How to get digital signal from Eversolo DMP-A8 into Mac Mini M1?

[ChrisUpNorth]

Hi and Happy new Year! As per the heading I'm trying to get a clean digital signal from my DMP-A8 into the Mac Mini M1. Not sure whether this is the correct forum by the way.

As digital outputs, the DMP-8 has:
1. USB audio out (type A connector)
2. Optical out
3. Coaxial out
4. IIS out

Of course there are analogue outs which I could use instead but I want to avoid multiple digital to analogue conversions and keep the signal purely digital until it reaches the Hapi Mk3.

I've tried connecting the USB audio out to the Mac directly but the DMP-A8 says there is nothing attached so the Mac isn't advertising itself as a DAC or DDC (wasn't even expecting it to).

Am I correct in thinking I need a USB-based DDC that when plugged into the Mac will accept Optical/Coaxial/IIS as an input from an external device such as the DMP-A8? Will the DMP-A8 accept a DDC attached to it, rather than a DAC? (I have used it with an external DAC before).

By the way I need the Mac in the middle because it has Dirac Live Room Correction Suite installed and also processes sound my AppleTV/Dobly atmos decoder using Dante. DLRC uses the Ravenna Virtual SoundCard to output to the Hapi. Everything sounds great but just want to add the DMP-A8 into the chain to complete the setup.

The end solution must support sample rates up to 192kHz! Dante is no good as it maxes out at 96kHZ.

Any advice appreciated, thanks!

 

[voodooless]

What can the Eversolo do what the Mac can’t do on it’s own?

Indeed the best option would be an audio interface with SPDIF input.

You’ll also need some software to route the input via Dirac Live to the outputs.

 

[staticV3]

Am I correct in thinking I need a USB-based DDC that when plugged into the Mac will accept Optical/Coaxial/IIS as an input from an external device such as the DMP-A8? Will the DMP-A8 accept a DDC attached to it, rather than a DAC? (I have used it with an external DAC before).

Eversolo->UR23/UR27->Mac will work just fine.

Optical is unidirectional, so the Eversolo has no way of knowing whether it sends Optical audio to a DAC, or a DDC.

 

[ChrisUpNorth]

What can the Eversolo do what the Mac can’t do on it’s own?

It's a good question as I can use Roon at the moment on the Mac but utilising the DMP-A8 will allow me to (a) have a nice LCD panel showing me when music is playing (b) off-load processing from the ageing M1 (c) allow AirPlay/Spotify/Qobuz Connect etc so my mates or I can stream to the DMP-A8 without messing my Roon history up

I would use Rogue Amoeba Loopback to route the audio from the DDC to the Dirac Virtual Soundcard like I'm doing with the Apple TV audio.

 

[ChrisUpNorth]

Eversolo->UR23/UR27->Mac will work just fine.

Optical is unidirectional, so the Eversolo has no way of knowing whether it sends Optical audio to a DAC, or a DDC.

Oh wow, I need to check that UR27 out, sounds like that's just the thing I'm looking for without spending a fortune. Thank you!

 

[jhaider]

I would use Rogue Amoeba Loopback to route the audio from the DDC to the Dirac Virtual Soundcard like I'm doing with the Apple TV audio.

I’m confused. You take audio from an ATV and pipe it into the Mac, and use the Mac? How does that work?

 

[ChrisUpNorth]

AppleTV/Blu-ray --> Blustream SW42DA --> 4k Video to TV, 9.1 channel Audio to Dante --> Mac M1 with DLRC --> Ravenna --> Hapi Mk3 DAC

The Mac is headless so the only thing it is doing (apart from being the Roon server) is processing Dirac in the audio chain.

 

[jhaider]

So you need a $2000 box to make it work? I ask because it would be ideal for my home office to use a headless Mac with volume (and thus loudness compensation) control from an RME ADI-2 Pro, for Dirac But I’ve not found a way to essentially use the Mac as a pass through audio device.

