Thanks for the advice, I'll see how I go. The Tube Out will be my main focus to start with ............ I suppose actually purchasing one would be a start also !
TubeDAC-11 impressions/questions
- Thread starter fastjeff
- Start date
Thanks for the advice, I'll see how I go. The Tube Out will be my main focus to start with ............ I suppose actually purchasing one would be a start also !
200mV (50kOhm) on AUX, Tuner and Tape Play. You should be able to use any and all of these inputs to connect both SS and tube outputs from the DAC 11, should you decide to get one.
(online manuals make gurus quite obsolete on the factual bits)
Windup
Active Member
With all the discussion in this thread I decided to try to use the "Main In" inputs on my Marantz 2252b and use the Tubedac-11 as THE preamp and throw in my two cents here.
Very pleasing sound. No complaints with the TubeDAC-11. Keep in mind, using the receiver as an amp only, takes away all functions on the front panel of the Marantz. No tone control, no loudness, not even volume control. Only power and speaker switching. Can't listen to FM (not that I ever do) either. The receiver is no longer a tuner, preamp and amp. It's now JUST an amp.
I know this is pretty obvious but, until you try it, because it's there, 
you never know what you might be missing.
With this simple setup in my living room, this doesn't work for me. I quickly went back to using the AUX input on the Marantz and restored my type A needs of a little more control. Besides, I'm a Ham Radio operator from a ways back and need to touch the front panel controls at least every 10 minutes. :screwy:
Very pleasing sound. No complaints with the TubeDAC-11. Keep in mind, using the receiver as an amp only, takes away all functions on the front panel of the Marantz. No tone control, no loudness, not even volume control. Only power and speaker switching. Can't listen to FM (not that I ever do) either. The receiver is no longer a tuner, preamp and amp. It's now JUST an amp.
I know this is pretty obvious but, until you try it, because it's there, you never know what you might be missing. With this simple setup in my living room, this doesn't work for me. I quickly went back to using the AUX input on the Marantz and restored my type A needs of a little more control. Besides, I'm a Ham Radio operator from a ways back and need to touch the front panel controls at least every 10 minutes. :screwy:
With all the discussion in this thread I decided to try to use the "Main In" inputs on my Marantz 2252b and use the Tubedac-11 as THE preamp and throw in my two cents here.
Very pleasing sound. No complaints with the TubeDAC-11. Keep in mind, using the receiver as an amp only, takes away all functions on the front panel of the Marantz. No tone control, no loudness, not even volume control. Only power and speaker switching. Can't listen to FM (not that I ever do) either. The receiver is no longer a tuner, preamp and amp. It's now JUST an amp.
With this simple setup in my living room, this doesn't work for me. I quickly went back to using the AUX input on the Marantz and restored my type A needs of a little more control. Besides, I'm a Ham Radio operator from a ways back and need to touch the front panel controls at least every 10 minutes. :screwy:
I use a TubeDAC-09 as pre-amp on my HK3490 receiver, as I found the 09 to be far superior as a pre-amp. I use the HK tape out to an analogue input on the 09 so I can still use the tuner from the HK. I tried the HK pre-out to the 09 to maintain the full HK pre-amp functions, but found sound quality to have become ... uninteresting. YMMV.
Windup
Active Member
I can understand why that would be uninteresting. Sounds like using the pre-out is like stringing two preamps in "series". :scratch2:
I do understand using tape out for the FM though. I'm not in a hurry to listen to the FM around here but, maybe once the snow flies I'll turn it on to hear if things are closed so, that is an alternate idea.
Thanks
I do understand using tape out for the FM though. I'm not in a hurry to listen to the FM around here but, maybe once the snow flies I'll turn it on to hear if things are closed so, that is an alternate idea.
