Vintage Audio gear with DAC does it work?

johnnyboy70

johnnyboy70

Active Member
An audio friend and I were talking a week ago about this. I was thinking about purchasing a Peachtree DAC for my audio system. It's not super high end. Sansui 9090db, KLH Model 5 speakers. He was saying that the older speakers aren't made for that type of musicality. I'm better off with a higher end CD player that would actually work better with my system for example SACD. This kinda makes sense to me, what are some of your thoughts? Would you need some newer speakers to use with the DAC as well as amps of today
 
Register to hide this ad
johnnyboy70 said:
An audio friend and I were talking a week ago about this. I was thinking about purchasing a Peachtree DAC for my audio system. It's not super high end. Sansui 9090db, KLH Model 5 speakers. He was saying that the older speakers aren't made for that type of musicality. I'm better off with a higher end CD player that would actually work better with my system for example SACD. This kinda makes sense to me, what are some of your thoughts? Would you need some newer speakers to use with the DAC as well as amps of today
Click to expand...

Your friend is incredibly inaccurate. Every CD player on earth still has a built in DAC, or is going to need a separate one. What he said makes zero sense.

What did you want the Peachtree DAC for?
 
johnnyboy70 said:
An audio friend and I were talking a week ago about this. I was thinking about purchasing a Peachtree DAC for my audio system. It's not super high end. Sansui 9090db, KLH Model 5 speakers. He was saying that the older speakers aren't made for that type of musicality. I'm better off with a higher end CD player that would actually work better with my system for example SACD. This kinda makes sense to me, what are some of your thoughts? Would you need some newer speakers to use with the DAC as well as amps of today
Click to expand...

I disagree. A quality CD/SACD player is likely to produce similar sound to a quality DAC and transport (whether the transport is a CD player, a computer or something like the Squeezebox Touch). If your speakers aren't up to the task, they will perform pretty much the same with either of the above options.

I've used modern DACs and transports with vintage speakers and amps (and I still use my restored Sansui AU-719 in my main system) and they perform very nicely indeed and are capable of utilising a high quality source. If your 9090 is in tip-top condition (ie. recapped and restored) then it shouldn't be viewed as the weak link in the chain.

Of course, there are more resolving, more detailed amps and speakers out there, but it depends what your listening preference (and budget!) is.

One thing to consider... I use some -10dB attenuated Grave Science interconnects between my DAC and amp so that the signal to the amp is less 'hot'. My audio-gd DAC is 2.5VRMS output whereas the amp is 150mV sensitivity (like most vintage amps). The attenuated interconnects are a Godsend in my system. There are other in-line RCA-style attenuators from Parts Express and a few vendors on ebay and in the UK.
 
89grand said:
Your friend is incredibly inaccurate. Every CD player on earth still has a built in DAC, or is going to need a separate one. What he said makes zero sense.

What did you want the Peachtree DAC for?
Click to expand...

I wanted to stream music from the ipod as well as download's mp3's etc.
 
johnnyboy70 said:
I wanted to stream music from the ipod as well as download's mp3's etc.
Click to expand...

Then you'll want a DAC, just like you thought you did.

There would be no difference between an i-Pod, or MP3's or really any digital source vs a cd player which is also a digital source. The only difference is nearly all CD players have their own built in DAC, but it's still there, and performs the same function as a separate DAC.

I rarely ever even use a CD player any more. Nearly everything I have is ripped to a computer and then streamed as 320K Mp3's or Flac.
 
I don't agree with your "friend". The truth is unless you have a very up to date higher end CD player a DAC will probably be an improvement. A CD player with SACD capability will also probably be an improvement; because of it's DAC. If you aren't interested in SACD's get a DAC. If you are interested in SACD playback get an SACD player. The rest of your gear isn't an issue. You never know. A new SACD player or DAC may cause you you to upgrade. Then again it may not.
 
I run a near-50 year old pair of Electro Voices...they make beautiful music with my Benchmark DAC1 ;).
 
