softsound
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Unfortunately, not all power amplifiers work best at 2 volts RMS. It depends on their input sensitivity. To cover for this possibility, it is better to be an overkill, than an insufficient sound in dB level.
This is not a new idea. And certainly not mine. A lot of firms use more than 2 Volts RMS in their DACs.
Example : :Quad (2,5 volts RMS), Hegel (2,5 volts RMS), M2Tech (2,7 volts RMS), and so on.
I have listened to M2Tech Vaughan and I assure you that it is very dynamic (being able to make you hear from the quietest low-level detail of musical information, to the loudest possible full detail of musical information). Thus, one can hear better musical details, and the sound comes closer to the "real" sound.
More efficiently, means that when you are using any amplifier, in the case of a DAC with 2,5 volts RMS out, you will have an overall louder sound in dB than with 2 volts RMS. So, you have a louder sound with less power consumption for the same amplifier at the same level of the volume knob of the amplifier, and at the same time you have a more dynamic sound.
I will give you an example that i have tested myself with my own amplifier :
Write your favourite music in your computer with Media Monkey for example, or with any programm that can modulate the level (in dB) of the recording. Write 2 discs (2 CDs) : One with with 88 dB and one with 94 dB. Then listen to both separately, and decide which one you like most, and also which one of the 2 is more dynamic-louder.
I suspect that apart from other reasons(better shielded being the XLR cable, less passive electronics used in the DAC's output stage for the XLR out, possibly for other reasons too), one major reason XLR sounds better than the RCA cable, is that XLR is 4 Volts RMS, whilst RCA is usually 2 Volts RMS. I may be wrong, but this is my belief.
But, if iFi audio would provide also an XLR out, then i am not sure that the product i am talking about would keep a really low cost.
That is why i asked a product that provides 2,5 Volts RMS through RCA out. It will provide a more dynamic sound, and will concommitanly save energy( produce louder music with less "turning on" of the volume knob of the amplifier).
RCA out will have probably also the advantage of sounding warmer than the XLR i guess, which would be preferable. On the other hand, 2,5 Volts RMS is not a heavy burden for any amplifier. I do not know any amplifier that plays bad because 2,5 Volts are too much for it (i could be wrong of course- i do not know all amplifier brands).
One alternative, would be the solution that M2Tech uses for a dynamic sound in M2tech Yound DSD. They use only XLR out for an output, but they also provide a long enough cable that converts XLR to RCA, which could directly enter in any amplifier. An XLR of 4 volts reduced to an RCA output of 2,5 volts RMS would be good.
A product with only an XLR out would be useless without a converter cable, because 90% of amplifier brands, do not have an XLR in input. At least not in the price range we're talking about. How many amplifiers in the range of 200-500 dollars do you know out there? Almost zero is the answer. Imagine someone buying a 500$ iSimple as Neogeo333 says, and then imagine being obliged to bying a 2000$ amplifier to find an XLR in. That is irrational. There definately has to be an XLR 4 volts to RCA 2,5 volts in such a DAC, otherwise the DAC itself would be useless.
This is not a new idea. And certainly not mine. A lot of firms use more than 2 Volts RMS in their DACs.
Example : :Quad (2,5 volts RMS), Hegel (2,5 volts RMS), M2Tech (2,7 volts RMS), and so on.
I have listened to M2Tech Vaughan and I assure you that it is very dynamic (being able to make you hear from the quietest low-level detail of musical information, to the loudest possible full detail of musical information). Thus, one can hear better musical details, and the sound comes closer to the "real" sound.
More efficiently, means that when you are using any amplifier, in the case of a DAC with 2,5 volts RMS out, you will have an overall louder sound in dB than with 2 volts RMS. So, you have a louder sound with less power consumption for the same amplifier at the same level of the volume knob of the amplifier, and at the same time you have a more dynamic sound.
I will give you an example that i have tested myself with my own amplifier :
Write your favourite music in your computer with Media Monkey for example, or with any programm that can modulate the level (in dB) of the recording. Write 2 discs (2 CDs) : One with with 88 dB and one with 94 dB. Then listen to both separately, and decide which one you like most, and also which one of the 2 is more dynamic-louder.
I suspect that apart from other reasons(better shielded being the XLR cable, less passive electronics used in the DAC's output stage for the XLR out, possibly for other reasons too), one major reason XLR sounds better than the RCA cable, is that XLR is 4 Volts RMS, whilst RCA is usually 2 Volts RMS. I may be wrong, but this is my belief.
But, if iFi audio would provide also an XLR out, then i am not sure that the product i am talking about would keep a really low cost.
That is why i asked a product that provides 2,5 Volts RMS through RCA out. It will provide a more dynamic sound, and will concommitanly save energy( produce louder music with less "turning on" of the volume knob of the amplifier).
RCA out will have probably also the advantage of sounding warmer than the XLR i guess, which would be preferable. On the other hand, 2,5 Volts RMS is not a heavy burden for any amplifier. I do not know any amplifier that plays bad because 2,5 Volts are too much for it (i could be wrong of course- i do not know all amplifier brands).
One alternative, would be the solution that M2Tech uses for a dynamic sound in M2tech Yound DSD. They use only XLR out for an output, but they also provide a long enough cable that converts XLR to RCA, which could directly enter in any amplifier. An XLR of 4 volts reduced to an RCA output of 2,5 volts RMS would be good.
A product with only an XLR out would be useless without a converter cable, because 90% of amplifier brands, do not have an XLR in input. At least not in the price range we're talking about. How many amplifiers in the range of 200-500 dollars do you know out there? Almost zero is the answer. Imagine someone buying a 500$ iSimple as Neogeo333 says, and then imagine being obliged to bying a 2000$ amplifier to find an XLR in. That is irrational. There definately has to be an XLR 4 volts to RCA 2,5 volts in such a DAC, otherwise the DAC itself would be useless.