Mini disc player as DAC ?

[billybodger]

I have been looking at some posts on using a minidisc player as a cheep DAC. As someone on a budget and as you can get these for next to nothing this may be helpful to me. Question is how do I connect it to my laptop?. Buy just the headphone socket as do now or via a USB? Most of them seem to have optical inputs but how can I connect that ? Any ideas if this is even a good ideas?

 

[Jobb]

Hello billybodger,

I've been using an minidisc-deck ( Pioneer MJ-D508 ) as a dac for years, with very good results. This particular deck was designed to be used as such, without the need to switch to a recording mode.

You will need to connect your laptop to the deck digitally, either optical or coaxial, as i don't think there are any decks with a usb socket. Using the headphone socket of the laptop defeats the purpose of the dac, unless it doubles as an optical out.

Try it, you may like it.

 

[MakkaPakka]

If you were using your laptop's headphone out then you already have an analog signal so wouldn't need a DAC.

Although the minidisc player will likely give you better sound than your laptop's analog out you don't need to get a minidisc player. There are loads of DACs or external soundcards for under £20 on ebay that will do the job just fine.

Right click the speaker icon on your screen (bottom right on the taskbar) and check your 'playback devices' to see if there's a 'digital output' option. If there is then your laptop has an optical out which you can connect to a DAC. If you haven't got this then you'll want an external sound card instead.

 

[MajorFubar]

If you don't have a use for a MiniDisc player, I really don't see the point in buying one to use as a DAC. Unless your computer has an optical output it's unlikely you could digitally connect the two anyway. If I were you I'd spend your money on a USB DAC for your compuer.

 

[bluedroog]

Whether it is the most practical idea I don't know.

it is however a good idea to get a budget dac as they sell so cheap, I know of a few people who have tried this to good effect.

you might be better off with the little Fiio dac though, size of a match box.