Thanks for sharing all your info and experiences. Good to know that I can use my current system with the newest technology. Looking forward to it
 
Make sure to download high bitrate and/or lossless files. That will make a significant difference. I have mixed a DAC with all sorts of modern and vintage systems and sometimes in between.

I would recommend a cheaper DAC and new speakers. Just my .02p.

Happy listening! :music:
 
If you're mainly going to listen to your iPod you might just use a line out device (like $3 from eBay) and connect to your amp. Depending on the version iPod's DAC can be pretty decent.
 
This reminds me of ads on cheap speakers and headphones in the late 80's that pronounced them 'digital ready' - huh???
 
The peach tree products are fantastic, and your friend knows just enough to be dangerous. Go for it!


Posted via iPad, which explains the text correction errors.
 
johnnyboy70 said:
He was saying that the older speakers aren't made for that type of musicality.
Click to expand...

I disagree with most everything your audio fiend said ... but that most of all. Normally I can agree to disagree, but that there is just plain unadulterated drivel ...

Classic systems work well with digital as long as you've got a decent converter. If you want to jump in cheap, you can scroe ... er ... score a Behringer UCA202 dirt cheap. Nice entry level, easy hookup, clean sound up to 48/16 ... from there, it's all about how clean your player is. Don't know nuttin about the Peachtree, so I'll leave it at that.

SACD can be done, but don't forget you'd need additional amps if you want to run the extra channels. Your 9090db can handle the fronts - rather well I expect as that was TOTL in it's day and highly underrated on power output. I've got a quad Sansui receiver, so that takes care of four channels from my OPPO SACD, and I found me an old Carver Cube to run the center channel. Or you can just stick with the SACD stereo output. Your call, but once you go surround, there's no going back.

I also don't need no steenking sub woofer ... my old crap sub-standard unmusical McIntosh XR16s got plenty of bottom as is ... much like your KLH Model 5s I expect ... those 12" woofs ain't just decorations. <G>
 
cgutz said:
This reminds me of ads on cheap speakers and headphones in the late 80's that pronounced them 'digital ready' - huh???
Click to expand...

Heckfire ... the speaker in your cell phone is "digital ready", ain't it?

Like the "digital ready" tv antennas they said you had to buy when they cut the analog stream. That rated somewhere between nutters and claptrap ... maybe all the way up to hooee ...

Granted, I'm kinda sorta new to the whole digital thing myself if you exclude cd's. Built an HTPC a couple years back and have just been getting serious about fine tuning that recently. Just upgraded to a tube DAC too ... wonder what our "audio friend" thinks of those? <G>

Also worth mentioning ... the digital material itself has a LOT to do with how well it'll sound on any system. MP3 has it's place ... and that's on the road. For home listening, it's lossless or nothing. FLAC is a good format, and with the price of storage nowadays, the only way to go. I dual rip to both FLAC and 256 MP3 so I get the best of both worlds.

And just for controversy's sake ... I don't care how good a digital system is ... vinyl will still run rings around it!

(Let the carnage begin)
 
Last edited:
sKiZo said:
And just for controversy's sake ... I don't care how good a digital system is ... vinyl will still run rings around it!

(Let the carnage begin)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I sure do miss scratched records skipping, pops and hiss, having to get one out, clean it, put it on the turntable, sit back down, the realize I don't want to hear the second song so I'd have to get up again, skip past it, then sit back down again. Rumble filters were always a plus, plus having to replace needles/cartridges is fun.

Having thousands of songs at my fingertip at the touch of a remote, that never have pops or scratches, that can never get damaged or degrade in anyway is always such a pain.:D
 
Vinyl sounds better than digital if you have a vintage turntable, but not with one of those modern "audiophile" turntables.
 
Digital Ready. It always makes me laugh.

DAC, CD player, tape deck, turntable, Laserdisc, VHS, Minidisc. It don't matter. It works with vintage gear.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom