General Asylum: REVIEW: Adcom GDA-600 DAC Processors by TJ General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

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Budget Digital Front-End

Objectives were:
- Provide convenient access to my music library – read: use a mega-changer as transport
- Stay in budget: <$750

I spare you the trials and errors, here is what I ended up with:

- Pioneer PD-F1039 300+1 CD Changer as transport (new, $230)
- XLO ER/TOS TOS-Link optical digital cable, 1m (new, $39)
- Monarchy Audio DIP MK II as jitter reducer/format converter (demo, $169)
- Apogee Wyde Eye balanced XLR AES/EBU digital cable, 0.5m (new, $25)
- Adcom GDP-600 DAC (used, $220)

Total cost, excl. tax/shipping: $683

I am very happy with the musicality of this combo, the somewhat harsh sound of the Pioneer CD transport is nicely opened up by the smooth Adcom DAC. Not surprisingly, the Adcom DAC really makes a big difference compared to the DAC in the Pioneer CD changer. It has dual Burr Brown PCM-63 and can digest various input formats. The Pioneer has only a optical digital out, but the Monarchy DIP acts as digital format translator from S/PDIF TOS-Link to AES/EBU via XLR.

The cable choices are classics in the value category, could not hear any significant improvements with other cables in this set-up – probably limited by the CD changer as transport.

Highly Recommended.

Associated equipment:
- Kimber Hero interconnects, 1m
- NAD C340 integrated amplifier
- Kimber 4VS speaker cables, 12 foot runs
- Linn Helix speakers with matching Linn stands

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Schiit Audio

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