DAC help.....

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I’m looking for information on purchasing a DAC for my home theater system. I’m going to be purchasing a preamp and a Magtech amp from Roger sanders in the near future. My main listening source will be a record player and streaming via tidal. What is a good DAC to purchase to get the stored music from my MacBook Pro and stream tidal via my laptop to my system? Is the Audioquest cobalt sufficient or should I look into a more advanced DAC? I would like something that can stream MQA via tidal effortlessly.. thanks in advance
 
Many great DAC's available.
What is your budget?
Do you like a warmer (possibly tube) sound or more analytic.
What have you heard so far that you like?
These type of things would help to get some proper recommendations.
 
jadedavid said:
Many great DAC's available.
What is your budget?
Do you like a warmer (possibly tube) sound or more analytic.
What have you heard so far that you like?
These type of things would help to get some proper recommendations.
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my system is currently and work in progress and isn’t even set up. The only items that have been purchased is a pair of ML ESL 9s, a project expression III with a ortofon black Cartridge and a rack of silence reference with audio quest earth rca interconnects. I’m new to all this.
 
I have nothing against the Audioquest Cobalt DAC -- in fact I'm using one right now with my Macbook Pro to stream Qobuz and I like it very much for the limited way in which I use it. However, if you're looking to build a home system, you may want the flexibility of a DAC that has multiple types of inputs: optical, usb-b, HDMI, etc. The Cobalt has exactly one input and output, USB-A and 3.5mm stereo audio jack. The minute you add another digital source to your system (like, say, a TV with an optical output), you'll either have to use the DAC built into the TV or upgrade/purchase another DAC to handle the extra input. MQA complicates things slightly because you can get MQA decoding in very inexpensive products (like the Audioquest Cobalt or the Meridian Explorer 2) or more expensive products, but there seems to be little out there in the gap between the two. Taking MQA off the table as a requirement certainly opens the door to those middle-tier products that are between $300 and $2000.

If it were my money, I'd go for the Cobalt right now (as it sounds like it would cover all of your current digital needs) and as my digital sources grew, add a upper-entry-tier non-MQA DAC to handle other kinds of inputs (the Schiit Audio Bifrost 2 at $699 comes to mind).
 
tino27 said:
I have nothing against the Audioquest Cobalt DAC -- in fact I'm using one right now with my Macbook Pro to stream Qobuz and I like it very much for the limited way in which I use it. However, if you're looking to build a home system, you may want the flexibility of a DAC that has multiple types of inputs: optical, usb-b, HDMI, etc. The Cobalt has exactly one input and output, USB-A and 3.5mm stereo audio jack. The minute you add another digital source to your system (like, say, a TV with an optical output), you'll either have to use the DAC built into the TV or upgrade/purchase another DAC to handle the extra input. MQA complicates things slightly because you can get MQA decoding in very inexpensive products (like the Audioquest Cobalt or the Meridian Explorer 2) or more expensive products, but there seems to be little out there in the gap between the two. Taking MQA off the table as a requirement certainly opens the door to those middle-tier products that are between $300 and $2000.

If it were my money, I'd go for the Cobalt right now (as it sounds like it would cover all of your current digital needs) and as my digital sources grew, add a upper-entry-tier non-MQA DAC to handle other kinds of inputs (the Schiit Audio Bifrost 2 at $699 comes to mind).
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thank you for all the information the only thing currently that I my add to this system is a CD player also another component that I don’t know which one to purchase. I’m only using this system for audio so the addition of a Tv won’t be an input issue..
 
With those speakers and Magtech gear I would spend $1500 to 4K on a DAC depending upon how comfortable you are with spending that much. DAC's do sound much better as you climb the money ladder.

With more or wider sound stage, depth, musicality, better texture, more air and space between instruments, more detail and resolution.
 
For streaming, you just can't beat Lumin D2, MQA, XLR's, nice working app, sounds great. about $2300. Call Mike (Suncoast Audio ) or contact him here, after all this is his site. Awesome piece of gear. .
 
CPP said:
For streaming, you just can't beat Lumin D2, MQA, XLR's, nice working app, sounds great. about $2300. Call Mike (Suncoast Audio ) or contact him here, after all this is his site. Awesome piece of gear. .
Click to expand...
Lumin in great (I own one), but you need to connect it via Ethernet. The OP suggested he wanted to use USB via his computer.
 
There are a bunch of really good DACs in the $2500 price class:
Benchmark DAC 3 HGC
Mytec Brooklyn DAC+
Schiit Yggdrasil

All have multiple digital inputs and the Benchmark and Mytec also have a analog inputs and headphone amps.

Going up the price ladder yields incremental improvements in sound quality.
 
RDSChicago said:
Lumin in great (I own one), but you need to connect it via Ethernet. The OP suggested he wanted to use USB via his computer.
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Just saw that, bummer. But I have mine connected to my Pre-amp ( via xlrs) and Ethernet of course to the network. Even been using a flash drive for stored audio and of course at times my NAS,
 
He also mentioned he wanted MQA. Several of these DACs mentioned do not do MQA. Since I could care less for MQA that would not matter to me, but he said he wanted it.

If he decides that he does not need MQA, and his budget could get into the mid $4k's then I would suggest considering T+A. Ask Mike about it.
 
Thank you all so much for the information. Is there really a massive difference from DAC to DAC ? I’m not I want to spend a crazy amount on one
 
With almost $18,000 invested in the rest of your system by the time you are through I don't think a $300 dac is appropriate. You can buy a full service streamer/Dac then transfer the files from your laptop to an external USB drive and attach it to the streamer. I use the Teac Reference NT-505 in one of my systems and an attached drive and it works great. The Teac also has USB, Coax and optical inputs for connecting a CD transport like the Nuprime CDT-8 or the Audiolab 6000CDT. It runs on the Lumin operating system.
 
Jack said:
With almost $18,000 invested in the rest of your system by the time you are through I don't think a $300 dac is appropriate. You can buy a full service streamer/Dac then transfer the files from your laptop to an external USB drive and attach it to the streamer. I use the Teac Reference NT-505 in one of my systems and an attached drive and it works great. The Teac also has USB, Coax and optical inputs for connecting a CD transport like the Nuprime CDT-8 or the Audiolab 6000CDT. It runs on the Lumin operating system.
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I totally understand. I do want to incorporate a CD player into
my system in the near future. Are there CD players with built in DACs that would work for what I would like to achieve?
 
There are fairly large differences in DACs. In my relearning process jumping back into this crazy hobby have tried many, I think 14 or 15. The Teac product line that Jack mentioned is very solid gear; I also had good results with NuPrime, Benchmark, and Wyred 4 Sound. All of these except the Teac were based around the ESS DAC chips. The T+A is a different level of machine.

You also mentioned your interest in MQA. This is more limiting in the lower level products. I have no experience in MQA DACs so I will leave that to others. I know Mytec has a good reputation though.

There certainly are solid CD players with built in DACs. Oppo was always considered very good but unfortunately they are no longer making CD players. To me I always wanted a player that could also play SACDs since they sound much better in my view. I had a Marantz spinner also that I really liked.

I always felt it is better to have an external DAC in addition to the player. With exceptions to higher end machines I have always felt that the DACs built in to CD players are usually compromises.

Anyway, good luck and enjoy your search :).
 
Given the quality of your other gear I’d consider getting your MacBook out of your system and replacing it with a streamer/ DAC. I have an Auralic Altair which I preferred (narrowly) over the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge. The biggest improvement I experienced last year was replacing my source (MacBook) with the Auralic.
 
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