Ebay alert -- inexpensive DACs

I have a Denon DVD3910 would I benefit from this DAC (or any other for that matter).

90% of my listening is now from vinyl. Would a DAC get me back into my CD's?

 

Great ideas--thanks for posting!

I'm wondering if similar mods for the 205.2 exist. As far as I can tell, the 205.2 is almost the same as the 203.2, except that the 205.2 has a 5-pole anti-alias filter where the 203.2 has a 3-pole, and the digital input switching. I'd want the 205.2 for the input switching mainly.

 

I wish I could understand this

 

My 205.2 just came in today, ill have to try it out tommorow though. bit bigger then i had thought they where.

 

djbryan,

If you have questions, PM me and possibly I can help.

 

I'd like to do this mod do you have any pics?
thanks
mdr

 

You guys see what the last entech sold for?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Entech-Number-Cruncher-203-2-DAC-Audio-Alchemy-Monster_W0QQitemZ230107905916

Glad I got mine when I did.

 

According to this review the entech uses the CS4329 dac.

http://www.proaudioreview.com/august99/Entech-web.shtml

And...according to this dac list, this is the same dac used in the Meridian 508 CD player.

http://www.freeweb.hu/mestertuning/dac.php?lang=en

I'm sure there is more to it than that, as I really am clueless about all of this stuff. I just know it sounds pretty decent.

 

I've been very satisfied with mine. I was suprised at what a difference it makes.

 

Me too. I use mine on the Pioneer 563A with Grover interconnects and I couldn't be happier with the improvement in sound.

 

It was as strange thing that Ebay was flooded with them and then they were gone. While they were available, they were one of the best bang-for-the-buck audio buys out there. I love mine.

 

I think I paid $80 for mine.

 

It was made by Audio Alchemy engineers??

I already have all their modified stuff and would rather put my money into music.

I am just sick of this obsession of hardware. It just makes the whole purpose hi-fi (listening to music) a secondary concern.

 

You relate talking about an inexpensive dac as an "obsession of hardware", yet you also state you "already have all their modified stuff".

I agree with your point, but there is an entire section of this forum dedicated to hardware. This is something even the Beatles don't have here.

I like the hardware section, and I don't think discussing a cheap DAC qualifies as obsessing over hardware, but your point is noted.

 

Aw, man. I'll never get one for a decent price now.

 

The guy selling them at the time had a ton of them, so it probably held the prices down.

 

I would love to experiment with one of these if I could score one for ~$100. I'm not totally satisfied with the sound of my Squeezebox running digital into my receiver's DACs.

 

Y'know, after looking through some of the replies to this thread (an EnTech is a massive upgrade?), I wonder whether the tide of anti-digital sentiment present on this forum is due to substandard digital playback equipment or is a true reasoned conclusion that one arrives at after spending quality time with both formats.

 

Best 50 buck tweak I have had, Love it.

 

I bought an Entech at the cheaper prices about six months ago and it did give me a solid bump with my Redbook playback. That being said, after I burned in the Entech unit, I went back to vinyl and fell into my old pattern. The sound still simply doesn't compare.

My next digital tweak will be trying a superior isolation platform.

 

For anybody listening to Redbook through mid-fi gear (99.99% of the general population, and a majority on SH-TV from looking at system profiles), it is a massive upgrade. Have you heard one of the Entechs?

 

You've said it. I avoided a seperate DAC for years, even reading that it might be worse, not better. And besides, I owned a once-star rated Rega CD player.

The moment I heard the new one I heard a substantial difference. Not subtle at all, and all for the good.

 

Yes I have (203.2, not 205.2). I picked up a second hand unit for cheap ($110), though the price I paid pales next to some of the incredible deals mentioned here.

I was initially wowed by the sound, but something just didn't sit right with me - voices simply didn't sound 'right'. My audio memory is a little hazy, as it has been just under half a year since this happened, but I moved on to another DAC - the Zhaolu D2 - which I have since modded the hell out of - power supplies, opamps, cap replacements, resistor replacement, even reflowing the solder in every joint on the PCB.

I still maintain that while vinyl is a beautiful sounding format, one should withhold conclusive judgment on digital till they've heard a range of DACs - both OS and NOS.

I recently heard a TDA1543 based DAC (deode? I cannot remember the brand) and was impressed, but not as impressed as I was when I heard a Marantz CD-94 mkII, which uses TDA1541As (S2 variant I believe?). There was a creamy smoothness to the sound, which I really liked.

As an aside, I guess I might have some plans for my 9x TDA1541As and 3x TDA1541A S2. I knew they would be a good investment when I picked them up more than a year and a half ago.

 

bump, the Entech 205.2 is back on ebay for $102 shipped, item number: 290110107446

I went ahead and grabbed one for my Squeezebox, will report back after it arrives and I've put it through its paces.

 

thanks for heads up BUT....the sellers feedback looks a little suspect.
He's sent the wrong power supply a couple of times and even some of the positives are kinda dodgy.
Good luck.