Customer Reviews

Ethereal CS-DAC

Works great. Will be using untill it quits working.

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Great Device, Great Advice

Your tech Conrad suggested it and it works fine. The sound coming out of the systems is excellent.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

It works...

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Easy to install works well

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Better than expected

Incredibly easy to setup. Set my TV for PCM output and it works perfectly.

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Super Sound!

Purchased this item along with the digital optical cable to connect my TV & stereo receiver in order to play tv audio throughout my home speaker system. Works great, Crutchfield experts & their customer service are the best!

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Ethereal CS-DAC

First one came with the wrong power supply. Wrong voltage, wrong plug and no 110V prongs. Next one was rapidly received but sound was scratchy and audio very poor quality. Maybe it's my receiver but these converters just don't work for me. Crutchfield, however, was very pleasant to work with and promptly refunded my money. Gave an extra star to Crutchfield's service

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Excellent

Small size Easy and quick installation Bright red power LED Converts signal as expected

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Ethereal CS-DAC

after getting tech help for mating to tv,it works great. thank you much. h.smith

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Very good for such an economical DAC

My rating is in the context of what this is -- a very inexpensive DAC. For that, it works and plays very well. I got it (along with the AudioQuest Pearl OptiLink) to connect a new TV from the TV's optical out to the CS-DAC optical in, thence to a vintage integrated amp's RCA analog ins. The sound was very much improved from my old TV (which had an analog out) and better than what I get from the analog out of a Chromecast Audio device (these are no longer sold as a stand-alone). The CS-DAC sound does not, of course, compete with something like a Cambridge CXN V2, which I use for my more serious music room set up. But it delivers a good noise free, neutral sound that belies its cost. Its connections are easy and seem well made for the price point. All that said, I am returning this CS-DAC because I decided to buy a streamer instead, that has an optical input which gives me the same digital connection from the TV, plus streaming services (like qobuz, Amazon Prime, etc.). But for what this is, if it's all you need, it seems to be a fine, very economical product.

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Hear better TV!

This converter, along with additional cabling and Crutchfield's technical assistance (thank you, Kit!), make shopping with these guys a pleasurable and informative experience.

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Just what we needed.

We needed to hook up our stereo to our TV, but the TV was optical and the stereo was RCA. I found Crutchfield.com after doing internet searches. Glad I did. This was just what we needed. Now we have TV in stereo rather than the cheap speakers on the TV.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Easy to install but should come with connectors to source.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

I gave it 2 stars because after two years it was still working until I unplugged it from A/C power and one of the blades stayed in the A/C receptacle. I noticed the A/C power unit is also not approved by UL.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

No setup required plugged and played perfectly for TV optical output to 1970 Sansui receiver.

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much needed analog audio solution

As old technology gets kicked to the curb by new product manufacturers, its good to see a product like this that strikes back. Have superior vintage analog surround sound equipment?, take the sound out of your TV or other device and convert it to analog to keep that interface. Worked exactly as described, simple easy set up, just plug it all in. So far it sounds like it does a better job at surround sound decoding on the new Sony X90K than the 3.5 pin type I had on my previous Sony X900E TV. Get one for yourself and see.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

convertor was defective when recieved it. no power light, non functioning unit. not Crutchfield's fault, they did not make the product. called them to exchange for another unit, the rep Adam swaped it out and i am waiting for the replacement. hopfully it will function.

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Low price, low power, small --> just what I was looking for

This device it quite small which is perfect. I had been using a much larger and feature rich DAC to do a very simple job - take PCM digital from the kitchen TV and send it to the receiver only so I could have the required analog signal needed for the whole house audio system. This is admittedly a niche use case, but I really enjoy having live sports audio in the bathroom. I swapped out the nicer DAC for this and powered it off the switched AC of the receiver.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Worked 1-2 days and then quit. I think its the power supply. Going to the Store today for an exchange. Concerned if it quits again after the 60 day return period. I don't want to have to wait a long time for a repair/replacement.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Device works as promised.

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Didn't Work

Didn't work connecting Directv set top box with Nuvo Simplesse NV-A4 multi room system with either of the two connection options. Maybe it's good for other apps.

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Crutchfield response on 8/8/2022

James, we're sorry this DAC didn't work out for you. Whenever you encounter a problem with anything you purchase from Crutchfield, please contact our Customer Support team at 1-800-955-9091. Purchases from Crutchfield can be returned or exchanged within 60 days of the purchase.

Ethereal CS-DAC

Works as advertised

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Works geat

So far it's working great. Just in time for football season.

