How much difference does DAC converter make?

[Jack Bauer 10+ year member]

How much better would the Pioneer 8600mp be with 24 bit DAC as opposed to say a high end alpine deck in terms of sound quality? Thanks, have to make a decision very soon.

Click to read more...

 

[04hemiboy]

I was just basically in the same boat as you.It was either the Premier 860mp or Alpine 9855. The Premier one has 6.5 Volts preout and a 2 year warranty difference to the Pioneer 8600mp. I went with the Alpine had alot better quality feel to it and it is from the 2nd batch this year.I know the first batch had problems.As for the DAC unless your a REALLY audio nut there isn't that much of a difference same goes as the hype about Preouts 2v 4v 6v. I found the Pioneer one a little to plasticy(if that's a word) feeling. But either way you can't go wrong with either deck when it's on the high end of their products.

 

[04hemiboy]

Oh by the way the Alpine 9855 SQ is absolutely FANTASTIC.

 

[Jack Bauer 10+ year member]

Alright I think you've just convinced me, I like the look of the Alpine better too. The only thing I'd miss in the Alpine is the auto time align which the pioneer has, Alpines is manual and I'm not sure how good I'd be at finding the right spot manually.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

You can't look at just the DAC and make any valid judgments about one being better than the other. You have too look at the entire design of the unit, not just a single entity.

 

[Mr. Opportunist 10+ year member]

i had the same decision to make i hated the ghey glide touch it doesnt always respond well atleast with every unit i tried and i found it basically pointless so i went with the 860mp and i love it.

 

[Jack Bauer 10+ year member]

You can't look at just the DAC and make any valid judgments about one being better than the other. You have too look at the entire design of the unit, not just a single entity.

Fair enough. I have looked at everything else but this was the issue that I wasn't sure about is all. Do you have any suggestions?

 

[JLCivic 10+ year member]

I would never just equate DACs with how good a deck will sound. I have used this example about a bazillion times:

I have heard an entry level dual 1 bit eclipse clearly sounded better than a 24 bit clarion costing nearly 2x as much. IMO, if you are really interested in great sounding decks, you would be shortchanging yourself if you did not atleast check out Eclipse decks(assuming you have access to them), IMO.

 

[Jack Bauer 10+ year member]

What makes the Eclipse decks better do you think?

 

[JLCivic 10+ year member]

What makes the Eclipse decks better do you think?

I am not sure. I think it is probably a combination of:

quality of the design

quality of the componentry

quality of the pre outs(NOT just the voltage)

Eclipse has just historically sounded better to my ears than other decks out there(until I bought the 8250).

Your ears may tell you differently, of course.

 

[Justintoxicated 10+ year member]

I am not sure. I think it is probably a combination of:
quality of the design

quality of the componentry

quality of the pre outs(NOT just the voltage)

Eclipse has just historically sounded better to my ears than other decks out there(until I bought the 8250).

Your ears may tell you differently, of course.

I agree, Alpines have sounded pretty good in the past too but I don't trust their new ones.

I have not been to impressed with kenwood excelons but I have not heard their new ones everyone is raving about either.

 

[JonJT 10+ year member]

I would never just equate DACs with how good a deck will sound. I have used this example about a bazillion times:
I have heard an entry level dual 1 bit eclipse clearly sounded better than a 24 bit clarion costing nearly 2x as much. IMO, if you are really interested in great sounding decks, you would be shortchanging yourself if you did not atleast check out Eclipse decks(assuming you have access to them), IMO.

There are too many factors at play in a car to say that one deck sounds better than the other unless you switched out one deck for another in the same car. Did you do that? If the 2 decks were in 2 different cars, then I would be skeptical. Car accoustics, install quality, etc play too large a roll.

 

[JLCivic 10+ year member]

There are too many factors at play in a car to say that one deck sounds better than the other unless you switched out one deck for another in the same car. Did you do that? If the 2 decks were in 2 different cars, then I would be skeptical. Car accoustics, install quality, etc play too large a roll.

Those 2 decks were in the soundboard right next to each other, both set flat.

If you want an example of decks in the same car, then I can do that too.

I ran a clarion 835mp for a few months(nice deck), but it did nto sound nearly as good as my previous deck(eclipse cd8051..which I had sold). We tweaked it as much as we could in my car. Pulled it out and dropped in an eclipse cd8053. With everything set flat(no eq, no xover, no t/a used, nothing), the system clearly sounded better to me(and to the 3 other guys standing there who own/work for the shop).

 

[JonJT 10+ year member]

Alrighty then, Eclipse>Clarion

 

[99StangGt 10+ year member]

I like my clarion DRZ9255 better then my Eclipse 8454. I think alot has to do with person taste of sound. The highest model Alpine i had was a 9831 then i went to Eclipse 8454 liked the eclipse better. Then went to a 860mp didnt like as well as the eclipse then to the clarion.