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Getting the best out of a Rega DAC (or any Dac)?

T

treb

Active Member
I've had my Rega DAC for a little while now, and as I've been listening to music through headphones lately (sleeping toddler), I've used it with a MacBook Air, Amarra (and Audirvana+), an MF Vlink2 and a headphone amp as my main system.

The trouble is, I've just upgraded my headphone amp to a Graham Slee Ultra Linear DE, which is just superb, and I made the mistake of comparing tracks ripped in .aiff through the MBA/DAC with the same tracks off the CD through my Rega Saturn on the amp. I did this with my older, less refined headphone amp, and the two sounded very similar. But the GS amp has brought out the nuances between the Saturn and the MacBook/Rega Dac setup.

Regardless of player (Amarra, etc), the Mac/Rega DAC setup sounded a bit flat compared to the Saturn direct to the amp. I also tried the Saturn connected to the Rega DAC via a SPDIF cable and it sounded great (slightly different in presentation to the Saturn, as many here have pointed out but still lively, clear, etc).

So it seems like the weak link is the Mac/USB cable/V-Link/SPDIF chain. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on improving the digital source to the DAC (without using the CD player)? The USB cable is a wireworld starlight and the SPDIF cable is a 75ohm Van Damme cable with Eichmann silver bullets.

I know better (and much more expensive!) USB/SPDIF converters and cables exist and I'm hoping not to spend much more money. I was wondering if maybe a digital source like a squeezebox or something of the like (like a hard drive version of a CD transport with SPDIF outs) might work better?

Sorry for the long post!
Treb
 
I'm sure you know, but worth stating nonetheless, the Mac has an optical out too. It's hidden in the headphone socket. You need a lead like this.
 
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Hi Tony, yes, thanks, I've tried it. I found to be ok - just slightly better than the USB in on the Rega DAC. But I was using a slightly inexpensive glass toslink cable. Maybe a better cable will help?
 
Cable won't make any difference, if the data is the same ,played through the same dac, the sound quality should be identical.
Keith.
 
Hi Steven, yeah, it seems like attempts to better the Mac to Dac link cost quite a bit, and still may only approximate the quality of the CD source. I'm wondering if something like a SBT or a Sonos connect or the like might better approximate the quality of the Saturn as a transport?
 
treb said:
Hi Steven, yeah, it seems like attempts to better the Mac to Dac link cost quite a bit, and still may only approximate the quality of the CD source. I'm wondering if something like a SBT or a Sonos connect or the link might better approximate the quality of the Saturn as a transport?
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You could always give it a go. I think the squeezebox is as good a source as anything.
 
maxflinn said:
Why?
Click to expand...

My dear Maxi,

I really don't know why, truth be told. I just know that it is.

Perhaps it has something to with the computer having a noisy switch-mode power supply, CPU handling lots of applications simultaneously, all the gibbins that make up a PC generating noise entering the signal path. Perhaps...

Ok, a CD transport is still a computer but it is a very much cut-down one assigned to just one specific task. It also generally fed from a linear power supply. Certainly, all the Rega players are.
 
Steven Toy said:
My dear Maxi,

I really don't know why, truth be told. I just know that it is.

Perhaps it has something to with the computer having a noisy switch-mode power supply, CPU handling lots of applications simultaneously, all the gibbins that make up a PC generating noise entering the signal path. Perhaps...

Ok, a CD transport is still a computer but it is a very much cut-down one assigned to just one specific task. It also generally fed from a linear power supply. Certainly, all the Rega players are.
Click to expand...
Okay then, glad that's sorted :)
 
Steven Toy said:
Perhaps it has something to with the computer having a noisy switch-mode power supply, CPU handling lots of applications simultaneously, all the gibbins that make up a PC generating noise entering the signal path.
Click to expand...

The v-link takes its power from the usb port I believe so it might be worth trying a linear usb power supply like the AQVOX or the IFi iUSB power which is an ultra low noise smps. They would effectively isolate the dac from any noise generated by the mac.

In my system, a pc, an Ifi iLink usb-spdif converter with an AQVOX power supply proved to be a better transport than my Shanling cd player or SB classic - both since sold.
 
Keep it shortest, simplest path. Like shortest cable.

Macbook, (Apple TV,) toslink to DAC.

No noise transmitted by toslink
BOL
 
Steven Toy said:
The CD transport is better. There is no escaping the fact.
Click to expand...
My clock locked transport and Mac Mini into my dac are as good as each other.
You need a dac with a good async usb input such as an XMOS one that is not powered by the computer.
 
With the SBT no longer being manufactured, does any one have any ideas for a suitable alternative? Considering something like this or trying out on of the USB power supplies suggested above. Thanks!
 
Joe P said:
JC,


Bet it's not an M5. That's the ultimate computer.

Joe
Click to expand...

They're a bit touchy though. Once they turn against you, or think that you're feeding them data that isn't bit-perfect, they want to destroy the galaxy. Which seems a little bit of an over-reaction.

And, any repairs take an age - dispatch time to and from the machine planet is not exactly expedient, even at warp.
 
I enjoy my cyrus streamer. It has a good radio account, usb, digital input switching and of course streaming. Controllable by various methods.
 
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