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CD sound improved using Metra CS-DAC

I own a rather old CD player, purchased about 2000, and I suspected its internal digital-to-analog converter was not up to the standard of more recent players. I was experiencing an overall harsh sound, and particularly a shrillness in upper wind and string instruments during loud musical passages. I bought this little, inexpensive DAC unit hoping to smooth out the sound. I routed the CD player to the DAC using a TOSLINK cable, then connected it to my analog receiver with RCA-type cables, an easy installation (unless your stereo is in a dark corner, as mine is). With the Metra unit inline between the CD player and receiver I noticed an instant reduction in harshness of sound-not a complete elimination of it, but a satisfying improvement. In addition, I heard a musical detail here and there for the first time, and heard the expected ones with greater clarity. For a low price, the Metra CS-DAC provided a sonic upgrade for my CDs, and met any expectations I may have had fairly well.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

unfortunately, has the correct connections for my needs but did not know it was directional in the wrong direction. did not choose myself.

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Crutchfield response on 3/22/2022

Fred contacted our Customer Support team and set up a return. Purchases from Crutchfield can be returned or exchanged within 60 days.

Ethereal CS-DAC

Working great, sounds great.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Worked perfectly to connect a vintage device to my new A/V receiver.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Easy to install and so far, works great

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Awesome!

I haven't used it but know it will be perfect. Great suggestion!

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Ethereal CS-DAC

I am throughly enjoying this product. My TV's internal speaker was started to give me a bit of distortion. Rather than buy a sound bar or a separate AV receiver etc ... I decided to use this DAC. I run my optical cable into it from my TV and into the aux port for my vintage receiver. The sound is awesome! Very happy with the product.

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Good 'cause it's sold by Crutchfield

Just substituted this box for the one I previously had in line. The one it replaced had really bad reviews in a YouTube video that measured its distortion. This Metra ethereal CS-DAC box must have been OK because I trusted Crutchfield to sell it only if it was a good product.

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Worth the money.

My DVD player only has a coax output, so this works perfectly to hook up to the analog inputs on my stereo amp. Hides inconspicuously behind the player.

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Optical to analog headphone adapter

Fought with other retailer . Fought with manufacturer. Called Crutchfield. Zip-boom-bang! In 3 days I had everything I needed to hook up my Sennheiser analog headphones to my new digital-optical TV. Simple as that!

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Ethereal CS-DAC

I was unable to use this DAC with my Sony WF XB700 earbuds.

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Crutchfield response on 9/6/2021

This customer contacted our Customer Support team and set up a return. Purchases from Crutchfield can be returned or exchanged within 60 days.

WORKS FINE

WORKS FINE

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Didn't work. RC cables didn't fit had to get a fiber optic cable. Sound was very distorted.

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Crutchfield response on 3/15/2021

We're sorry this converter didn't work out for you. Whenever you are not completely satisfied with anything you purchase from Crutchfield, please contact our Customer Support team at 1-800-955-9091. Purchases from Crutchfield can be returned or exchanged within 60 days of the purchase.

All good now.

This worked great.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Used this unit to provide analog audio output from our Hisense flat screen tv to our Yamaha RX-797 receiver. Installation was easy and the unit performs flawlessly. It has great full spectrum audio output with no hum or other issue.

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Does the job

Works well and allowed me to hook up an Apple TV box to my analog stereo system. If the stereo is on and then you turn on the box there is an initial pop noise as it powers on. Same thing if I turn the box off before the stereo. If the stereo is off when I turn the box off/on then obviously no pop noise because the stereo isn't on. Not a big deal just need to get in the habit of waiting to turn on/off the Apple box before the stereo.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Very Good Product...

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Tech was very knowledgeable and Helpful .. knew exactly what I was looking for I had it ordered in very short time

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Does what it's designed to do.

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Worth the money

Better than a DAC I purchased from another source. Completely eliminated the annoying hiss I was getting through my external speakers. DAC is connected via optical cable and RCA cables to my 2 channel integrated amp. Wish the power cable was more than 2' long.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Easy set up. Works great.

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Enhanced audio

Easily solved the problem of converting the LG DVD / Blue Ray output to analog for my stereo's RCA inputs thanks to guidance from Crutchfield's Tech Support.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Worked for a day then quit.

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Crutchfield response on 11/11/2020

We're sorry you're having issues with your converter. Whenever you encounter a problem with anything you purchase from Crutchfield, please contact our Tech Support team. They can help you solve the problem or set up a return within 60 days of purchase. Lifetime tech support comes with every Crutchfield purchase.

