Marvey's DAC Chart of Awesomeness

I've got sort of a general question. My main three headphones are a Fidelio X2, HD 650 and a set of Alpha Dogs. I'm running them all off a Peachtree DAC ITx which I've had for a good while.

I sort of feel like it's the weak link in my chain. Feel like there's some background noise compared to some of the other DACs I've heard. Specifically the Bifrost Multibit which a friend just bought that I was very impressed with. It was just much less clinical then my peach tree unit. Hard to describe as most things in audio are.

600 dollars though for me is quite a bit to drop on a DAC. I'm curious if there's a desktop unit somewhere closer to 400 that would be a good upgrade. With a SPDIF and USB input. I've researched a ton but all I seem to get are recommendations for 500 dollar and up units and I just can't imagine spending that much on a DAC of all things.

I'm using an Asgard 2 as an amp. Which I like quite a bit. Plenty of power for everything I run and I've never been big on tubes.

 

The Bifrost 4490 and MB aren't that far off...and the price is right at $399.

I'm afraid I can't draw a comparison to your Peachtree, however.

 

Interesting placement of the Mytek, I often here it is warmer and more laid back compared to other products in its 'category' like the Hilo and DAC1/2.

Can't deny I'm curious as to where the DAC2 would be placed, probably above the DAC1 where the Hugo is now but in red. Have many here compared the two? (DAC1 v DAC2)

 

Well that's sort of what I was thinking. My peach tree I think sounds pretty similar to most saber based DACs. It's pretty detailed but it can sound kind of dead on some recordings. I think it's part of the reason I've become so taken with my Fidelio X2s and not been a huge fan of my HE-560s/Senns. I disliked the 560's so much I ended up selling them.

At any rate. Is there anything in the same price range as the 4490 Bifrost worth considering? I've done quite a bit of research on head-fi but then I came here and it seems like a lot of that was wasted time. For example I was considering the SMSL 8 I think it was but it seems SBAF has a pretty low opinion of anything but Schiit and more expensive units.

 

Huh, there's a Mytek Stereo96 in my local classifieds. I'm morbidly curious...

 

Interesting, do you know which amplifier this was with?

 

I had a loaner smsl m8 at home for a week. Not really impressed with it. Very sabrish. It sounded a little less refined and a little more veiled than a Burson Conductor as a pure dac. All in all, IMO not the worst value considering what's around these days, but the owner ended up selling it and getting a more "organic" micromega 90's dac instead. Now he's much happier

 

I think I may end up getting a Modi 2 uber. Maybe I'm just getting cheap as I get older I'm just having a really hard time justifying a multibit unit despite how much I'd like to get one.

I'm wary of falling into the mid-fi purgatory thing but I've only ever owned this one DAC and it's served me well for a good while.

May end up with the 4490. I'll probably sleep on it for a few days.

Just doesn't seem like there's that many good options in the two to three hundred dollar range like there is with amps.

 

The 4490 is supposed to sound great, very close to the Bifrost Multibit. Wait till some b-stock comes in to save a few dollars and down the line if you ever want to go multibit, you can pay for the upgrade.

 

....Or just wait a few more days, I might put mine up for sale. @Merrick is right though, it's a great DAC coming from the Modi2U. It's pretty much an upgrade in every conceivable way, and the Modi2U wasn't a bad DAC to begin with.

 

@Maven86 why are you thinking about selling? I've been on the lookout for another 4490.

 

@Kevin Bryner, I'm upgrading my rig. I'll send you a PM!

 

Ok. Yeah I think I may go for the 4490. Maybe down the road update to multibit. I figure that will end up being end-game for me.

 

I'm a little perplexed by the yggdrasil, it seems to be a very polarizing DAC. Some users seem to be raving about it while other are putting it up for sale within a couple of weeks. Am I wrong in thinking this is the case?

 

@purrin - can you please add the Bifrost 4490 to your DAC chart? I have done extensive listening to it and it is pretty damn good, in my opinion it should be ranked pretty close to the Bifrost Multibit.

 

question: where would a theta digital ds pro progeny be ranked in this chart? I love the way it sounds but there's always that itch to upgrade into something like the Gungnir Multibit, or even go halfway and get a Bifrost Multibit / 4490 (would this be a sidegrade?)

 

Anybody here heard the theta ds pro basic or basic iiia ?

 

@hifi01170 did you see the Theta for sale on head-fi, too?