 

[ChrisUpNorth]

Sorry, what is the $2000 box you are referring to?

 

[jhaider]

Blustream SW42DA.

 

[ChrisUpNorth]

Ah, that particular box just solves the problem of how I extract the multiple dolby audio channels from HDMI devices like Apple TV & Blu-ray so that I can feed my multi-channel Hapi DAC.

The RME DAC you have is 2-channel only so I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to do? What source are you trying to pass through the Mac/Dirac?

 

[jhaider]

AirPlay2 from my phone or MacBook, LOL. What I really want is to use the RME to control volume and apply its loudness compensation. This would allow me essentially to replace a large pre-pro currently used only as DLBC controller and DAC (JBL SDP-55) with a tiny Mac mini and hideaway DAC.

 

[ChrisUpNorth]

Ok so your digital chain would look like MacBook/iPhone --> AirPlay --> Mac Mini with Dirac --> RME DAC?

Sounds simple enough, or am I missing something?

 

[Purité Audio]

Why not just computer-dac?
Keith

 

[jhaider]

Ok so your digital chain would look like MacBook/iPhone --> AirPlay --> Mac Mini with Dirac --> RME DAC?

Sounds simple enough, or am I missing something?

No. Source > ADI-2 > Mac > whatever DAC.

Idea is to get volume control and loudness compensation ahead of the Mac.

 

[ChrisUpNorth]

No. Source > ADI-2 > Mac > whatever DAC.

Idea is to get volume control and loudness compensation ahead of the Mac.

That path just doesn't make any sense to me. Firstly, how are you going to AirPlay to the ADI-2? (it doesn't support it) and secondly, the signal should stay digital until it needs converting to analog for the speakers otherwise you're going to end up with multiple pointless AD/DA conversions.

Why does the path I suggested not work for you?

 

[jhaider]

That path just doesn't make any sense to me. Firstly, how are you going to AirPlay to the ADI-2? (it doesn't support it) and secondly, the signal should stay digital until it needs converting to analog for the speakers otherwise you're going to end up with multiple pointless AD/DA conversions.

Why does the path I suggested not work for you?

The source is a WiiM Pro. The easy way here doesn’t work because the whole point of the Mac (+DAC) would be to replace the giant AVP used solely as a DLBC processor for bass managemeht and subs and multichannel DAC, fed via Toslink from ADI-2 Pro. ADI-2 isn’t a multichannel DAC so can’t be after DLBC.

 

[ChrisUpNorth]

Ok you totally threw me because you were talking about AirPlay from your Mac/Phone before so I assumed you wanted to cast 2-channel audio into your 2-channel DAC. You now mention WiiM but I'm pretty sure that can only output 2-channel anyway.

 

[jhaider]

Correct - 2-channel audio is the context, but after bass management there are more than 2 outputs playing those channels. Hence the processor for bass management and DLBC.

 

[Tre2023]

It's a good question as I can use Roon at the moment on the Mac but utilising the DMP-A8 will allow me to (a) have a nice LCD panel showing me when music is playing (b) off-load processing from the ageing M1 (c) allow AirPlay/Spotify/Qobuz Connect etc so my mates or I can stream to the DMP-A8 without messing my Roon history up

I would use Rogue Amoeba Loopback to route the audio from the DDC to the Dirac Virtual Soundcard like I'm doing with the Apple TV audio.

Have you not tried Qobuz Connect and Spotify Connect from iOS devices directly to the Qobuz and Spotify apps installed in the Mac mini M1?

Are you using the iTunes Remote app on an iOS device at all for any music stored in the Apple Music app on the mini?

Some do not care to use any service in a Mac without Roon as I believe only the Tidal service supports bit perfect playback on Mac outside of Roon using its desktop app.

Using Airplay to the Mac from an iOS device running various music service apps is easy enough but will not give you the display for all to see as will be done by using the Eversolo. But, if Roon is running and in Exclusive Mode, audio may be output from the Mac mini speaker and not the output device if it is output at all using Airplay.