Ethereal CS-DAC

Perfect solution to allow me to use an old receiver/speakers to enhance sound for for a second TV without buying a sound bar, Works great with an old Panasonic TV Thanks to Crutchfield for recommending an inexpensive product that works exactly as described

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Mine came without a lens for the light that indicates it is powered on. It would not power on. Crutchfield replaced it, with another Metra and it worked fine.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Works perfect with my old HK receiver

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Works great

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Good DAC for CD and home theater

Good D/A converter, works as it should, really enjoy being able to use my TV sound with my 2 channel stereo combined in a time-aligned way that could not be done before (would get an echo effect) . Nice sound from my 30 year old CD player as well, brings greater clarity to the sound. Highly recommended.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Works Great - Saved me from buying a new set of earphones (was able to use existing ones )

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Dissappointed in our attempt to save some $$$

We have got either box to work yet. We have had phone/internet issues being down a day and back by back DR appointments to take time. Next step we are taking is the speakers wires, replacing with new speaker wires.

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metra DAC

great little unit, inexpensive compared to other options out there. I used them to hook up some Kanto YU2 to the bedroom television. Worked like a charm, I talked to 2 different people at Crutchfield for recommendations and this was their choice. Friendly, knowledgable people. The only question will be longevity.

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Works perfectly as described.

Does exactly what it says. 3 minute hook up and new life from a Denon AV receiver that does not have optical or HDMI. No hum or unwanted noise. Great product, fast shipping, and as always, great customer service.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Easy to set up, great way to continue to use my old receiver. Sound is pretty good also. Using it in my workshop.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

This did the trick. I was able to connect a 4k tv with optical audio output to my analog stereo receiver. Happy with my purchase and the customer service at Crutchfield is outstanding!

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Product works perfectly. I bought I new tv and needed to hook it up to my older existing surround sound. My system only had RCA jacks for output. I hooked the RCA cable to this adapter and ran a fiber optic cable to my tv. Works perfectly. My old system is powered by a Yamaha 200 watt receiver and has 5 speakers and a sub. It would have cost thousands to replace with a comparable system if I hadn't used this adapter. Thanks to Crutchfield for telling me what I needed to do this and not try to sell me an expensive system that would have provided lesser sound quality. The electronics I need will be bought from Crutchfield. Thanks for the help!

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Ethereal CS-DAC

service was very good archie was a big help

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Digital to Analog Converter

Converter does exactly what it is supposed to do. As long as you change your audio selection in your TV menu to PCM. Sound quality is good, if your just using 2 pairs of speakers (fronts & rears). The device cannot separate dolby digital sound because of the analog But it worked for my application because I didn't want to upgrade to a digital receiver when I got my new QLed 4K TV.

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Great DAC!

I needed a digital audio converter to hook up my TV to my new Yamaha RS-202 receiver, and this one works flawlessly. It's great! I previously had one from a local store that didn't last.

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D/A converter

Works well, I'm going optical audio out to an old receiver (L&R stereo) in.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Does what it says, sturdy construction . . . it saved me from having to buy more speakers (Bluetooth Sound Bar). Keep in mind it needs a powered volume control. Such as an amp with a volume control or Home Stereo Receiver. Also keep in mind about how long your audio connection needs to be, I used an Optical cable. You can use an RCA Coax connection too if you'd like.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Exactly what I need to get the job done! I knew Crutchfield would have the answer to my dilemma of connecting old equipment with more modern equivalents! Thanks!!

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Digital audio converted easily to your Stereo

This is the second DAC I bought. I got one from another vendor;it did not work. The product converts digital audio out from a source (TV for example) and converts it to an analog signal which is played through a different piece of audio equipment (Stereo). The Metra DAC was inexpensive and,best of all, WORKED with no issues. It comes with clear, concise instructions and is extremely easy to install. 100% recommend. H/T to Marshall for the recommendation.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Worked perfectly

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Ethereal CS-DAC

My experience with all the Crutchfield employees I dealt with incident with the purchase of the Metra ethereal CS-DAC was EXCELLENT and I will certainly recommend Crutchfield when ever an occasion arises. The CS-DAC works perfectly.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

This allowed me to continue to use my old receiver to listen to CD's on my new digital DVD player. The price was very reasonable.

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Great price, good product.

Excellent performance. Worth the price and does the job well.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Tried using this with the output of the DirtecTv teceivet to my Sonos Connect. Just hum ...

