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Processor DACs

I am shopping for a new Processor. I’ll probably get an Integra DHC 80.3, so I am curious if anyone has ever compared the onboard DAC of their processor to an established benchmark DAC such as a W4S DAC-2. Since my music server has USB outs, it would require purchasing a USB to S/PDIF converter (such as the Anedio U2) to hook up the processor to the server. Before spending the money on a converter, I am wondering if people have tried this out, and what their experience with it is. It seems that most mainstream processors have solid DACs to do all the Dolby Digital conversion, so wouldn’t it make sense that they should perform excellent as a standalone DAC? I would appreciate your thoughts and experience.
hifiguy5
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,672 posts
 
Right. Somehow, I never think in only 2 channels. ;-)

Kal
cdj123's avatar
cdj123
57 posts
 
Kal/Edorr,
Is it possible to output from a music server to an Audyssey equipped Processor to a DAC (somewhat similar to what Edorr describes) to take the Processor’s DAC out of the loop? If so, then it would be interesting to compare the Processor’s DAC (with and without room correction) to a standalone DAC (with and without room correction).
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,672 posts
 
Dunno if any processor passes EQ-ed digital from its digital outputs. Never tried but, somehow, I doubt it.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
If you expect a SS processor to peform at the level of even a $1K Dac, good luck. I have heard many processors playing music, and I have yet to find one the competes with a decent 1K DAC.

I use one, a Proceed AVP, but only for movies, and I'll be eventually modding this one. It is still one of the best sounding SS Procs.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
edorr
714 posts
 
Steve, a few years ago I used a modded Audio Note 2.1 DAC (about 2K I believe), that was bested by the Xtreme Card in a Theta Casablanca III, so a SSP is capable of beating a 1K DAC (the Theta Xtreme DAC card retails for 5K though). The Xtreme card was subsequently left in the dust by the PS audio Perfectwave, which was then trounced by the MKII upgrade. Inshallah I will have a chance to compare the MKII with your overdrive SE sometime this summer.

Kal, the only processors with room correction that I am aware of that has digital outputs would be the Tact TCS MKII, and the Datasat RS20i (currently in Beta version). Theta CBIII HD has digital output (with digi out card) but no room correction yet (Dirac has been announced, but Theta being Theta is and when this will ship is everyone's guess)

Cdj123, the problem with this architecture is that because of HDMI licensing restictions, the digital output has to be downsampled to 48/16 on high rez HDMI sources.
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