I pulled the trigger on the TotalDAC D1-Dual. It is magnifique balanced into the BHSE. Still have some optimization to do though. USB from my windows 7 laptop creams the spdif or optical from the logitech touch (probably no surprise) but now I need to find out how much more I can push it, so the offramp is one possibility. I'd love to keep the convenience of the logitech music server if I can.
I may have been hallucinating, but with JRiver and the USB input last night, I thought I heard a big gain playing back WAV vs. FLAC of the same track...............have to follow that up.
Rather than hijack this thread, I think I'll move my optimization efforts to another thread.
Best wishes
Marty
I asked the question over on the PS Audio discussion site. I can't imagine it wouldn't have those inputs...I2S, XLR and RCA
In the picture that wizard posted, you can see the I2S/HDMI, USB and toslink connectors, but as I posted
the RCA/spdif and AES/EBU connectors are not visable. Maybe the XLR connector is hidden by
that connector with the black cable.
How so. AES/EBU is on the left, coax next to it, and there are 2 x 12S (HDMI connector) on the right.
For PC audio I highly suggest using Windows Server2012 and Audiophile Optimizer on top of that for incredible improvement over Win7.
Anyone have suggestions for a linux based source (other than the computeraudiophile v3 stuff)?
The problem is the PCM decoding process itself: whether a classic ladder-DAC or more modern multi-bit Sigma-Delta type, PCM processors universally mask some of the subtle cues in music, and no amount of upgrading, expenditure, tweaking or improvement can fix this fundamentally-flawed system.
It’s not enough to just convert PCM to DSD: Converting PCM to DSD can be an easy exercise using any number of computer software programs. Converting PCM to DSD properly, and in such a way as to reveal missing details in the music, is a serious technical challenge. DirectStream utilizes 66-bit fixed-point FIR filters, eliminates headroom issues common to PCM, flattens noise response in the 20-100kHz region, uses coefficients optimized for best sound rather than faster processing speed and optimizes hardware-specific operations not possible in software.
Because anytime you make a conversion, you degrade the sound. A copy can never be better than the original.....
http://www.psaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/PS-Audio-DirectStream.pdf[/url]
and I would say that Bruce is right
Originally Posted by Bruce B Because anytime you make a conversion, you degrade the sound. A copy can never be better than the original.....
If somebody wants to squeeze the last bit from the PCM recordings (which are 99% of the music there), I would vote for TotalDAC approach
--Michael
The DAC may sound good, yet the statement that converting (and there are multiple (!!) conversions along the process) PCM to DSDx10 will unmask hidden information from PCM.. is..
Even the PCM to 10xDSD is pure marketing, as the digital filter outputs 2xDSD data stream to the DAC - which is not uncommon.
Anyone have suggestions for a linux based source
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