Need a DAC

thejck
thejck Posts: 849
edited November 2007 in Wanted (WTB) Classifieds
i have most of my music stored on my computer in mp3 format from 192 -320 and some lossless. i am in the process of upgrading to higher quality stuff as well.

I have a chaintech av710 and I want to use the optical out to a DAC.
I have a Parasound hca1500 amp and a parasound pre amp.

i was looking at the Entech Number cruncher 205 but cant seem to find it anywhere. Anyone have any suggestions for what I could use..
Post edited by thejck on
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  • jmwest1970
    jmwest1970 Posts: 846
    edited September 2007
    This Audio Alchemy DAC in the FM looks pretty nice for the price.
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  • thejck
    thejck Posts: 849
    edited September 2007
    do you know where i can find pictures or a review of it
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited September 2007
    They're on ebay once in a while.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Refefer
    Refefer Posts: 1,280
    edited September 2007
    You could also check out the Lite Audio DAC AH for $170. I have the modified one and I have no qualms with it.

    http://www.pacificvalve.us/LTDACAH2.html
    Lovin that music year after year.

    Main 2 Channel System

    Polk SDA-1B,
    Promitheus Audio TVC SE,
    Rotel RB-980BX,
    OPPO DV-970HD,
    Lite Audio DAC AH,
    IXOS XHA305 Interconnects

    Computer Rig

    Polk SDA CRS+,
    Creek Audio 5350 SE,
    Morrow Audio MA1 Interconnect,
    HRT Music Streamer II
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited September 2007
    You could look for an AMC-DAC 8. I have one in my computer rig and it does a very good lob. No where near my Adcom but atleast as good or better than most mid-entry cdp's. They used to come up pretty often on e-bay or Audiogon haven't seen one lately. Don't pay more than about $125.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • thejck
    thejck Posts: 849
    edited September 2007
    heiney9 wrote: »
    You could look for an AMC-DAC 8. I have one in my computer rig and it does a very good lob. No where near my Adcom but atleast as good or better than most mid-entry cdp's. They used to come up pretty often on e-bay or Audiogon haven't seen one lately. Don't pay more than about $125.

    H9

    i looked around for the amc dac8 but cant find it anywhere. i remember you told me about it earlier. i also found a adcom gda 600 on ebay and i am watching the price on that. please dont no one from here bid on it :-)

    there are also some entechs 205 that just showed up on ebay. they dont have a power supply.
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  • thejck
    thejck Posts: 849
    edited September 2007
    Refefer wrote: »
    You could also check out the Lite Audio DAC AH for $170. I have the modified one and I have no qualms with it.

    http://www.pacificvalve.us/LTDACAH2.html

    i dont understand the oversampling concept. the lite audio dac ah doesnt oversample is that a problem or is the method they use better. or do i need oversampling at all?
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  • joeparaski
    joeparaski Posts: 1,865
    edited September 2007
    The pictures of the Alchemy DAC are in the $150 component sale thread.

    Joe
    Amplifiers: 1-SAE Mark IV, 4-SAE 2400, 1-SAE 2500, 2-SAE 2600, 1-Buttkicker BKA 1000N w/2-tactile transducers. Sources: Sony BDP CX7000es, Sony CX300/CX400/CX450/CX455, SAE 8000 tuner, Akai 4000D R2R, Technics 1100A TT, Epson 8500UB with Carada 100". Speakers:Polk SDA SRS, 3.1TL, FXi5, FXi3, 2-SVS 20-29, Yamaha, SVS center sub. Power:2-Monster HTS3500, Furman M-8D & RR16 Plus. 2-SAE 4000 X-overs, SAE 5000a noise reduction, MSB Link DAC III, MSB Powerbase, Behringer 2496, Monarchy DIP 24/96.
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  • thejck
    thejck Posts: 849
    edited September 2007
    joe do you have a link to a review of that alchemy. i was having a hard time finding anything in google.
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  • joeparaski
    joeparaski Posts: 1,865
    edited September 2007
    I remember reading up on it, but I don't know where. Sorry, no link. Perhaps a Polkie knows more.

    Joe
    Amplifiers: 1-SAE Mark IV, 4-SAE 2400, 1-SAE 2500, 2-SAE 2600, 1-Buttkicker BKA 1000N w/2-tactile transducers. Sources: Sony BDP CX7000es, Sony CX300/CX400/CX450/CX455, SAE 8000 tuner, Akai 4000D R2R, Technics 1100A TT, Epson 8500UB with Carada 100". Speakers:Polk SDA SRS, 3.1TL, FXi5, FXi3, 2-SVS 20-29, Yamaha, SVS center sub. Power:2-Monster HTS3500, Furman M-8D & RR16 Plus. 2-SAE 4000 X-overs, SAE 5000a noise reduction, MSB Link DAC III, MSB Powerbase, Behringer 2496, Monarchy DIP 24/96.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited September 2007
    Have you seen this thread?
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited September 2007
    thejck wrote: »
    i looked around for the amc dac8 but cant find it anywhere. i remember you told me about it earlier. i also found a adcom gda 600 on ebay and i am watching the price on that. please dont no one from here bid on it :-).

