The most advanced digital to analog converter ever

[The Computer Audiophile]

Marketing speak to say the least. Certainly looks cool for $79.99. 

 

“The most advanced digital to analog converter ever.”

 

https://www.analogue.co/dac/

[Ralf11]

does it do the MQA 3rd unfold well?

[AudioDoctor]

They have a pretty website so it must be true...

 

What the heck is this thing for?

[tmtomh]

It appears to be marketed to retro gamers (and more broadly retro computer enthusiasts). There's a thriving online community of such folks, and part of the hobby is running retro games and operating systems on newer hardware like inexpensive computer-on-a-chip systems. Some folks like to run the video output into old CRT monitors for the true retro-gaming experience. Also, some of the old computer systems and games/software were programed to use color in ways that relied on the hardware quirks of CRTs and the protocol quirks of interlaced video, scan lines, and so on. So it appears this unit is meant to provide analogue video outputs that are cleaner than those produced by typical off-the-shelf components.

Whether this unit really produces better analogue video from digital sources I don't know - but the premise, while very niche, does seem valid.

[semente]

Shouldn't this be moved to the Lies about vinyl vs digital topic? 🤔

[rando]

Enlightened audiophiles know reel on reel has only one alternative.  3.5" Midi disk recordings.

 

[Ralf11]

you can also run a retro OS on modern gear - I saw a comment about PDP on a PC recently

 

it makes no sense, but neither does the Burping Man fest

[Kal Rubinson]

1 hour ago, Ralf11 said:

you can also run a retro OS on modern gear - I saw a comment about PDP on a PC recently

My first home PC (personal computer) was a PDT-11, a desk-top PDP-11 that ran RT-11.

[One and a half]

Sound card emulation for retro games is not that seamless to transfer, especially with quite a few platforms in the day, Sega, NS, SNES, let alone all the Creative SB.

The DAC under discussion is engineered with these protocols and interfaces in mind, so hopefully it will live up to the claims.

 

BTW Sega is kicking off a MegaDrive (Genesis) September 2019 with 42 of the original games built into the one console, complete with original style hand controllers, HDMI out.

[rando]

Putting a warning here that the following is what usually is being referenced by music that destroys speakers

 

It took great restraint not to post some of the most earsplitting chiptune ever released.  Hacked Gameboy's might produce the worst collection of noise to ever be called music.  The mainstream stuff isn't much better.  Oh, and the track names!