Cd-1 RCA out

[bub]

New at all of this. I have my newly installed CD-1 hooked up to my onkyo 818 that I'm

using as pre-pro. RCA out to RCA in.. Whose dac am I using ? Cd-1 or Onkyo 818 .. And

If I went digital then whose dac ? Thanks.

[jmilton]

The RCA out is the DAC in the CD-1.

Digital outs to the Onkyo is then using the Onkyo DACs

[garbulky]

If you went digital you would use the Onkyo DAC ( completely negating the benefit of the CD-1).
As to your question as to your current configuration
If your onkyo is using (or even has) a direct stereo mode where it passes through the analog signal without digitizing it then you would be using the CD-1 DAC.
However if your onkyo uses a digital volume control to attenuate volume, any kind of room correction, any kind of surround sound mode etc then you would be using the onkyo DAC's once again because the signal produced by the high quality DACS of the CD-1 is now digitized again and then converted into analog by the onkyo DAC. Once again negating most of the benfit of the CD-1.

[audiobill]

Are we talking about the Emo DC1?

[hemster]

Feb 10, 2014 15:15:45 GMT -5 audiobill said:

Are we talking about the Emo DC1?

I believe we're talking about the CD-1, the Sherbourn  CD player. 

[bub]

Ok. So RCA out to onkyo in direct mode I'm using the dac from the cd-1. If I use any other mode other then two channel direct I'm using the dac from the Onkyo ?

I use both but mainly direct. So if I switch midstream I'm changing dacs ?

Also if I use any digital out then it's always the Onkyo ' a dac ?
Thanks. It's getting clearer.


The veil is lifting. Slowly. Thanks.

[bub]

Ok. So RCA out to onkyo in direct mode I'm using the dac from the cd-1. If I use any other mode other then two channel direct I'm using the dac from the Onkyo ?

I use both but mainly direct. So if I switch midstream I'm changing dacs ?

Also if I use any digital out then it's always the Onkyo ' s dac ?

Appreciate the time and information.

Thanks. It's getting clearer.

[monkumonku]

Feb 10, 2014 15:42:49 GMT -5 bub said:

Ok. So RCA out to onkyo in direct mode I'm using the dac from the cd-1. If I use any other mode other then two channel direct I'm using the dac from the Onkyo ?

I use both but mainly direct. So if I switch midstream I'm changing dacs ?

Also if I use any digital out then it's always the Onkyo ' s dac ?

Appreciate the time and information.

Thanks. It's getting clearer.

Correct. If you connect anything to the RCA inputs on the Onkyo then that is using the DAC from the source component because the RCA inputs are analog, meaning a digital signal has to already have been decoded in order for the Onkyo to reproduce it.

If you plug anything into the coax or optical inputs in the Onkyo, then you are using the Onkyo's DAC.

[garbulky]

That's essentially right. Unless your onkyo uses a digital volume control to reduce the volume from maximum. If it does, then the CD-1 DAC will be used, but once it gets to the onkyo, the onkyo DAC will be used. I have no idea what kind of volume control the onkyo uses.

[bub]

So if I switch up and used analog in with the USP -1 ,XSP-1  or the DC-1 instead of Onkyo ..
That would keep me in the analog domain but who's dac then ?  Sorry guys.  I'm way behind the eight ball and trying to catch up .  Again thanks.  

[garbulky]

Feb 10, 2014 17:03:08 GMT -5 bub said:

So if I switch up and used analog in with the USP -1 ,XSP-1  or the DC-1 instead of Onkyo ..
That would keep me in the analog domain but who's dac then ?  Sorry guys.  I'm way behind the eight ball and trying to catch up .  Again thanks.  

If you connected the DC-1 or the CD-1 to either the XSP-1 or the USP-1 you would be using the CD-1 DAC. The XSP-1 and USP-1 have no DACS in them. They just control the volume. So yes this owuld be the best path to go for your CD-1. BTW, the DC-1 sounds significantly better than the CD-1 at least to my ears.

