DACs
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: AudioQuest
While the original DragonFly defined the market for micro-DACs, its USB power draw made it compatible with computers only. Music lovers have craved a more portable version—one that could be reliably used with Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. We’re...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: Cambridge
1 x DacMagic Plus in black ex-demo available for clearance pricing. Please enquire for price. Improving on a legend is never easy, but Cambridge Audio has gone back to the drawing board to create the DacMagic Plus with exciting new...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: Arcam
Arcam, synonymous with their reference and audiophile-grade DACs have introduced the new rBlink Wireless DAC, enabling users to stream high-quality audio via the high-end PCM5102 DAC chipset onboard. The rBlink uses aptX streaming technology alongside high-end audio circuitry and carefully...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: AudioQuest
Beetle is a mul ‐purpose DAC for today’s many different lifestyles. Capable of delivering naturally dynamic, uncompressed music via its high‐performance op cal or asynchronous USB inputs, Beetle adds excep onal convenience and surprisingly beau ful sound through its asynchronous...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: AudioLab
With the 8300CD at its core, Audiolab's latest model, the 8300CDQ offers the same levels of detail, transparency and dynamic range. It is both an exceptional CD player and a top-class external DAC/digital preamp, able to make the most of...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: Cyrus
soundKey is an award-winning revolution in mobile music. Hi-Fi streaming services like TIDAL mean fantastic quality is available to subscribers, but phones lack the necessary hardware to get the best from this data. soundKey unlocks that data, using our years...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: Perreaux
The Audiant DP32 is a USB DAC preamplifier equipped with a 32-bit digital to analogue converter (DAC), fully balanced analogue audio circuits and ample input options – featuring AES/EBU digital input and balanced XLR analogue input along with asynchronous 24-bit/192kHz USB...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: Pro-Ject
miniature high quality digital to analogue converter! DAC Box S2 + comes fully equipped for the highest demands of the modern audiophile. It supports playback for PCM files up to 32bit / 768kHz and DSD decoding up to quad DSD...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: Arcam
Streaming high quality music from your favourite mobile device is now easy with the miniBlink Bluetooth audio converter. Engineered by Arcam, and using the aptX™ transmission system, the miniBlink allows any Bluetooth equipped music device to quickly and easily send...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: AudioLab
Flexible friend The M-DAC Mini’s design deliberately blurs the lines between home hi-fi DACs and pocket-size portable units. It is ideally sized to sit discretely on a desk or table, with accessible, easy-to-use controls and a traditional analogue volume knob....
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: AudioLab
M-DAC Plus enhances the performance of the original M-DAC in so many ways. M-DAC Plus adds to the enormous capabilities of the M-DAC by adding 32 bit / 384kHz resolution for the USB input and 24-bit /192kHz for coaxial and...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: AudioLab
The 8300CD is the best CD player ever made by Audiolab, boasting even more flexibility than its multi-award winning predecessor.Now equipped with DSD file playback capability via the USB input, users are able to play SACD quality DSD files at...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: Electrocompaniet
High Performance Balanced DAC (24 Bit /192kHz) More and more people trust storage and playback of their favourite music to digital sources like computers, iPod’s and streaming devices. This is very convenient and flexible, but often the audio quality is...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: Electrocompaniet
Our high performance balanced network media player. The ECM 2 is a media player with a built-in DAC module from our ECD 2, built to faithfully reproduce high resolution and lossless digital music and video. It will enable you to...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: Electrocompaniet
Balanced integrated amplifier with DAC and Next-gen streamer The ECI 6Dx combines a best-in-class feature set with cutting edge audio technology and true Electrocompaniet sound. This single unit is able to play whichever, wherever and whatever audio you might have,...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: Electrocompaniet
The ECI 6D is a powerful integrated amplifier, equipped with a number of analogue and digital inputs offering a wide range of connectivity options. With its high performance sample rate converter and D/A converter the ECI 6D is able to...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: Creek Audio
Creek’s EVOLUTION 50A and EVOLUTION 100A amplifiers are normally supplied with 5 analogue inputs. However, Line input 5 is mounted on a removable panel, so it can be swapped with an AMBIT tuner or RUBY2 DAC module, to add several...
CATEGORY: Hi Fi
BRAND: PrimaLuna
Introducing the world's first tube-based data clocking device: the SuperTubeClock™M By incorporating a low-noise mini-triode vacuum tube into the digital clock, this boldly conceived design provides vastly superior resolution, detail retrieval, improved clarity, increased definition and detail from top to...
DACs
If you’ve got digital music (and who doesn’t these days?), you need a DAC, or digital-to-analog converter. Almost every audio device contains a built-in DAC, and you probably use a few smaller DACs every day without even realising it – there’s one in your computer’s sound card, and a tiny one inside your phone. The DAC takes a digital signal and transforms it into audible sound. Not all DACs are created equal, however. An external DAC decodes music files with much greater precision than that tiny one in your phone. Low quality DACs have poorly designed circuitry and introduce unwanted noise during playback, and can also add extra distortion due to jitter. A great DAC, on the other hand, gives you audio that’s detailed and rich, revealing a sound you never knew was there.
DACs come in all shapes and sizes and have a huge variety of functionality and input options. Some are integrated into an amplifier, like the Pathos Logos Mk2, which What Hi Fi says “has it all”, with “looks, fine sound, and excellent build”. Or how about the Devialet 120, called the “single most impressive product” that Hans Wetzel of SoundStage has ever reviewed. Many headphone amps also have a built-in DAC, like the Oppo HA-2, a five-star rated headphone amplifier and DAC unit that’s also portable.
There are also several options for standalone DAC units, which can be a great option to get the very best sound out of your system (especially if you’re currently relying on the wimpy, pitiful DAC that came inside your receiver or laptop, in which case we beg you to give dedicated DACs a go. You’ll never look back). We carry the very best, including the Arcam FMJ D33, which is a SoundStage Hi-Fi Reviewers’ Choice.
As always with a DAC or amplifier, make sure the one you’re looking at has all the connections you need for the type of music sources you use, and that you match it correctly to your existing (or future) system. Also make sure that you’re using the best quality cables, as upgrading from the ones included in the box usually pays off in much better sound quality. The best DACs also have higher possible bit rates and resolutions, and lower levels of distortion, so pay attention to those specs.
Have questions about which DAC is best for your setup? Let us know, and we’ll be more than happy to help out with our expert audiophile advice. Our pros are available via phone, email, and in-store to answer your questions and help you choose.
Toll-free: 1300 308 711
Email: sales@aussiehifi.com.au
Address: 557 Old Cleveland Road, Camp Hill, 4152, QLD
