Any knowledgeable hi-fi enthusiats?

mcj78
mcj78 Posts: 634
edited October 2011 in The bottom bracket
Hi all,

Looking for some advice on the best way to connect a DAC (an old Arcam Delta) to my CD player (an old Cambridge CD6) - the CD6 has connections thusly:

32737-big-3-IMG_1160a.jpeg

and the DAC has these sticking out it's rear end:

DSC_1323_640.jpg

I have no idea whatsoever on how best to hook these up - i've been told the balanced XLR outputs on the CD6 are the best thing to use, but the DAC doesn't have inputs for those, or should (can I?) I go from the digital output on the CD6 to the optical input on the DAC? :?

My mate gave me the DAC as he no longer has space for it & thought I might be able to use it, is it even compatible with my CD6 at all?

Cheers!

Most helpful answer wins the recipe for my awesome apple, walnut & dark chocolate loaf, seeing as this is the cake stop :wink:
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Genesis Volare 853
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Comments

  • brucey72
    brucey72 Posts: 1,086
    If you don't have any luck on this forum give the following a go:

    www.avforums.com

    I used it for advice when building up my home cinema and there are some very helpful and knowledgable guys on there.
  • mcj78
    mcj78 Posts: 634
    brucey72 wrote:
    If you don't have any luck on this forum give the following a go:

    www.avforums.com

    I used it for advice when building up my home cinema and there are some very helpful and knowledgable guys on there.

    Cool, i'll bear that in mind if i'm stumped - cheers! I thought i'd give it a bash on here anyway before I go trawling through specialist AV forums & invariably see something shiny & un-necessary I want but really don't need!

    J
    Moda Issimo
    Genesis Volare 853
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  • Wouldn't connection options also be effected / driven by the amp you are connecting it to ? How are you currently attaching your CD player to the amp ?
    A person who aims at nothing is sure to hit it

    Canyon Aeroad 7.0 summer missile
    Trek 2.1 winter hack
  • john_kline
    john_kline Posts: 2,151
    You might find this of some assistance...

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxQqWSnsHoA
  • mcj78
    mcj78 Posts: 634
    Wouldn't connection options also be effected / driven by the amp you are connecting it to ? How are you currently attaching your CD player to the amp ?

    Hi, the CD is currently connected to the amp via the standard phono cables, I figured the connection from the DAC to the amp would be the same?

    I think I may be the guy from that sketch :oops: *bag on head*
    Moda Issimo
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  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    the CD to DAC is a Digital connection, so the SPDIF out on the CDP to a Digital in on the DAC (cant see what there is in the pic) also which delta as there was a few? but the connection will need to be a Coax as that is what the CDP only has.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • jairaj
    jairaj Posts: 3,009
    You use a digital coaxial cable from the CD player to the DAC and then phono cables from the DAC to the Amplifer.

    Does your amplifier accept balanced XLR inputs? If so I would experiment with which is better XLR or normal phono but via the DAC.

    XLR is supposed to be the best for analogue.

    But the seperate DAC might do a better job of converting the digital data on the CD to analogue than the built in DAC inside the CD player.

    have a play and see which sounds better.
  • nicklouse wrote:
    the CD to DAC is a Digital connection, so the SPDIF out on the CDP to a Digital in on the DAC (cant see what there is in the pic) also which delta as there was a few? but the connection will need to be a Coax as that is what the CDP only has.

    That is what I was thinking but as you point out, the pictures aren't clear so not sure what the digital in on the DAC or the Digital out on the CD is ?

    The reason I asked about the amp is that if it a more modern one, possibly with digital in, if the CD has digital out then the DAC could be superfluous. That said, if the processing is better on the DAC compared to the amp, assuming it has it of course, then it may be worth it.

    This leads back to my question about what amp is being used.
    A person who aims at nothing is sure to hit it

    Canyon Aeroad 7.0 summer missile
    Trek 2.1 winter hack
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    looking at it a bit more and being at "home"

    it looks like the CDP has a BNC connector

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BNC_connector

    and the DAC a RCA
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • mcj78
    mcj78 Posts: 634
    Cheers for the replies all - slowly making sense!

