The XMC-1 and even the UMC-200 have a DAC inside them (they have surround sound DACs, which can do a lot more than the XDA-2 or the DC-1, which are strictly two-channel).
A separate DAC is more of a "purist device" because it only does one thing.... so....
1) A separate DAC
MAY sound better than a combination unit. I would say that, when playing just stereo music, the XDA-2 sounds slightly better then the UMC-200, and the DC-1 sounds even better. (Note that we're talking about differences on a level with the differences between power amps; easily audible with the right speakers and other equipment, but not everyone will consider them important, or "worth the difference in price").
2) There are things in life beyond audio quality (yeah, really
). There's just a different "vibe" to firing up a dedicated DAC, with two or three controls, all dedicated
JUST to playing two channel music, than to firing up a "whole home theater system" - and then leaving most of it idling. Sometimes turning on a surround sound home theater system just to listen to stereo music seems a bit like starting up your car just to listen to the radio. It just seems "aesthetically" more reasonable to use a simply two-channel device to do a simple two-channel function. I basically leave my DC-1 plugged into the front two channels of the 7.1 analog inputs on my UMC-200; that way I don't have to remember to make sure we're in Direct Mode.... same vibe.... it's just easier to do that than to make sure everything's set right.
3) if you have separate systems, or need a small system in another room, then it makes obvious sense to go with the simpler (and smaller) DAC.
4) I'll also admit to a sort of "audiophile elitism" - as regards DACs. I own several DACs, and each sounds a little different. I can pretty honestly say that the DC-1 is the best sounding DAC I've heard
AT ITS PRICE, but I do have a few (more expensive) ones that I like equally well. (I'm not prepared to say they sound better, but, then, I don't like filet mignon
better than lobster; I like both.) Somehow, it doesn't seem unreasonable to have a few DACs, and even to sometimes listen to one or the other... but I simply can't imagine doing that with a pre/pro. It's probably a combination of the facts that a pre/pro is a lot more complicated to hook up, and it takes up a lot more rack space, and that it requires more setup and customization to reach its full potential, and that I expect the differences in the way different sound tracks are mastered to far overshadow the differences in the way pre/pros sound. Anyway, though, for that reason, I find it cool to be able to try a different DAC, and to connect it through the rest of my system, but I have no desire whatsoever to switch off between pre/pros.
I'm also going to add my personal sentiments on the issue......
First off, I
PERSONALLY think that the XDA-2 sounds significantly better than the DACs in the UMC-200, and the DC-1 sounds significantly better than the XDA-2. But I tend to treat DACs and pre/pros as different animals. When I listen to movies, I listen in surround sound, and I use room correction; since surround sound wouldn't work very well without at least correcting for speaker distances, and correcting the differences in sound between mains and surrounds, you kind of have to... Also, let's face it, the sound in movies is already pretty heavily processed... and I can't honestly say I notice things like "whether the cymbals sound like real metal or not" when I'm watching a movie... so one or two extra conversions isn't going to hurt anything (if they're done well). I certainly want to experience the sound "the way the producer intended" - but I'm pretty sure he expects me to be using room correction.... But, when I listen to music, I prefer to do so in
STEREO.... without room correction, and without processing. Since my front speakers are quite good, and are the same distance from my listening position, and my room is also decent - I don't
NEED room correction.... and I just can't get past the idea that I don't really want something fiddling around with my bits.....
Now, I'll have to admit that I haven't tried to do any direct A/B audio comparisons between the DC-1 and the XMC-1.... but the XMC-1 is enough better than the UMC-200 that I'm not at all certain whether the DC-1 would beat it or not... and, if so, I'm sure it would be close. However, given room and the budget, I'd still feel better using a pre/pro for movies, and a dedicated DAC for stereo.... (but I'll also admit that using the XMC-1 for both wouldn't exactly hurt my feelings).
OK... A few stupid/newbie questions:
If I owned an XMC-1 or a UMC-200, what benefit would an XDA-2 provide?
Does it do something these other two processors don't?
). There's just a different "vibe" to firing up a dedicated DAC, with two or three controls, all dedicated JUST to playing two channel music, than to firing up a "whole home theater system" - and then leaving most of it idling. Sometimes turning on a surround sound home theater system just to listen to stereo music seems a bit like starting up your car just to listen to the radio. It just seems "aesthetically" more reasonable to use a simply two-channel device to do a simple two-channel function. I basically leave my DC-1 plugged into the front two channels of the 7.1 analog inputs on my UMC-200; that way I don't have to remember to make sure we're in Direct Mode.... same vibe.... it's just easier to do that than to make sure everything's set right.
