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PenskeFile
Contributor III
December 30, 2011

Would I benefit from a dedicated DAC?

In my living room, I have a ZP90 connected to an older Sony A/V receiver (STR-DE597) that I bought on Craigslist. Earlier this year I added a pair of Polk TSi400 with a Polk subwoofer that I use for Sonos and my television.

As I've been learning more about digital audio, I keep seeing references to dedicated DAC units as something that will really boost sound quality.

My question is: with the components that I already have, would a DAC like the Peachtree DAC-iT make a difference? My concern is that since my other components are not very high-end, the better sound quality of the DAC would not really come through.

Since this unit is about $500, would that be better spent on some other component, like a new A/V receiver?

And a related question: how would the DAC be wired? Does the output from the Sonos go to the DAC and then the output from the DAC go to the receiver?
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    74 replies

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    poukill
    Lyricist III
    May 2, 2012

    If your interest is to have networked audio in just one room - 2 channels or more -there are better/cheaper solutions than Sonos.

    This is exactly what I'm looking for. Playing music from a NAS.


    If you want music in just one room, other solutions will be more stable, particularly if you can live with a wired network connection to a network ready amp, eliminating the need for wifi.
    Yes, I want music in one room only, and I can live with a wired network !
    But, as far as I know, there is no network ready amp for stereo music. The only amps with network discovering are HT amps. But yes, a good stereo amp with network capability is definitely what I am looking for ! 😃
    Kumar
    May 2, 2012
    a good stereo amp with network capability is definitely what I am looking for ! :D
    You might want to check out the denon rcdn7. I think there are others as well now in the market, I think Marantz has some products that should meet your needs.
    ControlFreak
    Lyricist III
    May 2, 2012
    There are countless cheaper ways of playing digital music on a stereo system. Sonos is for those who want to develop it into a multi-room system.
    poukill
    Lyricist III
    May 2, 2012
    There are countless cheaper ways of playing digital music on a stereo system. Sonos is for those who want to develop it into a multi-room system.

    I thought The Sonos Connect alone was a not too expensive way to read music from the network...
    But yeah, it seems I have to investigate more...
    NoBoB
    NoBoB
    May 2, 2012
    While you're investigating, don't forget to take a good look at the user interface. Someone who likes to tinker won't mind a less-than-optimal interface, but many have no patience for that.

    Sonos is the only audio system my wife has ever consistently used. Everything else was clunky enough that eventually it wasn't worth her bother; but that's not the case with the Sonos system. She uses the Sonos all over the house, every day, and has for years now. That's about the highest praise I can give a UI.
    poukill
    Lyricist III
    May 3, 2012
    While you're investigating, don't forget to take a good look at the user interface. Someone who likes to tinker won't mind a less-than-optimal interface, but many have no patience for that.

    Sonos is the only audio system my wife has ever consistently used. Everything else was clunky enough that eventually it wasn't worth her bother; but that's not the case with the Sonos system. She uses the Sonos all over the house, every day, and has for years now. That's about the highest praise I can give a UI.
    I had the patience for that. But not anymore.
    And actually, the sonos ZP90 / Connect is as expensive as the denon rcdn7 right ?
    So in my case, I will probably go for the sonos Connect, except if I find a good network DLNA amp that sounds like a stereo amp.
    steelrat
    Trending Lyricist I
    May 3, 2012

    And actually, the sonos ZP90 / Connect is as expensive as the denon rcdn7 right ?


    Yeah, that's part of the reason I really started to look at the sonos.... more functionality with the multi-room, and similar-ish price point to fill the original space.
    Kumar
    May 4, 2012

    And actually, the sonos ZP90 / Connect is as expensive as the denon rcdn7 right ?

    Remember that you will need a stereo amp that will have to be added to the zp90 price. The zp90 usually makes sense if you already have the amp as part of a 2 channel set up.

    An alternative is to look at the Connect amp. With easy to drive speakers, it is a good way to get digital/networked/internet music into a room. Later, you can decide to give in to the inevitable temptation of expanding to other rooms:)
    poukill
    Lyricist III
    May 4, 2012

    An alternative is to look at the Connect amp. With easy to drive speakers, it is a good way to get digital/networked/internet music into a room. Later, you can decide to give in to the inevitable temptation of expanding to other rooms:)
    Hmmm, I'm not sure the Connect Amp can equal a good stereo amp. Of course I'm not sure.
    In that case I would probably prefer a solution like the Denon AVR-3312, which is a little bit more expensive, but can be upgraded to a 5.1 Home Cinema later. And the DLNA technology allows to use the TV directly for browsing and choosing music, whereas the sonos needs the remote or an Ipod / Ipad, which I don't have. Actually, I have an android phone, but my wife has nothing (a good old "normal" phone), so what is she going to do when I am not home ? 😃
    Foamball
    Lyricist II
    May 25, 2012
    "My question is: with the components that I already have, would a DAC like the Peachtree-Audio-Dac--Digital-Converter make a difference?"

    YES, IMHO.
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