    Firstly - the amp unfortunately doesn't have balanced XLR inputs, or even a new-fangled optical input so it will always need to be phonos for the amp/dac connection - the amp's pretty old but sounds good (to me) & this exercise is simply me trying to squeeze every last ounce of potential out of a relatively cheap system with the inclusion of a free DAC :D

    Now - what Nick & Hulla are saying is beginning to make sense, the digital SPDIF output on the CD is a BNC (the push & twist one) & the digital input on the DAC is a standard co-ax phono, I know it isn't very clear from the photos as I pilfered them off the 'tinternet, this one's a bit clearer:

    1112_3_deltad.jpg

    Soooooooooooo, it sounds like I need a decent BNC-Phono cable to hook the CD-DAC up & use the phono leads I already have to connect the DAC to the amp?

    Cheers for the help guys!
    Moda Issimo
    Genesis Volare 853
    Charge Filter Apex
  • I don't know where you will get a BNC-phono lead, though if you go to Maplins, you can get a BNC to phono adapter. Phono to phono leads are easy to get hold of.

    http://www.maplin.co.uk/bnc-plug-to-phono-socketadaptor-1593

    If you want a BNC-phono made up, try The Missing Link. They supplied XLR to phono leads for my Linn amp and Arcam CD transport. Fabulous sound. Great service too.

    http://www.the-missing-link.net/
  • mcj78
    mcj78 Posts: 634
    I don't know where you will get a BNC-phono lead, though if you go to Maplins, you can get a BNC to phono adapter. Phono to phono leads are easy to get hold of.

    http://www.maplin.co.uk/bnc-plug-to-phono-socketadaptor-1593

    If you want a BNC-phono made up, try The Missing Link. They supplied XLR to phono leads for my Linn amp and Arcam CD transport. Fabulous sound. Great service too.

    http://www.the-missing-link.net/

    Had a quick look on ebay & there's a company who supply all kinds of stuff for recording studios etc. selling them for around £15, i'll probably take a punt on one of those to get it up & running to see if it makes a big difference - if so I could have some nice missing link ones made up at a later date to try & improve further.

    Cheers for the help guys!
    John
    Moda Issimo
    Genesis Volare 853
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  • blinddrew
    blinddrew Posts: 317
    Sorry, bit late into the discussion on this one. Used to work in the hi-fi business.
    Basically the CD6 does have a very nice output stage and DAC but it won't compete with an external DAC (especially if you can't use the XLR outputs).
    So you need, as you've concluded, a bnc - phono digital lead. Digital co-ax cables are 75Ohm rather than phono cables which are 100Ohm so you might want to make sure you're getting the right thing (though an audio cable will work).
    Richer Sounds used to do a digital co-ax for £20 available in bnc - phono.
    I wouldn't spend more than that on a digital lead though as (unlike analogue leads) you hit the diminishing-returns limit much sooner because it's an on/off waveform.
    Hope that makes sense?
    Music, beer, sport, repeat...
  • Kerguelen
    Kerguelen Posts: 248
    mcj78 wrote:
    Hi all,

    Looking for some advice on the best way to connect a DAC (an old Arcam Delta) to my CD player (an old Cambridge CD6) - the CD6 has connections thusly:

    32737-big-3-IMG_1160a.jpeg

    and the DAC has these sticking out it's rear end:

    DSC_1323_640.jpg

    I have no idea whatsoever on how best to hook these up - i've been told the balanced XLR outputs on the CD6 are the best thing to use, but the DAC doesn't have inputs for those, or should (can I?) I go from the digital output on the CD6 to the optical input on the DAC? :?

    My mate gave me the DAC as he no longer has space for it & thought I might be able to use it, is it even compatible with my CD6 at all?

    Cheers!

    Most helpful answer wins the recipe for my awesome apple, walnut & dark chocolate loaf, seeing as this is the cake stop :wink:

    Hi mate, also late to the game!

    Something like this will go between the CD player and the DAC:

    http://www.studiospares.com/leads-phono ... vt/593080/

    Any good-quality stereo phono cable should do you fine connecting the DAC to your amp.
  • mcj78
    mcj78 Posts: 634
    Cheers guys - this is the one I found on ebay - just checked & it is 75ohm, didn't even think there would be a disparity in the ohms between different applications of the same leads *bag on head again*

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380196161065? ... 1423.l2649

    A quick google shows their stuff seems to be well regarded for the money so i'll take a pop with this & see how it goes!

    Cheers again!
    John
    Moda Issimo
    Genesis Volare 853
    Charge Filter Apex
  • go to maplins by the bits for about £8 , solder them up , or take the components to a TV repair shop and pay them £5 to make the lead . I have even done this to re-chip a car ecu after finding the diagram and list of components . For £2.50p at maplins and £5 to the TV shop a made a 175BHP saab 900 get to 200BHP . happy days

    cheers
    Britannia waives the rules