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Post by two89w on Oct 13, 2010 22:44:00 GMT -5
If I was to buy an XPA2 and a USP 1 and later when the XDA 1 comes out buy one of those so I can play music of my PC etc , Can I integrate the XDA and USP?
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Post by roadrunner on Oct 13, 2010 22:47:05 GMT -5
If I was to buy an XPA2 and a USP 1 and later when the XDA 1 comes out buy one of those so I can play music of my PC etc , Can I integrate the XDA and USP? yes |
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Post by two89w on Oct 13, 2010 22:48:07 GMT -5
Excellent , can you tell me how?
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jlafrenz
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I don't want to jump in, unless this music's thumping
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Post by jlafrenz on Oct 13, 2010 22:54:37 GMT -5
Excellent , can you tell me how? Connect your computer to a digital input on the XDA-1 and then the analog out from the XDA-1 to one of the inputs on the USP-1. |
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Post by two89w on Oct 13, 2010 23:41:05 GMT -5
I am led to believe that the XDA via the balanced outputs will be noticeably better than the USP. So can I run the XDA as the main PRE and some how integrate the USP if I want to use a turntable etc?
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Post by jimangie1973 on Oct 14, 2010 7:09:53 GMT -5
Why would the XDA output be noticeably better than the USP-1? Look at the measurements for the USP-1 from the hometheaterhifi review, they are great. In addition, the USP-1 has a pure analog volume control whereas the XDA has a digital (which theoretically should be inferior). The only possible advantage I see with the XDA is the balanced connections, which only help if you have a ground loop or poorly shielded/long cable runs.
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Post by ajani on Oct 14, 2010 7:28:17 GMT -5
I am led to believe that the XDA via the balanced outputs will be noticeably better than the USP. So can I run the XDA as the main PRE and some how integrate the USP if I want to use a turntable etc? If I had to integrate a turntable, I'd do just that: Run the XDA direct to my XPA-2 via balanced and run the USP to the XPA-2 via RCA... According to Lonnie the output stage of the USP is inferior to the XDA... Also the XDA digital volume control is 'lossless" so it should actually be better than analog in theory.... But the most compelling evidence (why I'm planning to run a XDA to my XPA-2) is that Lonnie has tried that combo and recommends it for best sound quality... |
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jlafrenz
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Post by jlafrenz on Oct 14, 2010 7:38:35 GMT -5
Why would the XDA output be noticeably better than the USP-1? Look at the measurements for the USP-1 from the hometheaterhifi review, they are great. In addition, the USP-1 has a pure analog volume control whereas the XDA has a digital (which theoretically should be inferior). The only possible advantage I see with the XDA is the balanced connections, which only help if you have a ground loop or poorly shielded/long cable runs. I think what he might have been referring to is that the XDA-1 has improved performance via the balanced outputs. This was stated in another thread that the balanced would have better performance. Also, the volume control in the XDA-1 is a stepped ladder controller that is digitally controlled. |
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Post by jimangie1973 on Oct 14, 2010 8:23:27 GMT -5
What's the performance improved from, and how is it improved? Lower THD, IMD, crosstalk? I don't think you're right about the volume control on the XDA-1, I believe it is done digitally before the DAC. I don't believe it's the same method as that used in the XSP-1. Regardless, the volume control function can be done well digitally as long as care is taken to keep the quantization noise white (flat vs frequency).
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Post by roadrunner on Oct 14, 2010 10:38:30 GMT -5
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jlafrenz
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Post by jlafrenz on Oct 14, 2010 17:01:25 GMT -5
What's the performance improved from, and how is it improved? Lower THD, IMD, crosstalk? I don't think you're right about the volume control on the XDA-1, I believe it is done digitally before the DAC. I don't believe it's the same method as that used in the XSP-1. Regardless, the volume control function can be done well digitally as long as care is taken to keep the quantization noise white (flat vs frequency). I was told that the volume control was analog and simply digitally controlled by Emotiva. Here is one thread that discusses it. emotivalounge.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=preampdac&action=display&thread=13341 |
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Post by rockguitar on Oct 14, 2010 18:12:49 GMT -5
What's the performance improved from, and how is it improved? Lower THD, IMD, crosstalk? I don't think you're right about the volume control on the XDA-1, I believe it is done digitally before the DAC. I don't believe it's the same method as that used in the XSP-1. Regardless, the volume control function can be done well digitally as long as care is taken to keep the quantization noise white (flat vs frequency). I was told that the volume control was analog and simply digitally controlled by Emotiva. Here is one thread that discusses it. emotivalounge.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=preampdac&action=display&thread=13341I remember that the volume control was simply a matter of accessing the built in volume control features built into the DAC AD1955 chip. I googled this before and found some contradictory info as to whether the volume control is done digitally or in the analog realm but these two sites says its analog. www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/142422-ad1955-internal-attenuator.htmlwww.audiodesignguide.com/DAC_final/DacFinal.htmlIf anyone wants to know for sure, best to email Analog Devices, the chip maker, rather than Emotiva, as they would be in the best position to know the complete circuit. |
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