Level LEDs on DCX2496 AES input?

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I input into a DCX2496 using a coax SPDIF signal from a Breeze converter that gets its signal from a USB port on a laptop, using a non-balanced coax cable. Upstream, the MacBook Air laptop has some apps that adjust loudness and some that don't.

So when I am looking at the A and B LED input lamp array, they seem to move up and down (and to do so together) even though I thought digital signals shouldn't vary with the content? Or why does the single feed show up as to twinned signals moving together even though the separate channels are not twinned that way? Sometimes the signal lights the red overload lamp although there seems to be no harm to the sound. While they are mostly revealing the coax signal strength, they also jump about with the loudness of the content too.

What dos the lamp array signify? Shouldn't an AES feed be a steady level?

Also, the input level adjustments on A and B in the DCX2496 seem to have no effect. I guess that's the digital world.

Puzzling. Thanks for clarification.

BTW, very happy with my very digital music system. Downstream from the DCX2496, I have ganged 4 audio-taper volume controls and that's my basic adjustment for loudness, just head of the bi-amps.

Ben
 
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Ben,

This question and many others are answered in the horribly long DCX2496 thread. Any question you could ever have is already there. 🙂

The indicators are monitoring the L/R signal levels contained in the S/PDIF input signal. The monitoring takes place before adjustment of the input sliders so their settings will not alter the visual indicators. An occasional red clipping indicator is not unusual. This means you are very near 0dbFS in the digital input signal.

Dave.
 
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Right. They are loudness indicators but with enormous dB spans and very long time constants.

Oddly, the DCX input volume adjustment does control the loudness downstream but has no effect on the display (which I guess is upstream of that software... even though the AES signal has already been processed into digital A and B before the LED display).

The DCX2496 thread is largely addressing mods (based mostly on unsubstantiated golden-ear claims for improvements) and too long to mine for information. BTW, using the AES input obviates the need for the frequently advocated input mod.

Thanks.
Ben
 
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Oddly, the DCX input volume adjustment does control the loudness downstream but has no effect on the display (which I guess is upstream of that software... even though the AES signal has already been processed into digital A and B before the LED display).

That's just what I said. 🙂

That thread is a wealth of information not only on mods, but on general operational limitations, performance, etc, etc. You can easily search it and find whatever information you're looking for. I lost interest in the DCX a number of years ago, but there are still numerous users who can be considered "experts" on its operation.

Dave.
 
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