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Post by creimes on Aug 17, 2014 23:25:41 GMT -5
Thanks Chad. Help me understand the USB. It just plugs into and USB port on the back of my computer? Yes any USB on the computer is fine, preferably one that is on the back of the computer, directly off the motherboard.
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Post by creimes on Aug 17, 2014 23:40:39 GMT -5
There's also 2 sets of Airmotiv 6 speakers for sale here on the lounge for close to what the new 4s ones are selling for, that's also an option IMO, I would love to pick up a pair of the airmotiv 6 speakers but my funds are very very dwindled at the moment.
Whichever way you go you should have a sweet little setup there, the used XDA-2 and used Airmotiv 6 would be a stellar setup for around $600.
Chad
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Post by redemption3 on Aug 18, 2014 3:21:03 GMT -5
Sorry Chad, I was not clear enough. I was trying to understand how the sound gets to the USB port to begin with in the computer. Right now I am hooked into the audio port on my computer, and that is connected to the speakers. Trying to understand how it works for my own satisfaction.
General question for anyone. How does the XDA-1 compare to the XDA-2 for my needs? Is one any better? Difference in usability or sound quality?
The 6's would be great, I think too big for my computer set up, and probably not needed for a small office room. I really appreciate letting me know what is out there!
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Post by garbulky on Aug 18, 2014 3:38:29 GMT -5
Sorry Chad, I was not clear enough. I was trying to understand how the sound gets to the USB port to begin with in the computer. Right now I am hooked into the audio port on my computer, and that is connected to the speakers. Trying to understand how it works for my own satisfaction. General question for anyone. How does the XDA-1 compare to the XDA-2 for my needs? Is one any better? Difference in usability or sound quality? The 6's would be great, I think too big for my computer set up, and probably not needed for a small office room. I really appreciate letting me know what is out there! Okay so all the music that your computer has is in digital format. The audio port on your computer is connected to a tiny (usually poor quality) soundcard that converts the digital into analog (i.e. a DAC). Analog is what speakers and amplifiers can understand. And the whole point of getting a DAC is to make sure that the analog signal is very clear and good sounding. It's the conversion of the digital TO analog that is the important part. If you muck it up here, as most PC audio ports do, then the resulting sound is pretty poor and cannot be improved upon. Hence the need for a DAC. With the USB how it works is the music when played exits out of the USB port to say the XDA-2 still in digital format (1's and 0's). At this point you still have more or less the exact same file and music that was on the computer. Then the XDA-2 acts as the DAC that converts the digital into analog. Imagine the XDA-2 as a much better quality sound card/audio port:) So how it works is - if you get any DAC, you will connect a USB cable - which you will have to purchase. From the USB of your computer to the USB input on the DAC. After that, you usually have to install a driver that tells the computer what the heck the DAC is and what it's supposed to do with it. All you have to do is download it from Emotiva's website and install it. After that and after you've hooked up your wires, that's pretty much it. Now the sound will come from your airmotiv's and sound oh so sweet As for the differences between XDA-1 and 2, there are audible differences, which I will send you a PM about. But...there are also functional differences that you may be more interested in. These are the things the XDA-2 has that the XDA-1 does not. It has an analog volume control. This is usually preferred and it means that you don't lose audio quality when you play quietly. It has a headphone amplifier. You can connect the headphones to it. It can also do high resolution audio files over USB. The XDA-1 can do high resolution audio files (i.e. higher than CD quality) over all its other inputs except USB. If you can swing the airmotiv 6's do so Emotiva has a transferrable warranty as well so there is low risk.
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Post by AudioHTIT on Aug 18, 2014 4:18:42 GMT -5
One additional point is that while USB may be the preferred connection type, many people have trouble with it. If your computer also has an S/PDIF output - TOSLink or Coax - you can connect the PC to the XDA-2 that way as well. If you look at the back of the XDA-2 you can see four different ways of getting a digital signal into the DAC. USB, Coax, TOSLink (aka Optical), and AES/EBU. Virtually all PCs have USB, but many also have Coax and/or TOSLink.
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Post by drtrey3 on Aug 18, 2014 8:43:10 GMT -5
I have a udac-2 and it is a dependable and tasty sounding unit in use with the Airmotiv 4s. Now it is not as good as my XDA-2, and I bet it is nowhere near as good as the $1000 Benchmark that the guy in the critical article compared it to, but then it costs $125, is small, and has a volume knob. My daughter's wonderful Firefly has no knob. I like my knob! The XDA-2 has no knob, sounds better, and is larger. If I update to the DC-1 at home, I will bring the XDA-2 to work, but I will keep the udac-2 for the road.
Trey
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Post by garym on Aug 18, 2014 9:34:10 GMT -5
Looking at getting the Airmotiv pair for my computer (PC tower system). What do I need to hook everything up to a PC? I'm driving my Airmotiv 6's with a Geek Out USB DAC. It handles all digital formats, up to 384/32 PCM and DSD. The 450mW version, $199, is more than sufficient to drive the Airmotivs. lhlabs.com/marketplace.html
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Post by creimes on Aug 18, 2014 10:14:49 GMT -5
Sorry Chad, I was not clear enough. I was trying to understand how the sound gets to the USB port to begin with in the computer. Right now I am hooked into the audio port on my computer, and that is connected to the speakers. Trying to understand how it works for my own satisfaction. General question for anyone. How does the XDA-1 compare to the XDA-2 for my needs? Is one any better? Difference in usability or sound quality? The 6's would be great, I think too big for my computer set up, and probably not needed for a small office room. I really appreciate letting me know what is out there! Sorry about that , yeah as Garbulky said you usually have to download the driver from the Emotiva XDA-2 website and in your audio setting on the PC or sometimes as soon as you plug the XDA-2 into a USB port Windows will install the driver for you, then you would select the appropriate default audio device ie the USB or whichever output you decide to use, my tower also has a digital coax output which is also a good and easy connection to use. If you right click your speaker icon in the bottom right corner of you screen and then choose playback devices it will bring up a window where you choose what audio output to use on your computer.
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Post by redemption3 on Aug 18, 2014 11:44:47 GMT -5
Thanks so much for the info. Very helpful!
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