Getting my AA CD/DTI/DDE Giggles
Tour2ma
Posts: 10,177
While back I took a chance on an ill described, ebay AudioAlchemy package. Seller had a $200 BIN and I figured I could always resell it in pieces and break evne if no more than one of the pieces was bad.
The package included:
a CD transport with the companion controller,
their DTI (Digital Transmission Interface) V1.0 anti-jitter unit, and
DDE (Digital Decoding Engine) V1.0 DAC.
It also had the remote, appropriate power supplies and a couple digital ICs (MC as it turned out).
Well, I finally got it all checked out and wired this morning. And while I have to preface my remarks with not doing critical listening, not A/Bing, etc., it sounds fantastic; very tight bass (on the wall hugging DQs), smooth mid-range and clean, clear highs. Cant comment on the imaging, etc, right now cause of the DQs wall position, but will update in a couple weeks when I get some playtime.
Like I say, not critical listening, yet, but I think I bagged an elephant with this one
The package included:
a CD transport with the companion controller,
their DTI (Digital Transmission Interface) V1.0 anti-jitter unit, and
DDE (Digital Decoding Engine) V1.0 DAC.
It also had the remote, appropriate power supplies and a couple digital ICs (MC as it turned out).
Well, I finally got it all checked out and wired this morning. And while I have to preface my remarks with not doing critical listening, not A/Bing, etc., it sounds fantastic; very tight bass (on the wall hugging DQs), smooth mid-range and clean, clear highs. Cant comment on the imaging, etc, right now cause of the DQs wall position, but will update in a couple weeks when I get some playtime.
Like I say, not critical listening, yet, but I think I bagged an elephant with this one
More later,
Tour...
Vox Copuli
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb
"Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
"It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
"There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
Tour...
Vox Copuli
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb
"Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
"It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
"There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
Post edited by Tour2ma on
Comments
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Tour,
those look awesome! all for $200? wow, great stuff! is it HDCD capable?I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie. -
polka,
I don't think so, but they might be.
I followed their VITB more than I did their digital lines. Did read up on their original DITB (DAC-in-the-Box) many moons ago. The grandDaddy of the DDE series (three versions in all). The DTI had two versions.
If you want to play with a DTI, let me know. I have a spare I'll loan you.More later,
Tour...
Vox Copuli
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb
"Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
"It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
"There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD -
Jeeze, no wonder no one else can bag stuff on ebay, because Tour is bagging it all!!
If nothing else, the cool factor is astronomical......
Looking forward to your comments vis a vis the positioning of the DQ's...
BDTI plan for the future. - F1Nut -
If you have the DDE v1.0, you have the older of the two DAC's. The Dac-in-the-box was a follow on unit, and not really part of the DDE series. It was just a bare bones DAC, getting blown out for $69 in some places at the end of its run. It didn't really compare to the DDE v1.0.
I bought a DDE v1.0 in 1994 to go with my Rat Shack CD-3400. I still have that combo, fully functional, as part of the He-Man rig. Not real long after I bought it, the president of Audio Alchemy, Mark Schifter, called my house. I figured "What the **** is this guy calling my house for? Sales are good, prices are right, products are good." He wanted me to buy a bunch of add-ons or upgrades (I can't remember) that Audio Alchemy had. I politely declined cause something didn't feel right, and that was that. Not long afterward AA folded, and Schifter was hooked up with Von Sweikert or somebody. Woman's intuition or something I guess.
George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's) -
George, thanks for setting the record straight. Do you know why they folded? I never heard the straight scoop on this.
Always suspected they got too far away from their niche DAC, anti-jitter and VITB lines when they got into amps and pre-amps. Seemed like they manage to extend themselves about the same time digital saw the revenge of the tubes.More later,
Tour...
Vox Copuli
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb
"Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
"It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
"There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD -
Tour,
thanks for the offer, bud! I'll email you when I am ready to play with the DTI...I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
