[partysnatcher]

Hi, I've tried to google this, but surprisingly little info comes up.

I have a separate amp, of course, and I just want a quality digital media player (CD / USB), in other words, a quality DAC, without paying lots of extra for quality amp components.

Is there really such a thing? My local car radio specialist wants to push some expensive Alpine amped HUs, even tho he knows I just need the DAC, they don't sell non-amped HUs at all. Very annoying!

I have about $200-$300 to spend (well.. not really, but you know what I mean ), which would get me a very decent, neutral, dynamic DAC in any other scenario.

Any tips would be most welcome.

 

[gijoe]

search "dead head" you should be able to find a good list of hu's without built in amps. I'm sure you can find one in your price range if you are willing to buy used. Maybe even new, I don't know.

 

[digitalhifi]

Yea, most companies don't make those anymore sad to say. Used is the way to go, but you're still going to pay more for one of those. Older alpines, Denon, Clarion DRZ, mcIntosh all have good pre amp only models.

 

[douggiestyle]

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diy-mobile-audio/37065-my-new-eclipse-7200-mkii.html

 

[partysnatcher]

Thanks for the tips! I can't really find anything on "dead head" on Google or this forum search, and I can't see any info on the Eclipse SQ?

It's really too bad that it's this hard to get preamp only HUs, I just want a hifi DAC, and I don't need a 50W amp, poorly animated LED dolphins or even a CD player for that matter. Grr..

 

[digitalhifi]

Some people have had luck scoring Denon DCT-1 and DCT-100's on eBay lately. They're about $800-$1000 so not cheap, but great units. Classy look, good innards...etc.

 

[m3gunner]

Also remember that you can turn off the amplifiers in many of the Alpine units. I've got a 9887 and the amps are off...

You can probably score one on eBay for about $300...

 

[t3sn4f2]

Also remember that you can turn off the amplifiers in many of the Alpine units. I've got a 9887 and the amps are off...

You can probably score one on eBay for about $300...

xxxx2

 

[SPEEDBUILT]

Thanks for the tips! I can't really find anything on "dead head" on Google or this forum search, and I can't see any info on the Eclipse SQ?

It's really too bad that it's this hard to get preamp only HUs, I just want a hifi DAC, and I don't need a 50W amp, poorly animated LED dolphins or even a CD player for that matter. Grr..

Really?!
It took my cpu 3.7 seconds to find 322 threads about dead heads.
1.69 seconds to find out about the Eclipse 7200 MKII.
Spoon feeding is for babies, not grown men.
Not trying to be a d-ck, but this forum doesn't really put up with BS.....

 

[monkeybutt]

Really?!
It took my cpu 3.7 seconds to find 322 threads about dead heads.
1.69 seconds to find out about the Eclipse 7200 MKII.
Spoon feeding is for babies, not grown men.
'Not trying to be a d-ck', but this forum doesn't really put up with BS.....

Nice 'try' anyway. When I plug in a title search for 'dead heads' on DIYMA it gets zip and "dead head' gets 3 and only one thread asks about comparisons and its from '06. A google search of 'Eclipse 7200 MKII SQ' gives this as the first comparison: Eclipse CD7200 mkII Source Unit Review - CarStereoMall.com | Car Audio, Car Stereo so none too flattering. Oh wait you might have the upgraded search and post powers granted DIYMA w/ more than a 50 post count...you da man.
Chill on the OP from Norway w/ the 3 count as nowhere in his post does he seem to be trying any 'BS', but rather just trying to get his question answered eh.

 

[qstarin]

I googled it just to check and was overwhelmed with false results for Grateful Dead fans. lol

Filtering that out it still didn't give me anything related to audio.

Hmmm .... I was wondering this a couple months ago and didn't really find anything. Bought an Alpine, but it doesn't seem to have the internal amp off option.

 

[fit_tuner]

i have an alpine cda-7998 if you're interested. Here's a link to crutchfield's product page that they still have on archives.

Alpine CDA-7998 CD/MP3 Receiver with Ai-NET CD Changer Controls at Crutchfield.com

 

[less]

It sounds like you are REALLY looking for some head unit that has a digital input which would allow you to use the DAC to convert some sort of digital input signal into a preamp level output to send to your amplifiers. That is a totally different question than simply looking for a head unit with no output amps.

There are very few of these made, and none that I know of are in the $200 range. Right off hand, you have the Clarion DRZ, several Nakamichi decks, probably others I can think of and higher end alpine units. Actually, the newest alpine units are actually designed to work with digital inputs and play even off portable hard drives and thumb drives - sorting songs and such along the way. I think your dealer actually had decent advice really - since what you are looking for is pretty rare.

I personally input a digital optical input into my DRZ9255 by fooling its input for the optical output of the optical CD changer input into thinking its playing a CD changer... and instead feeding it the output of a SArotech DVP260x. It works fine, but even a used DRZ is about $650 on the bay - I know since I just paid that to replace my broken one!

LEss

 

[VP Electricity]

I personally input a digital optical input into my DRZ9255 by fooling its input for the optical output of the optical CD changer input into thinking its playing a CD changer... and instead feeding it the output of a SArotech DVP260x. It works fine, but even a used DRZ is about $650 on the bay - I know since I just paid that to replace my broken one!

LEss

Oooh, serious? A use for my NIB DAII and power supply? Too bad the 9255 still doesn't fit in my dash... Hmmm...