LesterHiggins
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- Nov 13, 2024
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Hello everyone, I hope I've posted in the right place. I would love some general advice on my current setup and what improvements I could make (let's say the budget is less than $1000) and some specific thoughts on the 2 devices I'm considering.
My current setup:
- Mac Mini via USB-C to an Eversolo DAC-Z6
- Z6 to Genelec 4020Bs via XLR (basically the same as 8020 with a Phoenix style connection)
- NOW: Z6 to Genelec F One A via RCA (this sucks because the F One A is just a 40W subwoofer, which requires me to crank it up to max while turning the 4020s down low so I can hear the subwoofer at all, then I have to turn the volume on the Z6 pretty high up)
- SOON: I am replacing the F One A with a Genelec 5050A, an older model 70W sub that I got a good deal on and will arrive shortly, I need just a little more power from a sub so I don't have to max it out and so I can turn up the 4020s a bit more)
- eqMac for fine-tuning the sound for my personal preferences and for my hereditary hearing loss which reduces my ability to hear some frequencies
What I don't like about it:
I dislike the user interface of eqMac and the way it complicates the audio system on a Mac. For example, it makes switching audio outputs more difficult and it adds a new output to the list of options in my output menu, right now the menu shows both Eversolo USB AUDIO and Eversolo USB AUDIO (eqMac) and after selecting the one I want from the system menu apps like Tidal additionally care which one you select within the app, yadda yadda I just don't like it ok?
I also have serious FOMO about RME products. In my quest for an audio interface for my XLR mic, I tried every popular entry-level model and disliked them all. I stopped upgrading when I reached the Universal Audio Apollo Solo level of quality, but then switched to an Apogee Duet 3 when I found a great deal for it. I'm very happy with the Duet 3, but I've always wondered what the RME Babyface is like, and the RME world in general.
What I'm thinking:
- I think I want to upgrade my Eversolo DAC-Z6 to a device with onboard EQ. The RME ADI-2 DAC and the Eversolo DMP-A6 both have EQ settings and allow simultaneous XLR and RCA outputs so I can keep my current setup.
Questions:
- Should I change my path so it goes Z6 to 5050A via XLR Y cable > 5050A to 4020Bs via RCA? My current setup doesn't allow for that since the F One A doesn't have XLR input
- Investing in better speakers is almost always a better choice than upgrading DACs so I'm glad I made the choice on the subwoofer, and using eqMac is tolerable. Should I just leave things as they are? Aside from the convenience factor of onboard EQ, will I notice any difference in sound between the Z6 and either of those devices?
- Any other suggestions?
Thanks for your help with this decision!
EDIT: Apparently the WIIM Ultra has a graphic EQ and I could connect to it with a USB-C to optical adapter, and it has a dedicated sub out that I think can be controlled independently of the primary RCA outputs, so that's another option to consider.
My current setup:
- Mac Mini via USB-C to an Eversolo DAC-Z6
- Z6 to Genelec 4020Bs via XLR (basically the same as 8020 with a Phoenix style connection)
- NOW: Z6 to Genelec F One A via RCA (this sucks because the F One A is just a 40W subwoofer, which requires me to crank it up to max while turning the 4020s down low so I can hear the subwoofer at all, then I have to turn the volume on the Z6 pretty high up)
- SOON: I am replacing the F One A with a Genelec 5050A, an older model 70W sub that I got a good deal on and will arrive shortly, I need just a little more power from a sub so I don't have to max it out and so I can turn up the 4020s a bit more)
- eqMac for fine-tuning the sound for my personal preferences and for my hereditary hearing loss which reduces my ability to hear some frequencies
What I don't like about it:
I dislike the user interface of eqMac and the way it complicates the audio system on a Mac. For example, it makes switching audio outputs more difficult and it adds a new output to the list of options in my output menu, right now the menu shows both Eversolo USB AUDIO and Eversolo USB AUDIO (eqMac) and after selecting the one I want from the system menu apps like Tidal additionally care which one you select within the app, yadda yadda I just don't like it ok?
I also have serious FOMO about RME products. In my quest for an audio interface for my XLR mic, I tried every popular entry-level model and disliked them all. I stopped upgrading when I reached the Universal Audio Apollo Solo level of quality, but then switched to an Apogee Duet 3 when I found a great deal for it. I'm very happy with the Duet 3, but I've always wondered what the RME Babyface is like, and the RME world in general.
What I'm thinking:
- I think I want to upgrade my Eversolo DAC-Z6 to a device with onboard EQ. The RME ADI-2 DAC and the Eversolo DMP-A6 both have EQ settings and allow simultaneous XLR and RCA outputs so I can keep my current setup.
Questions:
- Should I change my path so it goes Z6 to 5050A via XLR Y cable > 5050A to 4020Bs via RCA? My current setup doesn't allow for that since the F One A doesn't have XLR input
- Investing in better speakers is almost always a better choice than upgrading DACs so I'm glad I made the choice on the subwoofer, and using eqMac is tolerable. Should I just leave things as they are? Aside from the convenience factor of onboard EQ, will I notice any difference in sound between the Z6 and either of those devices?
- Any other suggestions?
Thanks for your help with this decision!
EDIT: Apparently the WIIM Ultra has a graphic EQ and I could connect to it with a USB-C to optical adapter, and it has a dedicated sub out that I think can be controlled independently of the primary RCA outputs, so that's another option to consider.
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