DAC's can be expensive. Would the sound quality of the PAR91 be noticeably lower than say the Arcam rBlink...considered to be a bargain at $250?
1981091
Well, I can't speak to the high-priced spread, but I will say the sound quality of this unit is better than its range. I have no complaints for this price point, but across my (admittedly long) living room this can pick up some interference from other devices and occasionally drop some bars of music. If you really want quality and relaible conneciton, and price is less important, I'd suggest the Apple-style method of WiFi instead of bluetooth. This is really better suited to wireless keyboards, mice, keyfobs, that kind of thing. I'm not complaining-- for $20 I will probably always have a use for this, but I'm hoping he new Apple TV will keep the optical audio connection, because that's a much better platform.
1981092
ha ha you sound like me, I am very pleased with mine, I use it on my covered deck, it has held up great, works great, has a decent range. cant beat the price.hope you enjoy it as much as I am.
1981093
I do not know how those others work, I do know that you can not tell a diff in audio quality between being plugged directly into my surround sound or using the easy acc blue tooth
1981094
I bet the Arcam doesn't sound ten times better (than the PAR21) and a couple of those reviews reveal some behavior I wouldn't tolerate on a high powered audio system. A quality audio cable will usually deliver the best sound but lacks the bluetooth convenience.
1981095
Well, I can't speak to the high-priced spread, but I will say the sound quality of this unit is better than its range. I have no complaints for this price point, but across my (admittedly long) living room this can pick up some interference from other devices and occasionally drop some bars of music. If you really want quality and relaible conneciton, and price is less important, I'd suggest the Apple-style method of WiFi instead of bluetooth. This is really better suited to wireless keyboards, mice, keyfobs, that kind of thing. I'm not complaining-- for $20 I will probably always have a use for this, but I'm hoping he new Apple TV will keep the optical audio connection, because that's a much better platform. Well, I can't speak to the high-priced spread, but I will say the sound quality of this unit is better than its range. I have no complaints for this price point, but across my (admittedly long) living room this can pick up some interference from other devices and occasionally drop some bars of music. If you really want quality and relaible conneciton, and price is less important, I'd suggest the Apple-style method of WiFi instead of bluetooth. This is really better suited to wireless keyboards, mice, keyfobs, that kind of thing. I'm not complaining-- for $20 I will probably... » Read More Well, I can't speak to the high-priced spread, but I will say the sound quality of this unit is better than its range. I have no complaints for this price point, but across my (admittedly long) living room this can pick up some interference from other devices and occasionally drop some bars of music. If you really want quality and relaible conneciton, and price is less important, I'd suggest the Apple-style method of WiFi instead of bluetooth. This is really better suited to wireless keyboards, mice, keyfobs, that kind of thing. I'm not complaining-- for $20 I will probably always have a use for this, but I'm hoping he new Apple TV will keep the optical audio connection, because that's a much better platform. « Show Less
1386828
I can't tell you if the dac is worth it but I wanted to make it clear since a lot of people have said that an amp wouldn't help much on the qc15's. This is quite wrong since I have used these headphones myself with and without an amp and the difference is clearly there. You'll be able to turn up the volume much louder on these headphones with an amp and get a much warmer sound. Whichever amp you decide on getting, you'll definitely notice the difference.
295921
Just RCA outputs. Would need a seperate HF amp that accepts RCA inputs. Topping DAC sounds sweet.
879218
There are several issues here. If this DAC is better than the one your computer uses to output analog audio (out front panel or rear panel), which is likely, your computer has a digital optical and/or coaxial audio output, which is also likely, you have really good headphones or better a good audio system (preamp/amp/speakers), and you are generating the digital audio signal from something better than a MP3 file (from CD or HD audio source), then yes it should sound better! Also, I note the DAC which I no longer own only supports PCM, so that means CD quality at best. Finally, I note the DAC does not have a signal gain adjustment which may be very import if you are just pugging in headphones as the signal may be too weak (I can't test that since I since as I said I no longer have the DAC).
1959806
I own this. The V90 is a much better delivery platform for USB and Digital. It is a true DAC. It was also added to the Sterophile List of recommended components.
977200
I returned this and bought the cambridge audio dac magic . That blew me away!
