PC -> XDA-2 - best config

[shandit66]

Hi, 
Just joined this board, since I have bought an Emotiva DAX-2 and am looking for feedback on how best to connect this into my system.
My setup is as follows:

Music Source
Big Dell workstation, Windows 7, 64 bit
Format: Mostly FLAC, but some other formats as well - all ripped from my CD's, since is WAY easier to deal with a large library
Player/organizer: MediaMonkey 4.1 - I've found it to be very flexible and great at organizing huge libraries.

Controls & Amps
Presonus Audiobox iOne (connected via USB) - this will be replaced by the XDA2
Behringer DCX24/96 as active crossover
Crown D75A's amps (one for tweeters, one of mid-base)
Interconnects: all XLR, fully balanced

DIY Speakers
MTM configuration, with Heil AMT1 tweeters and a pair of Scanspeak 8545 midwoofers per side

So, I will replace the AudioBox with the DXA-2.

Questions:
Q1 - what is the best sounding solution to connect to XDA the PC? 
Seems like Toslink or S/PDIF - I just dont know much about it. 
My researxch indicates that this should reduce jitter (something I am sensitive to)

Q2 - my PC does not have an Optical out.  But I have expansion slots to add a custom board. 
Any recommendations there?

Q3 - is there any parameters / tuning recommended to optimize performance?

Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere already (I did do a search). 
And thanks for all pointers

Olaf

[mauriceminor]

Aug 23, 2021 15:08:07 GMT -5 shandit66 said:

Hi, 
Just joined this board, since I have bought an Emotiva DAX-2 and am looking for feedback on how best to connect this into my system.
My setup is as follows:

Music Source
Big Dell workstation, Windows 7, 64 bit
Format: Mostly FLAC, but some other formats as well - all ripped from my CD's, since is WAY easier to deal with a large library
Player/organizer: MediaMonkey 4.1 - I've found it to be very flexible and great at organizing huge libraries.

Controls & Amps
Presonus Audiobox iOne (connected via USB) - this will be replaced by the XDA2
Behringer DCX24/96 as active crossover
Crown D75A's amps (one for tweeters, one of mid-base)
Interconnects: all XLR, fully balanced

DIY Speakers
MTM configuration, with Heil AMT1 tweeters and a pair of Scanspeak 8545 midwoofers per side

So, I will replace the AudioBox with the DXA-2.

Questions:
Q1 - what is the best sounding solution to connect to XDA the PC? 
Seems like Toslink or S/PDIF - I just dont know much about it. 
My researxch indicates that this should reduce jitter (something I am sensitive to)

Q2 - my PC does not have an Optical out.  But I have expansion slots to add a custom board. 
Any recommendations there?

Q3 - is there any parameters / tuning recommended to optimize performance?

Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere already (I did do a search). 
And thanks for all pointers

Olaf

I have two systems with Windows 10 computers as the source ( FLAC, Tidal, and Foobar 2000 on both )
System 2 also has a Bryston BDP-1 ( music files on USB only, no streaming ) to the XDA-2, a Yamaha T70 to the PRE-1


1. Dell Inspiron 3668 > USB to Musical Fidelity V-Link > S/PDIF to XDA-1 > LiTe A15 preamp > miniDSP 2x4 HD > UPA-500 > Linkwitz Lab LXmini
2. Lenovo IdeaPad 5 > USB to Musical Fidelity V-Link > S/PDIF to XDA-2 > Sherbourn PRE-1 > XPA-1's > A/D/S L1290

[shandit66]

thanks for the feedback
Whats the purpose of the Musical Fidelity V-Link in between?
If the XDA is used as a DAC, then PC -> USB -> XDA seems like a shorter path

[mauriceminor]

Aug 23, 2021 19:16:28 GMT -5 shandit66 said:

thanks for the feedback
Whats the purpose of the Musical Fidelity V-Link in between?
If the XDA is used as a DAC, then PC -> USB -> XDA seems like a shorter path

Good question, I tried them both

On system 2 the distance between the laptop and the DAC is about 18 feet, long for a USB cable
Pleased with the the V-Link solution I did the same for the later system 1 
Also, no drivers to download 

If the computer to DAC via USB works for you, great
Pretty easy to give it a try

[garbulky]

I would recommend stepping up from the XDA-2 to the DC-1.

[shandit66]

Aug 23, 2021 21:52:06 GMT -5 garbulky said:

I would recommend stepping up from the XDA-2 to the DC-1.

whats the benefit?

[KeithL]

For those who may not know... the V-Link is a USB-to-S/PDIF converter...

(It has a USB input and Coax and optical outputs... and basically replaces the USB input on your DAC.)

The original V-Link was limited to 24/96k - but the newer V-Link 192 supported up to 24/192k.

With an XDA-2 the main benefit would be in terms of the USB cable length.

Up until the third release of Windows 10 you would have needed to install our drivers to use the USB input on the XDA-2 with Windows.

The driver was never required with Apple computers, or most versions of Linux, and is no longer required for more recent versions of Windows 10.

However, the C-Media chip set we used on the XDA-2 (and the DC-1) is also somewhat sensitive to the length of USB cable you use...

Two meter cables work well, and some three meter cables will work, but many USB cables over 2 meters will not.

Since the V-Link has an asynchronous USB input, it also serves as a "reclocker", which will benefit some DACs that lack modern USB connections.

(It may in fact be lower in jitter than the USB inputs on some DACs anyway... )

To be honest, I would be surprised if the V-Link would sound audibly better than the USB input on the XDA-2.

(Both because the XDA-2 has a pretty good asynchronous USB input already and because it also has an optional ASRC reclocker built in...)

However being able to use longer cables is useful...

(The V-Link is a USB-powered "little black box" so there isn't much of a down-side to it.)

The DC-1 is actually relatively similar to the XDA-2 in basic performance and specs...

However, it does have a slightly more sophisticated power supply, and an analog input, and does sound a tiny bit better than the XDA-2 as well.

Aug 23, 2021 20:19:19 GMT -5 mauriceminor said:

Aug 23, 2021 19:16:28 GMT -5 shandit66 said:

thanks for the feedback
Whats the purpose of the Musical Fidelity V-Link in between?
If the XDA is used as a DAC, then PC -> USB -> XDA seems like a shorter path

Good question, I tried them both

On system 2 the distance between the laptop and the DAC is about 18 feet, long for a USB cable
Pleased with the the V-Link solution I did the same for the later system 1 
Also, no drivers to download 

If the computer to DAC via USB works for you, great
Pretty easy to give it a try