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Amazon Basics Optical Coax DAC Review

Rate this DAC:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 84 41.8%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 99 49.3%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 17 8.5%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 1 0.5%

  • Total voters
    201

voodooless

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The quad speed is not very steep.
No, it's not, but not that bad: -20 dB at .6, would mean about 26 kHz. Amirs measurement show -20 dB not even on the graph (because it already starts at ~ -8 dB down, which is already strange.
 

beagleman

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Those rebranded devives must be around for a decade now. Mine heavily distorted on this track containing overtone singing when
the Overtones became dominant.
Just listened on my computer sound with the Junk built in speaker and not even a hint of distortion.
 

solderdude

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I have no idea how the chip was used.
It just appears as though there is only some very slow analog post filtering used or there was a lack of proper post filtering messing up the measurements.

In any case... not your typical NOS signature.

Sounds perfectly fine when listening to TV sound via my stereo when watching movies. Fortunately for me I am not very demanding and too old to hear much above 15kHz.
 

enricoclaudio

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At this price and for what is intended for (non audiophile applications) I think it deserves to be in the "Fine" category. The purpose of this device is to extract the digital audio signal from TVs then convert to analog so it can be used with small stereo systems. For that you don't need top of the chain SINAD. Most people using these are gamers or entry level music aficionados.
 

pseudoid

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regulatory certifications
Why would such a product need certification? It may cause fires and/or blow up? Electrocution If you try to stick your tongue to the RCA outs?
I bought a dual-output 120W LPS from the chinese-brigade (<< not a dis); it had CE cert stamp on it.
Of course, my first date with it, required the preliminary investigation under the hood.
Everything looked good inside and the design looked to be pretty hefty. Even the AC protective (third-wire) was properly chassis grounded inside. Nice and quality parts as well.
Connected it up to some dummy loads and hooked it up to a DMM and an Oscilloscope, before even connecting it to the supplied power cable.
HEY Wait! What's this???
AC wall plug is a two-prong (L/N) but the input cable plug on the rear of the unit is THREE prong.
I asked myself: "Hey self, did they really tie the neutral to the AC protective inside the cable?"
NOPE!
 

solderdude

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Or maybe the receiver chip has something to do with it. No idea.
I can buy one in China including a TOSLINK cable and 5V power supply for € 5.62

You can't expect much other than its basic function.
 

Herbert

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Just listened on my computer sound with the Junk built in speaker and not even a hint of distortion.
I even listened from the original CD back then. This record was made on a Fostec B16 in Winter 1984/1985
in an empty watertank in Cologne that had 50 seconds of reverb
Digital Transfer was done using a Sony PCM-F1.
 

Beershaun

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I am concerned that the lack of high frequency filtering will damage speakers and amplifiers with the ultrasonic signals sent to them when they are not designed to handle them. Isn't this how tweeters get blown? Does that make it broken or am I worrying about something that can't happen?
 

pseudoid

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Isn't this how tweeters get blown?
Consider the tweeter as a (multi-order) low pass filter w/steep drop-off after its intended pass-band; and sleep well tonight.
 

enricoclaudio

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Waht make you think so?
More like CS8416

cs4344_spdif_dac_hires.jpeg
cs4344_spdif_dac_hires copy.jpg


 

Jim Shaw

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I'm inclined to shun this, just because it is misrepresented. It clearly says "192 kHz" and it can't do that.

However, I note that single-chip DACs seem to be improving, generally. I can see a situation coming where boutique DACs could lose their cachet.
It could become like trying to sell tickets on the Queen Mary when the Boeing 747 is flying over at 10 times the speed and 1/10th the cost.

-Just one man's view.
 

DonR

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mmmm... flux residue, misaligned through-hole components, dubious hand soldering.... your standard bottom drawer fare here.
 

voodooless

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More like CS8416

View attachment 182381View attachment 182382

That is just the SPDIF receiver, not the DAC. The DAC is the small chip next to it: U2. The number of pins at least matches CS4344, and power pins might also fit, as do the pins that deliver the digital signal.
 

pseudoid

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enricoclaudio

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OT: What type of camera/phone did you use to get such a nicely focused close-up? You either used a tripod or don't drink coffee...

I did not take the photo. It was posted in page 1 :) But I do have an iPhone 12 Pro which takes amazing close-up photos :)

IMG_0111.jpeg
 

pseudoid

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