[eatattheafter]

Hi All! I'm new here and I am trying to complete a new setup (Marantz PM5004 amp, pair of Polk TSi200 bookshelfs, Technics SL-D212 turntable) by including a way of playing my digital music through the system. I have all lossless audio files contained on both my laptop (Toshiba Portege R835) and my iPod and I am considering the following two options:


1) Using my laptop by going through NuForce uDAC-2

2) Using my iPod by going through Cambridge iD50 dock


Which option would produce a better result? Using the iPod would certainly be more convenient, but will the Cambridge iD50 do as good of a job with processing the files as the NuForce DAC?


Thanks in advance for your help!


(originally posted this in the CD Player/Dedicated Transport forum but didn't get any responses- hopefully this is a more apt location for the post)

 

[phantom52]



Quote:
Originally Posted by eatattheafter /forum/post/20886329


Hi All! I'm new here and I am trying to complete a new setup (Marantz PM5004 amp, pair of Polk TSi200 bookshelfs, Technics SL-D212 turntable) by including a way of playing my digital music through the system. I have all lossless audio files contained on both my laptop (Toshiba Portege R835) and my iPod and I am considering the following two options:


1) Using my laptop by going through NuForce uDAC-2

2) Using my iPod by going through Cambridge iD50 dock


Which option would produce a better result? Using the iPod would certainly be more convenient, but will the Cambridge iD50 do as good of a job with processing the files as the NuForce DAC?


Thanks in advance for your help!


(originally posted this in the CD Player/Dedicated Transport forum but didn't get any responses- hopefully this is a more apt location for the post)

Just connect it with the Ipod dock. It's going to be using the DAC's in the Marantz anyway. All analog connections will be using receivers DACs. Welcome to the forum. You could also just get the Ipod docking station that comes with all the cables and connectors you need. Possibly as good or better than either of your previous choices and also less expensive.

 

[eatattheafter]

Thanks for the response! You say that all of the inputs will go through the Martantz DAC, but won't they also go through the iPod DAC unless I have the iPod hooked up to something that bypasses the iPod DAC?

 

[phantom52]



Quote:
Originally Posted by eatattheafter /forum/post/20888630


Thanks for the response! You say that all of the inputs will go through the Martantz DAC, but won't they also go through the iPod DAC unless I have the iPod hooked up to something that bypasses the iPod DAC?

That receiver is an all analog connections receiver. Therefore it will use the DAC's in it instead of the DAC's in the Ipod. The Ipod will have to be connected by analog connections anyway. Marantz DAC's in use, not the IPods.

 

[wyowolf]

So if I am hooking up my iPod via the cable that came with my VSX52 will it use the DAC in the receiver or the iPod? its the apple connector with a USB hookup to the receiver, not the phone out jack on the iPod.

 

[rick240]



Quote:
Originally Posted by phantom52 /forum/post/20888660


That receiver is an all analog connections receiver. Therefore it will use the DAC's in it instead of the DAC's in the Ipod. The Ipod will have to be connected by analog connections anyway. Marantz DAC's in use, not the IPods.

Are you saying that the PM5004 will digitize everything, process it, and then send it through its own DACs afterward?


Are you sure about that?


Doesn't it just operate on everything in the analog domain (no ADC or DAC)?


PS. I don't know, I'm asking

 

[phantom52]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rick240 /forum/post/20888779


Are you saying that the PM5004 will digitize everything, process it, and then send it through its own DACs afterward?


Are you sure about that?


Doesn't it just operate on everything in the analog domain (no ADC or DAC)?


PS. I don't know, I'm asking

What I'm saying is if you use analog connections to the Receiver or AVR it will use the DAC's in the receiver or AVR. If you use any digital connection from a source(in this case the Ipod) it will use the DAC's in the Ipod. So use the best DAC's available when possible. In this and most cases the best will be the ones in the receiver or AVR. Same thing when connecting other sources(i.e. cd player) If you use an optical connection or coaxial, the cd players DAC's will be used, as these are digital connections. If you use analog (whether red and white, or all analog for each channel) it will use the receiver or AVR's DAC's. This is how its been explained to me on many occasions.

