kazoo
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Post by kazoo on Aug 19, 2010 15:10:36 GMT -5
No you will need something to decode the files. Right now I am converting all my CDs to WAV files. So I have an extrenal hard drive with all my files. That will be pluged into the PC using a USB cord. The from the PC I will have another USB cord pluged into the DAC. Then from the DAC I will have RCA cords plugged into the preamp. The USB will not decode files it just converts the digital signal to analog.
John
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Erwin.BE
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It's the room, stupid!
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Post by Erwin.BE on Aug 19, 2010 15:18:11 GMT -5
I'm new to DACs - can someone clarify for me... - I use JRiver (for many years, before FLAC was popular), and much of my audio is APE (lossless). Does this thing care that it's APE (versus FLAC, vs WMV, etc)? I plug it into a USB port and I'm good to go? or does it need to be able to process specific file types to work for me? ok im confused here ..dac noob. So i gather from reading this, that i can connect an external hard drive that has all my flac files and this thing will play them?? and what would be the diffrence with the logitech touch? which i was about to purchase. A (external or internal) hard drive is only a storage device. You need a player that can "decode" the formats (like MP3, FLAC or ALAC etc). This player can be a computer (PC or Mac) or if the HD is a NAS, a (wired or wireless) streamer (Sonos, Logitech squeezebox or a Hi-Fi device). The signal is still digital. After this, you need a DAC like the XDA-1 or a AVR/pre-pro with DAC's inside to convert from digital to analogue.
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venaka
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Post by venaka on Aug 19, 2010 20:35:48 GMT -5
ok im confused here ..dac noob. So i gather from reading this, that i can connect an external hard drive that has all my flac files and this thing will play them?? and what would be the diffrence with the logitech touch? which i was about to purchase. A (external or internal) hard drive is only a storage device. You need a player that can "decode" the formats (like MP3, FLAC or ALAC etc). This player can be a computer (PC or Mac) or if the HD is a NAS, a (wired or wireless) streamer (Sonos, Logitech squeezebox or a Hi-Fi device). The signal is still digital. After this, you need a DAC like the XDA-1 or a AVR/pre-pro with DAC's inside to convert from digital to analogue. ok a little less confused..well, cant I just use logitech touch to my umc-1? Where I get really nubbed out is the part where you convert digital to analog..why would I want to do this? I would think digital sounds better?
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Post by stuofsci02 on Aug 19, 2010 21:13:18 GMT -5
A (external or internal) hard drive is only a storage device. You need a player that can "decode" the formats (like MP3, FLAC or ALAC etc). This player can be a computer (PC or Mac) or if the HD is a NAS, a (wired or wireless) streamer (Sonos, Logitech squeezebox or a Hi-Fi device). The signal is still digital. After this, you need a DAC like the XDA-1 or a AVR/pre-pro with DAC's inside to convert from digital to analogue. ok a little less confused..well, cant I just use logitech touch to my umc-1? Where I get really nubbed out is the part where you convert digital to analog..why would I want to do this? I would think digital sounds better? You cannot listen to digital... Everything must be converted to analog before it is amplified and sent to the speakers... The conversion to analog from digital is one of areas that can make a large sound improvement..
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Post by Mister W on Aug 20, 2010 1:25:41 GMT -5
If I plan to use my computer with the XDA, should I choose USB or SPDIF (optical)? PC: USB Mac: USB or optical As short as possible is always best, max 2 meter (6') So if i have a long run to do, it's better, short usb, optical or coax, and long RCA cables than the other way?
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Post by ook on Aug 20, 2010 1:55:40 GMT -5
PC: USB Mac: USB or optical As short as possible is always best, max 2 meter (6') So if i have a long run to do, it's better, short usb, optical or coax, and long RCA cables than the other way? If the USB connection on the XDA is 16 bit then optical has an advantage since it is 24 bit which matters if any signal processing is done on the computer such as volume, EQ, or mixing of sources, or if you have 24 bit music. If you just leave volume at 100% and nothing else going on then 16 bit USB is fine. Make sure your sound driver is set to 44.1 and that it isn't resampling. Some higher end DACs have 24 bit USB but I don't know if the XDA will. Me, I'd run the digital as far as possible since digital tends to fail abruptly (all or none) while a long RCA cable will degrade as opposed to fail as the distance increases. You'll know when a USB cable fails due to distance.
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Post by ook on Aug 20, 2010 2:20:43 GMT -5
// Make sure your sound driver is set to 44.1 and that it isn't resampling.
Let me clarify... if there is no processing going on then set the sound driver to output 44.1k this way the data is unchanged.
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Erwin.BE
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It's the room, stupid!
