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Old Audio Alchemy DAC in the Box

post #1 of 6
6/27/12 at 3:19pm
Thread Starter 

I used to be into high end audio.  Then life got in the way, marriage, kids and a crazy job. I still have some equipment in storage, an old VPI table, Cary 300SE mono blocks, and a Cary SLP-98 pre-amp.  While rummaging through a box of electronic parts,  the bug bit me again.  I found an old Audio Alchemy DAC in the Box.  I was wondering if I could connect my computer to the DITB using a USB-to-SPDIF device such as the M2Tech HiFace, Musical Fidelity V-Link, Teralink X2 or similar.  

 

I am sorry to be so old and not up on things but I *think* the DITB was meant for regular old plain Jane 44khz/16bit audio from the CD players of the time.  The DITB was considered Hi-Fi for the mass market and mid-fi by the hi end audiophiles and was priced accordingly at around $200 circa early 1990's.  It has burr-brown DAC chips and some good capacitors but that is about all I know.

 

Can anyone offer advice before I start blindly throwing money around.  

 

Thank you.

 

-dave

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post #2 of 6
6/28/12 at 9:03am
You sure your computer doesn't have SPDIF? If its a desktop we're talking about most motherboards already have SPDIF outputs; I think it coincided with entry-level HT receivers becoming more affordable.
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post #3 of 6
6/28/12 at 10:01am
Thread Starter 

Sadly, my laptop does not have SPDIF out.  My desktop died a few weeks ago and I will certainly put SPDIF out on my requirements list for my new desktop!  

 

Do you think the DITB still has some life in it or I should I put it up on ebay?

 

-dave

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post #4 of 6
6/28/12 at 6:52pm

Oh, if that's the case, you might want to explore other options. Although IF you have use for a transportable (ie, USB-powered, no battery, great when used with plugged-in laptops) DAC+headphone amp, the NuForce uDAC2 and Ibasso D7 can give you SPDIF out also. That way you can use these when you're out/on a trip with the laptop, and when you get back home you just use the SPDIF out for the AA DITB. If I remember right that's one of the neutral-sounding DACs back then, just not detailed enough for some; kind of like the PCM27xx USB DACs.

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post #5 of 6
7/5/12 at 7:09am

Yep, I remember Audio Alchemy.  I still have one of their DACs sitting around.  Digital Decoding Engine, maybe?

 

Anyway, if you can get the USB-to-SPDIF converter for a reasonable price, I say go for it. 

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post #6 of 6
7/8/12 at 10:38pm

"HA INFO" brand's USB to SPDIF converter is around $32 sans shipping on Ebay - seems solid with my old Shek DAC, ART DI/O, etc
 

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