[Jake2]

Those aren't streamers and don't have HDMI input, let alone eArc. Quite familiar with ADIs, owned one a few years ago. The solution has to be civilian (aka wife) friendly, I'm quite content with D&Ds being a Roon endpoint.

Can you clarify, if you're happy with your D&D active speakers acting as a Roon endpoint then is your sole interest in the A8 /sole intended use case to get the digital audio out of your TV into the AES/EBU input of your speakers, via the A8's HDMI ARC input? ie. acting effectively as a pure DDC rather than a streamer in that scenario. Or is there some other part of the A8's streaming functionality you might use alongside Roon direct to your D&Ds as endpoints?

As if the former there are some dedicated DDCs I can suggest that might accomplish this at lower cost and/or potentially higher quality than the multifunction A8.

 

[sabloke]

That's correct, I need A8's user friendly remote and eARC input. For critical listening I can use D&D's internal streamer in Roon. Not interested in any solutions, simply need to find out from an A8 owner if the device can output TV sound to USB or coaxial outputs via eARC.

 

[Jake2]

That's correct, I need A8's user friendly remote and eARC input. For critical listening I can use D&D's internal streamer in Roon. Not interested in any solutions, simply need to find out from an A8 owner if the device can output TV sound to USB or coaxial outputs via eARC.

All good, thanks for clarifying you will use the A8's streaming capabilities alongside Roon, so my DDC suggestions would've been n/a to you in any case.

For the record, for anyone else who is in the position of seeking a high quality AES/EBU out from a TV they were the Audio gd DI-20/24, Denafrips Hermes & Gaia and Mutec mc-3+ usb, all DDCs with s/pdif coax and/or toslink inputs and a range of digital outputs.

 

[sabloke]

Most DDCs require USB input making them pretty useless with a TV that only has HDMI and optical outputs.

 

[Jake2]

Yep, the ones I mention are the exception and not cheap. Probably overkill for just casual TV for most folk, less so if used for music also. iFi's s/pdif purifier2 is cheaper but still excellent (especially with high quality power) at cleaning up the jittery mess that is my TV's Toslink out but only outputs spdif so not useful in this context of needing an AES/EBU output.

 

[newtophones07]

Could someone please advise me on eARC? I am looking at buying an A8 to output coaxial (with AES/EBU transformer) or USB (through an X-SPDIF 2 DDC) to a pair of D&D 8C speakers that accept only AES/EBU digital input. Want to avoid sending XLR analog signal to the speakers at an additional ADC step will be required. Would it work? A reviewer was saying that some of the digital input cannot be passed through to digital outputs but did not provide further details. I am basically trying to get TV sound into the D&D speakers, that's all...

The A8 should route audio through your speakers, but I have read that the A8 isn't the best preamp. The AES format will also require a few adapters if you want to stay digital into your D&D

Option 1 (cheaper) Maybe try the SVS prime wireless pro as your earc controller + an optical to AES box like this one

https://hosatech.com/products/digital-audio/s-pdif-interfaces/odl-312/

There are cheaper models, but if you cam find one, this model has verified reviews and measurements.

If I had D&D speakers, I would just purchase The NAD M66 as the perfect pre amp, remote, streamer, digital out device, with earc and have my wife be happy.

https://nadelectronics.com/product/m66-bluos-streaming-dac-preamplifier/

 

[rsbrsvp]

Hi. I have a few questions which are not clear to me. I'd appreciate any assistance possible.

1. Is this streamer compatible with Apple and Amazon music natively?

2. Are the USB outputs- 3.0 or 2.0?

3. Is the parametric equalizer using fixed positions or can they be moved?

4. Can a seperate NAS be used to store music? I prefer to keep downloaded music in a seperate location.


Thank you.

 

[jjazzy]

Hi. I have a few questions which are not clear to me. I'd appreciate any assistance possible.

1. Is this streamer compatible with Apple and Amazon music natively?

2. Are the USB outputs- 3.0 or 2.0?

3. Is the parametric equalizer using fixed positions or can they be moved?

4. Can a seperate NAS be used to store music? I prefer to keep downloaded music in a seperate location.


Thank you.

1: you can install apple and amazon music (what I have just seen on the screen)

2: 3.0

3: it has both peq and eq, so fixed or through dsp manual frequentie specific

4: yes u can use a nas, connect through. DLNA or SMB share

 

[rsbrsvp]

Thanks. i do not understand #3. The paraetric EQ- is it at fixed fq ony or can I adjust the frequencies to anywhere I want?

Sorry- you said fixed. This is the deal breaker for me. I dont know why they did this...

 

[jjazzy]

Thanks. i do not understand #3. The paraetric EQ- is it at fixed fq ony or can I adjust the frequencies to anywhere I want?

Sorry- you said fixed. This is the deal breaker for me. I dont know why they did this...

That’s the whole point a EQ is always fixed. a peq is used if you want a list of specific frequencies configured. It is has a 15 band EQ.

I have never encounted of companies supporting a EQ that is changable, that has always been a PEQ. And on the PEQ you have full freq freedom you want, so here it is not fixed

It has BOTH.

So I try to see the problem here?

 

[rsbrsvp]

That’s the whole point a EQ is always fixed. a peq is used if you want a list of specific frequencies configured. It is has a 15 band EQ.

I have never encounted of companies supporting a EQ that is changable, that has always been a PEQ. And on the PEQ you have full freq freedom you want, so here it is not fixed

It has BOTH.

So I try to see the problem here?

This is why I stick with a fanless PC with a low noise linear PS. The equalizing options and crsossfeed options are so versitile. The advantage of the streamer is it usually produces better sound because it purpose built....

 

[rsbrsvp]

I just got a response from Eversolo on the Parametric EQ. they say it is adjustable. Attached is our correspondance:

Can someone please confirm with their units if this is correct?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q: Is the parametric equalizer using fixed positions or can they be moved?
A: ---Their position can moved. You will be able to add it on the home page as a widget.

Hi Steven,

The frequency is adjustable, not a fixed frequency.
And the position of it on the Home page is also adjustable.

Kind regards,
Eversolo
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

[jjazzy]

I just got a response from Eversolo on the Parametric EQ. they say it is adjustable. Attached is our correspondance:

Can someone please confirm with their units if this is correct?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q: Is the parametric equalizer using fixed positions or can they be moved?
A: ---Their position can moved. You will be able to add it on the home page as a widget.

Hi Steven,

The frequency is adjustable, not a fixed frequency.
And the position of it on the Home page is also adjustable.

Kind regards,
Eversolo
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I just told you that already, twice (the second time more clear) yes the peq is adjustable. But a peq is not the same as a eq. And that’s what you asked??

 

[Leon99]

I saw on YT channel for a dealer who mentioned A8 Master Addition twice in one of his videos. The first time I said maybe he said it by mistake, but he mentioned it again and he said "were going to be doing more reviews comparing the A6 Master Edition vs. A8 Master Edition"

The A8 has it all, I'm wondering what they might add in the Master Edition

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

IDK, better LPS (or separated analog and digital PS), better clock?, better inputs (isolated usb/lan?), upgraded caps, or module (upsampling anybody)?...will see...