Using Minidisc Recorder's DAC [Archive]

webby

16-09-2010, 12:48

Hi,

My system is still lacking what some would say is an essential upgrade; a DAC. However, due to financial constraints, (I'm still out of work) this may be some way off. I'm selling some bits on ebay to finance my upgrades.

However, I recently read about the use of a minidisc dac in a hifi system. One player mentioned was the Sony MDS-JE520, which is the one I have up in the loft worth pretty much nothing to me.

Apparently, I can hook it up to my mac or airport express with an optical cable, put the thing in monitor mode by pressing record (without a minidisc inserted) and I'm good to go. It may not compete with a standalone dac but it is said that the dac in these units was/is pretty good. It can also be used for recording from an analogue source. Worth a go at least.

Anyone done this? Any thoughts?

I just need to get an optical toslink cable. Does it matter which I buy?

lovejoy

16-09-2010, 14:57

I used to do this with my old Sony DAT machine. It was pretty good and it'll probably sound a good deal better than the analogue out of a Mac or an Airport Express. Get yourself a decent optical cable though, the cheap ones can ruin the sound as I've learned by experience. I can certainly vouch for one of Stan's optical cables which are excellent and inexpensive.

webby

16-09-2010, 15:20

That's good. I'm looking forward to getting it hooked up.

Stan has done a deal on a cable and adaptor for me but I now think I need more than a 1m cable, which I assume Stan's are. It doesn't state the length on the website.

What spec should I be looking for from the cable then?

Reid Malenfant

16-09-2010, 19:42

I just need to get an optical toslink cable. Does it matter which I buy?
Try to find one with a glass fibre core (pretty sure it's glass fibre anyway) rather than the much cheaper & more lossy polycarbonate cores.

I'm sure a little reading will turn up the answer for you, i have seen this info somewhere but for the life of me i can't remember where :doh: Sorry...

Batty

16-09-2010, 23:10

I use my Denon DMD1000 as a DAC in my PC system.

Opt. out - DMD1000 - Rotel RA-04 - Castle Richmond 3s.

It works as you suggested just press record with no disk in, I have to select ext. mon. too.

Sounds better than straight analogue out of the PC.

webby

17-09-2010, 11:37

Hmmm, glass fibre is pricey isn't it!

lovejoy

17-09-2010, 13:22

Stan's cables are glass, but yes I think 1m is the only length he sells. Looks like you'd have to spend a fair bit more for anything longer.

webby

17-09-2010, 13:26

Stan's cables are glass, but yes I think 1m is the only length he sells. Looks like you'd have to spend a fair bit more for anything longer.

Really? This is not stated in the product info. :scratch:

Alex_UK

17-09-2010, 14:32

Mark Grant (http://markgrantcables.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=40_17&zenid=j0s1asbaeo5l3tl60h6fo3hrb1) does a 6ft glass core one for £33 - is that long enough/cost effective?

webby

17-09-2010, 15:03

Mark Grant (http://markgrantcables.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=40_17&zenid=j0s1asbaeo5l3tl60h6fo3hrb1) does a 6ft glass core one for £33 - is that long enough/cost effective?

It's long enough, but a bit pricey. Think I'll have to go for a plastic fibre cable.

Cheers Alex

Ali Tait

17-09-2010, 15:41

Problem is that will probably be worse than what you've got now.Be worth saving for the decent cable.

webby

17-09-2010, 15:52

Problem is that will probably be worse than what you've got now.Be worth saving for the decent cable.

Arrggghh! :scratch:

So, external dac via optical is better than analogue, but not if used with a plastic fibre cable?

Stan's cable is recommended, but it's plastic fibre too AFAIK.

This is so confusing.

Ali Tait

17-09-2010, 16:05

Well I'm just going by what I've read,not tried optical myself.No-one here help out a chap down on his luck with a cable going spare??

webby

17-09-2010, 16:14

Well I'm just going by what I've read,not tried optical myself.No-one here help out a chap down on his luck with a cable going spare??

