2. digital
  3. 169625-164631

How to get into high end digital? (Feeding a DAC)

I am looking primarily at the Schitt Yggdrasil or the Topping D90.
  • How does one feed those?
  • I am assuming any sort of CD transport would output the bit stream?
  • or… they get saved to file and played from some media player into the DACs.

Some example of what is commonly done would be great.

The system currently consists of:
  • TT —> Audio Research PH2
  • An old Nakamichi 5 disk CD player
  • TV
  • Audible Illusions line stage (New tunes on the way, but it still sound OK to me with the old tube in it)
  • Prima Luna (with GoldenLion and TS KT-120 one the way… and I might I’ll get the VTL mono blocks 100w/ch serviced)
  • Vandy 2C and Vandy sub

I also have a Home Theatre pre, which is Roon capable, on the way… So that maybe does some of this for me as well? 

But to be totally honest, the digital side is a bit of mystery to me.
I have always thought we plug in a CD player and the signal comes out. (Maybe with some nuance in DACs, clock jitter, and filtering to separate the higher end from the lower end products.)
128x128holmz
sbank's avatar
sbank
3,378 posts
 
XLD works great on Mac. Flac and AIFF are both fine. WAV does too but you will lose metadata when ripping (which you can add back, but extra steps.

@donniewn why suggesting that the Yggy USB will sound best from a computer? IMHE, USB-optimized DACs like Gumby & Yggy sound better with USB from a good streamer/renderer.

Audirvana+ is a barely supported hobby, and updates when they happen can be a nightmare. After 4 years of coping, I bailed and couldn't be happier about doing. Roon works SO much better and brings a far better experience. Cheers,

Spencer
donniewn's avatar
donniewn
14 posts
 
Have you heard the new usb card? I’ve read a lot of good reviews on it . I think it’s probably comparable. Whatever suits your ears is what’s best. Not everybody has a streamer. Why are you done with Audirvana ? I know it doesn’t stream DSD very well but I sure love the interface better than Roon . I am running Twonkie to stream the DSD. It’s working pretty good. No issues so far
holmz's avatar
holmz OP
2,328 posts
 
I just read the Audio Science Review of the R2R Yggdrasil.

It took a while to get through it all.
larryro2
137 posts
 
I’ve used Blue Jeans cables and they are real good
audible difference 
yes if you paid a lot
ypu assume the difference 
holmz's avatar
holmz OP
2,328 posts
 
@larryro2 are you referring to their Belden USB cables?
or the BNC?
or ??l
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