What can I expect from AA DDE and DTI??

[I-SIG]

Guys with the real rigs, help me out.

I'm considering plunking down the change to get the Audio Alchemy DDE DAC and DTI anti-jitter gear, but have a few Q's.

First, what I realistically expect? Mind-blowing or super-subtle?

Second, does it matter which version/release of this stuff I get? I've seen DDE's up to "v3.0" and DTI's up to the "Pro32."

Third, since I am using my Onkyo DV-C600 DVD changer for CD duty whoudl I be better off simply getting a quality, dedicated CD player and skipping the AA stuf for awhile?

Finally, should I forget it and stay blissfully ignorant in this matter? :)

Thanks ahead of time.

Wes

[danger boy]

how much does the AA DAC stuff cost?

A dedicated CD player will usually sound better. That's been my experience.. unless your DVD player can decode HDCD. I used my DVD player as a CD player for a year.. then hooked up a tube DAC via coax with HDCD, and it sounded pretty darn good.

Then i got a dedicated CD player. without HDCD. and it sounded better. not a huge difference. but a noticable difference. I am a beleiver of external DAC's. I'll always have one for CD listening.

you might want to try and do a search on here for DAC's. there should be lots of info out there.

[Tour2ma]

How much difference? Depends on what you're used to hearing, i.e., the quality of the DAC in your CDP.

I've not heard AA's TOTL DDE 3.0 or DTI Pro 32, but will someday when I find them for the right price. I have played with a couple other DDE's and DTI's. Compared to each other the differences are subtle.

[HBombToo]

Originally posted by I-SIG


First, what I realistically expect? Mind-blowing or super-subtle?


Wes

My comment on the DTI is probably somewhere in the middle here.

I tested a few different settups:

Transport to DTI to AR DAC5
Transport to AR DAC5
I didn't really hear a difference between this settup and its probably due to the 8412 receiver and clock circuit in the DAC5.

D* Optical PCM out to the DTI to the Dac 5
D* Optical PCM out to the DAC 5
again not much difference.

D* Optical PCM/DD out to the DTI to my h/k 520
D* Optical PCM/DD out to h/k520
There was a big difference here regarding stereo imaging and the highs became much more smooth using the DTI with the h/k520. The DTI even handled the DD stream no problem but with DD I did not hear much of a difference.

The DTI now handles the D* PCM/DD and I think it was worth the $50.00 I paid for it.

HBomb