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At last... (Audiolab) - part VII

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Joe P

Memory Alpha incarnate | mod; Shatner number = 2
John,

Do you expect the new Audiolab stock to hit the colonies around the same time as it becomes available in the UK?

Joe
 
The CDQ as it is is still very good indeed though. It has does both visceral impact and subtlety with ease. Jack Johnson is currently very entertaining as well as helping to burn in a new mains transformer and brand new Sovtek KT120 output valves.
 
Hi Sergiox,

Any Transport that can be Clock-Locked to the MDAC - Old Arcams, Cambridge Audio CDT (Diskmagic), Deltec / DPA.

But these will be hard to find (working) these days, although I understand that DPA will add a "Clock-Lock" board to most CD players for GBP250... But I'm only going by what I hear via the Internet...

Otherwise, any transport that passes MDAC's Bit Perfect test.

We will have a matching "Transport device" within the next 6 months...

John
That's encouraging - I have an old 2002 Arcam FMJ DV27 that's in mint condition, which I wanted to use just as a disc transport for my pre-ordered M-DAC. It's a bit behind the times as a DVD player, but is still a beautiful piece of kit with a rock-solid disc transport.

John - do you know if this particular model has the ability to be clock-locked to the M-DAC? If so through which output - optical or coax?

PS: Can't wait for my M-DAC now! :)
 
HI PhilCTTE,

With the addition of the MDAC's upgrade PSU (with AV Bypass), I dont see why you could not use the MDAC in your AV System.

With the PSU/AV bypass - you AV system should work exactly as is does now - but with the advantage of higher quality audio in "Two Channel Stereo" Mode.

John
Thanks for your patience John

Just re-reading post 30#

"No the MDAC output will be directly Relay switched - so no extra active electronics - just connected to the MDAC's XLR outputs - then switched by relay to the "XLR / RCA" on the PSU "Bypass" outputs. Clean simple signal path. If you don’t need to use the PSU bypass function, then you would just connect the MDAC directly to your Power-Amps as usual.
Obviously the Single-end "Bypass" input is "actively" converted to Balance outputs / Buffered RCA outputs."

So would this infer that 2 channels from AV processor and 2 channels from MDAC switched via relay ?

The Marantz power amp requires 4 inputs in order to bi-wire my speakers. There's a confugration switch in the processor to duplicate the L to SBL and R to SBR. So I'd require a 4way bypass. I could unswitch the bi-amp option but would still require the 2 to output to 4 for the power amp.

I'm sure I'll get huge gains which ever way I implement the MDAC even if its only via 7.1 ch av bypass input on processor.
 
That's encouraging - I have an old 2002 Arcam FMJ DV27 that's in mint condition, which I wanted to use just as a disc transport for my pre-ordered M-DAC. It's a bit behind the times as a DVD player, but is still a beautiful piece of kit with a rock-solid disc transport.

John - do you know if this particular model has the ability to be clock-locked to the M-DAC? If so through which output - optical or coax?

PS: Can't wait for my M-DAC now! :)

Hi badgeratu,

Is far as I'm aware, only the Arcam CD Transport can be Clock-Locked (using the Optical connections).

To isolate RF and Mains Hum products - I'd recommand using the Optical output. The MDAC will attenuate the Optical connection's higher level of Random Jitter.

John
 
Thanks for your patience John

Just re-reading post 30#

"No the MDAC output will be directly Relay switched - so no extra active electronics - just connected to the MDAC's XLR outputs - then switched by relay to the "XLR / RCA" on the PSU "Bypass" outputs. Clean simple signal path. If you don’t need to use the PSU bypass function, then you would just connect the MDAC directly to your Power-Amps as usual.
Obviously the Single-end "Bypass" input is "actively" converted to Balance outputs / Buffered RCA outputs."

So would this infer that 2 channels from AV processor and 2 channels from MDAC switched via relay ?

The Marantz power amp requires 4 inputs in order to bi-wire my speakers. There's a confugration switch in the processor to duplicate the L to SBL and R to SBR. So I'd require a 4way bypass. I could unswitch the bi-amp option but would still require the 2 to output to 4 for the power amp.

I'm sure I'll get huge gains which ever way I implement the MDAC even if its only via 7.1 ch av bypass input on processor.

What sources do you want to have play through the power amp? Is it just the MDAC, or do you also want multi-channel video from your processor or other sources?

You could use the MDAC to drive the Marantz power amp directly. You just need some cables that split each channel into two, one for each input on the power amp.

Alternatively, if your processor has a stereo input, you could feed the MDAC into that.

