DAC advice!

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Hi

I currently have a pair of Grado SR125 headphones which I use for listening to music through my computer.

I also have the MF X-Cans V1 and Little DOT II headphone amplifiers which I connect to my Ipod if I am not using the computer. However I am thinking of connecting one of these to my computer instead. My computer has optical(and I believe also an electrical) output and I am thinking of getting a DAC instead of relying on the onboard sound.

I don't have a huge budget(around £100) but what are the best new(or even secondhand) DACs for the money?? I also have a Cambridge Audio S700 ISOMAGIC DAC too but is a huge thing and there is no room on my desk for it!!

I was looking at the Beresford TC-7510 - is this a good choice?

My PC is a Shuttle SD37P2 so there are no free slots for a soundcard as I have a double slot cooler on my graphics card.

[noTHINGface]

Get the Beresford boss. Mate of mine has one and a Chord DAC64 and rates the Beresford v. highly.

[kushtibari]

The Beresford is a very good choice for the money. The lad who designs them is continuously improving the design via feedback from users which is a good thing. I've heard the previous version, the 6/3, and that was good and the latest is supposed to be even better.

[Rave]

Not sure if this is any help if you're after small, but just as general advice for others who'd like a cheap upgrade- DAT players are dirt cheap on ebay ATM. A few months ago I bought a Sony A8 for £41 off ebay. I originally bought it so that I could use my Sony TCD-D3 as my portable music player- in an iPod world I thought it'd be cool to bust out a portable DAT player on the tube and then ostentatiously put a tape into it while everyone else is juggling albums with an ipod wheel or touchscreen.

Anyway I haven't sorted out a power supply for the portable DAT yet. But meanwhile I've plumbed the A8 into my home hi-fi system and fed it a coaxial feed from my crappy Targa DVD player as a transport- and it sounds amazing....frankly, as a £1000 DAT player ought to.

If you've only got a cheap CD player and want a cost effective upgrade don't bother with a standalone DAC, just buy an old but quality DAT deck and hear the difference.....