[CJROSS]

Cheap DAC – £50-£100, Have you ever considered using a Minidisc Deck as a DAC?

Thought I would post this as a few guys here are interested in DACs and namely using cheap ones to improve anlg outputs or hooking up multiple digital sources. A few of us (thinking here Neil NSherin) have experimented with using the DA stage in our MD decks I did it years ago with my first Sony deck a MDS-510, when you consider how cheaply you can pick up these MD decks on Ebay (I landed a MDS-JB920 with40 MD discs for £65) ie £50-100 the scenarios as using them as a DAC becomes a no brainer.

First how does it work? : very simply you feed a digital signal to the MD deck (in my case I use a Toslink SPDIF output from my Dell PC & a Pioneer 717 DVD Coaxial output), to use the MD deck as a DAC you simply don’t insert a disc, ie tray empty and hit the record button, this then turns the MD deck into “DA” mode, ie Digital to Analogue mode, then run a set of ICs from the MD loop outputs to your amp (just like a DAC hook up here guys). If you have multiple sources attached you simply toggle “digital input” to your source. You can also use the deck as a DAC with a MD disc in the deck but it will be primed ready for recording.

How does it sound ? : In a word – fantastic, as good as any DAC I have owned for accepting a digital input and creating a listenable stereo feed to my amp. I see a lot of nods given to DACs like the B-DAC in fact I have owned 2 and they sound great granted, but to me the Sony MD deck sounds just as good and offers other fringe benefits (see below).

Any other benefits? : Yep, a couple I can think of when hooking up a PC, I recently went onto Youtube to view some Veils material, anyway I quickly checked to see if I could record digitally onto a MD disc, voila yes I could but the digital level from the PC was quite low, I quickly checked to see if I could fiddle with the attenuation level of the digital input from my PC, yes was the answer I could increase volume to level match any recordings. So you also have a control on the level of the digital input coming into the DAC which can be handy. You are also getting one of the most flexible recording formats invented. In fact Sony may have stopped production of MD but many of us will never give up the recording facilities. You also get a ADC, ie you can hook up any anlg device and convert the resultant sound digitally, again handy for listening or recording. (I have recorded for years every Joosl Holland show, but you can see how Freeview, Sky and even DVD-V can be recorded anlg wise to MD discs).

Conclusion : Many will scoff at the idea of this, but if you are brave enough to try I reckon you will get a fantastic DAC for the price of a few CDs, it is as bona fide a stereo source in DAC terms than any B-DAC or any other sub £500 DAC on the market. Well worth a try chaps. Esp off a PC source as you get so many fringe benefits included like recording from Youtube and controlling digital levels.

For sussing out how many digital inputs a deck has here is a good resource :

http://www.minidisc.org

MD Community Page Equipment Browser

http://forums.minidisc.org/uploads/m...1227113566.jpg

[matt303]

I've used my MDS-J510 as a DAC and it also makes a great external ADC for recording analogue sources using a computer with a toslink input. Mine tends to get used when I want to record some vinyl for my music server.

[djfonti]

Hello all. Sorry for bumping this thread but it appears very relevant to me.

Is it possible to connect a Freesat box with SPDIF out to a minidisc hifi with optical in and use the minidisc hifi for decoding and producing the sound? Sort of like a very cheap alternative to getting a receiver+speakers?

Would this be simple to set up and not require much fiddling about when actually wanting to watch TV?

Many thanks.

[JamesDee2009]

Sorry to re-bump an oldish thread...but this is very interesting and deserves reviving as DACs are becoming very popular again. I'll be digging out my old MD deck and trying this next week! Will let you know the results.

[Bibby_83]

Hi,
I am also considering CJs recommendation since I have an MD deck which I can connect to a CDP. At the moment I will be using a Pioneer DVD Player with decent sound but the results might be interesting.

Cheers,
Simon

[tony @ suffolk]

A coincidence you should post this thread...

I was on the point of chucking out my old Sony JA20ES Minidisc, but thought I'd see if I could use it to digitise some of my vinyl collection.

It works very well indeed, and in 24/96 to boot!

