Does the bottle neck of quality streaming and bit rate originate at the source….the DAC chip(s) in the original source(s)…. in my case a television and an old Blue Ray DVD player.
Suppose I’m a penny pinching Yorkshireman and enjoy the large display, seamless utility, and convenience of streaming music from my $80 Walmart 32” LCD TV in my office. The current set up has the TV’s optical output running to an Aiyima T10 preamp with a pedestrian DAC chipset. I do also use coax from an old blue ray DVD player into the Aiyima. I will rarely Bluetooth from my phone to the preamp. I never connect my computer to the preamp with usb as my computer has a slight ground loop and will introduce humming at times.
Is there any point of placing a better DAC between the TV and dvd player and the preamp (optical and coax to say an SMSL su1 then rca out to the Aiyima preamp input); or is this solely adding another potential source of distortion into the chain?
Suppose I’m a penny pinching Yorkshireman and enjoy the large display, seamless utility, and convenience of streaming music from my $80 Walmart 32” LCD TV in my office. The current set up has the TV’s optical output running to an Aiyima T10 preamp with a pedestrian DAC chipset. I do also use coax from an old blue ray DVD player into the Aiyima. I will rarely Bluetooth from my phone to the preamp. I never connect my computer to the preamp with usb as my computer has a slight ground loop and will introduce humming at times.
Is there any point of placing a better DAC between the TV and dvd player and the preamp (optical and coax to say an SMSL su1 then rca out to the Aiyima preamp input); or is this solely adding another potential source of distortion into the chain?
I use a very high end DAC connected to my TV and a decent amp and the sound is incredible. Movies come to life etc.
You have been a little vauge about your setup. I have never heard of your DAC. Your music is only good as the weakest link. If you had a decent DAC in your system then you will know where you are being limited in sound quality.
The cambridge gear at around £80 (dacmagic 100) is very lively albeit a bit clinical. Detail is very good! SMSL from what I read can fail randomly but everyones experience is different.
Another option to try but a bit risky is to run the TV into the DAC then straight into the poweramp with no preamp. Just make sure the volume is low. I have done this many times but try at your own risk. You will know how decent your pre is by doing this. Remember to switch on TV first then DAC then poweramp with all low volume.
You have been a little vauge about your setup. I have never heard of your DAC. Your music is only good as the weakest link. If you had a decent DAC in your system then you will know where you are being limited in sound quality.
The cambridge gear at around £80 (dacmagic 100) is very lively albeit a bit clinical. Detail is very good! SMSL from what I read can fail randomly but everyones experience is different.
Another option to try but a bit risky is to run the TV into the DAC then straight into the poweramp with no preamp. Just make sure the volume is low. I have done this many times but try at your own risk. You will know how decent your pre is by doing this. Remember to switch on TV first then DAC then poweramp with all low volume.
In general yes. The situations I have witnessed improved by inserting better DACs. The ultra cheap tiny DACs were less a succes as they are about the same as the internal mediocre stuff as used in the average TV.
And no, your question is not dumb.
And no, your question is not dumb.
I see; so the reasoning is the source stays digital up until it leaves the digital (hdmi/optical/coax) in device that then sends RCA analog out. This is the bottle neck (primary quality determining step). Makes sense.
Yes within limits. Some sources can be jittery while the DAC can not compensate that. Some DACs compensate a jittery source. The DAC usually has more influence on the total sum.
DAC technology has matured quite a bit. Recent affordable ones can give pretty good results. The recent ES9039Q2M DAC chip as used in SMSL products like the PS200 seems to be quite OK.
DAC technology has matured quite a bit. Recent affordable ones can give pretty good results. The recent ES9039Q2M DAC chip as used in SMSL products like the PS200 seems to be quite OK.
Clarification on the set up:
TV (optical)and Blue Ray (coax) into the Ayima preamp. Then RCA out of the preamp to a 1 in to 4 port out RCA splitter box. Port 1 ART Cleanbox pro to XLR to Kali LP6 powered speaker. Port 2 to Dayton audio subwoofer DSP to a Fosi audio subwoofer amp. Port 3 to a Dayton Audio amp. Port 4 to an Aiyima A07max amp.
TV (optical)and Blue Ray (coax) into the Ayima preamp. Then RCA out of the preamp to a 1 in to 4 port out RCA splitter box. Port 1 ART Cleanbox pro to XLR to Kali LP6 powered speaker. Port 2 to Dayton audio subwoofer DSP to a Fosi audio subwoofer amp. Port 3 to a Dayton Audio amp. Port 4 to an Aiyima A07max amp.
I took an old broken Cambridge CD500 and ripped out the DAC board and transformer. Bought a dir input board and was blown away by the quality. I use it to test opamps too. As good as £100-200 DACs. I believe its some CS DAC chip.
Whats the point of this story? Get a good DAC!
That pre/DAC you have it not good as a pre and not good as a DAC LOL. Get a dacmagic plus. Ive modified about 10 of those. It has balanced output/RCA. optical input/coax input. Its a headphone amp annnnnnd a preamp. Its semi decent dual dac with very high detail but clinical sound. But for around £100 or less you cant comlpain for all those features. If your preamp is half good, connecting the dacmagic plus to your valve pre will add some warmth and you should have a good balance of detail and smoothness!
Your powered speakers dont even need a preamp!!!!!!!!!!!! Just set the volume mid or less and control the volume via your TV and bypass your pre and other stuff for purer sound
Whats the point of this story? Get a good DAC!
That pre/DAC you have it not good as a pre and not good as a DAC LOL. Get a dacmagic plus. Ive modified about 10 of those. It has balanced output/RCA. optical input/coax input. Its a headphone amp annnnnnd a preamp. Its semi decent dual dac with very high detail but clinical sound. But for around £100 or less you cant comlpain for all those features. If your preamp is half good, connecting the dacmagic plus to your valve pre will add some warmth and you should have a good balance of detail and smoothness!
Your powered speakers dont even need a preamp!!!!!!!!!!!! Just set the volume mid or less and control the volume via your TV and bypass your pre and other stuff for purer sound
Well….I received the SMSL SU-1 for Christmas and ran optical from my $80 LED TV and coax from my BluRay player into it…then RCA out to the Aiyima T10 preamp, then RCA out to the RCA splitter box….then as above.
Then listened to Spotify for an hour and then watched Baby Driver (great soundtrack and lots of action) from the Blu Ray…everything sounded great and if the better DAC chip set in the SMSL SU1 made an audible difference, it would be a positive one.
Seamless install and utility; and a bargain for $80.
Then listened to Spotify for an hour and then watched Baby Driver (great soundtrack and lots of action) from the Blu Ray…everything sounded great and if the better DAC chip set in the SMSL SU1 made an audible difference, it would be a positive one.
Seamless install and utility; and a bargain for $80.