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Suggestions on using a Roku w/external DAC?

Howdy!

I'm a big fan of my Roku boxes(non-Soundbridge versions) for streaming music. I specifically use Panadora and love the flexibility of creating new stations. I'm finding that 95% of my music listening has now transitioned over to Pandora from traditional CDs and FM. I have less time to sit down to critically listen and enjoy my collection and the Roku/Pandora combination is filling my desire for variety and discovering new artist. I've upgraded my Panadora account to Pandora One which streams at 192K bits per second(not a techie, so I don't know if that's very good or not). I'm looking to improve the sound even more since I can't imagine the internal DAC of the sub-$100 Roku is a strong feature.I figure an external DAC would really open up the music. I'm heavily eyeballing the Cambridge Audio DacMagic because of it's many features, mostly positive reviews and the low cost. Anybody using the Roku w/an external DAC care to comment on the improvements or non-improvements it made? DAC suggestions(has to be Toslink)?

Hanx!
avalon65
willland's avatar
willland
846 posts
 
Samsung SMART TV streaming Pandora One through Cambridge Audio 840C CD player/DAC upsampling to 24-bit/384kHz and on to NAD T175HD pre/pro. As good as the NAD's built in DACs are, much better overall sound quality going through the 840C.

I can't imagine the DACs in the Samsung TV being any better than Roku box. Cambridge Audio DACMagic should improve sound considerably.

Just realized old thread.

Bill
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
The digital sources are actually more important than the DAC. The DAC can improve things, but will always be limited by the jitter of the digital sources. Sources such as a Samsung TV are particularly bad, as is the Roku digital output.

All of these can be fixed however and have low jitter if they are reclocked by a reference reclocker like the Synchro-Mesh. This simply inserts between the digital source (Roku or Samsung TV or CD player or Apple TV etc.) and the DAC. It is powered from its own separate power supply and has a low-jitter custom clock inside. The difference is big. This is MORE IMPORTANT than the DAC. But don't believe me, read the customer reviews:

http://www.empiricalaudio.com/news-and-reviews/synchro-mesh

The best scenario is to use my BNC-BNC cable with RCA adapters and the Dynamo power supply with the Synchro-Mesh. A true reference digital source.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
hgeifman
2,306 posts
 
I noticed from the above post that your Roku is connected to a DAC (and then your amplifier). The Roku web site show the Roku only has one HDMI output. How does Roku display your Pandora albums for selection? I assume a monitor is connected somehow but how does the Roku get connected the DAC and the monitor from the single HDMI output?

Can someone please explain how these connections are made (monitor and DAC?
mjmch2003
243 posts
 
I just bought an HDMI audio decoupler from Amazon. Have not tried it yet, but intend to use the SPDIF coax out into my DAC (so I can stop using my TV's 44k optical out).
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