Cabling a sound card SPDIF out to a DAC?

Of course it's bollocks, but you don't have to believe it - the device is perfectly adequate for listening to MP3s.

In article , Rob Morley scribeth thus

Or by mysterious magick making them back to CD's again;!!!...

Decided that USB is the least complicated at the moment.

Thanks for all the replies.

Ordered a Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 100 on 'special offer' from Richer Sounds.

We shall see if it produces a significant boost in quality or just a significant reduction in funds.

It should work with optical, coax or USB so a potentially flexible solution.

Cheers

Dave R

The whole of the Russ Andrews catalogue is some secret code on a whole different level to that promoted by Dan Brown in his books. It's been hypothesised that it is less to do with the sound and more to do with something else like KGB sleepers, drug running cartels, close encounters of the fourth kind, deep fried mars bars, 29 bank accounts in Liechtenstein and the actual location of the Ark of the Covenant that is currently stored up on a high shelf in a B&Q Warehouse somewhere in the UK.

The DAC MAgic 100 worked straight out of the box on W8.1 64 bit. Also working on Vista 32 bit.

Just dicking about now trying to get the CA bespoke drivers to install.

Need these to do a firmware upgrade (in case the latest firmware has not already been installed).

Cheers

Dave R

David,

In linux, can you do an lsusb?

I'm interested what chipset they are using.

Thanks

Don't have Linux to hand at the moment, at least not near the DAC.

I have had a look via USBDeview which dumps out a load of information but doesn't seem to include the name of a chip set.

Can't see the chip set for anything else either.

Do USB devices have to reveal their chip sets?

I can see that there are a device and manufacturer ID which (I assume) are translated to various Cambridge Audio stuff.

VendorID=22e8 Product ID=dac4

The rest is about the drivers.

I will have a snoop via Linux when I get the chance - could just boot up a Live CD.

The CA site says

"Thanks to a Wolfson 24-bit DAC, a 24-bit/96kHz driverless USB Audio 1.0 input and S/PDIF and TosLink digital inputs, the DacMagic 100 takes the sound from your computer, iPod, TV and other digital devices and adds detail, depth and added clarity to give you a true audio experience."

Are you looking for more specific information?

Cheers

Dave R

Further Googling gives

which says:

"Interestingly it uses a more recent Wolfson chip, the 8742. "

How does it, or anything else, add detail. Sounds like more snake oil to me.

That's the useful bit. Thanks.

The linux drivers often add the device description, some are descriptive showing chipset, some not. However, with a customised product ID of dac4, chances are the description doesn't go further than Dac Magic for commercial reasons.

My interest relates to the USB to digital audio interface (not the Wolfson DAC). I don't think I'll find interesting datasheets to read. Ah well :-)

Mathew 11:15

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.