Hey, I don't need that, I just want clear info. Stan's cable was recommended, and I got quotes from Stan direct, but then I thought I might need more than a metre. Then, I'm told that glass is best, but it is pricey. Then someone said Stan's cable is glass, but I'm not 100% sure about that, and besides, that would make it the cheapest glass cable in the uk at £14.99.

I certainly can't afford to buy cables to make comparisons with! :)

Ali Tait

17-09-2010, 16:47

Sorry didn't mean to be patronising,it was meant genuinely,others have helped me in the past,and I've done the same for folks.We all could use a hand from time to time.

webby

17-09-2010, 17:19

Sorry didn't mean to be patronising,it was meant genuinely,others have helped me in the past,and I've done the same for folks.We all could use a hand from time to time.

Sorry Ali, I didn't take it like that actually, it's just that I was confused by the info and wanted clarity rather than oh I dunno, a handout due to my lack of knowledge.

Thank you though.

Ali Tait

17-09-2010, 17:31

No worries! :)

...so anyway,whose gonna help this chap out with a cable then??

Beechwoods

17-09-2010, 19:48

I have a bunch of optical cables that aren't used anymore, just kept for old time's sake in my cable box. I'd be happy to pass one on, even if it's just as a stop-gap. How long a cable do you need, and what do the ends need to be, square or mini? I think I have some long multi-metre ones with 'flipover' ends, so they can be swapped between 'big' and 'little' connectors.

The way my system is they won't be used anyway, so if they'd be useful let me know.

I must admit on the question of the original post, it's worth trying, you've nothing to lose. Mini-Disc's big disadvantage was ATRAC compression, which in my experience 'sweetened' the top; I prefer my sound clean. I've not really tried the DACs on their own so don't know how they stack up against other D/A's... I'd wager they're likely to sound better than a lot of soundcards from the same era though.

Ali Tait

18-09-2010, 09:47

Very good of you Nick,I knew someone would help out!

webby

29-09-2010, 16:12

Well, muchos gracias to Nick. A lovely long cable arrived courtesy of him today.

Thanks Nick. Top man.

Now, I have a side issue. Does anyone know how to send just iTunes, or indeed other audio output of my choosing to the digital output?

I want system sounds, youtube sounds, etc etc, to come out of the iMac's built in speakers. Can I do this?

Beechwoods

29-09-2010, 17:18

Thanks Lee!

Soundsource by Rogue Amoeba software is free and gives you a menulet that allows you to route sound to different places. Important for you it lets you route system sound to the internal speakers, and everything else to your digital output.

http://www.rogueamoeba.com/freebies/

webby

29-09-2010, 18:29

Yes, Soundsource. I've got that and it doesn't work like that.

Actually, when I said it was down to a digital output, I was wrong. Headphones plugged in results in the same issue. Headphones were in only temporarily though, whereas I'd like to leave the Toslink in permanently.

More of this :scratch: methinks

I remember something called Detour. I'll look that up.

webby

30-10-2010, 17:44

I have noticed a little distortion on some tracks recently, almost as if the peak volume is too high. I thought I might have damaged my speakers or something, cos I listened to a particular track that does this on the iPod and it was fine. However, I've just tried it on the mac but with headphones instead of through the AE>Minidisc DAC>HiFi and I still hear the clipping.

Why could this be? I've never noticed it until now.

Edit: the track is Alive (redux version) by Pearl Jam. There are other tracks too, such as U2's No Line On the Horizon.

webby

31-10-2010, 08:14

I guess it could be that the output from my mac is more revealing than the iPod.

webby

31-10-2010, 11:39

I can turn down the level on the optical input on the minidisc recorder but it doesn't really make any difference. Are these just bad recordings, victims of the loudness wars?

I've compared the U2 track with the CD and while it's still bad, it's not AS bad, but that could be due to a difference in volume. The Pearl Jam cd was ripped from a, ahem, library copy, so I don't have that here.

The Vinyl Adventure

31-10-2010, 12:24

Blimey Lee it sounds like your getting in a pickle ... I distortion is only on a couple of tracks my guess is that it is the tracks in question not the system... You are welcome to email me a track and I'll have a listen ... Tell me where to listen in the song etc...
I will of course delete the track afterward :)

webby

31-10-2010, 13:31