toslink to analog, D/A, DAC, lack of low-cost options

[mnr102]

I'm pretty confused by the lack of low-cost options for converting a SPDIF / toslink output from my soundcard to line-level analog signal that I'd feed into my amplifier.

My small desktop Edirol monitors (MA-10D) have a SPDIF input and therefore have a D/A in there. And the whole speakers only cost ~$115. Likewise, a reputable Yamaha or Onkyo CD player costs ~$200, and they have a decent D/A converter in there.

So why is it that all of the D/As on the market are $500 and up? I'm fine w/ the Edirol quality, and I'm fine w/ the quality of my Yamaha cd player's analog outs, so why can't I find an equivalent external D/A converter for around $100? The closest I've seen are the Behringers, which are really for studio recording. There are endless options to get INTO a computer (USB, Firewire interfaces), but how do folks get back out?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[analog_sa]

You're obviously not searching the right places. Have a look here

 

[mnr102]

Thanks for the link. I'd seen that one. It's $250 in the US from Audiomagus, which is way more than the cost of the D/A in my Edirols or the D/A in my Yamaha cd player. So I still feel like there's a decent quality D/A module (like the ones in the 2 peices of equipment I just mentioned) that should be available for around $100.

-Mike

 

[sharpi31]

Try this one...

Ebay USB DAC

The reason that there aren't more low cost options is that people tend to want higher quality audio from standalone peripheral devices (i.e. better conversion than found in basic audio monitors and cheap CD and DVD players).

 

[analog_sa]

Not sure if we're talking of the same. Dac $85 + $18 airmail.

 

[mnr102]

DAC 707

Ah, yes, thanks for correcting me. I hadn't seen that little Super DAC707. $85 + 18 shipping seems ok. I'm a bit worried about ordering from HK. Does this device have a track record on this forum? That is, do they actually deliver? I guess I'll go search the forum. Thanks for the tip.

-Mike

 

[analog_sa]

Yes, Eddie is very relaible and so are the products he sells. You can probably pick the same stuff directly from China much cheaper but then you are on your own.

 

[mattmeow]

Most of the old sony minidisc players have DAC's built into them. I found one in a dumpster with a broken disc drive, it seems to work pretty good for converting optical to RCA. It also works well as an optical signal repeater, if you simply run an optical signal in and out.