advertisement


MDAC First Listen (part XXVII)

Status
Not open for further replies.
By 'burn off half' I mean you'll need to run the passive pre at -16db to get a useful range on the the Mdac volume control.

What Andyu mentions is sensible, burn off some db with a software volume control, I use Audivarna+ to drop 15db when running direct into my krell.
 
Doesn't this defeat the goal of sending bit-perfect data to the MDAC, and letting the digital vol control of the MDAC do its job?

Actually I am genuinely interested to know. I am currently running my MDAC in pre-amp mode with vol at -39dB to -27dB range depending on the recording. Digital transport is the SBTouch with EDO. I can choose to set the SBTouch to drop 20dB (or even more) using its internal digital volume control, so as to run the MDAC 20dB higher. Would I get better SQ this way?

I would try, but JohnW, what do you think?

Leon

sq225917 said:
By 'burn off half' I mean you'll need to run the passive pre at -16db to get a useful range on the the Mdac volume control.

What Andyu mentions is sensible, burn off some db with a software volume control, I use Audivarna+ to drop 15db when running direct into my krell.
Click to expand...
 
travelfotografe said:
Doesn't this defeat the goal of sending bit-perfect data to the MDAC, and letting the digital vol control of the MDAC do its job?

Actually I am genuinely interested to know. I am currently running my MDAC in pre-amp mode with vol at -39dB to -27dB range depending on the recording. Digital transport is the SBTouch with EDO. I can choose to set the SBTouch to drop 20dB (or even more) using its internal digital volume control, so as to run the MDAC 20dB higher. Would I get better SQ this way?
Click to expand...

I use a SBTouch with my M-DAC too, I used to use Album ReplayGain prior to getting the M-DAC, which effectively is applying digital volume control, and resamples to 24bit. However I found that the M-DAC sounds better to my ears when fed with the unaltered 16bit original. If I recall the D3E engine didn't seem to activate when not fed with the bit perfect stream...so now adjust the volume manually ;)
 
Superior said:
Hello fusion5,

congratulations! The Deltas must be amazing.

With my Adams I have the same gain problem too.
When I reduce the input gain directly on the terminal for -10dB, I always thought that I´m loosing something in the midrange.
That´s why I´m also looking for attenuators (-20dB or -30dB).

By searching the web, I found this: http://www.rothwellaudioproducts.co.uk/html/attenuators.html
Has anybody tested these attenuators from "rothwell audio" yet?

May be this is a ready assembeld option for us.
DIY soldering would be no problem, but using 10 bulk foil resistors (for XLR) would be also expensive, or?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about the later mentioned Canford attenuators, but the rothwell XLR attenuators are sub optimal as they only attenuate the Balanced audio signal while leaving the Common mode (RF etc) at full tilt.... the worst possible result.
 
travelfotografe said:
Doesn't this defeat the goal of sending bit-perfect data to the MDAC, and letting the digital vol control of the MDAC do its job?

Actually I am genuinely interested to know. I am currently running my MDAC in pre-amp mode with vol at -39dB to -27dB range depending on the recording. Digital transport is the SBTouch with EDO. I can choose to set the SBTouch to drop 20dB (or even more) using its internal digital volume control, so as to run the MDAC 20dB higher. Would I get better SQ this way?

I would try, but JohnW, what do you think?

Leon
Click to expand...

Its better to leave the MDAC to process any gain scaling - thus important to provide bit accurate Data (this reduces rounding errors within the ESS digital filter section) - D3E is also pretty effective with 16 bit recordings.
 
Hah, that is exactly what I am doing now! I also used to enable reply gain on the SBTouch before I got my MDAC. Now, I manually apply reply gain on the M-DAC (well, basically it is just adjusting the volume).

IIRC, D3E only comes on when fed 16bits or less. 16 bits from the SBTouch is a suitable indication that not volume control of any kind took place on the SBTouch (which would output as 24 bits as you mentioned)

Leon

WAD62 said:
I use a SBTouch with my M-DAC too, I used to use Album ReplayGain prior to getting the M-DAC, which effectively is applying digital volume control, and resamples to 24bit. However I found that the M-DAC sounds better to my ears when fed with the unaltered 16bit original. If I recall the D3E engine didn't seem to activate when not fed with the bit perfect stream...so now adjust the volume manually ;)
Click to expand...
 
I think the difference between the SBT internal volume control and the JRiver one is that the SBT uses 24 bit arithmetic wherease the JRMC volume control uses 64 bit arithmetic - more precision than the 32 bits of the MDAC. Still not clear what is the best way of getting say 40dB attenuation with an MDAC to feed a balanced amp/speakers. If it is attenuators, who makes the best ones?
 
JohnW said:
I'm not sure about the later mentioned Canford attenuators, but the rothwell XLR attenuators are sub optimal as they only attenuate the Balanced audio signal while leaving the Common mode (RF etc) at full tilt.... the worst possible result.
Click to expand...

Thanx John.
So I don't need to try them and safe 100 €.

I think for me it's better to wait for MDAC2 before buying anything else.

Greetings
 
Which balanced cables would you advise to use with MDAC (I'll be happy owner of Bryston BP26 and Bryston 4BSST2 in 1 month)? May be I should save money and buy unbalanced interconnects, because I need just 0.5 m cables.
 
Chertilo777 said:
Which balanced cables would you advise to use with MDAC (I'll be happy owner of Bryston BP26 and Bryston 4BSST2 in 1 month)? May be I should save money and buy unbalanced interconnects, because I need just 0.5 m cables.
Click to expand...

Bought my balanced silvercables from UK based Achtung Audio on eBay. Decent pricing, fast delivery & no complaints whatsoever.
 
JohnW said:
Hi Ben,

Thank you :) being here in Czech I'm somewhat isolated from the Hifi World..

Am I correct to understand that you are now using your MDAC direct in Pre Amplifier mode?
Click to expand...

Hi John,

Yeah, I've changed the configuration recently. Sadly, as I have an AV receiver, I cannot run the MDAC in pre-mode as I need to switch between this and my receiver on my Audiolab 8000LX amp.

When I used my receiver, I turn the volume to 12 o'clock and use the receiver's volume control.

A few weeks ago, I tried the MDAC in this mode too, I set it to pre-amp and put the volume on the Audiolab amp to 12 o'clock.

What a difference it has made! So much more "hifi", open, deeper bass and amazing sound-staging. I also now have remote volume control to boot!

The question is: why does it sound so much better in this configuration? Can you think why?

Cheers,

Ben
 
JohnW said:
I'm not sure about the later mentioned Canford attenuators, but the rothwell XLR attenuators are sub optimal as they only attenuate the Balanced audio signal while leaving the Common mode (RF etc) at full tilt.... the worst possible result.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I just bought a pair of Rothwell 10 dbs a week ago :(. They seem to bring a little benefit never-the-less.
Reading your comment prompted me to take a look inside, there is a resistor in-line on pin 1 and on pin 2 and a resistor between pin 1 and pin 2. Nothing connecting to pin 3, it runs straight through. Is that consistent with what you understood John?
10542744554
 
Just paid my first installment on the MDAC2. Just so I understand, at the end of these installments, would I get the MDA2 PCB? Also, would I get instructions on how to install the thing?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.


advertisement


Back
Top