Thanks
ssouci
Well-Known Member
I have an Oppo 980-H DVD player, known to be a very good budget player and respectable CD player
I'm toying around with upgrading my sound, and wondering if it would be better to:
A) add an external DAC to my Oppo (ie., TubeDAC-11 @ $350)
---OR---
B) replace my Oppo with the new BDP-103 ($500) which has better sound vs. the 980-H, and forget the DAC
what's the better combination, especially for sound quality?
I run a vintage Marantz 2275 receiver... 2-channel stereo only
obviously getting the new Oppo would get me Blu-Ray capability (a nice bonus), and prevents having to add another box, extra cables, etc.(!), but it would cost $150 more
thanks!
INFO LINKS:
http://www.oppodigital.com/dv980h/default.asp (Oppo 980, old)
http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-103/ (Oppo 103, new)
http://shop.grantfidelity.com/Grant-Fidelity-TubeDAC-11-D-A-Converter.html (GF DAC)
I'm toying around with upgrading my sound, and wondering if it would be better to:
A) add an external DAC to my Oppo (ie., TubeDAC-11 @ $350)
---OR---
B) replace my Oppo with the new BDP-103 ($500) which has better sound vs. the 980-H, and forget the DAC
what's the better combination, especially for sound quality?
I run a vintage Marantz 2275 receiver... 2-channel stereo only
obviously getting the new Oppo would get me Blu-Ray capability (a nice bonus), and prevents having to add another box, extra cables, etc.(!), but it would cost $150 more
thanks!
INFO LINKS:
http://www.oppodigital.com/dv980h/default.asp (Oppo 980, old)
http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-103/ (Oppo 103, new)
http://shop.grantfidelity.com/Grant-Fidelity-TubeDAC-11-D-A-Converter.html (GF DAC)
Last edited:
LexDM3
Super Member
I'll watch for replies to ssouci's question since I also have an Oppo DV 980-H and use a Marantz 2252B or a Fisher KX-100 tube amp in my main system. I often play an iPod Touch from a Pure I-20 cradle/DAC that has analog and digital outputs. So far I'm only using the I-20 analog outs.
If I got a TubeDAC-11, I'd run my phono preamp into one analog input and the Oppo and I-20 into the two digital inputs.
If I got a TubeDAC-11, I'd run my phono preamp into one analog input and the Oppo and I-20 into the two digital inputs.
komoyuki
Super Member
Seriously it willd depend about what you need. The tubedac-11 could be the center of all your device, here is what it can do :
On the other hand, if you looking for the blu ray picture quality, the OPPO is a great one, but you won't get a sound quality as good as the TubeDac-11.
GL
Catcher10
Prog-tastic!
What you get with the DAC11 is the ability to do so many things. Like running your phonopre to the DAC11 and then out from the Tube Out is a really nice option. I have a ZuneHD player in a Zune dock with optical out, I run this thru the DAC11 digital in and bypass the ZuneHD DAC and it is sooo much better. Especially considering the ZuneHD only holds up to 320kbps files, the DAC11 makes them sound amazing!
Anything you can plug into its Analog In and then either TubeOut or LineOut gets you really nice sounds....especially vintage CDP or other gear not having digital out options.
But it does not do Blu Ray......:tears:
My guess is Oppo 980 + TubeDac11 would give better sound. Certainly more sound options, vis-à-vis analog out or tube out, tube rolling.
The 980 is discontinued but you probably have a source. This combo is similar to what I have: Marantz DV6500 + TD11. THe Marantz is also a universal player. It sounds great both through the TD11 and using it's own DAC.
OTOH, the Oppo 105 looks very nice although more money.
Tube DAC-11 suggestions yea or nay?
So....I already have an older model conrad johnson tube preamp & amp. The preamp has a pretty decent phono input section (for my high output moving coil cartridges). I also run a CD player through the preamp aux input. I've had my eye on the DAC-11 for a while now... and I could use your advice!
The rationale for getting the DAC-11 is to send the CD output into the tube DAC, then send that signal to the preamp. Also, my son is into computer & digital sources, so the DAC-11 would be the input for his computer and digital source. I would use the tube output section of the DAC-11.