743324
You can get a great sounding optical DAC from Fiio for $25, and attach it to the back of this amp.FiiO D3 Digital to Analog Audio Converter - 192kHz/24bit Optical and Coaxial DAC
1990257
I am not that big into audio cards so I wouldn't know the perfect answer, but if you are to use these speakers, it would be best if you got a pretty good sound card that is pricier than the norm. Not top grade type of card, but somewhere mid ranged. Sorry, but I could not provide an example because of my inexperience, but check some cards out like these ones (if these are within your budget). FiiO E10 USB DAC Headphone Amplifier and http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132013. Hope I can help. I am not that big into audio cards so I wouldn't know the perfect answer, but if you are to use these speakers, it would be best if you got a pretty good sound card that is pricier than the norm. Not top grade type of card, but somewhere mid ranged. Sorry, but I could not provide an example because of my inexperience, but check some cards out like these ones (if these are within your budget). FiiO E10 USB DAC Headphone Amplifier and http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132013. Hope I can help.
1023044
3.5 mm to RCA works just great to get sound. Be aware that this is just an amplifier with a very flat output. There is no pre-amp for tone control. From any digital device a USB DAC like the FIIO or a music streamer will yield much better sound. I run all my signals (from the Blu-Ray or iPod direct to EQ, from the computer through a FIIO Olympus to EQ) through a Berhinger 15 band equalizer before hitting the APA150 ... I have two APA150 in a dual mono configuration (bridged 150 W each). The Behringer gives me a very good, very quiet pre-amp that is quite reasonable in price
1932287
AUX input would be fine, but the best sound quality would come from a DAC. Take a look at some of the cheaper Schiit stuff.
721667
Hi James, Can you provide me with a little more information on your speaker set-up objective? If you already have a set of A5+ speakers and a subwoofer you have a pretty sweet 2.1 powered system. Two A5+ speakers, a sub and two P4 Passive speakers with a N22 creating a 5.1 system would blow the doors off. Space may or not be an issue for you, but I would go with the A2+s' and if if you're seeking overall better sound either through your speakers or headphones, add a D1 DAC. The sound differential with the DAC (running through a usb) as opposed to the internal sound card is significantly better. Not sure if this helps. If you want to drop me a note relative to your overall objective (music preferences, gaming, room size, etc.) I will respond. My initial reaction in that A2+ would be more than sufficient, give you everything you need and not consume as much space. Again, think hard about adding the DAC from Audioengine.
1865835
I have had the E10 for over a year and have been satisfied. If you are looking for amps and DACs I'd suggest heading over Headroom (http://www.headphone.com/headphone-amps/) to sort out price and quality with audio enthusiasts. Lot of very good detail reviews.
1386829
You don't really ever "need" an amp/DAC combo. The problem is that the DAC that is used in the iPhone is okay, but not really the best available, largely to keep the cost of the iPad and iPhone competitive. A really good DAC will have better harmonic distortion, linearity and noise characteristics than what Apple puts into the iPhone or iPad.
2699
Your board has Soundblaster cinema onboard. If you get the right software for that, it will be fine. It has a very decent onboard amp that is capable of driving headphones, and you won't find a significant difference in quality here. If you are getting any sort of hum, whine, static, or other noise when using the analog outs, you will probably get that with the Asus card also. In that case, you can use the optical digital out and use a decent DAC like the Fiio D3 or E3.
1971277
You may understand, I will point out there is no amplifier in the DAC. It's only a processor. That said, it makes an amazing difference in sound quality, such that I want to run all my music through it. I have been told that HDMI sound channels are superior. My ears prefer the sound from this device.
762983
The Schiit Modi DAC is a very budget friendly option. Schiit audio makes several other DACs at various price points.
260356
Depends on your requirement. I removed an External DAC from my component chain after getting the Marantz NA7004 as its inbuilt DAC with USB,Optical and Co Axial Inputs was sounding better. The Airplay and Network capabilities are a great convenience for playing music. It is well worth the price if you have any of the above requirements for playing 2 Channel music. A word of caution though - the player does not have a built in Wi Fi , you will need to connect the player to a Wi Fi router using a wired LAN connection for enabling Air Play.