Posts: 2,261
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Post by Erwin.BE on Aug 20, 2010 11:20:02 GMT -5
PC: USB Mac: USB or optical As short as possible is always best, max 2 meter (6') So if i have a long run to do, it's better, short usb, optical or coax, and long RCA cables than the other way? Yes, but the XDA-1 has two kinds of analogue outputs, see the pictures of the backside in the first post here. 1/ RCA = unbalanced (ie, "normal") 2/ XLR = balanced Problem with RCA is that there's a risk that the signal is "contaminated" along it's way to the amps. The longer, the more risk. The XLR is a way to avoid this, you can do 15 meters without a problem. Obviously, the amp has to have XLR inputs! Emotiva UPA-1 and all the XPA amps have this. XLR comes from the pro-audio world, where they use active speakers (with amps built in), so they have to make long runs. I just bought a very good DAC with one flaw: it has no remote! But the plan is to put it close to the listener's position (next to the Mac mini that acts as a dedicated player) and use the XLR to the two XPA-1 (around 10 meters max, 30'). Digital is easy. A €500 Mac mini does it perfect (if set-up correctly). The DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter) is also easy: the DAC chip in the XDA-1 costs $7! But it's the implementation and the quality of the pre-amplification that makes the difference to SQ. If you want the best of the best: get the Weiss DAC 202, a high-end upgrade with remote of my pro-version DAC2. It's $6,650. That's 22 XDA-1's...
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Post by malibujeff on Sept 6, 2010 10:12:49 GMT -5
I went to Emofest yesterday and had a great time. Thanks Emotiva.
I signed up on the official pre-order list for the XDA-1. The top of the sign up list said "shipping 11/1/2010"
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Post by aarheadc on Sept 7, 2010 3:51:22 GMT -5
...The top of the sign up list said " shipping 11/1/2010" I lol'd ;D
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Post by morgain on Sept 7, 2010 9:06:27 GMT -5
I went to Emofest yesterday and had a great time. Thanks Emotiva. I signed up on the official pre-order list for the XDA-1. The top of the sign up list said " shipping 11/1/2010" How can I also sign up for this pre-order, I have read quite some about pre-order lists, but never found information how to actually get information to sign up for one. Unfortunately I live in Europe and didn't have a chance to go to Emofest, would sure have been nice
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Post by Mister W on Sept 7, 2010 11:34:20 GMT -5
How can I also sign up for this pre-order, I have read quite some about pre-order lists, but never found information how to actually get information sign up for one. X2, gives us something to chew on, cant wait anymore. Put me on the list please!.. Erick Whittaker
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ddhd
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Post by ddhd on Sept 10, 2010 10:26:20 GMT -5
Can anyone confirm if this unit can decode HDCD?
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Post by broncsrule21 on Sept 10, 2010 14:14:07 GMT -5
I believe your "source" (cd player etc) would do the HDCD decoding. Not the DAC.
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ratmice
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Post by ratmice on Sept 10, 2010 14:16:22 GMT -5
How can I also sign up for this pre-order, I have read quite some about pre-order lists, but never found information how to actually get information to sign up for one. Unfortunately I live in Europe and didn't have a chance to go to Emofest, would sure have been nice I called the second I found out about the pre-order for the XDA, and was told to check the website "soon" for how to get on it. They would not take any names for preorder over the phone.
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ratmice
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I'm not an actor, but I play one on TV.
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Post by ratmice on Sept 10, 2010 14:17:06 GMT -5
I believe your "source" (cd player etc) would do the HDCD decoding. Not the DAC. +1
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ddhd
Minor Hero
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Post by ddhd on Sept 10, 2010 20:25:33 GMT -5
there are a few dac's that currently decode the hdcd signal. i believe a cd transport would not be the device that decodes the hdcd signal-that's what i thought a dac is for.then again i might be mistaken.
why wouldn't someone from emotiva mention this? i mean the erc-1 decodes hdcd and it uses the same dac chips. why would it have the same ability?
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ddhd
Minor Hero
Posts: 21
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Post by ddhd on Sept 10, 2010 20:27:30 GMT -5
actually i think i might be mistaken. the pmd-100 is a seperate chip that decodes the hdcd signal
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Post by Tim Petersen on Sept 11, 2010 4:13:37 GMT -5
Hi Has updated information on that DAC been released after the emo fest days or during the days? some update could be interresting..
What are the impression of the sound from the DAC from people who attended the emo fest days?
BR TP
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Post by malibujeff on Sept 11, 2010 11:38:43 GMT -5
I got to listen to the XDA-1 in the 2 channel room. Here is what they had setup.
ERC-1 -> XDA-1 -> XPA-1 -> ERT-8.3
I don't know how to give a professional review, but I thought it sounded really, really good. The sound stage was huge. Which to me sounds very good. It was very tight and clear. I really liked it and I put my name on the list to pre-order the XDA-1.
The only downside was I found out from Eric that the USB port was only going to support 16/44.1 and 16/48. I was hoping that they would at least support 24/96 since the current USB's on PC's will support 24/96. All the S/PDIF ports will support up to 24/192.
Jeff
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