BTW, the thing I said about digital volume controls - this is not an unusual thing and it's not meant to scare you into changing your gear. Just telling you what happens in the system.
With a USP-1 or an XSP-1 you can actually integrate your onkyo into the system using the HT bypass feature on the USP-1 and XSP-1. So this allows you to go like this
CD-1-> USP-1->
Onkyo-> USP-1 (via ht bypass mode).
And when you do this everything will be used for what it's meant to be and integration is seamless.

The DC-1 can kind of act like an HT bypass like the USP-1 by utilizing the analog input for your HT bypass on the DC-1.
So to operate the DC-1.
It would be
CD-1->(via digital cable) DC-1.
Onkyo->(via analog RCA input for the front stereo channels on)->DC-1

[KeithL]

Let's try and make this simple....

With the Sherbourn CD-1 CD player....

- if you use the analog outputs then you are using the DACs in the CD-1

- if you use a digital output then you are NOT using the DACs in the CD-1

With the DC-1.....

- if you have a digital input and an analog output then you are using the DACs in the DC-1

- if you have an analog input and an analog output then you are NOT using the DACs in the DC-1
(there will be no conversions going on and so the signal will remain in the analog domain)

The USP-1 and the XSP-1....

- are both ANALOG PREAMPS, and so the signal going through them will ALWAYS be and remain analog

With an Onkyo or other pro/pro or receiver.....it depends.....

- many pre/pros and receivers, including ours, have a Direct mode (everybody calls them something different)

- with Emotiva equipment, when you have an analog input, and are in direct mode, you will stay in the analog domain

- with other vendors you may or may not (some convert ALL analog inputs to digital no matter what).
You will have to look up the particular unit in question or ask the manufacturer. Don't assume either case; it varies.

- with anybody, if you have bass management or other processing, then you ARE being converted into digital and back again

In general, especially when we're talking about DACs, the factor that limits sound quality is the LAST device in the chain.
So, for example, if you connect the analog output of the CD-1 to an analog preamp you will be "hearing the DAC in the CD-1".
Likewise, if you connect that output to the analog input on a DC-1.

If you connect the analog output of a CD-1 (or of the DC-1) to an input on a receiver or pre/pro, and that pre/pro has a true
Direct mode (or bypass), and the signal remains analog the entire way through, then you will be "hearing" the DACs in the CD-1 or DC-1.

However, if that receiver or pre/pro converts its inputs into digital for processing, then you will be hearing the DACs in the pre/pro
(and the audio quality will be reduced to "the weakest link in the processing chain" - which will be the DACs in the receiver or pre/pro.

Pre/pros and AV receivers actually have A/D converters in them, so they CAN convert analog inputs into digital so they can do
processing and bass management. If they do so, then the audio will have to go back through their DACs afterwards.
If this is going on, then the sound quality you hear will be limited by the ADCs and DACs in the receiver or pre/pro.

(If you wanted to do processing in the pre/pro, then you might as well use a digital input on it.
There would be no benefit to using an analog output from the CD player to an analog input on the pre/pro.
There would also be no benefit to using an external DAC like the DC-1 (you would be converting digital to analog,
then converting the analog back to digital, processing it, then converting it to analog AGAIN).

Feb 10, 2014 17:03:08 GMT -5 bub said:

So if I switch up and used analog in with the USP -1 ,XSP-1  or the DC-1 instead of Onkyo ..
That would keep me in the analog domain but who's dac then ?  Sorry guys.  I'm way behind the eight ball and trying to catch up .  Again thanks.  

[bub]

Thanks Keith. Really easy to understand. Mr. Garbulky also ..it's like remedial hi-fi .. 099 class. .. The Onkyo does have Direct. And pure audio. And a bunch more. Guess I need to find out if it stays analogue. Thanks to everyone who posted..