[miyinan]

Quote:

It won't work with active speakers unless your speakers have volume controls.  Like almost all DACs, the RCA outs are fixed line level.

Thanks Skylab. My av40s have a volume control, so I guess it will work. However, looking at the audio-gd FUN, it has preamp out which could be used with active speakers. Compared to the fixed line out on the D100, does the preamp out function (on the FUN) have any advantage with active speakers except that you can control the volume using the device itself?
 
Thanks

 

[Skylab]

I' not familiar with the FUN.  Does if have analog inputs?  If so, then the source switching could be an advantage.

 

[miyinan]

Quote:

I' not familiar with the FUN.  Does if have analog inputs?  If so, then the source switching could be an advantage.

Yes, the FUN has analog inputs. However, I don't think that I need it that much as I will only use whatever I get as a dac/amp combo.
 
What I was wondering was if the preamp out on the FUN would have any advantage (SQ wise) over the fixed-level line out on the D100 when using both of them with active speakers. The volume control will not be a problem to me as my speakers have a volume control.
 
Thanks
 

 

[Bojamijams]

There would be no advantage (SQ wise) over fixed line-level output... In fact, fixed line-level is the only 'true' line out.. if you can change its volume then it means it goes through the amplifier chip first and thus isn't a true line-out.
 
Quote:

Yes, the FUN has analog inputs. However, I don't think that I need it that much as I will only use whatever I get as a dac/amp combo.
 
What I was wondering was if the preamp out on the FUN would have any advantage (SQ wise) over the fixed-level line out on the D100 when using both of them with active speakers. The volume control will not be a problem to me as my speakers have a volume control.
 
Thanks
 

 

[miyinan]

Quote:

There would be no advantage (SQ wise) over fixed line-level output... In fact, fixed line-level is the only 'true' line out.. if you can change its volume then it means it goes through the amplifier chip first and thus isn't a true line-out.
 

 

Thanks Bojamijams. Now I am really interested in the D100

 

 

[miyinan]

I was reading a thread created by the designer of D100 on erji.net (A Chinese Hi-fi forum). Apparently, the USB input on D100 is so good that he even recommended using it over using the coax input through most inexpensive usb-to-sp/dif converters. I was very impressed. However, he recommended setting the sampling rate to 24bit/96khz in foobar no matter what sampling rate the music file has when using the usb input. The attached picture is what he posted on erji.net, it reads “resampler settings”. He said that if you set it up this way and listen to 44.1/48 files in foobar, it will still read 44.1/48khz in foobar but the D100 will show 96khz. I am a little confused. Will anyone please explain to me why setting the foobar at 96khz will sound better when the music file is only 44.1/48khz.
 
Many Thanks.

 

[ninjikiran]

One reason could be to fix any compatibility issues(like if it doesn't support 88.2khz), another could be he doesn't hear a noticeable different resampling to 96khz or the D100 doesn't handle files lower than 96khz as well.
 
Quote:

I was reading a thread created by the designer of D100 on erji.net (A Chinese Hi-fi forum). Apparently, the USB input on D100 is so good that he even recommended using it over using the coax input through most inexpensive usb-to-sp/dif converters. I was very impressed. However, he recommended setting the sampling rate to 24bit/96khz in foobar no matter what sampling rate the music file has when using the usb input. The attached picture is what he posted on erji.net, it reads “resampler settings”. He said that if you set it up this way and listen to 44.1/48 files in foobar, it will still read 44.1/48khz in foobar but the D100 will show 96khz. I am a little confused. Will anyone please explain to me why setting the foobar at 96khz will sound better when the music file is only 44.1/48khz.
 
Many Thanks.

 

[miyinan]

Actually, D100 does support 44.1khz based on the OP's review, and someone on erji.net has tried 88.2khz as well. Are you saying setting the resampling rate to 88.2khz should be better than 96khz because it is exact doubling (when playing 44.1khz files)?
 
Quote:

One reason could be to fix any compatibility issues(like if it doesn't support 88.2khz), another could be he doesn't hear a noticeable different resampling to 96khz or the D100 doesn't handle files lower than 96khz as well.
 

