ped Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Hi Guys I'm looking for a DAC to take an optical audio (from Apple TV) to an RCA on my amplifier. Any recommendations? The range is fantastic, from £10 to £200. I'm looking for good quality audio and have heard good things about ones like [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Startech-Digital-Coaxial-Toslink-Converter/dp/B0024CV3T4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1374765612&sr=8-5&keywords=optical+audio+converter"]this[/url] Has anyone got experience? I asked about it in Sevenoaks Audio in Reading and they tried to sell me an Arcam one for £150. PC World said they 'didn't exist'. Apple shop tried selling me a new computer and iLife. Cheers ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) £200? Add at least another 0 on that [url="http://www.studiocare.com/antelope-audio-zodiac-hd-mastering-192khz-d-a-converter.html?___store=default"]if you want to get serious[/url] Ped No idea aboutacceptable quality for stereo DACs like that, sorry.... Edited July 25, 2013 by 51m0n Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 This one seems to get pretty good reviews http://www.amazon.co.uk/CYP-AU-D3-Digital-Stereo-Converter/dp/B0026208EI/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1374766496&sr=8-18&keywords=optical+audio+converter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obbm Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 ADC = Analogue to Digital Converter DAC = Digital to Analogue Converter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) Are you sure it's not worth starting off with a £10 phono lead to connect the audio into you amp? After all, it would give you a shorter audio path with less signal processing. Edit: My mistake, I assumed the Apple TV had a wired audio output like the Airport devices. Still, you're going to be dependent on the quality of the Apple TV audio processing so I'd still resist spending loads on an outboard DAC. If you want to get at the audio from a video stream, can you not do that via the TV itself? Connect the Apple TV via HDMI and then take an analogue audio feed from the screen to your amp. Also, are you trying to get at the full 5.1 audio? Edited July 25, 2013 by flyfisher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 [quote name='obbm' timestamp='1374767150' post='2152980'] ADC = Analogue to Digital Converter DAC = Digital to Analogue Converter. [/quote] Make me one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1374767171' post='2152982'] Are you sure it's not worth starting off with a £10 phono lead to connect the audio into you amp? After all, it would give you a shorter audio path with less signal processing. Edit: My mistake, I assumed the Apple TV had a wired audio output like the Airport devices. Still, you're going to be dependent on the quality of the Apple TV audio processing so I'd still resist spending loads on an outboard DAC. If you want to get at the audio from a video stream, can you not do that via the TV itself? Connect the Apple TV via HDMI and then take an analogue audio feed from the screen to your amp. Also, are you trying to get at the full 5.1 audio? [/quote] Hi mate Bog all connections from TV (just headphones). Just want stereo sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) Ah, that's a bit more tricky then. Here's a relevant discussion: [url="http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=445723"]http://www.audiokarm...ad.php?t=445723[/url] And another, which suggests a £30 unit from fiio or behringer (post #8) [url="http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/apple-tv-1"]http://www.whathifi....i-fi/apple-tv-1[/url] Something like this I think: http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-192KHz-Digital-Analog-Converter/dp/B005PWPUW6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374769138&sr=8-1&keywords=fiio+dac I've not checked the spec to see if it's totally suitable, just a suggestion to point you - hopefully - in a useful direction. Edited July 25, 2013 by flyfisher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkin Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 [quote name='ped' timestamp='1374767757' post='2152992'] Bog all connections from TV (just headphones). Just want stereo sound. [/quote] I guess you've thought about a jack to phono lead... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) Hi Ped , have a look at the range of gizmos available from the excellent FIIO range ( well within your budget ) and see if one meets your needs : [url="http://fiio.com.cn/products/index.aspx?MenuID=105026003"]http://fiio.com.cn/p...enuID=105026003[/url] I have got a FIIO E10 DAC/ headphone amp that I use between my PC and my separates system and it does a great job on both counts for the very little money that it cost . Nice build quality too . I recommend them . Edited July 25, 2013 by Dingus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 QED used to do a cheap one (known as the Digit?) Back in the day... Have a look on eBay.. Or an Audio Alchemy DDE v1.0 I've got a 20 year old one still doing the business. They don't really break- no moving parts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 [quote name='barkin' timestamp='1374772479' post='2153089'] I guess you've thought about a jack to phono lead... [/quote] Yeah, it's OK for watching TV but for anything serious the sound is compressed and crappy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1374769081' post='2153016'] Ah, that's a bit more tricky then. Here's a relevant discussion: [url="http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=445723"]http://www.audiokarm...ad.php?t=445723[/url] And another, which suggests a £30 unit from fiio or behringer (post #8) [url="http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/apple-tv-1"]http://www.whathifi....i-fi/apple-tv-1[/url] Something like this I think: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-192KHz-Digital-Analog-Converter/dp/B005PWPUW6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374769138&sr=8-1&keywords=fiio+dac"]http://www.amazon.co...ywords=fiio+dac[/url] I've not checked the spec to see if it's totally suitable, just a suggestion to point you - hopefully - in a useful direction. [/quote] [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1374773087' post='2153102'] Hi Ped , have a look at the range of gizmos available from the excellent FIIO range ( well within your budget ) and see if one meets your needs : [url="http://fiio.com.cn/products/index.aspx?MenuID=105026003"]http://fiio.com.cn/p...enuID=105026003[/url] I have got a FIIO E10 DAC/ headphone amp that I use between my PC and my separates system and it does a great job on both counts for the very little money that it cost . Nice build quality too . I recommend them . [/quote] [quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1374774592' post='2153136'] QED used to do a cheap one (known as the Digit?) Back in the day... Have a look on eBay.. Or an Audio Alchemy DDE v1.0 I've got a 20 year old one still doing the business. They don't really break- no moving parts... [/quote] Thanks for this guys. I have been looking at the FIIO one too. Do they have any latency, generally speaking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Latency is negligible, since the DAC isn't trying to perform any DSP jiggery-pokery with the ones and zeroes. It just converts them to an analogue waveform. Quick as any performance-use digital technology you'd encounter- like digital fx units or even a Variax, and they don't seem to cause issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 [quote name='ped' timestamp='1374774922' post='2153141'] Thanks for this guys. I have been looking at the FIIO one too. Do they have any latency, generally speaking? [/quote] I'm not sure what kind of latency you mean , Ped. , My FIIO has shown no sign of any hidden homosexual tendencies in the year or so I have had it , if that's what you're referring to . In fact , its' rugged little steel case is quite butch . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simwells Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 If you're handy with a soldering iron I'm a big fan of the AMB Labs gamma2 for the money[color="#FFEEDD"][size="-1"][font="arial,helvetica"] [/font][/size][/color][font="arial,helvetica"][size="-1"][color="#FFEEDD"]γ2[/color][/size][/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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