DC-1 anolog input

[kkennally]

Just upgraded my XDA-2 and got the DC-1. Is anyone running a CD player via the analog inputs on the DC-1? I am thinking about running my ERC-3 through the analog input instead of coax digital.

[klinemj]

If you do that, the DC-1's DAC will not be used. You will be using the ERC-3's DAC. So, if you do that, what is the point of having the DC-1?

Mark

[brubacca]

You certainly can use the analog input. I would expect the coax or optical to sound better. The DC-1 has dual dac chips, so I would expect that it would sound better than the single DAC in the ERC-3. Your ears will tell you, in fact it would be great to hear the comparison. Not sure anyone has posted about it.

[garbulky]

You can absolutely do this. As everybody else had said you would not be getting the advantage of the DC-1's dual DACs, but it allows you to figure out which sounds better to your ears. What's nice about the analog input of the DC-1 is that it is a passthrough with no digital processing - just volume attenuation. So you "should" be recieving the analog signal of the ERC-3's DAC's this way.

Is there a paticular reason you are doing this? Like maybe running out of digital inputs maybe?
In that case you should know that you don't have to match the digital wire to the analog output wire coming out of the DC-1. For instance you can use the XLR (AES) digital connection from the ERC-3 and still use the analog RCA output on your DC-1.

[kkennally]

I have my ERC-3 connected via the digital coax to the DC-1 right now. I have been told by a few people that its better to run a quality CD player using the CD players internal DAC. I was thinking about running my ERC-3 using this method.

[garbulky]

Jun 7, 2014 21:04:21 GMT -5 kkennally said:

I have my ERC-3 connected via the digital coax to the DC-1 right now. I have been told by a few people that its better to run a quality CD player using the CD players internal DAC. I was thinking about running my ERC-3 using this method.

Nothing wrong with trying! For me the interesting part of the dedicated CD player is that there is no volume control in the signal path. It's a straight DAC line level signal being produced. Well I guess there will be a volume control in the signal path now by using the DC-1 pre-amp but you get the idea. Let us know what you think.

[audiobill]

IMO, using the DAC in the DC-1 trumps the ERC-3, as good as it is.

[klinemj]

I have been told by a few people that its better to run a quality CD player using the CD players internal DAC.

It all comes down to which is the better DAC...the CD player's internal DAC or the external DAC one?

In the case of the ERC-3 vs. the DC-1, the DC-1 should provide the better DAC. But you can always try.

Mark

[creimes]

IMO you would have to have amazing ears to be able to notice the difference between using the ERC-3's DAC or the DC-1, the best my ERC-1 has ever sounded is using a plain old potentiometer(Control Freak) between my ERC-1 and amp.

Chad

[wizardofoz]

I hope to get my new pre loved DC-1 later this week...as a stop gap to my XMC-1 at least for 2 channel and use the Analogue inputs for the XPS-1 on my TT. I will also feed coax from my STB and optical from my ATV. All this while I wait for UMC-1 parts to get my HT back.

[Dark Ranger]

Jun 8, 2014 9:03:02 GMT -5 creimes said:

IMO you would have to have amazing ears to be able to notice the difference between using the ERC-3's DAC or the DC-1, the best my ERC-1 has ever sounded is using a plain old potentiometer(Control Freak) between my ERC-1 and amp.

Chad

I agree. I'd go one step further and suggest that the "difference" one might hear between the ERC-3 DAC and DC-1 DAC might actually be the analog stage rather than the DAC implementation itself.