Cambridge Audio DacMagic Digital to Analogue Converter Review

$799

4.5 Stars

Improved sound and plenty of connectivity options make the DacMagic a no-brainer for any modern audiophile.

It was way back in the late 1980s that Arcam produced the first dedicated hi-fi digital to analogue converter with the appropriately named Black Box. This humble looking slab of hi-fi history had a swift knock-on effect as other manufacturers rushed their products to market.

The reasoning was sound enough: separating the delicate digital and analogue sections of a CD player from noisy motors and power supplies would lead to a much lower noise floor, while the dedicated transport had particular attention paid to improved clocking of the digital stream, reducing digital โ€˜jitterโ€™ and therefore improving sound quality even further.

The meteoric rise of the DAC, however, was mirrored by its eventual decline as CD player manufacturers improved their game with better on-board DACs and superior isolation of the power supply and transport motor from the sensitive converter and analogue output.

Now, because of the ascendance of the humble computer as a music source, the almost extinct external DAC has made quite a comeback of late.

I have owned D/A converters from illustrious hi-fi companies such as Meridian, Esoteric and DPA, but the DacMagic One I bought in 1995 will be the one I remember most fondly.

It was way easier on the pocket than either of the other D/A converters and yet offered a sound quality that belied the price tag. Just as impressive as the audio performance were the connectivity options: with three digital inputs I could connect my CD player, DAT tape deck and minidisc player at the same time. Oh, the good old days!

So here we are 15 years later with the all-new Cambridge Audio DacMagic.

Unlike the earlier versions the latest DacMagic is quite a diminutive component, yet it has a considerable amount of technology on board and inputs/outputs galore – two sets of either Coaxial or Optical inputs, a USB input and the option of either conventional RCA or balanced outputs. And thatโ€™s not all: it also as an optical and coaxial digital output for digital recording or as a bitstream signal pass-through for home theatre systems โ€“ handy for those wishing to use their DVD player as a CD transport without losing its 5.1 channel ability.

The DAC will up-sample 16/44.1 redbook CD to 24/192, and its sound is customisable with three DSP filter settings, allowing subtle changes to the analogue output. I experimented with all the filter settings, but found myself mainly employing either the Linear Phase or Minimum Phase setting.

The majority of my listening was spent using Logitechโ€™s fabulous Squeezebox Duet, and the DAC handled every file format I threw at it. FLAC, MP3, AAC and Apple Lossless were all enhanced by the DacMagic, improving both detail retrieval and heightening the soundstage of recordings such as Andrea Bocelliโ€™s Incanto.

Heavier music didnโ€™t faze the DacMagic either as it helped to produce a rousing performance of Toolโ€™s โ€˜Lateralusโ€™, one of my favourite albums from the prog metal masters. I was also delighted with the sound of the DacMagic connected via USB to my MacMini; it made a fairly okay-sounding rig (Kingrex T-Amp + Klipsch Synergy B2โ€™s) really come alive.

As a stand-alone hi-fi DAC it represents very good value for money with its excellent sound quality and multiple inputs. Computer geeks and audiophiles rejoice, a bargain over-performer is available in the form of the Cambridge Audio DacMagic. GARY PEARCE

www.pqimports.co.nz

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WIn a Wiim Ultra Network Music Streamer with Witchdoctor.co.nz
Panasonic Fire TV Be Mesmerised with next gen AI TV
Advance Paris - Designed with French flair. Amplifiers, Streamers, CD players and more www.pqimports.co.nz
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