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Best affordable toslink (optical) DAC, any suggestion

  • Thread starter Deleted member 78499
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Deleted member 78499

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I am looking for an affordable Toslink (optical) dac, i am searching for an affordable solution?

So far, Schiit multibit NOS or WiiM pro plus, seems the more accurate solution, but is there something, more affordable, that sound equivalent in toslink?

FiiO D3, on amazon 17$, cheap, but does it sound good?

Any recommandation?

Thanks for helping, finding a solution under 100$ that is musical!
 
34$ CAD, so 17$US
Amazon.ca

to go on my old, Macmini

audioengine, but it's a preamp...
 
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maybe this one, with AKM chip

S.M.S.L SU-1​


or this one:

SMSL PS100​

 
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Or perhaps the NEOHIPO DC10 DAC Converter with ESS ES9028Q2M - maybe wait for a discount, as I bought one for just £34.99 only a couple of weeks ago-​



Reviewed here:

 

Or perhaps the NEOHIPO DC10 DAC Converter with ESS ES9028Q2M - maybe wait for a discount, as I bought one for just £34.99 only a couple of weeks ago-​



Reviewed here:

200CAD here!, but does the job, i check for a deal
 
found the FiiO K11 R2R, as a potential candidate, it also does NOS, i haven't see, if there a review of it, here on ARview?
 
I am looking for an affordable Toslink (optical) dac .... to go on my old, Macmini
Why does it have to be optical (toslink)?
The MacMini can also be connected to a DAC via a USB connection, which is a better solution in my opinion.
 
The cheapest DACs I could comfortable recommend are the SMSL SU-1/C100/PS200, and Topping D10s/E30II Lite.

The PS100 is pretty poor, as are other products in its price class.
 
Why does it have to be optical (toslink)?
The MacMini can also be connected to a DAC via a USB connection, which is a better solution in my opinion.
old guy, old set up, 4 dvd-cd carousel 400 cd, only working in toslink for digital and only autoswitch i found was toslink, so whatever the cd player i use, when i push play, the toslink server identify it and send it to the dac. l loved my CD and instead of shelving them, i purchase a carousel every 400 cd i had purchased. i listen to them and discard music, that i don't like anymore and this way it make room for another cd purchase. So this is why i need a better toslink optic DAC.

Also, i don't find the extra 1000$ worth it to invest in better DAC, because:
1- 1000$ is a lot of new CD
2- streaming with mostly loudness hi-res recording, sound worst than NOS old CD from the 1980 -2000 era.
3- because remastering those day, is to saturate recording for streaming or tiny earring headphone, than i don't invest in those.
4- My old McMini, is the only one, working with my carousel by RS-232!
5- I'm old, i don't have time to mess everything up, for the new "soupe du jour"!

Enjoying music, the most i can, and reading good book and watching movie, is my main goal before my expiration date arrived!
Like Dick van Dike said at 99years old, huge bank account, 17 cars, don't mathers much, enjoying, music and life and friend is the essence of life!

hope it help you understand it!
Don't wait for the Doctor, to tell you, you better start living, because, you're expiration date, is comming!
 
old guy, old set up, 4 dvd-cd carousel 400 cd, only working in toslink for digital and only autoswitch i found was toslink, so whatever the cd player i use, when i push play, the toslink server identify it and send it to the dac. l loved my CD and instead of shelving them, i purchase a carousel every 400 cd i had purchased. i listen to them and discard music, that i don't like anymore and this way it make room for another cd purchase. So this is why i need a better toslink optic DAC.

Also, i don't find the extra 1000$ worth it to invest in better DAC, because:
1- 1000$ is a lot of new CD
2- streaming with mostly loudness hi-res recording, sound worst than NOS old CD from the 1980 -2000 era.
3- because remastering those day, is to saturate recording for streaming or tiny earring headphone, than i don't invest in those.
4- My old McMini, is the only one, working with my carousel by RS-232!
5- I'm old, i don't have time to mess everything up, for the new "soupe du jour"!

Enjoying music, the most i can, and reading good book and watching movie, is my main goal before my expiration date arrived!
Like Dick van Dike said at 99years old, huge bank account, 17 cars, don't mathers much, enjoying, music and life and friend is the essence of life!

hope it help you understand it!
Don't wait for the Doctor, to tell you, you better start living, because, you're expiration date, is comming!
I get you...well, I'd still point you to the JDS Labs Atom 2, it has its own power brick, where the SMSL SU-1 runs on USB power. (The Schiit Modi+ can also be wall-powered so that it does not need USB power.)

Both the JDS Atom and the Modi have front controls that let you switch between the inputs...so, for example, I run mine direct from PC with the USB connection, but also have my cd transport connected via optical and can switch between them as needed.
 
the modi multibit, seems, good choice to and also have NOS possibility, but CAD is low, 0.50$US = 1.00$CAD, so it make it, unaffordable here for now, a 300$ solution cost 600$+100$shipping and 90$ tax and duty, so a 300$US solution is 790$CAD, it doesn't make sense..., but JDS, interesting from what i have read so far!
 
and also have NOS possibility
Not sure what hype is around butchering your audio via NOS..
NOS vs. Filtered -6dBFS sine waves.png
Source
 
the modi multibit, seems, good choice to and also have NOS possibility, but CAD is low, 0.50$US = 1.00$CAD, so it make it, unaffordable here for now, a 300$ solution cost 600$+100$shipping and 90$ tax and duty, so a 300$US solution is 790$CAD, it doesn't make sense..., but JDS, interesting from what i have read so far!
If I were you, I wouldn't go down the R2R/Multibit route...no need...unless you just want to pay more!
 
I used a Fiio D07 (upgrade version of the D3) for years to connect AV inputs to my stereo, It was fine to my ears, but it started to get a little flaky (I think because the case was so small, so heat built up) after a few years.

I don't think the DACs that look just like the Fiio D3 but are half the price are much different in performance. Amir has reviewed some of these, and found them remarkably good for the price.

I've since replaced my D07 with a more modern budget DAC (the SU-1) and believe it sounds noticeably better, but I also know that without a controlled AB test I could be just kidding myself.
 
15VAC power supply is an odd choice; I have boxes full of old power supplies, don't think any of them is in that ballpark.
 
@Joe Smith, Well ordered Atom+ JDS labs for 59$, happy result, testing the USB now, will test toslink later!
 
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