spdif and Toslink.

 

[Chumpchops]

I can thoroughly recommend a FiiO Taishan, it's what I use with my CCA in the 2nd system. Either that or an unbranded Chifi matchbox DAC, as they're probably the same animal without the nice box & name tag.
Taishan <£35, Chifi <£20. I power the CCA & Taishan from a Chifi 5v LPS (via a 2 port usb adapter) which yields stupidly good SQ, also does 24/192 on spdif and Toslink.

I have a couple of these little boxes. One in kitchen and one on an upstairs TV. Both sounding good with ifi psus.

…..don’t be put off by them being too cheap. Currently £23.99 on Amazon. Rude not to try one.

 

[Headcoat]

Schiit Modi. Small, cheap'ish and excellent sounding.

 

[bencat]

I have an LiTe DAC-AH R2R DAC that would be cheap and you could have but it is not really small same size as an average LPSU . Works really well and sounds very organic it uses eight Philips TD1543 chips four per side . This give a real flavour of R2R and would be a cheap but good sounding upgrade .

 

[Cool Dude Ted]

I’ve used both the Fiio and Schiit Modi mentioned above.
Not sure what connections you have.
From memory, the Fiio had SPDIF and Toslink; the Schiit Modi USB as well.

 

[Amormusic]

Thanks all.

 

[Paul68]

Can I add to list.
https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-dac-v2/

 

[rabski]

The FiiO, Andrew's LiTe, an older anything of t'bay or put up a 'wanted' ad here. If it was me, I'd spend £150 max, and preferably a fair bit less. I've also got one of the FiiO things that cost me £15 used. Way, way better than it has any right to be frankly.

 

[t1no]

Doesn’t the Muso QB have an optical input? Then you could use the CCA optical output directly into the speaker and use the internal DAC of the Muso

 

[Tony T]

Beresford, Topping, ifi,

I can thoroughly recommend a FiiO Taishan, it's what I use with my CCA in the 2nd system. Either that or an unbranded Chifi matchbox DAC, as they're probably the same animal without the nice box & name tag.
Taishan <£35, Chifi <£20. I power the CCA & Taishan from a Chifi 5v LPS (via a 2 port usb adapter) which yields stupidly good SQ, also does 24/192 on spdif and Toslink.

Toslink is 24/96 (info courtesy of the new “no question too stupid to ask” style
sub forum)

 

[StingRay]

Beresford, Topping, ifi,

Toslink is 24/96 (info courtesy of the new “no question too stupid to ask” style
sub forum)

"TOSLINK cables can easily handle 24-bit 192khz sound -IF- you have devices that can both send and receive at that resolution"

 

[Amormusic]

Doesn’t the Muso QB have an optical input? Then you could use the CCA optical output directly into the speaker and use the internal DAC of the Muso

Perhaps having a brain fart. I'm already doing this and, of course, it's a digital signal so must go through Muso DAC and not be using the CCA one.

Therefore, that's sorted then. End of my thread. Cheers all.

 

[Lurch]

In that case grab a 5v Chifi LPS for the CCA, it's surprising the SQ uplift you get by junking the smps wallwart.

 

[Amormusic]

In that case grab a 5v Chifi LPS for the CCA, it's surprising the SQ uplift you get by junking the smps wallwart.

Thanks John. Any chance can link to what you bought?

 

[bencat]

Do a quick search on eBay for 5V linear power supply and there are two UK ones for sale the one for £38 seems as if it would be okay .