[alexdemaet]

Yes, I would be highly interested in the upgrade!

 

[MRC001]

I've only used it as an AIO. I have never separated out the DAC from the amplifier or Pre/DAC. I love it as an AIO. In speaking at length with Jan it was designed to be used this way, so I use it the way it was designed. I have become a huge fan of the crossfeed function. It opens up the stage and creates less fatigue, not that the Soul ever felt fatiguing to me.

By AIO do you mean "all in one"? This is the simplest way to use the Soul. Just connect the player's outputs to the Soul inputs. If you connect the digital output, Soul is doing everything: DSP, D/A conversion, and analog volume control, "all in one". If you connect the player's analog output to the Soul, the Soul is just an analog preamp buffer & volume control, the player is doing D/A conversion.

The external DAC mode I mentioned is different. I call it the Soul's "external DAC loop", similar to a tape loop with traditional preamps:

• A digital audio source's output goes to the Soul's input via toslink, coax, or usb
• Soul applies its DSP processing (if any) and emits digital output via toslink
• Soul's toslink output connects to an external DAC's digital input
• external DAC's analog balanced output connects to the Soul's analog input
• Soul applies its volume control and emits to headphone & preamp outputs

This uses the Soul for DSP and analog volume and buffering, everything EXCEPT D/A conversion. To apply this mode, flick the lower switch just to the R of the headphone jacks, to the down position.

 

[MRC001]

This can also be read on the Soul page :
... When using the analog inputs the amplification factors are 11 dB lower than on the original version. Not a big point if you don't use analog sources or a source with a high output voltage bu

It's worth mention that the Soul has an internal switch that sets the gain of its analog stage. Mine came shipped with the switch in low gain mode, which works well with professional audio devices that use +4 dBu. Consumer balanced analog audio is usually much lower, -10 dBu. The difference is roughly 12 dB. So if the Soul is too quiet with an analog source (or external DAC), flick that internal switch to boost the Soul's internal gain by +12 dB. This is described in the Soul manual.

 

[geoffalter11]

By AIO do you mean "all in one"? This is the simplest way to use the Soul. Just connect the player's outputs to the Soul inputs. If you connect the digital output, Soul is doing everything: DSP, D/A conversion, and analog volume control, "all in one". If you connect the player's analog output to the Soul, the Soul is just an analog preamp buffer & volume control, the player is doing D/A conversion.

The external DAC mode I mentioned is different. I call it the Soul's "external DAC loop", similar to a tape loop with traditional preamps:

• A digital audio source's output goes to the Soul's input via toslink, coax, or usb
• Soul applies its DSP processing (if any) and emits digital output via toslink
• Soul's toslink output connects to an external DAC's digital input
• external DAC's analog balanced output connects to the Soul's analog input
• Soul applies its volume control and emits to headphone & preamp outputs

This uses the Soul for DSP and analog volume and buffering, everything EXCEPT D/A conversion. To apply this mode, flick the lower switch just to the R of the headphone jacks, to the down position.

Yea I mean All In One. I use the Soul as a self contained unit. DAC, Amp, and all the DSP in the digital domain. Which I think was super smart of Jan to put all tone controls into the digital domain.

I am headphone only so no use for me to use as a Preamp. Although, Jan says it is quite wonderful as a DAC/Pre. I am not much for EQ so I don’t use the tone controls a ton, but I do use the crossfeed. I like how it opens up the soundstage and creates a more fatigue free sound. Not that it has a lot of etch or need to mitigate fatigue to begin with.

 

[geoffalter11]

I am gonna have Jan perform the MK2 upgrade. I have been waffling about whether I need it, but better micor-detail in vocals and instruments along with a smother overall sound has me excited for the upgrade. That is next.

 

[MRC001]

If you're not sure whether you "need" it, you can use the Soul's external DAC loop to try different DACs and see what difference that makes. As I see it, the Soul has 3 parts: DSP, D/A conversion, and analog amp. Of these, D/A conversion is the only part where SOTA performance is still evolving. The DSP is done with numeric precision finer than analog limitations. The analog amp is SOTA with its unique gain stage/volume control and fully balanced. These are and will remain SOTA for years to come.

So the only part of the Soul that might be improved is D/A conversion, and Jan had the foresight to anticipate and accommodate this by having an external DAC loop to "future-proof" the Soul.

 

[geoffalter11]

If you're not sure whether you "need" it, you can use the Soul's external DAC loop to try different DACs and see what difference that makes. As I see it, the Soul has 3 parts: DSP, D/A conversion, and analog amp. Of these, D/A conversion is the only part where SOTA performance is still evolving. The DSP is done with numeric precision finer than analog limitations. The analog amp is SOTA with its unique gain stage/volume control and fully balanced. These are and will remain SOTA for years to come.

So the only part of the Soul that might be improved is D/A conversion, and Jan had the foresight to anticipate and accommodate this by having an external DAC loop to "future-proof" the Soul.

