What HIFI 5 STAR for my DAC

[StanleyB]

I wonder how it would stack up against your TC-7510. That's had a decent burn in time by now. Keep us informed.

[Yomanze]

I've found Cambridge Audio and Naim players to have that digital 'sheen' that I hate! They have resolution, but the sound is too etched and artificial to me. I'd take a Rotel 965BX and reclock it anyday. This is all to my personal taste of course! Isn't it funny that older CDPs sound far more analogue - talk about progress!

[Marco]

Isn't it funny that older CDPs sound far more analogue - talk about progress!

What progress? Yom, I totally agree!

However, for a modern DAC, the Beresford offers excellent sound-per-pound value and punches well above its price level in terms of performance. In that context it's a no-brainer purchase.

Marco.

[Yomanze]

Marco, it'll more than do until I've built my TDA1541A DAC. Got the essential parts, but my 5 month old daughter has sapped my time away (in the best possible way of course).

[StanleyB]

Home Cinema Choice has now published a review of the Cambridge DacMagic.

From that review:
'It's probably worth getting a word or three in at this point about the filters, because they do indeed have an important effect on the sound – nothing gross, but the way the sound registers on the ear over the course of a prolonged track varies between them.

To the extent that each can be succinctly summarised, the linear phase is clean and tidy with a particularly well-controlled bass, but can sometimes seem a little clinical by comparison with minimum phase, which seems slightly warmer but perhaps a shade less precise.

Meanwhile, steep is superlatively detailed in simple music – single voice/instrument, or just a few – but slightly loses out to linear in very dense textures.
[]
Standards of CD replay being what they are, it probably won't lift many modern players beyond recognition, but it could give a new lease of life to some older models and for computer-based music replay it is an excellent choice.

The remarks about the filters is an important one IMO. I myself have struggled to understand why different recordings react differently to different types of digital filters. That inconsistency is reason why I don't use the digital filter in the DAC chip.

I am a bit disappointed with their conclusion that the DacMagic probably won't lift many standard (CD/DVD) players beyond recognition. Many standard players have less than perfect DAC implementation and are in the whole easily improved upon when they are used as a transport with a good DAC.

Luckily you guys needn't have any fears. My TC-7510 does not suffer from any of those faults. It's take more than a bit of magic to improve on my design...

[leo]

Its funny that theres already a huge demand for the Cambridge dac , read on various forums and its surprising how many people are interested in the thing.
I've only heard their 840c cdp used both as cdp and a dac with its spdif input.

[leo]

ASRC usually does add a lot of signature and as already noted its results tends to vary with the material
Even using the bypass option avialble on some of these ASRC chips still adds a flavour to sound IMO

[StanleyB]

From what I understand the DacMagic is based on the 740C. I think a lot of people have been too eager to believe it is a stripped down 840C...
It ain't easy building a high end beater, and judging by the results my TC-7510 still reigns. The DacMagic will no doubt draw sales away from me, but the people who are really interested in sound improvements are hopefully going to bite the bullet and buy my cheaper option.

[leo]

In all honesty I wasn't that impressed with the 840c, don't get me wrong its a decent player but wasn't as good as the hype in my opinion, guess I expect too much

AD1955 used in the 840c uses a more complex external output stage etc than the cheaper and easier WM8740 used in the 740c
It wouldn't make sense anyway making their budget dac to be on par with their top cdp

Thing is Stan your dac performs nice and easily worth its price, theres other units out there that may sound a bit better but look how much extra you have to pay, the thing people need to ask themself is it worth the sometimes huge extra in cost

Theres those that are happy enough with their purchases and others wanting to go as high as they possibably can, in a lot of cases I know of friends who have spent god knows how much just to get marginal improvements

[purite audio]

Leo Hi, that is exactly my experience, there are gains to be had but at considerable cost .