BUT....and this is what I'm struggling with - I can simply connect a mini-jack to RCA cable and plug that into my preamp.
So...is it worth springing for a DAC11? What do you think? Would it benefit the CD by sending that signal through the DAC first? Would there be any sonic benefits to running the digital sources through the DAC instead of directly into the preamp tape/aux "analog" inputs?
On a side note....the DAC-11 does look nice!
So....I already have an older model conrad johnson tube preamp & amp. The preamp has a pretty decent phono input section (for my high output moving coil cartridges). I also run a CD player through the preamp aux input. I've had my eye on the DAC-11 for a while now... and I could use your advice!
The rationale for getting the DAC-11 is to send the CD output into the tube DAC, then send that signal to the preamp. Also, my son is into computer & digital sources, so the DAC-11 would be the input for his computer and digital source. I would use the tube output section of the DAC-11.
BUT....and this is what I'm struggling with - I can simply connect a mini-jack to RCA cable and plug that into my preamp.
So...is it worth springing for a DAC11? What do you think? Would it benefit the CD by sending that signal through the DAC first? Would there be any sonic benefits to running the digital sources through the DAC instead of directly into the preamp tape/aux "analog" inputs?
On a side note....the DAC-11 does look nice!
hirezconvert
Member
what cd player are we talking about?
Does it have a digital (coax or optical) output? If yes you can connect to the digital input and use the Grant DAC processing. Otherwise you can connect the analog out from the Adcom (using the native DAC in the Adcom) to the analog in on the TubeDAC. Most likely won't benefit with the latter connection sonically (though the TubeDAC is a great control center.).
Ok....so I'm going to risk sounding like an illiterate, but the Adcom manual describes the digital output as an S/PDIF standard. To me it looks like an RCA plug. I was kind of expecting it to be one of those screw-on coax cable kind of thing that kind of look like the cable tv kind of wiring. I'm assuming that a "normal audio cable" won't work....right?
hirezconvert
Member
Yes, you could simply go out of the "dac out" set of rcas on the back of the TD11, thus bypassing any processing offered by the TD11 excepting the work of the DAC.
I would think you might well find a serious boost in sonic goodness by using the DAC on the TD11 vs the oldish Adcom cd player's DAC.
the cost of the TubeDac-11 includes delivery, so you can try it and see, only risking the cost of return shipping should it not please you.
I would think you might well find a serious boost in sonic goodness by using the DAC on the TD11 vs the oldish Adcom cd player's DAC.
the cost of the TubeDac-11 includes delivery, so you can try it and see, only risking the cost of return shipping should it not please you.
Rockyhill....
Yes, the Adcom has a digital output (a coax type) and two analog (RCA) outputs. So I would use the coax cable into the DAC-11 and then send an analog signal from the DAC to my preamp? Yes
Ok....so I'm going to risk sounding like an illiterate, but the Adcom manual describes the digital output as an S/PDIF standard. To me it looks like an RCA plug. I was kind of expecting it to be one of those screw-on coax cable kind of thing that kind of look like the cable tv kind of wiring. I'm assuming that a "normal audio cable" won't work....right? You want to use a coax digital cable with RCA connectors from S/PDIF out to S/PDIF in. Many sources for these. I use Blue Jeans cables fwiw.
Yes, the Adcom has a digital output (a coax type) and two analog (RCA) outputs. So I would use the coax cable into the DAC-11 and then send an analog signal from the DAC to my preamp? Yes
Ok....so I'm going to risk sounding like an illiterate, but the Adcom manual describes the digital output as an S/PDIF standard. To me it looks like an RCA plug. I was kind of expecting it to be one of those screw-on coax cable kind of thing that kind of look like the cable tv kind of wiring. I'm assuming that a "normal audio cable" won't work....right? You want to use a coax digital cable with RCA connectors from S/PDIF out to S/PDIF in. Many sources for these. I use Blue Jeans cables fwiw.