The more complex setup is where you have both processor and MDAC connected directly into the power amp via a switch. The upcoming MDAC power supply will include that switch for you, but only for a stereo pair.
 
Hi John,
Can I tease some more information from your tease about the transport?! Will this new device have an Ethernet connection to enable it to stream music files?
Best, Duncan

Hi Steven Toy,

The Transport will be the same size as the MDAC,

John
 
What sources do you want to have play through the power amp? Is it just the MDAC, or do you also want multi-channel video from your processor or other sources?

You could use the MDAC to drive the Marantz power amp directly. You just need some cables that split each channel into two, one for each input on the power amp.

Alternatively, if your processor has a stereo input, you could feed the MDAC into that.

The more complex setup is where you have both processor and MDAC connected directly into the power amp via a switch. The upcoming MDAC power supply will include that switch for you, but only for a stereo pair.

Both MDAC and multi AV are required so the upcoming PSU with bypass would have been the way to go, if I wasn't bi-amping. Problem is the Marantz is a 8 ch power amp which requires a stereo signal from 4 inputs to utilise each power amp channel. I actually hadn't thought of a split cable if thats what you mean't. I will do some research on these ... cheers
 
Hi John,

Good to meet you at the show on Saturday.

Can you or Dominik give me some info, a few months ago Dominik gave me the following IR codes for the CDQ:

VIDEO sys 5, cmd 63
USB sys 20, cmd 101

These work fine, thanks

Can you let me know what the codes are for Volume up, Volume Down and Mute.

Will these codes also be the same for the DQ? If not can i have the above for that as well.

Also I have tried using the IR input on the back of the CDQ but this does not seem to work?

Thanks

Richard
 
haha yes obviously a term I see to often on some of the other threads.

Not sure I'll be able to use the digital pre-amp of either DQ or MDAC in my Marantz AV setup , as I'm bi-amping. It uses FL, SBL and FR, SBR output from the processor to achieve this. Might have to get something built in order to split 2 channel into 4 :confused:

I was planning to try routing the digital signal from my DVD and Blu Ray players via the Mdac and on to the Processor to see if the re-clocking gave any improvement.

As I route the front outputs from the processor to the pre amp and then on to the power amp I cant see that I will be able to use the MDac pre amp feature. The analogue bypass ( on the PSU) sounded interesting but I dont think it going to work in this set up. I would need to tell the Mdac which digital signal to pass through then play the analogue pass through. Guess it would need something like play and record features some pre amps have. It would be great if there was a way :D :D
 
I was planning to try routing the digital signal from my DVD and Blu Ray players via the Mdac and on to the Processor to see if the re-clocking gave any improvement.

As I route the front outputs from the processor to the pre amp and then on to the power amp I cant see that I will be able to use the MDac pre amp feature. The analogue bypass ( on the PSU) sounded interesting but I dont think it going to work in this set up. I would need to tell the Mdac which digital signal to pass through then play the analogue pass through. Guess it would need something like play and record features some pre amps have. It would be great if there was a way :D :D

Hi Mr Ian,

We can add a "work-around" in the software (somehow) meeting your requirement... Its a practical suggestion...

:)

John
 
Hi John,

Good to meet you at the show on Saturday.

Can you or Dominik give me some info, a few months ago Dominik gave me the following IR codes for the CDQ:

VIDEO sys 5, cmd 63
USB sys 20, cmd 101

These work fine, thanks

Can you let me know what the codes are for Volume up, Volume Down and Mute.

Will these codes also be the same for the DQ? If not can i have the above for that as well.

Also I have tried using the IR input on the back of the CDQ but this does not seem to work?

Thanks

Richard

Hi Richard,

Very good to meet you and your dearest Wife at the show :) I'll bring Bobby and Co. next time.

As far as I'm aware (and I could be mistaken), there is no standard for the RC connection - so we have our own:-

Open Collector - Inverted Logic

Sleeve is Ground

Tip is Signel

No Power

Not sure if this helps, but we designed the RC loop really for our own Lakewest / Peachtree products - thus the Audiolab follows.

I'll ask Dom to post the full RC Code list

John
 
Hi John,
Can I tease some more information from your tease about the transport?! Will this new device have an Ethernet connection to enable it to stream music files?
Best, Duncan

Are you bugging our conversations???? :) we where just talking about this last night....

Early days, but the "transport" will really be a "digital source component", so along with other features we are looking into DLNA streaming.

John
 
John,

Do you expect the new Audiolab stock to hit the colonies around the same time as it becomes available in the UK?