Such a lovely solid bit of kit - what a pity the format's obsolete.

[Bibby_83]

Hi again,
I've tried this out with a Pioneer DVD Player and I think this might be a good idea for my setup. Having correctly (I think) sent the DVD through the Minidisc and Tape input on my Amp the sound comes through quite well. Unfortunately, I only have Phono, Tuner and Aux marked inputs on my Amp so this might have to be a permanent solution for Minidisc and CD decks.

Basically, it works like this -

1. DVD Player Phono output to Amp Tape in
   
   
2. MD Player Phono out to Amp Aux/Line-in
   
   
3. Amp Tape Phono out to MD Recorder in
   
   

Well, I think that is different but it works.

[tudj]

I've just hooked up and old Yamaha MDX-793 Minidisk player and it works a treat as a DAC, I have Coax running from my X-Fi to the MD and then have it running to my Marantz and HD600, I'll be feeding the signal to a headphone amp instead of the Marantz when I get it, the MD should hold me over until I've saved enough for a decent DAC

[mattneighbour]

As well as MiniDisc units, old DAT machines that have an input monitor mode can be used. Given that no-one manufactures DAT tape heads any more, a cheap used DAT machine with a duff tape head could be given a second life as a DAC (or ADC!). There are some good pro machines rotting out there...

[madenglandcom]

A Beresfore 7510 will solve your problem, and i assure you that it will outperform your Mini-Disc DAC by furlongs, you can also consider to use it with MAD My Ox SPDIF cable with it, it use the Golden Section and Constant Q technology to ensure digital signals transmit constantly and it is cheap.

[CJROSS]

Originally Posted by madenglandcom

A Beresfore 7510 will solve your problem, and i assure you that it will outperform your Mini-Disc DAC by furlongs, you can also consider to use it with MAD My Ox SPDIF cable with it, it use the Golden Section and Constant Q technology to ensure digital signals transmit constantly and it is cheap.

I have owned the following DACs - MF X-24K, TAG DAC 20, CA DacMagic 2i Mk II & 2 No Beresford 7510s. The Beresfords did not outperform my MD deck (MDJ-B920) by Furlongs at all. In fact I sold them on. The Beresfords sound decent I would add easily £500 CDP wise to my ears, but are hyped beyond all belief on forums.

Any coaxial cable from a second hand component set bought on the Classifieds here will work fine. Ie a QED PCV1 for £15, use one cable for coaxial then the other 2 for anlg ICs. Sorted .

http://www.qed-cable-shop.co.uk/Vide...Fd4B4wodnBUOHA

[sweetbeats]

Cool Article will defiantly give this a whirl

[nsherin]

Anorther bump for this thread!

Yep - I'm quite happily using a Sony MDS-JB980 as a DAC in my main system. It is fed by PC, CD player and DAB tuner for sources. Sounds absolutely fantastic to my ears.

Currently listening to some Rod Stewart at the moment (128kbps MP3 from the PC) - the traci is Rhythm of my Heart. Detail and scale is stunning and the sub is getting a nice workout, with deep, punchy bass.

I've always loved MD for it's sound quaility, flexiblity of recording from multple sources - be it CD, Freeview, DVD-V, Blu-Ray, Vinyl, Radio & PC. For compilations, I often master to MD in analog and then dub a digital copy to CD-R.

In fact, I'm waiting to hear from a member of staff who may well be selling an ES MiniDisc deck at a hifi store. If it is a dcent price. I will be buying - I've fancied one of those for years. Not sure of price or model number yet - really looking forward to hearing about the details of it. The 980 willl then go into my bedroom system.

[sweetbeats]

Just got around to hooking up my old sony mds JE 330 last night and have to say it sounds amazing running my itunes off the macbook and wired through the Korsun KS99 and pumping the mission MV8's!
Gotta say I was blown away by the improvement to the sound,
it has loads of detail...trebles are sweet and the basslines are proper solid like a butchers hammer...great thread as I was considering a DAC soon.

