[project86]

Quote:

I hope you are right. I should add that I when I listen using headphones the missing element is back even though it is fed via toslink cable. My comment is strictly in a direct to amp set up with optical out. The texture, space, and weight sound right through the heeadphones.  
 
3/31/13 I need to ad an ademdum: Today I moved the computer and TV cable box further away from the Nuforce DAC and Marantz power amp. It sounds much better. The problem might have been EMI/RFI interference. 

 
Interesting. I don't normally think of that as being a major contributor to the sound, but of course it is a possibility. And in your case maybe that's exactly what was at play. Good thinking as far as moving those boxes away. A USB to SPDIF converter could still bring even more improvements, but at least you got rid of your main complaint. 

 

[BournePerfect]

John-did you ever try the SBT with the Dac100? I'm getting an absolute headache trying to get it to work either with USB or even just optical. Nothings is working. I swear the SBT requires 5 workarounds anytime I connect anything new to it.
 
*head/thru/wall*
 
-Daniel

 

[BournePerfect]

Now I'm wondering if it is the Dac 100 unit-even basic optical out of my Oppo 103 refuses to work. Tried everything from bitstream up through LCPM 48, 96 etc. No go. HELP!
 
-Daniel

 

[project86]

Quote:

John-did you ever try the SBT with the Dac100? I'm getting an absolute headache trying to get it to work either with USB or even just optical. Nothings is working. I swear the SBT requires 5 workarounds anytime I connect anything new to it.
 
*head/thru/wall*
 
-Daniel

 
I know that feeling - I had lots of frustration with the SBT with EDO. Seems like it worked with every other DAC I tried, at best.... very frustrating. Ended up selling it partially for that reason. There's always coax right?
 
Quote:

Now I'm wondering if it is the Dac 100 unit-even basic optical out of my Oppo 103 refuses to work. Tried everything from bitstream up through LCPM 48, 96 etc. No go. HELP!
 
-Daniel

 
Weird. Any other source or cable you can try? What about a PC or Mac via USB?

 

[BournePerfect]

Finally got the coax out of the SBT working. No luck on any optical sources yet, and the cable is good. My main gripe is the USB-that's pretty much the only way I wanna hear music from the SBT-I'm a believer. Maybe I'll mail Nuforce and even see if it's compatible with the SBT/EDO. What were your impressions of the USB vs Coax on the Dac100, if you recall?
 
Thanks for the help so far...
 
-Daniel

 

[dgently]

About USB compatibility to EDO.
I have the u192s USB converter from Nuforce, which I undestand is the same as the one in the Dac-100.
This works with EDO, but you have to unplug the usb, and plug it in after the Squeezebox is halfway booted for it to be detected. After that it works like a charm. a bit annoying, but I rarely reboot the SBT.
Hope this helps.

 

[BournePerfect]

I'll give it a shot later and report back-thanks for the tip.
 
-Daniel

 

[project86]

That's exactly the kind of shenanigans I got sick of with the SBT and EDO. But I hope it works for you! 
 
I just recalled - I think there was some combination of buttons on the remote which would mute the line out but not the headphone out, or vice versa. It was sort of an undocumented feature, or just not documented very well. Perhaps that's what causes your problems? Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, or maybe it was the HAP-100... or some other completely unrelated product. Armaegis? Ring a bell? Or am I going crazy?

 

[BournePerfect]

No- I finally got the coaxial working from the SBT. The red optical light on the back of the unit isn't lit when the Dac100 is on-I assume that means it's not working properly. I'm going to call Nuforce today and ask them about SBT compatibility...will update later.
 
-Daniel

 

[project86]

Quote:

No- I finally got the coaxial working from the SBT. The red optical light on the back of the unit isn't lit when the Dac100 is on-I assume that means it's not working properly. I'm going to call Nuforce today and ask them about SBT compatibility...will update later.
 
-Daniel

 
Usually when Toslink is working, you connect your cable to the CD player and get a red light coming out of the cable tip. If that's not happening, the source isn't sending an optical signal for some reason. I don't think you can tell optical functionality by looking at the back of the DAC - it just receives the signal that should be sent from the player itself. Does that make any sense?

 

[BournePerfect]

Yeah- I guess I was under the assumption that both optical ins and outs were lit when powered up. Who knows-I'll talk to Nuforce and maybe take this apart later.
 
-Daniel

 

[project86]

Quote:

Yeah- I guess I was under the assumption that both optical ins and outs were lit when powered up. Who knows-I'll talk to Nuforce and maybe take this apart later.
 
-Daniel

 
Have you got another DAC to test optical with? If you aren't getting a light from the cable tip, your source isn't sending out a signal. Or maybe the cable could be bad. 

 

[BournePerfect]

Source and cable(s) are fine-my Oppo opt out is good, so is my 360's-both are lit. The Dac100 opt in isn't lit though.
 
-Daniel

 

[Armaegis]

  I just recalled - I think there was some combination of buttons on the remote which would mute the line out but not the headphone out, or vice versa. It was sort of an undocumented feature, or just not documented very well. Perhaps that's what causes your problems? Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, or maybe it was the HAP-100... or some other completely unrelated product. Armaegis? Ring a bell? Or am I going crazy?

 
I think there's some button you press when turning on that mutes the... RCA output? Argh I don't remember either. It's hidden in the manual somewhere.
 
 

  Source and cable(s) are fine-my Oppo opt out is good, so is my 360's-both are lit. The Dac100 opt in isn't lit though.
 
-Daniel

 
Optical inputs don't light up. They simply receive. Perhaps the input selector is just being wonky?