4 Sale/Trade: Good Transport, Iffy DAC

[Lazarus Short]

Here's the scoop. I used the PS Audio Lambda CD Drive transport with the Sony DAS-702ES digital-to-analog converter for years. I packed them (carefully!) in Carlsbad for the trip home. Today, I decided to see if my boasts about my blu-ray player were really justified. I hooked up the PS and the Sony for a comparison, but there was no signal from the DAC. ??? I double-checked, and then hooked up my Key Digital DAC in place of the Sony. It worked fine. I think it's some little something, and I could not find anything wrong on inspecting the innards of the Sony. I did note that the soldering is top-notch, the one fuse (soldered) is not blown, and the caps are all Elna Cerafines. Some more particulars. The Sony has a few scratches and dings, but it is not too beat up. Features include a headphone jack, fixed and variable outputs (knob on front panel to vary output, so you can skip the preamp), two digital inputs and outputs, 32, 44, and 48 kilohertz operation. This DAC is a very early unit, made before the standards settled down to Redbook, but it sounded great. It's heavy too - built like the proverbial tank. I'll weigh it and post photos later. Someone may be able to get it working again, but it's beyond my modest abilities, and I don't need it badly enough to take it to the local shop.

The PS Audio transport works just fine, and is playing through the Key Digital DAC as I type this. It's cosmetics are quite good, except for the lettering being a bit worn at the open/close button. It's all black, with tiny silver buttons. A remote is included. The front panel has the usual array of buttons and blue-colored readout. The back panel holds only an ISE power cord socket and a digital output jack. Again, weight and photos will be posted later.

I'd like $200 for them (not firm!), and the transport is worth that much by itself. I would trade for a decent preamp. Make me an offer of cash or trade. Sorry, I don't have original boxes or manuals for either, as the DAC came to me through eBay, and the transport was given to me at a Head-Fi meet.

 

[Skynyrd77]

Here's the scoop. I used the PS Audio Lambda CD Drive transport with the Sony DAS-702ES digital-to-analog converter for years. I packed them (carefully!) in Carlsbad for the trip home. Today, I decided to see if my boasts about my blu-ray player were really justified. I hooked up the PS and the Sony for a comparison, but there was no signal from the DAC. ??? I double-checked, and then hooked up my Key Digital DAC in place of the Sony. It worked fine. I think it's some little something, and I could not find anything wrong on inspecting the innards of the Sony. I did note that the soldering is top-notch, the one fuse (soldered) is not blown, and the caps are all Elna Cerafines. Some more particulars. The Sony has a few scratches and dings, but it is not too beat up. Features include a headphone jack, fixed and variable outputs (knob on front panel to vary output, so you can skip the preamp), two digital inputs and outputs, 32, 44, and 48 kilohertz operation. This DAC is a very early unit, made before the standards settled down to Redbook, but it sounded great. It's heavy too - built like the proverbial tank. I'll weigh it and post photos later. Someone may be able to get it working again, but it's beyond my modest abilities, and I don't need it badly enough to take it to the local shop.

The PS Audio transport works just fine, and is playing through the Key Digital DAC as I type this. It's cosmetics are quite good, except for the lettering being a bit worn at the open/close button. It's all black, with tiny silver buttons. A remote is included. The front panel has the usual array of buttons and blue-colored readout. The back panel holds only an ISE power cord socket and a digital output jack. Again, weight and photos will be posted later.

I'd like $200 for them (not firm!), and the transport is worth that much by itself. I would trade for a decent preamp. Make me an offer of cash or trade. Sorry, I don't have original boxes or manuals for either, as the DAC came to me through eBay, and the transport was given to me at a Head-Fi meet.

were you running 5.1 through the dac???? mine wont work running 5.1 through it...

 

[Lazarus Short]

​I don't even do 2.1.

 

[Lazarus Short]

The Sony DAC, the world's first component DAC, weighs in at 26 pounds. The PS Audio Lambda is at 16.5#. Now to see if pix will load. The photos of the transport will be posted later, as the camera batteries are on the charger.

 

[Lazarus Short]

OK, here's photos of the PS Audio Lambda. I took the trouble to take it back off the shelf, unpack it again, and pull the cover for shots of the innards. Note the ID of the transport. BTW, the top cover is heavy, thick steel, thick enough that the cover screws are countersunk and flush, unlike lesser gear. The faceplate is metal and 3/8ths of an inch thick - you don't see that often anymore. The remote I've used with it was from a Magnavox/Mod Squad unit, and did the basic things. The two units in this ad are going to Twangfest on the 18th, so you've got that long to think about it.

 

[orange]

So it's powering up?

http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-DAS-702ES.html

DACs are Burr-Brown. I think the TVK page will help you figure a few things possibly if you follow the leads.

 

[Lazarus Short]

Nevermind - these items were swapped off at Twangfest.