Reticuli

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $50.00 from ebay

Summary:
AD converters (and surrounding caps/circuitry) are better than the AKM's in my Emu 1212m. DA converters are better than those in my Numark PPD01 24/48 dj mixer. You can use this unit as a standalone DAC; just put an audio CDR in the record side and pause it. It will stay that way indefinitely without problems. 24/96 converters are outstanding on both ends of this thing, though I would say the output ones are not as good as the input ones. The ADC's create incredibly tansparent, liquid Red Book copies and the resulting disks have been error-free every single time, apparantly with low jitter. I use TDC audio CDRs. It's a shame I can't record in 24/96...or can I? Hmm...wonder if the SPIDIF would output the stereo signal to the Emu and what format would that be? Worth a try, I guess.

Strengths:
Superb A/D converters and CD recording assembly. Low jitter. Decent D/A converters, headphone jack, and meters.

Weaknesses:
D/A converters don't sound as good as the Cirrus Logics in my AVR7200 or the Burr Browns in the Pioneer DV655A-PX or Denon DCM-370 (hp mod). Also would be nice if it had a DAC Mode without needing a CD in the record side in pause.

Price Paid:  $360.00 from Falabella

Summary:
I have used the TDK DA3826 recorder almost exclusively to make copies of my LPs, with outstanding results. It is difficult to distinguish the CD copy from the original vynil sound, which means that the AD conversion is of audiophile level. I have got much better results with this recorder than with more expensive recorders from other brands.

Strengths:
High sound quality as standard CD player. Audiophile level results when used to make copies from analog sources. Easy to use.

Weaknesses:
Manual with some gross errors. The letters of the remote control are difficult to read because of their small size and low contrast against the background.

Similar Products Used:
Cd recorders from Marantz and Phillips.

Price Paid:  $285.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
Actually mine is mfg. in Feb 2002. I''m very pleased with it''s performance, both as a CD recorder and 2-tray "changer" for playback. It makes excellent recordings on low-end Memorex CD-Rs from my Dual turntable, and will dub at 4X speed from a CD-RW recording onto a CD-R without detectable errors. It is useful sometimes to record from the LP record onto a CD-RW in order to revise any mistakes (oops, missed a track mark that time) before finalizing and then make the "archival" copy on a CD-R. The CD-RW can then be unfinalized, erased, and used again. It''s major fault for me is lack of provision for user adjustment of the time intervals of silence which trigger a track increment and end of record. I''ve found it unfeasible to use the auto mode of both, have to sit and manually mark tracks when redording from an LP. This is because my LPs have long silent periods between bands, and because pops and clicks sometimes trigger phantom tracks within a "silent" period. Otherwise, what a great CD recorder/player.o

Strengths:
Quality, recording fidelity, playback virtuosity and fidelity. Will play really bad CDs as if no defects.i

Weaknesses:
Auto track and end of record markingk

Similar Products Used:
None.

Price Paid:  $280.00 from J&R

Summary:
Head phones? Who needs stinkin head phones? There is a phone jack on the front of the unit. Don''t knowe what it does. Also I have a phone jack on my preamp, which I could listen to recording through if I wanted to. Instead I just listen through the tape monitor function. I can hear everything just fine. Also there are the visual meters for external input adjustment. Totally NOT and issue. What everybody else said plus: Easy to use, both dubbing and analog recording. Some generational quality loss in copies, but very acceptable. Great value $$ wise. Output quality as a straight up CD player is very good, bettr than the Sony, Rotel and Pioneer stuff I have. Would I buy it again? Absolutely.

Strengths:
Well built. Fine sound quality. Easy to use. Good value

Weaknesses:
Manual an obvious translation from Esperento. But if ya kin reed, ya kin figer itout.

Similar Products Used:
First time with cd recording

Price Paid:  $280.00 from J&R

Summary:
I needed a CD recorder to transfer live music recordings off DAT, reel to reel, and cassette. After doing some listening tests at several local dealers on Marantz and HK recorders, I came across the DA-3826 on the TDK website. Since I was unimpressed with what I had heard so far (harsh glaring sounds from copies of CDs when compared to the originals), I decided to investigate the DA-3826 further. Reviews in proaudio sites and this board convinced me that the TDK recorder may be what I was looking for. No Boston dealers had a unit to show (or sell to) me, so I ordered it on line... sight unseen. My unit is made in Korea, so I do not know the quality of the build...I shall report on it if I run into trouble later. The sound quality from analog sources is fantastic, which says that this unit has a great A-D converter. Digital copies can sound harsh at times, but overall not very objectionable. The unit automatically goes to a new track when you pause the recording, which can be annoying if you want to number several sections (e.g. movements) as a single track. While the previous reviewer''s comments on not having a headphone circuit that will allow the monitoring of the recording process is valid, I can hear it on the analog output from the CD-R side....not a show stopper for me. Overall I am happy I made this purchase.

Strengths:
Great A to D converter, good sound, quiet background, speed.

Weaknesses:
Some operational quirks. Skimpy/hard to follow instructions

Similar Products Used:
HK, Marantz