Music Hall DAC 25.3 Silver USB Digital Audio Converter

Comments about Music Hall DAC 25.3 Silver USB Digital Audio Converter:

The Music Hall DAC 25.3 brought the music back to my digital collection. I have used multiple sources (pc and mac with iTunes via USB, pc and mac via optical digital, airport express via optical digital, CD transport via digital coaxial) and the 25.3 excels in all tests. In a side by side comparison, it is hard to distinguish between the quality of a CD->receiver vs ALAC fed to the DAC->receiver. There is a clear improvement when going from mp3 to Apple Lossless. The ability to set the upsampling to to 96kHz or 192kHz is a plus, but the difference is minor. The output has the warmth you expect from a tube, preventing the digital files from sounding too clinical.

Comments about Music Hall DAC 25.3 Silver USB Digital Audio Converter:

There is a lot of controversy about what a DAC needs to be and how much it should cost. Some would say you are insane for spending [$] on a DAC and some would say you need to spend an order of magnitude more. In my research I found that I might get a DAC that sounds as good as the MH for less money, but this unit has functionality the others don't. My review:Sound- It sounds great. A good DAC should faithfully reproduce music and eliminate jitter and other artifacts you hear from digital sources. It's a simple task. This does just that, but with an added bonus. The tube output stage tends to warm up the sound just a little bit, and gives a little more life to compressed audio files. This is subject to taste however. Some people prefer a more clinical sound. Me: I prefer the warmth.Features: - It has a built in headphone amp. Nice feature. It sounds good, but I'm no expert on headphone amps. - It will up-convert your stream to 192kbps or down-convert to 96kbps. I tend to leave it in auto mode. I don't think it adds anything to up-convert. - The unit will switch itself into standby mode when it loses a signal.Inputs: It has a lot more inputs that similarly priced DACs. USB, optical, coaxial, and XLR. I use the optical and USB inputs, and the unit intelligently switches between the two when one signal is lost and another is present. This is a nice feature, and necessary because there is NO REMOTE.Build: It is built very well. A quality piece of gear. Buttons and dials operate smoothly with just the right amount of resistance. I have a complaint about the form, however. It is a little long and skinny. Not longer than many 19" deep components, but longer than the other music hall gear it is designed to go with. This makes placement a little challenging. I do love the simple aesthetics of the unit. One note: the picture on just about every site that sells this thing is silver, but I don't think a silver unit was ever made. I can't find one anywhere. They are all black.How I use it: I have a music hall a15.2 integrated amp, an HSU VTF-1 sub, and Def Tec studio monitor 350 speakers. My source is either a laptop, connected via USB, or an apple TV connected via optical acting as a digital transport. It's a great 2.1 channel system for a small room. I listen to a lot of MP3s :( , but am in the process of re-ripping all my music from CD in a lossless format. The lossless files sound amazing!Bottom line, if you want an audiophile grade DAC and like a little tube sound, input versatility, and might use the headphone amp, this is the DAC for you. And it won't break the bank. If you're considering buying a CD player, DON'T! Rip all your CDs using apple lossless, FLAC, etc. and hook up a PC to this DAC and you have a set up that will out perform most high end CD players and will be much, much more convenient.PS- Pandora (with the upgraded audio) really sounds great when run through this DAC via USB from a PC!PSS- Yes, this will sound better than the DAC in your computer, PS3, apple TV, etc.

Comments about Music Hall DAC 25.3 Silver USB Digital Audio Converter:

Best thing that i have bought to listen to music.
you will need to change the tube and/or opamps to your taste
and also invest in a good USB Cable

Comments about Music Hall DAC 25.3 Silver USB Digital Audio Converter:

This DAC is EASY to connect (1 USB cable, & set the Mac OS dialog box for sound output to the DAC), and provides EXCELLENT sound quality when coupled with good quality headphones! This makes for an easy, highly portable, excellent quality sound system for use by people who travel a lot.

Highly recommended without reservation.