Joe

Hi Joe,

Meeting UK's demains going to be a struggle - all bets are off about the rest of the world.

I've heard that a few distrubuters are not keen to stock the MDAC due to "Tight" margins... Dont even get me started!

John
 
@Mr Ian - This is my understanding. The ideal implementation for the ultimate SQ is to use the MDAC as a digital pre-amp. To route your main digital source for music (2ch) directly into the MDAC and then onto your power amp.

For those who have AV processors a PSU/bypass unit is planned so you can route the main analogue stereo output from your processor/pre into the PSU as well as the two channel output from the MDAC. If I am correct in reading earlier posts. Using the PSU to switch which input to use (via some sort of wired comms link from MDAC to PSU) and then send 2ch output from PSU unit onto power amp.

So following configurations are possible :

DVD AV 7ch > processor > PSU > Power amp.
SKY > processor > PSU > Power amp.
DVD Music 2ch > MDAC > PSU > Power amp.
Digitial Streamer > MDAC > PSU > Power Amp.

Ideally all AV processor's would have 2 channel digital output and we would not need the PSU switcher, but unfortunately most digital outputs I've seen are for digital recorders. Where you have to manually select one digital input source to output via an options menu and not a simple button on the remote. Which is a pain as everytime you switch between SKY / DVD and digital streamer you would have to set this as the input manually each time.

I guess if your digital source is a DVD player for music as well as AV you could possibly use 2 DVD outputs one into processor and one output into the MDAC. Or for those players which have internal decoding you would use the analogue 7.1 input on processor. Of course the input into the MDAC would have to be a stereo signal.

Of course this is all still in the design stages with John.
 
Hi Richard,

Very good to meet you and your dearest Wife at the show :) I'll bring Bobby and Co. next time.

As far as I'm aware (and I could be mistaken), there is no standard for the RC connection - so we have our own:-

Open Collector - Inverted Logic

Sleeve is Ground

Tip is Signel

No Power

Not sure if this helps, but we designed the RC loop really for our own Lakewest / Peachtree products - thus the Audiolab follows.

I'll ask Dom to post the full RC Code list

John

(She is my girlfriend by the way :) ), would you believe one of the reasons she came along with me was to see Bobby again....oh and to go to Harvey Nichols of course....for some reason she thinks shoes and handbags are more interesting than Hi-Fi! She does enjoy looking around the shows though.

Shame there is no standard for the RC connection, i just assumed they were all the same. I have just purchased a Global Cache unit to work with irule, it works when i directly connect it to my Onkyo processors RC input also i had a usb-uirt that connection also worked with other devices.
Any idea if i can do anything to get the GC unit to work with the CDQ/DQ (http://www.globalcache.com/products/itach/ip2irspecs/)

The RC code list will be really helpful

thanks

Richard
 
Hi Richard,

Not much info about the Electrical interface of the GC unit, but if you send me your unit I can probe it + modify it to work with our RC interface loop,

John
 
Hi John, if you get a moment can you PM some contact details so that we can organise your visit around Christmastime (I told my wife about the dogs and she was thrilled and wants to know whether she can take them out for a walk with our sons and leave us 'sad hifi types' to it (!)). I got my CDQ last Friday and very fine it is indeed, a quality product indeed (even if I can't read the display during the day...)
 
Hi Richard,

Not much info about the Electrical interface of the GC unit, but if you send me your unit I can probe it + modify it to work with our RC interface loop,

John

Thanks for the offer, trouble is I was planning to daisy chain it, so GC out to Onkyo in, Onkyo out to DQ in, DQ out to IR emitter. I can probably get around it by using the ir blaster emitter for the DQ I wll know for sure once I get Dominik's RC code list and give it a try.

Even after our conversation on Saturday I think I will still go with the DQ I have on order, just fits in to my system better with the bypass/size etc and I am really happy with the CDQ sound quality I think you said that the DQ is slightly better so I will be more than happy with that.

Also with your talk of a new "transport" in the future when that is out i will probably upgrade to that, especially if it has DLNA streaming so would take the PC out of the loop. I know its early days but can you consider putting an XLR bypass in it as standard :)

thanks

Richard
 
Hi John, if you get a moment can you PM some contact details so that we can organise your visit around Christmastime (I told my wife about the dogs and she was thrilled and wants to know whether she can take them out for a walk with our sons and leave us 'sad hifi types' to it (!)). I got my CDQ last Friday and very fine it is indeed, a quality product indeed (even if I can't read the display during the day...)

Lo J. The upgraded screen is easy to read from about 25 feet (large) and about 15 feet(small) even in bright daylight.
 
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