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Post by pwong888 on May 29, 2011 0:15:20 GMT -5
Plan to buy a XDA-1 and XPA-2 to connect with a Yamaha 3800 AVR and a sony cd player, how should a make the connection to get the best sound quality for both HT and CD?
Please help!!!
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hemster
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Post by hemster on May 29, 2011 0:19:47 GMT -5
For music: Sony -> XDA-1 -> XPA-2
HT: Video source -> Yamaha
where video source is the DVD/BD player.
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Post by thielguy on Jun 3, 2011 10:04:08 GMT -5
hi hemster... from the above...
how would the AVR connect to the XPA-2? The XDA-1 is alreay conencted to it, so I'm confused as how the signal gets from the Yamaha to the amp?
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hemster
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Post by hemster on Jun 4, 2011 0:35:30 GMT -5
hi thielguy, the feed to the XPA-2 will need to be switched manually... maybe using a speaker switch could be convenient. I know some purists will frown upon the idea of a switcher though..  |
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Post by eirik84 on Jun 4, 2011 6:07:48 GMT -5
Plan to buy a XDA-1 and XPA-2 to connect with a Yamaha 3800 AVR and a sony cd player, how should a make the connection to get the best sound quality for both HT and CD? Please help!!! Music: Connect Sony -> XDA ->XPA using XLR HT: Yamaha -> XPA using RCA Then you only have to move the switch on the back of the XPA-2  |
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hemster
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Post by hemster on Jun 4, 2011 10:37:24 GMT -5
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Post by thielguy on Jun 4, 2011 13:34:10 GMT -5
my understanding is that using the XDA-1 as a solo pre-amp is done to shorten the single path. a switcher of any kind would effectively be another component in the signal path, and likely a fair low quality component. So why just instead use the AVR for all sources and it will take care of the switching?
sources -> ----------------------->
.......................................................all into AVR ---> amps --> speakers
Digital sources ---> XDA -- >
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hemster
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Post by hemster on Jun 4, 2011 15:20:46 GMT -5
If the AVR can pass the digital digital signal from the XDA without altering it in any way, then great. But most AVRs get in the way a little... even if to regulate volume.
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jamrock
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Post by jamrock on Jun 4, 2011 16:17:00 GMT -5
Isn't a receiver a sort of audio sink? Therefore, it will apply it's DAC to any digital signal it receives. I could be wrong but a receiver will only pass a digital video signal, not audio. Patching the XDA-1 between the receiver and the power amp will result in at least 2 ADC & DAC conversions. Go back to reply #1 for purist listening if that is your intention. If the Yammy has analog pass thru, get a USP-1 and that will give you exactly what you want to achieve.
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Post by thielguy on Jun 4, 2011 20:00:02 GMT -5
for my personal 2.0 system - I do use just the XDA-1 to UPA-1's... so aggreed regarding the purist approach.
But for the origional poster's multipurpose system, I think it is ok to put the XDA upstream of the AVR. The XDA will do the D/A conversion then output analog to the AVR.
I don't think the AVR will go digital again, will it? Obviously, if it does, then connecting a DAC of any kind before a avr is self defeating.
I think/hope most better AVR's will give you the option to just amplify an analog signal - or pass the analog signal on to amps - unless you ask it to go some processing, room correction, etc...
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Post by thielguy on Jun 4, 2011 20:10:39 GMT -5
in fact, I did just get the xda-1 - and hooked it up to the multichannel home theater to make sure it worked, etc. before moving it to the above mentioned 2.0 system.
I have a very nice $2k integrated system - so I thought it's on board DAC would be at least as good as the xda - but I was actually quite surprised to find that the xda was making everything sound markedly better.
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jamrock
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Post by jamrock on Jun 4, 2011 21:10:27 GMT -5
In any configuration, you want the output of the XDA-1 to go directly to the power amp without any interference or additional processing. Anything else, you lose the benefit of the XDA-1.
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