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Crutchfield response on 1/22/2019

We're sorry you're having issues with your converter. Whenever you encounter a problem with anything you purchase from Crutchfield, please contact our Tech Support team. They can help you solve the problem or set up a return within 60 days of purchase. Lifetime tech support comes with every Crutchfield purchase.

Ethereal CS-DAC

absolutely crutchfield is the best place to shop for anything you need. they are so knowledgable, cheerful, professional and eager to help you with whatever your problem is. as far as i am concerned i give it 10 stars.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

My new smart Samsung 4K TV left me with no way to get my TV's sound through to my older Yamaha Pro Logic receiver. A short email to Crutchfield's on-line tech adviser service and AJ came back with the recommended Metra ethereal CS-DAC converter and instructions on how to set up the TV's PCM sound output. The DAC arrived within a few days but installation instructions were vague regarding connections the receiver. A quick call to AJ required a little research into my receiver's inputs and I was up and running in minutes. AJ's solution saved me hundreds of dollars that I would have spent for a new receiver. Thank you Crutchfield and AJ for this invaluable service. You customer care keeps me a Crutchfield customer for life.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

My experience with Crutchfield was outstanding. I had a problem connecting my Sennheiser headset to a anew Samsung tv and called. Ashley was very pleasant and put through to Q who was extremely helpful. He spent time and also included someone else whose name I have unfortunately forgotten. They came up with the solution , sent me what I needed, I hooked it and up and it now works great. I am very pleased and am very happy to recommend your company, and particularly the people I worked with. Q and friends.

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Problem solved!

I needed a way to hook up my Samsung smart tv to my home stereo. Nathen my product support specialist not only spent the time to find what I needed he did so with enthusiasm. He solved my problem in a matter of minutes and was very pleasant the entire call. Top notch service as always from Crutchfield.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Very pleased. Does exactly what I wanted it to do

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Needed this to on the lg tv because it won't send audio signal to my denon receiver.

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Good clean sound from New TV

Works exactly as nMarshall said it would. It is very simple to install but little more tricky to make it work. First all i got was buzzing noise but instructions say input must be PCM. Finding where to to locate the source format could be changed was a little challenging for a guy that's 80 years old. But I found it in the tv setup and once I changed it from bitstream to PCM - Voila !! Worked like a charm. Love it and my analog headset works just fine. Great product and would recommend it.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Easy to set up and use, good product and great customer service!

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Looking for a way to use our existing headphones with our new Samsung 4K TV. Who knew the new TV manufactures would not include an analog outlet on the latest TVs. Our Samsung has the Box to which makes all connections to the TV. The TV has the capability to use wireless headphones, but will only connect to set of headphones. If you have more than one person who would like to use headphones you need another solution. Crutchfield suggested the DAC which was a great solution and a very economic way to solve our problem. Our older headphones work great on our new TV!

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Improved the sound quality for my connection of a Tv to my analog stereo.previously used the headphone output.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Needed this for headphones to work with my TV, staff as usual had me fixed in no time thanks

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Needed Device

The connection was a little time consuming, but I figured it out in a short time. It has its own cord, so this and the headphones must be plugged in. Obviously 1 or more surge protectors would need to be used with all electronic devices involving a television. It serves its purpose, and I needed it with my Panasonic TV.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Works exactly like expected to connect a non-bluetooth receiver to a newer TV. Easy to connect. Depending on the cable connection between the Metro and the TV, you made need to change the TV's sound source setting.

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Great little unit

This is a nice sounding unit for the money. I have tried other units in the same price range but this unit is best by far in its price range and even similar higher priced units.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Good product works well with my Alpine

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Works as advertised.

Works as advertised

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Ethereal CS-DAC

This small and inexpensive box does just what it claims. In my case I wanted to convert the digital audio signal optical output from a modern TV to analog mono on a phono jack. I haven't had it long enough to judge reliability or lifetime. In my case this is fed to an FM transmitter talking to my cochlear implant.

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Great solution!

new tv had only optical output. Just don't want to give up my HK receiver amp with RCA only input. This is the perfect solution. Set the tv to pcm output, and the CS-DAConverter lit up and is nice clean tv sound. Elegant, low cost solution. Would be nice if it came with an optical cable, lucky I already had one. I couldn't be happier!

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Ethereal CS-DAC

excellent product! does exactly what it is supposed to do and sounds great. My dvd player died, so I had to get a blue-ray player which due to the stupidity of the manufacturers has no RCA outputs. Now I'm back to my cable tv and all video and audio being in stereo and using my existing analog amp.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Basic DAC that allowed us to use the audio from out television through basic audio system.

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Ethereal CS-DAC

Connections worked great.

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