Audio Alchemy - DAC In The Box

Chaps,

Do any of you have any thoughts or experience with this model? If so do you think it be a worthwhile upgrade to my Marantz CD6000OSE?

Also what sort of price were they new (so I can get a rough estimate of value S/H)?

Thanks in advance,
RDD

 

I sold a Dac Man which is a slightly newer version of the dac in the box for £80 at christmas. They're very good, but a worthwhile upgrade for you, I'm not sure. It's clean and detailed, has excellent soundstaging, but to my mind was also a bit edgy. Your best bet is to pay around £50-£60 for it, then if you don't like it you should get your money back. They are good, but I prefer my Rotel RCD 991. It will probably improve your CD player, but it may not be the jump you hope for. Save up and buy a DAC 20 or a pink triangle ordinal, then you'll hear the difference

 

The DACman was actually the model down on the DAC-in-the-box. The DACman had captive Tara Labs analogue ICs.

The DAC in the Box was a very popular upgrade for the CD63 in its day. More likely you will get a different presentation, rather than necessarily better or worse (as that will come down to personal preference).

Look out for M-audio superDAC around similar sort of price (£100 or so likely). Also worth keeping an eye out for the DDE dacs from Audio alchemy.

 

Many thanks for that chaps,

I may go for one of these yet

Thanks for the heads up on the M-audio superDAC - I'll keep a look out for one of those....

 

I think its a matter of taste. I have the Cambridge Audio DACMagic used on my 6000OSE LE and it improves the detail a hell of a lot. However the trade off is it looses the smoothness of the Marantz DAC.

Over the weekend I will disconnect my DAC and listen to the CDPs DAC and see which one I actually prefer. As the brightness is starting to get a little bit too much now.

Are the M-AUDIO superdacs better than the Cambridge DACs btw?

 

I aint heard the M-Audio DAC's, but I will take an educated guess and say that I think the M-Audio will likely eat the Cambridge DAC for breakfast, and then spit it out in disgust and feed it to the dog. At least, thats what my soundcard did to it, although i think my soundcard may have swallowed it rather than fed it to the dog.

(In other words, yes, it will be better)

 

This might be next upgrade then. I would need some kind of switch for it though as I have my freeview box, dvd player and CD player to connect it it. I guess I could use my pre-amp as a dac switch providing I make sure the output never goes to the speakers!

I am not sure if a nice square wave will do my speakers any good!

 

the ditb will not be an upgrade to the marantz, which is a fine player.

go either for a flying cow, the predecessor to the superdac, or a dde, I found the dde 1.1 a real rollercoster ride, hugely exciting, as much as a chord dac64, poss more, tho ever so slightly less refined, and its less than £100 and fairly common. dde 3 is good, less upfront, but still not bad. more rare problems if the ddes die tho'

 

AT- The superdac has 3 inputs. However, one of them is AES/EBU so might not help you.

 

Do you any HIFI shops that stock them? My cambridge is just too bright for me long term. Joy Divison has prooved that the Marantz my not be as exciting but its far more musical.

Musicality is more important really as I can get excitement by having engaging in certain kind of activities not often discuss in HIFI circles

 

Does your mother know young man or do you do your own washing

I'm getting worried this is the second post in as many minutes that has mentioned AT's mum:yikes: