shuttleboi
100+ Head-Fier
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I'm interested in buying a small integrated amp with analog input such as a Bel Canto C5i or Bel Canto C7r. I was hoping to use the output of another DAC to feed into the amp, which in turn would drive speakers for near-field (desktop) listening. However, from what I see, this amp does the following: (1) converts analog input into digital with ADC, (2) performs digital-domain volume amplifications, and (3) converts back into analog with a DAC.
This review of the Bel Canto C5i says exactly that:
Bel Canto doesn’t actually seem to mention this, but the analogue inputs to the unit are, in fact, converted to digital after buffering and, in the case of the phono input, amplifying and the usual RIAA equalisation. This isn’t to feed the ICEpower module because that has analogue inputs, instead it’s purely and simply to unify the signal path and benefit from the digital volume control.
So my question is: Doesn't this DAC --> ADC --> DAC conversion hurt the sound quality? Any sound-quality advantage of the original DAC is pretty much destroyed, right? The final DAC is the one that's producing the analog signal to the speakers.
Thanks for any insight.
This review of the Bel Canto C5i says exactly that:
Bel Canto doesn’t actually seem to mention this, but the analogue inputs to the unit are, in fact, converted to digital after buffering and, in the case of the phono input, amplifying and the usual RIAA equalisation. This isn’t to feed the ICEpower module because that has analogue inputs, instead it’s purely and simply to unify the signal path and benefit from the digital volume control.
So my question is: Doesn't this DAC --> ADC --> DAC conversion hurt the sound quality? Any sound-quality advantage of the original DAC is pretty much destroyed, right? The final DAC is the one that's producing the analog signal to the speakers.
Thanks for any insight.
