[z_accoustics]

So I have an XP-7 amp for my AKG K271, a computer with optical audio out and an Onkyo tx-sr876 AVR.

How can I optimize this setup for listening to digital audio from my computer?

Non optimal (but "working") setups
1) Plug amp into computer's analog out
- this is not great because my computer has no pre-outs, it is all pre-amplified and also I don't have confidence in the quality of my computer sound card's (X-fi Platinum) DAC.

2) Run optical out of computer to optical in of receiver and plug amp into headphone out of receiver
- this allows the higher quality DAC of the receiver to do its job but the headphone out jack is pre-amplified and thus not ideal.

3) Run optical out of computer to optical in of receiver and plug amp into pre-out of receiver's front L/R
- signal wise this is the optimal setup, but processing wise this is least optimal because the receiver's audyssey EQ system configured the front L/R levels and delay times and crossover thus the amp would not be getting the unprocessed full range signal and worse case the L channel would potentially be out of time with the right channel. The headphone out of option 2 above outputs unprocessed stereo.

*4) Buy an external DAC, plug optical out into it, connect to amp, Enjoy.

Please suggest a new option or your opinion of these. Thanks

 

[compuryan]

From reading, I think you already know what you need to do. And that is to buy an external DAC.

 

[Happy Camper]

4

 

[mbd2884]

None.

If you going to use Computer as source, get a USB DAC. Good USB DAC now compensate for the "jitter" issue. Skip the soundcard, people who use optical out of soundcard into DAC claiming it skips soundcard, how can the signal go through the soundcard, output through the optical and not be processed by the soundcard? That bothers me personally and just doesn't make any sense to me. Use the USB, and actually skip the soundcard, unprocessed data into the DAC, hooray.

Great looking Amp you got!

I think a DAC from HeadRoom will look great with XP-7, stack it all! It's also Dual Mono, uses a wallwart though if that bothers you. Damn sexy with that combo.
http://www.headphone.com/products/he...-micro-dac.php


Quote:

Cirrus Logic would scratch their collective head if they saw their flagship DAC tucked away in the tiny Micro DAC. The CS4398 is the best performing DAC chip in their line-up with numbers like 120dB dynamic range and -107dB THD+Noise. And it’s not alone in there: the Micro DAC has independent power supply regulators for analog and digital sections; digital listening and decoding is done by the CS8416 digital receiver chip before passing numbers off to the DAC; a TI PCM2902 handles the computer USB to S/PDIF conversion before sending the number to the DAC (the analog outs of the 2902 aren’t up to the task for this sweet DAC); local decoupling with ultra-low ESR polyphenylene-sulfide film capacitors is provided at each active analog stage; resistors are low-drift, low-noise, 0.1% metal film parts throughout; and a multi-layer circuit board holds it all together while keeping the signals apart. Hard to believe we fit all that in there! • 100% DC coupled signal path, from input to output • Full dual mono design all the way back to the power supply

 

[z_accoustics]

Doesn't look too bad. I might go with that.

Only negative I see is that it only has a 3.5mm line out instead of L/R RCAs, odd. I suppose the benchmark would be an upgrade but stereophile mag reported issues using USB with a powerbook and pc.

 

[mbd2884]

Quote:

Originally Posted by z_accoustics /img/forum/go_quote.gif Doesn't look too bad. I might go with that. Only negative I see is that it only has a 3.5mm line out instead of L/R RCAs, odd. I suppose the benchmark would be an upgrade but stereophile mag reported issues using USB with a powerbook and pc.

True and you have to consider who the reviewer are at Stereophile and why they review are the way they are, the findings are they way they are.

Example Art Dudley, past 48 years now. Factor in he's also an amateur musician with studio work. His hearing, I personally wouldn't trust it. Its shot, gone, yet he's a highly regarded reviewer there. Proven hearing loss is associated with aging. Heck there are cell phone ring tones for younger generation, specifically because many people past age 40 (and these don't have music blasting down their ear canal like Dudley's) cannot hear the frequencies. Just saying gotta question their findings, reviews, they are not objective, written by opinionated old dudes who's reviews would imply their hearing are stellar, when it isn't.

But yeah I agree about the Micro DAC, seemed weird to me they would have a dual mono design, but no decent output to take advantage of it.

DacMagic is a cheaper alternative to the DAC1, and has plenty of different outputs.

Have you emailed RSA for their opinion or suggestion?

 

[olblueyez]

3 or 4, 3 being the cheap way to go but 4 having the most dramatic affect on sound quality. Optical is good, dont worry about USB, if you go with optical then you could pickup a used high end dac instead of a new mediocre dac.

 

[FallenAngel]

mbd2884 : Using a USB connection will definitely "bypass" any other soundcard, but you're greatly relying on the USB receiver in the DAC to do it's job perfectly and if you're concerned for having a soundcard "process" the signal before outputting S/PDIF, simply ensuring bit-perfect output throws this argument out. What do you think USB is? It gets the ICH on your motherboard to do the "processing" before sending a stream to the USB receiver in the DAC. The "standard" USB Audio 1.1 that most USB receivers agree on is no less "processed" than any other signal, such as the S/PDIF out of a soundcard, all depends on settings.

Before you recommend the DacMagic and DAC1, have you heard both of them to make this recommendation? Having spent time with both, albeit not a very long time before I sold the DacMagic (and was happily not the owner of the DAC1), I would never recommend either.