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Looking for a DAC for the Squeezebox Touch

I'm new to digital since buying a Squeezebox Touch a few months ago. The Touch is connected to an external USB hard drive that contains cd ripped Flac files. I'm looking to buy a DAC for around $1k from the SB Touch and connect it to my Sim I-7. I'm considering the Moon 100D and the Wyred4sound Dac1 based on some reviews and comments in various forums. I might consider increasing my budget to possibly the 300D and Dac2 if it would make a substantial difference.
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ozzy's avatar
ozzy
3,650 posts
 
I have the Bolder power supply and the digital upgrade. The Power supply is about equal to the digital mod upgrade in terms of performance improvement.
mizuno
59 posts
 
lewinski,

why w4s dac2 if you can use the spdif output on the touch? wouldnt a w4s dc1 be enough?
lewinskih01
793 posts
 
Mizuno: If I were to settle on S/PDIF output from the Touch I would probably choose the Bryston over the W4S DAC2 or DAC1. The big question in my mind is whether S/PDIF out is good out of the Touch.

You might have heard about John Swenson's software mods to make the Touch output through the USB port, which sounds as an intriguing option when connected to an asynch USB DAC, like the DAC2 or DAC1. W4S said the DAC1 can be sold with 24/192 capability, but after that upgrade and the very much recommended caps upgrade, the price of the DAC1 is almost the same as the DAC2...and it would be easier to resell a DAC2 than an improved DAC1, I think.

On another thread Steve Nugent from Empirical Audio mentioned people are reclocking the S/PDIF output of the Touch. Other than Cerrot's solution (great, I'm sure, but expensive), anybody reclocking? How?
juggernaut850
11 posts
 
Hello,

I have the W4S DAC 2 with the SB touch and love the combo, preferred it to the Rega DAC and Havana DAC in my system (both the Rega and MHDT are still great units).

Running through S/PDIF.....
mizuno
59 posts
 
Thx, Lewinski.

I'm probably still biased as i still have the mindset that Spidf trumps USB as an interface. You are right that this is increasingly challenged.

Thx again.

p.s. I have a w4s dac1 with the dac2 supercaps to match the audio quality of the dac2. I didn't need the remote, and am using SPDIF or opticl inputs. Im currently using 24/96 USB from my PC but am thinking about adding logitech touch (and SPDIF) to import my files straight from my NAS. If i wanted to go to 24/192, I would probably change my dac. To be honest, i havent herd one file yet where i could not notice the difference between 24/96 or 24/192 when i tested it with some friends on their audio systems. Nor could they. I tend to believe that 24/96 will become the new standard.
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