 

[Birdman71]

Phantom,


You have it exactly backwards. If you send a digital signal to the receiver, it will use its internal DAC (digital TO analog.) If you send an analog signal, that signal has already been converted to analog by the source device, using the source device DAC.


That is the basic signal flow and ignores any processing done in the AVR. If you are not using bypass, the AVR will convert an analog signal back to digital to apply any soundfield processing and/or equalization.

 

[Birdman71]

eatat...


It looks like that Marantz unit is an integrated amp. It doesn't have a DAC in it. It is analog only with balance and tone controls. As for which source DAC would sound the best, I'm not sure. My money would be on the NuForce over an ipod dock.

 

[phantom52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birdman71 Phantom, You have it exactly backwards. If you send a digital signal to the receiver, it will use its internal DAC (digital TO analog.) If you send an analog signal, that signal has already been converted to analog by the source device, using the source device DAC. That is the basic signal flow and ignores any processing done in the AVR. If you are not using bypass, the AVR will convert an analog signal back to digital to apply any soundfield processing and/or equalization.

Thank you for the clarification. I'm using a new H/K 7550HD and when I connected my Yamaha CD player to it using analog cables(red and white) I get a "analog board failure" readout on the H/K 7550HD. Using a new Ipod Touch through "The Bridge" connection and the H/K is doing everything. Again thanks for the explanation.

 

[eatattheafter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birdman71 eatat... It looks like that Marantz unit is an integrated amp. It doesn't have a DAC in it. It is analog only with balance and tone controls. As for which source DAC would sound the best, I'm not sure. My money would be on the NuForce over an ipod dock.

Thanks for the clarification- I hadn't thought the marantz int amp had a DAC which is why I asked.


Anyone else have input on NuForce DAC vs. Cambridge iD50 dock?

 

[bommai]

Instead of using the iPod, I would recommend an AppleTV 2. Use an iPod Touch/iphone/iPad as the remote and use AirPlay. This uses the DAC on your AVR or external DAC.

 

[eatattheafter]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bommai /forum/post/20889146


Instead of using the iPod, I would recommend an AppleTV 2. Use an iPod Touch/iphone/iPad as the remote and use AirPlay. This uses the DAC on your AVR or external DAC.

Bommai- I would love an Apple TV, but I think something with a DAC is more important right now and I don't want to buy a DAC and the Apple TV. However, maybe I'll get the NuForce DAC now and then add the Apple TV later. Thanks!

 

[rick240]



Quote:
Originally Posted by phantom52 /forum/post/20888825


What I'm saying is if you use analog connections to the Receiver or AVR it will use the DAC's in the receiver or AVR. If you use any digital connection from a source(in this case the Ipod) it will use the DAC's in the Ipod. So use the best DAC's available when possible. In this and most cases the best will be the ones in the receiver or AVR. Same thing when connecting other sources(i.e. cd player) If you use an optical connection or coaxial, the cd players DAC's will be used, as these are digital connections. If you use analog (whether red and white, or all analog for each channel) it will use the receiver or AVR's DAC's. This is how its been explained to me on many occasions.

Sorry, but you have it exactly backwards.


If it comes into the receiver as digital, it must use the receivers DACs to become analog to get amplified and then be heard by us.


If it comes in as analog then it has already gone through the source device's DAC.


EDIT - Oooops, I see Birdman beat me.

 

[eatattheafter]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bommai /forum/post/20889146


Instead of using the iPod, I would recommend an AppleTV 2. Use an iPod Touch/iphone/iPad as the remote and use AirPlay. This uses the DAC on your AVR or external DAC.

Actually, would the following be possible:


laptop -> apple TV -> nuforce uDAC-2 -> marantz int amp


the piece i'm unsure about is connecting the apple TV to the nuforce uDAC because it appears as though the only input the uDAC accepts is USB. Does apple TV support a USB out?