    The Adcom is a nice unit, but if it's the one I'm thinking of on e-bay currently it looks pretty beat up so don't pay top dollar for it.

    the AMC's are kind of like the Entech's in that they seem to show up FS in packs for awhile and then you don't see any FS for awhile. ;)
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • thejck
    thejck Posts: 849
    edited September 2007
    hearingimpared wrote: »
    Have you seen this thread?

    thats kinda expensive. i was looking stay below 200. i am not a serious audiophile YET and have to stay budget cautious.
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  • thejck
    thejck Posts: 849
    edited September 2007
    heiney9 wrote: »
    The Adcom is a nice unit, but if it's the one I'm thinking of on e-bay currently it looks pretty beat up so don't pay top dollar for it.

    the AMC's are kind of like the Entech's in that they seem to show up FS in packs for awhile and then you don't see any FS for awhile. ;)

    it does look pretty nasty.

    anyone know what kinda power supply is used to run those entechs 205.2 ?
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited September 2007
    I just picked up a Camelot Arthur v3.0 for $200. It may be a little out of date, but was about $900+ when it was made 5 years ago.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited September 2007
    thejck wrote: »

    anyone know what kinda power supply is used to run those entechs 205.2 ?
    I think they just use wall wart transformers.
    Testing
    Testing
    Testing
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited September 2007
    thejck wrote: »
    thats kinda expensive. i was looking stay below 200. i am not a serious audiophile YET and have to stay budget cautious.

    Don't sell yourself short; you don't have to spend copious amounts of money to be an audiophile, just love of music and secondly gear is all it takes in my book. Of course vinyl has to be in your immediate future!!!:eek: Kidding!:rolleyes: :D
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  • thejck
    thejck Posts: 849
    edited September 2007
    hearingimpared wrote: »
    Don't sell yourself short; you don't have to spend copious amounts of money to be an audiophile, just love of music and secondly gear is all it takes in my book. Of course vinyl has to be in your immediate future!!!:eek: Kidding!:rolleyes: :D

    :-) i love music but i have my speakers and amp and preamp sitting in a corner right now and dont have a way to listen to most of my music and my wife will kill be before she lets me buy anything expensive.
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  • thejck
    thejck Posts: 849
    edited October 2007
    anyone know any place in st. louis that i can go listen to dac;s ??
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  • thejck
    thejck Posts: 849
    edited October 2007
    anyone heard about the THETA CHROMA 396 digital/ analog converter

    i researched it on google and the reviews are good
    its an 18 bit dac with 8x oversampling
    no one has talked about it here on this forum.

    is 18 bit a problem?
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited October 2007
    thejck wrote: »
    anyone heard about the THETA CHROMA 396 digital/ analog converter

    i researched it on google and the reviews are good
    its an 18 bit dac with 8x oversampling
    no one has talked about it here on this forum.

    is 18 bit a problem?

    Theta has a good rep. 18 bits not a problem, I personally prefer a std. ladder type dac chipset over the 1 bit DSD types. There are lots of dac's that don;t get talked about. I'm not familiar with that particular model, but I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • thejck
    thejck Posts: 849
    edited October 2007
    morning H9 what does "std. ladder type dac chipset over the 1 bit DSD types."
    mean. excuse the ignorance.
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  • SolidSqual
    SolidSqual Posts: 5,218
    edited October 2007
    The best Audio DACS with USB slots under $1000 are either the PS Audio DLIII or the Benchmark DAC 1 w/ USB.
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  • thejck
    thejck Posts: 849
    edited October 2007
    i am looking for something with an optical in. cause my sound card can do bit perfect on optical
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  • SolidSqual
    SolidSqual Posts: 5,218
    edited October 2007
    Both have optical.
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  • SolidSqual
    SolidSqual Posts: 5,218
    edited October 2007
    You will want to set your soundcard to output a RAW signal.
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  • Refefer
    Refefer Posts: 1,280
    edited October 2007
    thejck wrote: »
    i dont understand the oversampling concept. the lite audio dac ah doesnt oversample is that a problem or is the method they use better. or do i need oversampling at all?

    Oversampling is nice, but not necessarily necessary. There are more informed polkies out there than myself, but my understanding is that it can help clean up the jitter from the data stream.

    I have also heard that a well designed DAC doesn't need oversampling.

    Tnt-Audio reviewed the device and loved it:
    http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/lite_dac_e.html

    Happy hunting.
    Lovin that music year after year.

    Main 2 Channel System

    Polk SDA-1B,
    Promitheus Audio TVC SE,
    Rotel RB-980BX,
    OPPO DV-970HD,
    Lite Audio DAC AH,
    IXOS XHA305 Interconnects

    Computer Rig

    Polk SDA CRS+,
    Creek Audio 5350 SE,
    Morrow Audio MA1 Interconnect,
    HRT Music Streamer II
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited October 2007
    Refefer wrote: »
    Oversampling is nice, but not necessarily necessary. There are more informed polkies out there than myself, but my understanding is that it can help clean up the jitter from the data stream.

    Most use oversampling as it reduces the need for steep filters in the analog output stage that some claim can have a negative affect on the sound.The D-A conversion process creates some nasty noise at 44.1k that should be filtered.Oversampling moves this noise much higher up in frequency (2-8x 44.1k)so a more gentle filter can be used so theoretically it will have less influence.
    Testing
    Testing
    Testing
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited October 2007
    SolidSqual wrote: »
    The best Audio DACS with USB slots under $1000 are either the PS Audio DLIII or the Benchmark DAC 1 w/ USB.

    You forgot to add "in your opinion" ;)
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited October 2007
    Refefer wrote: »
    my understanding is that it (oversampling) can help clean up the jitter from the data stream.

    I have also heard that a well designed DAC doesn't need oversampling.

    Happy hunting.

    Wrong oversampling has nothing to do with jitter reduction. Most jitter is created by a mis-match between the sending clock and recieving clock during conversion.

    The second statement is also not true, although there are probably some very nice sounding dac's that use no oversampling. My guess is they use another form of filtering as there is some nasty stuff at 44.1kHz. I'm also pretty sure that 1 bit DSD type converters don't use oversampling. The DSD type dac's are a completely different type of design than std ladder type converters.

    I'm sorry to be so lazy but I have covered all this before in other posts and I'm not going to rehash it all again. Search, it's here somewhere. ;)

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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