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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

PeteL

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There are some very "constant" costs including labor/automation.
Even if your clean-sheet design had started with a higher-quality PPL (thus, doubling the cost of parts): Yet, the design/tooling/manufacturing would have remained at a similar 'constant' cost.
You seem to forget volume tough, this is inversely proportional to cost and it's quite significant.
 

Sparky

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TV HDMI to receiver plus optical to Amazon DAC to sub? You wouldn't have the ability to set crossovers or do room correction but the sub's controls would serve their purpose. That's if your tv can do both outputs, of course, and it's highly likely your AVR has a sub output already.

Or do you mean TV speakers plus optical DAC?
I probably need to elaborate on this a bit.

I currently use a minidsp SHD with a pair of Genelec 8341's. The 8341's have an aes/ebu input. I was thinking, if I bought a "digital only" DAC, could I utilise one if the digital outputs to feed my analogue powered subs via this little device?
I could then use a true AES/ebu output to my 8341's.

I hope that makes sense!

Please don't ask why I'm considering any changes though as I'm a bit of a tinkerer so like to swap my gear around every now and then! :D
 

mhardy6647

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I wouldn't say ripped off. Getting from $14 to $140 requires a certain amount of extra engineering, higher parts costs and more complex manufacturing.
Wait -- it takes engineering to raise the price?
Did the milk at the supermarket get engineered recently?

;)
 

pseudoid

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PeteL

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Not at all! Me thinx 'lower price' moves more merch than the other kind.

Ultra-Pasteurized cows cost money to engineer.:rolleyes:
But You said that the one that sells the 100$ is laughing to the bank, assuming, unless I misunderstood you, that the one who sells this for 100 get's his parts at the same cost as the one selling it for 14? Was I reading wrong? You then went to say that yes, quality of parts will increase cost but that the rest should remain constant, I was just pointing that you made no mention of what is the key factor in cost differential.
 

pseudoid

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I was just pointing that you made no mention of what is the key factor in cost differential.
I really should not have to answer this rhetorical question and I don't think I needed to make a "mention".
Competition makes weird wars especially if such competition is unfair (subsidies? unfair biz practices? you can even throw the kitchen sink in there for good measure).
It could be that the sellerB (@$100) does not have the smarts to compete with sellerA (@$28) but then we can use Apple/Samsung contingency from different continents that seem to compete well by taking advantage of the unfairness of their (all?) market places.
I am baiting...
 

DonR

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There are some very "constant" costs including labor/automation.
Even if your clean-sheet design had started with a higher-quality PPL (thus, doubling the cost of parts): Yet, the design/tooling/manufacturing would have remained at a similar 'constant' cost.
I see quite a large gap in the quality of manufacture of a cheap DAC vs an expensive one. Probably less QC as well. That will also cost money. No doubt there is a larger profit margin in the more expensive units but then they sell a lot fewer of them.
 

pseudoid

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DonR

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pseudoid

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I fully agree. I think quality will always cost money,
No, you are NOT agreeing to anything.
You keep insisting that "quality" has its price and I keep saying the total opposite.
It was derogatory to say "a jap car" (circa 1970s) until it wasn't and the Japanese started making some of the most quality cars at given price range. Ditto for Kia in the 1990s... until it was not 'ditto'!
The only thing we agree on is that your "Cheap" is my "bring it on!" w/o the dog ate my homework excuses!
 

DonR

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No, you are NOT agreeing to anything.
You keep insisting that "quality" has its price and I keep saying the total opposite.
It was derogatory to say "a jap car" (circa 1970s) until it wasn't and the Japanese started making some of the most quality cars at given price range. Ditto for Kia in the 1990s... until it was not 'ditto'!
The only thing we agree on is that your "Cheap" is my "bring it on!" w/o the dog ate my homework excuses!
Cheap as in low priced. There is also a quality gap which is obvious between some, not all, of the higher priced units in material and fit and finish. You just have to look inside one to see the misaligned through-hole components and flux residue that is generally missing in more expensive products. Doesn't necessarily mean they are better performing or will last longer. Japanese cars early on, as well as Korean in the 90s, were very poor quality and now that they have surpassed others in quality it's no surprise that they cost as much if not more but I don't think the analogy strictly applies here - they seldom do. An inexpensive DAC will probably perform as well as an expensive one, the expensive one will likely "look" better and will cost more partly because of the workmanship put into it. That doesn't mean it will last longer though but it does cost a lot more money to get that last bit or 2 of resolution as the performance chart shows.

There definitely is much more of the "jewellery" aspect applied to audio equipment the further up the price ladder you climb and that is undoubtedly used to justify higher prices.
 
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chris719

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It functions, is probably audibly transparent in most cases, and is $14 dollars in 2022. I'd say this product exceeds expectations based on price.
 

mctron

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Just $3.90 + applicable tax including shipping right now; insane how they can make a profit.
Perhaps they are not (on these particular AmazonBasics items that is lol), rumor was they are getting a rid of a lot of their Basics branded stuff
 
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