Hello and Question on USB interface

[shion_ca]

I've been out of audio for a while now, without a proper place to setup my system. Having just finished my room, I picked up an ever solo 6 and a SMSL D6s, based on the reviews here. I'm a voodoo audio believer, but figured I'd give the low cost dac a go. So my question is, when I am using USB from the ever solo into the SMSL, which device is doing clock duties?

Also, when running balanced outputs, what are most preamps spec'd to expect voltage wise? I'm wondering if my pass labs X1 wants to see the output at 99 from the DAC.

Thanks!
Shawn

 

[Blumlein 88]

If USB is the input, then clocking is happening in the SMSL.

The Pass X1 according to the manual will accept up to 10 volts before overload. The SMSL will output 4 volts so you can leave it turned up. I'd also think you want the Pass X1 configured for 4 db gain (4 and 14 db are the choices).

Looking at the specs for the Ever Solo, I'd think there is no point in the SMSL. Seems the Ever Solo has a high quality analog output, and I'd just feed it to the Pass preamp if it were me. Perhaps you just wish to see if the SMSL is comparable in sound quality in which case what you are doing makes sense.

Welcome to ASR. I hope you find it helpful.

 

[shion_ca]

Thank You! Yes I have the Pass on "low gain". I need the high Gain only for my turntable setup. So the USB protocol used is Asynchronous then, thanks! I find it hard to get a lot of detail from the manual.

So far I'm very much enjoying the DAC. At some point I'll play it against my old and trusted cary 306 CD player.

Oh will this DAC, or my ever solo be doing any "upsampling" The Cary offers the 192 upsample option, sow I was curious to know if that happened at all in the DAC or ever solo?

 

[shion_ca]

As a side note... there was this old technology called HDCD that the Cary did, I found the albums I had recorded in it did sound pretty fantastic on it, vs. when I forced it to upsample and lost the HDCD benefit. Is HDCD a "believed" thing here?

 

[Blumlein 88]

Thank You! Yes I have the Pass on "low gain". I need the high Gain only for my turntable setup. So the USB protocol used is Asynchronous then, thanks! I find it hard to get a lot of detail from the manual.

So far I'm very much enjoying the DAC. At some point I'll play it against my old and trusted cary 306 CD player.

Oh will this DAC, or my ever solo be doing any "upsampling" The Cary offers the 192 upsample option, sow I was curious to know if that happened at all in the DAC or ever solo?

With the Ever Solo and SMSL capable of so many sample rates and formats I'd not hazard a guess on oversampling.

Amir who founded this forum worked at Microsoft and ran the division that purchased the company behind HDCD. Somewhere here he has detailed whether it made a difference or not. Basically not. In any case, takes some time to learn what this forum is about, and decide for yourself. Watch some of Amir's videos on testing, listening etc as they are informative.

Those videos have their own sub-forum.

Audio Science Review Video Channel

Links to ASR Youtube videos and discussions.

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[shion_ca]

Oh that's interesting to know, regarding HDCD! In any event I'm currently working out how to best leverage my new digital front end, once I find the right speaker positions and get my sound paneling and traps setup optimally I'll do some informal comparisons. So far though I'm very impressed in that little SMSL and the ever solo. For amusement I attached XLR interconnects and a power chord to it that costs multiples of the DAC's price

I've got friends with various boutique DAC's so I'll have them over at some point... but yeah the little guy seems super impressive for the money so far!

 

[JustJones]

I've got friends with various boutique DAC's so I'll have them over at some point... but yeah the little guy seems super impressive for the money so far!

For a lark keep the little SMSL dac hidden and let them think it's a boutique dac they're listening to.