MiniDisc Forever !
Rock on Cheers for this Guys

[Graham H]

Brilliant idea! I'd run out of digital inputs into my Marantz av amp so used this idea for the TV's optical out into my Sony JE530 and then into the Marantz using ics. Sounds much better than just using the TV's analogue outs. Easypeasy.

Graham

[johnbhoy#]

Excellent idea. Was looking at the dacmagic but just can justify the price just now . Got a sony mds-je470 today on the bay £48 inc delivery. so looking forward to getting it delivered so i can wire my pc through the optical cable through it and see how it sounds. Currently have the dmx6fire soundcard via 10 metre analogue cable going into a ground loop isolator then going into the amp. It actually sounds ok but i am aware that i am loosing signal quality with the length of the cable and the isolator going across the signal. At least i will have a no interference signal so will be happy enough with this. Will post back on the difference it makes.

[CJROSS]

Chaps another option that many of you may not considered is actually using an AV amp as a DAC! Right I know you have all spat your tea out, but bear with me here - when you consider how much non HDMI amps can sell for, you can buy slimline AV amps and use the tape loop outputs, I bought a while ago one of these little beauties here:

STR-LV500 (STRLV500) : Home Cinema & Hi-Fi : Sony

It is currently used as DAC+Stereo amp for some Castle Cliftons in my PC setup, I have a Dell Studio Hybrid with a Toslink SPDIF output. For a hoot I hooked it up to the main stereo system, fed from a BTVision PVR (Toslink) & a Sony SACD/DVDP in Coaxial mode for CD use, I can safely say the £50 it could me it can be used as a DAC no problem. A lovely crisp sound, in fact in tandem with a PS2 & Toslink it was superb.

[dan1979]

I found my AV amp wouldn't do that unfortuantely.

[bxd]

Hi,

Another good source were some of the Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) deck that were around from Philips and Marantz. There probably aren't too many of these around but they might well be pretty cheap.

Brian

[CJROSS]

Originally Posted by bxd

Hi,

Another good source were some of the Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) deck that were around from Philips and Marantz. There probably aren't too many of these around but they might well be pretty cheap.

Brian

DCC, DAT, MD, CD Recorders, anything with a Digital input and Recording output "tape" loop will send an anlg output once it has done the DA conversion from the digital datastream, just like a DAC, you are just using record out outputs as a line output as you would a DACs outputs.

[Bibby_83]

Is it actually possible to use phono outputs to a tape loop and achieve the same? The solution I posted earlier seemed to work but I've changed my Amp to one with Digital (that is, SPDIF) input. I still have a tape in and am wondering which one to try.

[mkdr24]

im looking at this solution, have a pc and a whole raft of FLAC which could use a decent DAC into my amp.

Is there any difference in the DAC quality on these Sony JE models? or are they all about the same in conversion quality?

Cheers

[sweetbeats]

I am using a sony JE330 which I have had for years in the bedroom and some one on another forum gave me a mint sony JB930 for free so I use that in the living room...not tested them against each other though but both sound really good playing my itunes though.

[sirlukas]

Sounds like a great idea!
Are there any real differences in the DAC chip used on those MD players?
I would be looking for something at around - 50-100 quid.

[sweetbeats]

Not sure but they sound cool as DAC's
You can pick them up for pennies and still an excellent recording medium as well

[sirlukas]

There are tens of those on ebay, which one would you go for that would do the job greatly for as little pennies as possible?

[sweetbeats]

Sony JE330 had mine from new and has never skipped a beat..well built little player too (in my opinion)

[XEdrake]

Got a JE440 last month for £30 very good condition works well very impressed with its recording quality, Just wondering what to do with all these mini-disk recordings I've made. May have to get an old personnel player to listen in car.

[sweetbeats]

Proper well built the sony range the JB930 is an animal and the build quality is top notch too.

[leedswillprevai]

Good suggestions but it's a falsehood to say all dac's sound the same. For example changing the op amps, the dac chip, decoupling capacitors etc, will have a huge effect on the sound. So I guess it comes down to price, if you want something cheap and pretty good, this is a great suggestion, if you want something really top notch, then a standlone dac unit is the best avenue to explore.