[f00fighters]

I'm probably speaking apples and oranges; but I realized I have a whole Sony DTS Surround sound system in my attic. The main component is big black Sony Receiver with an optical in. The other component is its matching counterpart which is a 100 disc CD changer. It's about 8 years old. Should I hook up the receiver via the optical cable to my mac pro? could that serve as my DAC so to speak? Then maybe I can just buy a tube amp, or something? I'm not sure how this all works- Here is a link to my receiver. I'd appreciate all the help I can get. This is to play lossless music from my Mac Pro to my Grado 325is. I'm trying to save money.


Sony STR-DE485 AV receiver reviews - CNET Reviews


the model# of my receiver is STR-DE485

 

[maarek99]

Yes, it can. Give it a try!

 

[voon]

If you're happy with the headphone amp section in the Sony. If you can believe common say, most of these are horrible comparatively.

 

[oqvist]

Sure give it a try... Not always newer receivers are better? I be damned if not my parents 30 year old denon stereo receiver beat the DACs on my RX-V663 AV receiver... Elite Pro considerably better and Keces 131 runs all over it.

Hard to do a straight comparison since there is different speakers for the old denon receiver but I have tried it with my headphones and it aint bad at all if you like warm sound

.

As for headphone out everything is relative it´s crap compared to a Slee Solo... Really different leagues but then that cost about as much as the entire receiver

 

[voon]

Quote:

Not always newer receivers are better?

That's in general true for some audio equipment

I hope my .. er ... 9 (?) year old Pioneer 908RDS will never break down. It's sound is mind bogglingly fantastic in movie mode....

 

[iriverdude]

yeah it'll work and a upgrade over laptops analogue output, don't expect it to be anything brilliant though.

 

[f00fighters]

so I tried it. An optical cable from my Mac Pro to my Sony STR-DE485 Receiver to my C&C XO portable amp to my Grado SR 325is. I probably did this all wrong, but It improved the sound stage; and bass was increased just right. Nice and isolated, not drowning out all the othe sounds; but the receiver itself somewhat diluted the impact of the brightness. I like the sound better from my Mac Pro to my C&C XO to my 325is. And i'm guessing these phones are starting to shine also because of the burn-in; I noticed a big difference, from yesterday and today. It's at 168 hours and counting;

Should I have set up the receiver differently?

 

[iriverdude]

If you use the record out/zone 2 you shouldn't need to do anything, as it'll be full-range, downmixed signal.

 

[f00fighters]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you use the record out/zone 2 you shouldn't need to do anything, as it'll be full-range, downmixed signal.

I'm not sure what you're talking about? Record out/zone 2, what is that? There's an optical out on my Mac Pro that goes to the Optical in on the Sony Receiver. Then there's a setting on the receiver that shows "Sound Field"- and I have set to "A.Dec" I'm guessing that means Auto Decode. Sometimes I try putting it on the setting labeled 2ch. I'm not sure what that is. Then from my Sony Receiver I have an interconnect cable that goes into a quarter inch adapter to my C&C XO portable amp. I keep the receiver's volume to about 80% and slowly adjust the portable amp's volume accordingly. That is my set up in detail. There's no real equalizer on it, except a treble and bass adjustment, which I have set to zero.

For some reason, I'm not sure why, but It sounds better without the receiver in place, which I find odd. Which is why I'm thinking maybe I have some setting wrong. It almost gives me the feeling that I'm wearing a closed can. I don't know if that makes any sense at all.

 

[iriverdude]

If your portable headphone amplifier has a volume control, you don't want to have the Sony pre-amp in the way. I assume you're using the left & right pre-outs from the sony to your PHA? If so that's wrong. Use zone 2/record/tape output, as those are fixed (although zone 2 could be variable on some gear)

A AV amp, and a Sony one at that will never be quality- but if you have RF noise issues such as noise from hard drive effecting analogue line out, from onboard using digital from your mac to Sony will remove that.

Don't forgot to have your volume on your PHA right down, as that's the only pre-amp in the chain. The signal is at 100% when it reaches your PHA.

 

[f00fighters]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif If your portable headphone amplifier has a volume control, you don't want to have the Sony pre-amp in the way. I assume you're using the left & right pre-outs from the sony to your PHA? If so that's wrong. Use zone 2/record/tape output, as those are fixed (although zone 2 could be variable on some gear) A AV amp, and a Sony one at that will never be quality- but if you have RF noise issues such as noise from hard drive effecting analogue line out, from onboard using digital from your mac to Sony will remove that. Don't forgot to have your volume on your PHA right down, as that's the only pre-amp in the chain. The signal is at 100% when it reaches your PHA.

I think I sort of know what you're saying... again, from the Mac pro is an optical cable that goes directly into the optical input which is in the back of the sony receiver. Then there is a headphone jack (1/4 inch) in the front of the sony receiver. I have an interconnect (mini stereo to mini stereo) cable that plugs into a (1/4 inch) adapter that plugs into that headphone jack on the front of the receiver. The other end of the interconnect cable is mini stereo, so that plugs into my portable headphone amp.


are you basically telling me, instead of using that headphone jack in the front, i should use one of the L & R outputs in the back to connect to my portable amp?

 

[f00fighters]

someone help. I bought two (red & white) RCA to mini Stero cables. I plugged the red and white male RCA plugs into the MD/TAPE input and the ministero plug goes into my Mac Pro's output. Then I have the other red and white connectors plugged into the MD/TAPE output. The other the other end of that cable (mini stereo) plugs into my portable headphone amplifier. On the receiver I select MD/TAPE button. The problem is, I cannot hear any sound. Only if I put the portable amp on the highest volume settings, I can barely hear the music very faintly. Anyone know what to do?

FYI: both RCA cables are about 6 Ft in length.

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

I have an interconnect (mini stereo to mini stereo) cable that plugs into a (1/4 inch) adapter that plugs into that headphone jack on the front of the receiver. The other end of the interconnect cable is mini stereo, so that plugs into my portable headphone amp.

No don't do that- the headphone output is amplified, so why are you sending it to another headphone amplifier?

Quote:

are you basically telling me, instead of using that headphone jack in the front, i should use one of the L & R outputs in the back to connect to my portable amp?

Correct you shouldn't use headphone out on the Sony. But you don't want to use left & right pre-outs as that goes through the Sonys pre-amp stage. Basically you want the Sony as a DAC and a switchbox. So use a record/tape record outputs, as those are fixed. So if you connect your portable amp to one of the tape output, that's is correct way of wiring it up


Quote:

I can barely hear the music very faintly. Anyone know what to do?

You probably need to set the "record" or "monitor" fuction. On the Sony you have input select, but also probably record select, so you can listen to one source, whilst recording to/from another.

 

[oqvist]

iriverdude the headphone amp section on many receivers are in most cases not as good as even cheaper dedicated headphone amplifiers. the RX-V663 certainly and they even market their silent cinema. Many AV receivers don´t even support dolby headphone that is how much they care! I suppose 99 % of the AV receiver buyers buy them for their speakers and headphone for necessarily evil

 

[iriverdude]

Please re-read my earlier post. You don't want to send headphone out from one source, into another headphone amplifier. This is nothing to do with quality - or lack of - the Sony headphone amp, but it should be line level (100%) until it reaches the headphone amplifier. Much the same way you don't want to have several pre-amps in the chain.

I am fully aware the portable headphone amplifier probably has a better amp than the Sony AV amp. I never said otherwise.