DACs for MACs?

[j3brow]

Another vote here for the D1100. It just sounds right. Pairs perfectly with the C1100. I love my C1100-D1100 stack.

[David]

Originally Posted by nalthien

Some options I'm considering:
[LIST=1][*]Schitt Yggdrasil - I've read amazing things about this one!

What DACs are people using with their McIntosh gear? Something from my list? Something else? What drove you to that particular DAC?

If you are comfortable paying less than $2k and going with a Chinese DAC without a US distributor I suggest you look into two models: Gustard X22 pro and LKS mh-da004. A number of reviews claim that both beat the Yggdrasil. The LSK is reviewed on Amonzon by an audiophile who imediately sold his Yggdrasil after purchasing the LSK. These DACS both use the latest Sabre chips.

I own an earlier Gustard model, the X20 pro. It is the best I have heard in my system. Very much an analog sound with great sound stage and resolution. I never heard the Yggdrasil. I have heard the D1100 in a demo room. Couldn't say for sure that it it is superior to the Gustards, but I would guess it is. Not by a huge margin though.

[JBT]

Originally Posted by Yamaki

I am using the McIntosh D100 and very much enjoy it.

The D150 did add DSD codec processing so it is a step up from the D100.

The D100 is used as a DAC only in my system.

I have a D100 in my game room system and it's good little DAC. My only complaint, it took forever to break in and really open up. I had to bring out my old Mcintosh MC252 and using the D100 as a preamp and Dac I ran it two weeks non stop. Now I have it paired with MC275v6, and c2200. No complaints from me.

[nalthien]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts--especially on the D1100! I'm not sure where I'm going to end up; but, it's been hugely helpful to read impressions.

Originally Posted by xv21

The McIntosh D1100 is really good DAC. It meets the price fairly well. Better DACs are available, but they cost more. D1100 sounds really good with MCT450 CD/SACD transport. I haven't heard McIntosh D150, but I have read that C52 DAC is same than D150. D1100 DAC is better than C52 DAC.

The D150, C52, and D1100 all use the same DAC chip (ESS9018). Any differences *should* come from the analog chain post conversion.

Running through the comparison on the McIntosh site is interesting.

• Slightly better SNR (111 vs 110)
• D1100 has a dual-mono power supply
• D1100 has 1 extra digital coax and 1 extra digital optical input
• D1100 has one additional Balanced and one additional unbalanced output

I think this is why I find it overpriced; the actual Digital-to-analog conversion is done by the same chip in both units. The specs for THD, frequency response, and output are all the same. One unit has an MSRP of $3,000 and one has an MSRP of $7,000. That's more than double the price and I can't find any particular justification.

[brownbear]

I have the D1100 and use it as the preampflifier that it is. Im all digital currently. I tend to agree that it is overpriced if just being bought for dac'ing, but IMO worth every penny as a pre. I went from the C47 to the D1100 and the difference was not subtle.
That being said, if I were a C1100 owner, I would probably get the D1100 just because the combo looks so cool.

[nalthien]

Originally Posted by brownbear

That being said, if I were a C1100 owner, I would probably get the D1100 just because the combo looks so cool.

LOL yes it does!

[Timobi]

I'll chime in.

My vote goes for the Cary Audio DMS-500. Outstanding DAC with full MQA decoding and Roon ready.

https://www.caryaudio.com/products/d...-audio-player/

I owned the D1100 briefly. Yes its a good one. The DAC in the Cary IMO has better resolution and gets every nuance from digital recordings. Looks pretty cool too & looks great in my rack along side the C1100 combo.

I got the black version.

[JBT]

Originally Posted by Timobi

I'll chime in.

My vote goes for the Cary Audio DMS-500. Outstanding DAC with full MQA decoding and Roon ready.

https://www.caryaudio.com/products/d...-audio-player/

I owned the D1100 briefly. Yes its a good one. The DAC in the Cary IMO has better resolution and gets every nuance from digital recordings. Looks pretty cool too & looks great in my rack along side the C1100 combo.

I got the black version.

The DMS-500 has gotten some good reviews. I have a Cary SLP-05 Pre-amp and it's one of the finest I've ever owned. Not to mention it's so cool to look at. Makes beautiful music. 12-15 years ago I owned two Cary CD spinners and wasn't all that pleased with either. They wern't bad, but both were tube based. Sounded good playing classical music. But hard rock like Led Zeppelin they didn't have the kick.

I"ve read Cary is moving most of its production back to North Carolina from China which is good to hear. If I had a Cary dealer close by I'd go give the DMS-500 a listen. I'm always on the loockout for great digital products.

[leftside]

Lot's of great DACs mentioned on here. I've had a few of them in my system for varying lengths of time. I now have two Lampizator DACs and will be sticking with this brand for the foreseeable future. The Atlantic is priced about inbetween the D150 and the D1100.

I also see you have a VPI Prime on order. Great turntable. Once I purchased my Lampizator DAC I almost gave up on vinyl, but I did some significant upgrades to the analog side of things later and now I like them both about the same. Just depends upon mood/convenience factor these days.

[nalthien]

Originally Posted by leftside

I also see you have a VPI Prime on order. Great turntable. Once I purchased my Lampizator DAC I almost gave up on vinyl, but I did some significant upgrades to the analog side of things later and now I like them both about the same. Just depends upon mood/convenience factor these days.

I do! I can't wait for it to get here; but, we just learned that VPI is a bit backed up on the supply side so I'll be waiting a few weeks.

I'm in the same boat. When I want to try new music, I go digital (hooray for subscription services). When I want to engage with my favorites, I go with vinyl.