 

 

[miyinan]

@project86: What was the sample rate of the music file you used to test the D100? Based on pictures you posted, it seems that you used 96khz for USB input. Did you try any 44.1khz with USB input? When using USB, did you set the resample rate to 96khz in foobar all music files (including 44.1 ones)?

Sorry I have a lot of questions. I was about to pull triger on he D100 but got a little confused with the foobar setting with USB input. By the way, your review was great and thorough and I enjoyed reading it.

Cheers

Lee

 

[reiserFS]

I've been using the D100 since two weeks and couldn't be any happier, I've never heard such a transparent, natural and detailed sounding DAC before. Totally kicks my modded D1 away. Don't think I'll be upgrading my source anytime soon. Well, maybe a Ref.1 sometime next christmas. Really glad I pulled the trigger on it.

 

[ninjikiran]

I am saying it might not sound as optimal, or maybe it upsamples or oversamples and the software resample is better I dunno just a guess.
 
Quote:

Actually, D100 does support 44.1khz based on the OP's review, and someone on erji.net has tried 88.2khz as well. Are you saying setting the resampling rate to 88.2khz should be better than 96khz because it is exact doubling (when playing 44.1khz files)?
 

 

 

[miyinan]

Thanks ninjikiran. Maybe we have to try it out ourselves..lol. As long as it sounds good, who cares.

 

[project86]

 
Quote:

@project86: What was the sample rate of the music file you used to test the D100? Based on pictures you posted, it seems that you used 96khz for USB input. Did you try any 44.1khz with USB input? When using USB, did you set the resample rate to 96khz in foobar all music files (including 44.1 ones)?

Sorry I have a lot of questions. I was about to pull triger on he D100 but got a little confused with the foobar setting with USB input. By the way, your review was great and thorough and I enjoyed reading it.

Cheers

Lee

That picture I posted was mainly to show how the device appears in Foobar as "Yulong Audio". I just happened to be playing a 96kHz file at the time.... but as we know, most music is basic CD quality, and I play a ton of 44.1kHz tracks over USB. The result is very good. Perhaps just a small step down from some of the best I've ever heard over USB, such as the Wavelenth Audio Crimson.
 
I do not set a resample rate as I prefer to keep the computer from messing with the tracks, unless I need to downconvert a file that is higher than 96kHz. I have no idea why the designer would suggest that 44.1 be upsampled by the PC. I would think the dedicated ASRC hardware in the D100 could handle that process better than the software method that Foobar uses. Differences between sample rates are not night and day, but I am pretty sure I have heard a difference between native output and Foobar upsampled output. Not a huge difference, but enough to convince me to keep things in their native rate, and let the D100 do the heavy lifting in that area.

 

[project86]

Forgot to mention: I have played 88.2kHz tracks with the D100. It properly displays the sample rate and has no trouble at all.

 

[miyinan]

Quote:

 


That picture I posted was mainly to show how the device appears in Foobar as "Yulong Audio". I just happened to be playing a 96kHz file at the time.... but as we know, most music is basic CD quality, and I play a ton of 44.1kHz tracks over USB. The result is very good. Perhaps just a small step down from some of the best I've ever heard over USB, such as the Wavelenth Audio Crimson.
 
I do not set a resample rate as I prefer to keep the computer from messing with the tracks, unless I need to downconvert a file that is higher than 96kHz. I have no idea why the designer would suggest that 44.1 be upsampled by the PC. I would think the dedicated ASRC hardware in the D100 could handle that process better than the software method that Foobar uses. Differences between sample rates are not night and day, but I am pretty sure I have heard a difference between native output and Foobar upsampled output. Not a huge difference, but enough to convince me to keep things in their native rate, and let the D100 do the heavy lifting in that area.

Thanks project86. So when you play 44.1 files, what was the sample rate figure showing on D100? 44.1 right? I totally agree with you and normally don't do any upsampling in foobar as well and just leave it as what it is, or at least keep it exact doubling if you do upsampling files.
 
By the way, when you said "let the D100 do the heavy lifting", did you mean that the ASRC hardware in the D100 will automatically up- or re-sample the 44.1 music to higher rate or something? Sorry if this sounds silly. I am new to the DAC world and especially the ASRC.
 
Thanks