Topic: bit perfect coax to optical converters?

[shackaholic]

I need to transfer an archive of DATs to my macbook but my decks don't have optical out. They are all coax out. Does anyone know of any bit perfect converters out there? I've heard that the M-Audio c02 isn't bit perfect?

Is this the only way to go from DAT > Macbook?

I have a Marantz Oade modified ACM 671 and tried to go from DAT to digi in on it but that didn't work.

[shackaholic]

http://www.esi-audio.com/products/u24xl/

Anyone know if that is any good as far as being bit perfect?

[OOK]

I believe the Hosa ODL-276 is bit perfect....

Peace OOK

[shackaholic]

solid! thanks so much.

[deadheaded]

I have a Marantz Oade modified ACM 671 and tried to go from DAT to digi in on it but that didn't work.

why doesn't that work?

[shackaholic]

Because I'm a moron and forgot to switch the input on the deck...
 

[deadheaded]

figured it had to be something like that.
we've all done it!

[greenone]

If you're still curious, the U24XL's predecessor, the U2A was, so I have to assume the U24XL is as well.

[yug du nord]

I believe the Hosa ODL-276 is bit perfect....

Peace OOK

I think it is too...  but there are two different boxes made by Hosa, one that is 16bit...  and one that is 24bit.  I think??

[DSatz]

shackaholic, I would urge you to get some proof before accepting what you may have heard about the CO2. I haven't tested it myself, though I do own one and could set something up if no one else has already done so. But I would think that the processing power required to do anything BUT a 1:1 pass-through of the incoming bitstream would be cost-prohibitive in such a relatively inexpensive piece of gear.

A few years ago Radio Shack was selling a bidirectional converter for maybe $30; it could even be powered by a 9-Volt battery. Is that gone now? I bought one, which I can't find at the moment, but it seemed to work.

--best regards

[Len Moskowitz (Core Sound)]

Last time we checked, the CO2 was  bit-for-bit perfect.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

The CO2 I owned had drop-outs during transfers of DATs to my old JB3.  So I got a Hosa and never had the problem again. 

Terry

[live2496]

A few years ago Radio Shack was selling a bidirectional converter for maybe $30; it could even be powered by a 9-Volt battery. Is that gone now? I bought one, which I can't find at the moment, but it seemed to work.

I don't think they stock them anymore. That is part no 15-1228. I will sell it for $15 plus postage if anyone reading this is interested.

I don't know what to say on the CO2 problem. Could be a bad cable or intermittent power supply(?). These things should be relatively trouble-free as they just convert from one format to the other. There is no DSP or way to adjust levels, so it should be bit-perfect.

[DSatz]

Obviously an intermittent connection is a different type of problem from having a converter that's engineered to alter the bitstream in some way. Again, the latter would require digital signal processing, which you would notice in the price, especially for a unit the age of the CO2.

For new digital equipment, and increasingly so in the future, DSP will be relatively cheap so it conceivably might be snuck into something where you didn't expect it. On the other hand, it could also be so high in quality that you wouldn't mind having it (e.g. modern asynchronous sampling rate converters costing $5 to implement are worlds better than the early ones that cost $500+).

[ducati]

If, by chance, you're considering a DAC for your hifi...  You could grab a Cambridge Audio DacMagic, and use it for both.  It will pass a bit-perfect digital signal (un-upsampled) out of its digital outs, so you can use it as a converter of sorts. Kinda expensive as a standalone converter, but as a "free" addition with a very nice little DAC, it's a nice side benefit.