• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

DAC after room correction dsp?

Colinp

New Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2019
Messages
3
Likes
0
Recently added Anthem ARC to my system (via a Paradigm PW link). PC->toslink->PW link->rca to preamp. **Improved the bass in my listening position a lot.

Had some questions for the community:


-Is anyone using a stand alone DAC after their room correction devices? (Keeping the room correction device strictly in the digital domain?)

-Would the 'curve' of the room correction software nullify the unique sound signature of an external dac?

-Finally would there be any benefit to getting a dac that plays higher bitrates/up-samples? As the room correction software/device down-samples the data for correction/output before reaching an external dac.

Any insight or experience would be helpful.


_Col
 

Krunok

Major Contributor
Joined
Mar 25, 2018
Messages
4,600
Likes
3,065
Location
Zg, Cro
-Is anyone using a stand alone DAC after their room correction devices? (Keeping the room correction device strictly in the digital domain?)

I'm using standalone DAC in the chain after Volumio running BRuteFIR on a PC. DAC is connected via USB.



-Would the 'curve' of the room correction software nullify the unique sound signature of an external dac?

My DAC is Topping D10. Measurements made by Amir showed that D10 doesn't have any "unique sound signature" - it is completely transparent to the human ear.



-Finally would there be any benefit to getting a dac that plays higher bitrates/up-samples? As the room correction software/device down-samples the data for correction/output before reaching an external dac.

There wouldn't.
 

Willem

Major Contributor
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
3,658
Likes
5,276
I am using an REW correction curve loaded into the Equalizer APO software on the Winsows PC that I use as a source for my desktop system. Output from USB into my ODAC usb DAC. This works fine.
In my main system I use an Antimode 8033 dsp unit to tame my subwoofer. This dsp unit comes after the DAC and also works fine. In essence, decent DACs don´t have a sonic signature. I am not convinced that there is any advantage in resolutions above the 16/44 CD Red Book standard, even on revealing systems.
 

RayDunzl

Grand Contributor
Central Scrutinizer
Joined
Mar 9, 2016
Messages
13,204
Likes
16,985
Location
Riverview FL
Is anyone using a stand alone DAC after their room correction devices? (Keeping the room correction device strictly in the digital domain?)

I do.

Sources -> switch -> miniDSP -> DAC2 -> preamp -> amps -> speakers.

Would the 'curve' of the room correction software nullify the unique sound signature of an external dac?

Sounds the same but "corrected" a bit here. I don't think my DAC has a flavor other than measurably accurate to whatever it is fed.

Finally would there be any benefit to getting a dac that plays higher bitrates/up-samples? As the room correction software/device down-samples the data for correction/output before reaching an external dac.

The streams become 48kHz at the miniDSP and the DAC2 internally resamples whatever rate it receives to 211kHz as part of its jitter reduction ASRC. I don't worry about it.
 

daftcombo

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 5, 2019
Messages
3,687
Likes
4,068
-Would the 'curve' of the room correction software nullify the unique sound signature of an external dac?
Except if the DAC has enormous amounts of distortion (I would say worse than -60dB SINAD, that is to say 0,1%), it will have no "flavour" through your spealers.
You'll give yourself the flavour, playing with the EQ.
 

Ultrasonic

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Dec 30, 2018
Messages
742
Likes
593
Location
UK
-Is anyone using a stand alone DAC after their room correction devices? (Keeping the room correction device strictly in the digital domain?)

I don't because my miniDSP doesn't have a digital output, but I probably would if it did. There is no reason it is obviously pointless.

-Would the 'curve' of the room correction software nullify the unique sound signature of an external dac?

I'd suggest that you want to restrict any room 'correction' to addressing low frequency room mode peaks (under 200 to 400 Hz max depending who you ask). Doing only this, the DSP shouldn't affect the sound over the rest of the frequency range. The performance of the downstream DAC will have an impact over the whole frequency range.

-Finally would there be any benefit to getting a dac that plays higher bitrates/up-samples? As the room correction software/device down-samples the data for correction/output before reaching an external dac.

The ability to play higher bitrates would be pointless but it won't do any harm either. One situation where upsampling capability could be helpful is if you wanted to adjust volume in the digital domain (rather than using you pre-amp). All high performing DACs I can think of reviewed on this site do play higher bitrates/upsample though so in practice you'd probably find it harder to find something decent that doesn't.
 

Kal Rubinson

Master Contributor
Industry Insider
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 23, 2016
Messages
5,273
Likes
9,794
Location
NYC
-Would the 'curve' of the room correction software nullify the unique sound signature of an external dac?
It would treat the external DAC in all ways just as it would an internal DAC.
As the room correction software/device down-samples the data for correction/output before reaching an external dac.
Why not get an RC device that handles higher resolutions without down-sampling so that you aren't troubled with such thoughts?
 

GGroch

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 7, 2018
Messages
1,059
Likes
2,049
Location
Denver, Colorado
I recently added a PW-Link to my system as well, the difference it makes to bass accuracy is immediately noticeable. I agree with the previous posters who say it is unlikely an additional A/D converter should positively impact sound whether placed before or after the PW/Link.

There is very little I can find on specifications/internal sampling rates of the Anthem/MLogan/Paradigm ARC products. This article on Audionet Taiwan indicates the PW-Amp (which should have identical ARC processing as our PW-Links) utilize AKM AK4638EQ and AK4388ET, both of which are 96Khz/24bit capable...so there is not a lack of horsepower. This seems comparable to what I can see on the basic MiniDSP in a box products. ARC room measurements are done using a Windows/Mac computer and are said to be 64 bit accurate.

It would be great to see measurements, but the PW/Link's hardware is certainly capable of passing through the sound of your source without degradation. Plus as you have seen, the improvement in bass accuracy and overall smoothness are phenomenal.
 
Top Bottom