Sonos Dac or No

[bigbucz]

Evening all. Thanks to the suggestions from all my emotivia family I've peiced together and plan to purchase the xpa-2 and xps-1. But now I'll need a dac.... I've read from a few peoples posts that Sonos connect is a good route it so please shead some light onto why, and if not please comment with some suggestions of your own......

[pallpoul]

I have a Sonos connect and I recommend using an xda-2 or a similar capable DAC to get the best sound possible, I found the internal Sonos dac to be inferior to a dedicated DAC. hope this helps.

[minthral]

I tried a Sonos Connect a few years ago. I didn't like the sound and thought AirPlay to an ~1k MSRP Onkyo receiver was superior in every way.

[ottaone]

XDA or Schiit Modi 2 uber.

[Boomzilla]

I have to eat some words here - The Emotiva Stealth DC-1 DAC can sound amazing - but only in some systems. In mine, it sounds bad (understatement), but in my friend garbulky's home, the polar opposite. So put that one on your list of contenders too.

Boomzilla

[bigbucz]

i have a oppo103d so i guess i can use the dacs from there, but i'm thinking a separate would be a great improvement!

[klinemj]

Feb 7, 2016 0:31:14 GMT -5 bigbucz said:

Evening all. Thanks to the suggestions from all my emotivia family I've peiced together and plan to purchase the xpa-2 and xps-1. But now I'll need a dac.... I've read from a few peoples posts that Sonos connect is a good route it so please shead some light onto why, and if not please comment with some suggestions of your own......

Just to be clear, the Sonos Connect is a streamer with a DAC built in. As a streamer, I think it is awesome! Pulls in internet radio, any ripped music on my internal network, and streaming sources like Pandora, Tidal, etc. As far as its internal DAC, it's OK for background listening (like, when I am floating in my pool or cooking in my kitchen or on my deck.

But, I prefer using an external DAC for critical listening. You can use the streaming from the Connect and run digital out to a DAC. I do that in my theater and two-channel room and love it.

Mark

[yves]

No, IMO the sound quality of my Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme is way more than just a few leagues above the Sonos, i.e. there is simply no comparison IMO.

[audiobill]

Feb 7, 2016 11:15:29 GMT -5 Boomzilla said:

I have to eat some words here - The Emotiva Stealth DC-1 DAC can sound amazing - but only in some systems. In mine, it sounds bad (understatement), but in my friend garbulky 's home, the polar opposite. So put that one on your list of contenders too.

Boomzilla

Try it with your Mac?

[petew]

I recently added an XDA-2 gen 2 to my bedroom Sonos setup. I was previously feeding analog from the connect direct to the power amp. It was a noticeable difference with the high quality external DAC.

[Boomzilla]

Feb 7, 2016 14:44:04 GMT -5 audiobill said:

Try it with your Mac?

I have tried it in my system before - it stunk. But in garbulky's system, it sounds amazing! Why? Don't know. The Oppo DAC sounds best in my system; the DC-1 best in garbulky's. We've both listened - we both agree.

[audiobill]

I meant with the Mac preamp.

[garbulky]

Yes we do The DC-1 just doesn't work synergy wise there

[bigbucz]

Feb 7, 2016 14:23:12 GMT -5 klinemj said:

Feb 7, 2016 0:31:14 GMT -5 bigbucz said:

Evening all. Thanks to the suggestions from all my emotivia family I've peiced together and plan to purchase the xpa-2 and xps-1. But now I'll need a dac.... I've read from a few peoples posts that Sonos connect is a good route it so please shead some light onto why, and if not please comment with some suggestions of your own......

Just to be clear, the Sonos Connect is a streamer with a DAC built in. As a streamer, I think it is awesome! Pulls in internet radio, any ripped music on my internal network, and streaming sources like Pandora, Tidal, etc. As far as its internal DAC, it's OK for background listening (like, when I am floating in my pool or cooking in my kitchen or on my deck.

But, I prefer using an external DAC for critical listening. You can use the streaming from the Connect and run digital out to a DAC. I do that in my theater and two-channel room and love it.

Mark

Hey Klinemj gimme a breakdown on your setup

[bigbucz]

Feb 7, 2016 14:28:30 GMT -5 yves said:

No, IMO the sound quality of my Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme is way more than just a few leagues above the Sonos, i.e. there is simply no comparison IMO.

you've done AB comparison ?

[bigbucz]

Feb 7, 2016 11:09:58 GMT -5 ottaone said:

XDA or Schiit Modi 2 uber.

hey just read the xda's are discontinued 

[klinemj]

Feb 7, 2016 20:03:55 GMT -5 bigbucz said:

Feb 7, 2016 14:23:12 GMT -5 klinemj said:

Just to be clear, the Sonos Connect is a streamer with a DAC built in. As a streamer, I think it is awesome! Pulls in internet radio, any ripped music on my internal network, and streaming sources like Pandora, Tidal, etc. As far as its internal DAC, it's OK for background listening (like, when I am floating in my pool or cooking in my kitchen or on my deck.

But, I prefer using an external DAC for critical listening. You can use the streaming from the Connect and run digital out to a DAC. I do that in my theater and two-channel room and love it.

Mark

Hey Klinemj gimme a breakdown on your setup

See my signature. Sonos basics are that I have 2 Connects. One goes to a DC-1 (for a two channel system), and the other goes to an XMC-1 (for a 2 and/or 7 channel system). My other Sonos units are Sonos Amps powering various places in my home and a portable Play 5.

Love them!

Mark

[bigbucz]

Alert this maybe a Stupid Question but I'll ask anyway.

I know I can run hdmi from the oppo 103d to preamp along with rca to dac and then to preamp l, but how does the preamp know which format to playback? I'm assuming there is button on the amp(XPS) to automatically switch?

[KeithL]

OK, here goes.....

1) HDMI is a digital output. In general, pre/pros and AVRs have an HDMI input... two-channel DACs do not.

2) Most preamps, and most amps with multiple inputs, require you to manually tell them which input you want to use.
(The few that can auto-switch, like our Fusion Flex, use a very simple logic when set to auto - "if there's no signal on input 2, then use input 1; if there's a signal on input 2, then use that".)

3) The Oppo103 has several outputs.....
a) It has ANALOG outputs, which you can connect to the analog inputs on an amp or preamp (since the Oppo has a volume control, you can use it without a preamp).
b) It has an HDMI digital output, which you can use to connect to a pre/pro or AVR (but not a regular preamp or stereo DAC) - or directly to your TV.
c) It has OTHER digital outputs - like coax and Toslink. You can connect either of those to a stereo DAC, then connect the analog output of the DAC to your preamp or power amp's analog input.

The preamp doesn't "know which format to playback" - it simply takes its signal from whichever input you tell it to use.

Feb 8, 2016 1:37:41 GMT -5 bigbucz said:

Alert this maybe a Stupid Question but I'll ask anyway.

I know I can run hdmi from the oppo 103d to preamp along with rca to dac and then to preamp l, but how does the preamp know which format to playback? I'm assuming there is button on the amp(XPS) to automatically switch?

[yves]

Feb 7, 2016 20:05:39 GMT -5 bigbucz said:

Feb 7, 2016 14:28:30 GMT -5 yves said:

No, IMO the sound quality of my Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme is way more than just a few leagues above the Sonos, i.e. there is simply no comparison IMO.

you've done AB comparison ?

Yeah, I have done that. But the difference was so completely obvious that the AB comparison took less than 60 seconds.