I don’t know how to do this. I was under the impression I could not use the Soul as a fixed DAC out to other amps.

 

[geoffalter11]

For me the Soul is my 2nd system which I use for AIO purposes for reviewing.

I have a reference system if separates as well. The Eddie Current Aficionado and the CFA3 along with the Matrix X2 Pure. Their latest flagship DAC and streamer which is my main system. But I find the Soul to be pretty much equal to the sound quality of my reference system which is amazing. Hoping the upgrade keeps it relevant for yrs to come.

Please help me use the tape out or loop to isolate the DAC out to other amps. I’d like to see how it compares. Is also like to isolate the amp which I believe I can do. It is just the DAC that isn’t meant to be a fixed DAC only as I understand the unit.

 

[alexdemaet]

I don’t know how to do this. I was under the impression I could not use the Soul as a fixed DAC out to other amps.

To output to another external dac, there is the coaxial output on the Soul. Connect it to the coaxial input of the external dac. Then, use the xlr outputs of the external dac and make the connection to the xlr inputs of the Soul. That's meant with the "loop".

 

[MRC001]

I don’t know how to do this. I was under the impression I could not use the Soul as a fixed DAC out to other amps.

Actually it means the opposite of this. [In this mode] the Soul is everything BUT a DAC, it's not a DAC, because it's not doing any DA conversion. The Soul applies its DSP to the selected digital source, emits that modified digital output stream to an external DAC, and listens to its analog input.

To output to another external dac, there is the coaxial output on the Soul. Connect it to the coaxial input of the external dac. Then, use the xlr outputs of the external dac and make the connection to the xlr inputs of the Soul. That's meant with the "loop".

Exactly. And flick that Soul switch to the down position. This tells the Soul to apply all of its DSP to the selected digital input, while also making the analog input the active source for listening.

This is all covered in the Soul manual.

 

[geoffalter11]

To output to another external dac, there is the coaxial output on the Soul. Connect it to the coaxial input of the external dac. Then, use the xlr outputs of the external dac and make the connection to the xlr inputs of the Soul. That's meant with the "loop".

So I was right there is no other way to isolate the Soul’s DAC? Outside of using as a Preamp

 

[geoffalter11]

By AIO do you mean "all in one"? This is the simplest way to use the Soul. Just connect the player's outputs to the Soul inputs. If you connect the digital output, Soul is doing everything: DSP, D/A conversion, and analog volume control, "all in one". If you connect the player's analog output to the Soul, the Soul is just an analog preamp buffer & volume control, the player is doing D/A conversion.

The external DAC mode I mentioned is different. I call it the Soul's "external DAC loop", similar to a tape loop with traditional preamps:

• A digital audio source's output goes to the Soul's input via toslink, coax, or usb
• Soul applies its DSP processing (if any) and emits digital output via toslink
• Soul's toslink output connects to an external DAC's digital input
• external DAC's analog balanced output connects to the Soul's analog input
• Soul applies its volume control and emits to headphone & preamp outputs

This uses the Soul for DSP and analog volume and buffering, everything EXCEPT D/A conversion. To apply this mode, flick the lower switch just to the R of the headphone jacks, to the down position.

I’m quite happy with how I am using. I get bit perfect sound the way I use it and couldn’t be happier. The manual wasn’t written for a brain like mine.

I have verified with Jan that I am using it properly and benefitting from all of its functions. While I’d love to compare the DAC against my reference DAC and the amp against my other amps I think I will leave as is. I don’t use coaxial and have no coax cables.

 

[alexdemaet]

I alm also happy with Wolfson dac from the Soul. I am currently waiting for the Sp3000 dap. I don't know if I can do A/B comparisons because the Soul is a desktop device, while a dap is not. Maybe it's like comparing apples with banana.

 

[MRC001]

For those who want to play with this, here's the relevant section of the Corda Soul manual page [my highlights added].

BTW, it's worth mention that when using an external DAC, FF is no longer applied to the digital signal which means you lose the low frequency headroom that you get with the internal DAC. This is mentioned on page 14 of the manual. When using an external DAC, the Soul still applies FF but it is entirely in the analog domain.

 

[geoffalter11]

For those who want to play with this, here's the relevant section of the Corda Soul manual page [my highlights added].

BTW, it's worth mention that when using an external DAC, FF is no longer applied to the digital signal which means you lose the low frequency headroom that you get with the internal DAC. This is mentioned on page 14 of the manual. When using an external DAC, the Soul still applies FF but it is entirely in the analog domain.

Thank you. This is exactly why I only use it as an All in One so that I am utilizing Jan's design to its max. DAC, DSP in the digital domain and balanced amp. Being my 2nd system it has a very specific function in my system. And through all of my testing the Corda Soul is as good a All in One as I have heard anywhere. Not even the Bartok, or other super high end AIO's are better. Not to my ears at least. And it is tremendous with low impedance planars and high impedance dynamics. I have yet to hear a better product in its space.