Maybe Dumb DAC question.

[GMC]

Hi,
I play music through an Echo Dot to an old Marantz receiver. I know the Dot has a DAC which converts input from digital to analog. I sometimes see talk of people putting a "better DAC" between the Dot and the receiver. My question is: if the Dot converts to digital and a subsequent DAC of some sort is next in line, then the subsequent one is not converting, nor improving, anything, right?
I am just an old music lover, so hope question is not too lame. Just trying to keep up
Greg

 

[raif71]

Hi,
I play music through an Echo Dot to an old Marantz receiver. I know the Dot has a DAC which converts input from digital to analog. I sometimes see talk of people putting a "better DAC" between the Dot and the receiver. My question is: if the Dot converts to digital and a subsequent DAC of some sort is next in line, then the subsequent one is not converting, nor improving, anything, right?
I am just an old music lover, so hope question is not too lame. Just trying to keep up
Greg

I think you're on the Dot on your assumption that the device after the DAC ie the marantz receiver is not converting nor improving anything (analog out of DAC to analog in of receiver)

 

[AnalogSteph]

The Echo Dot appears to have Bluetooth connectivity in addition to the analog output jack, so my guess is that is what these people are using.

 

[droid2000]

Hi,
I play music through an Echo Dot to an old Marantz receiver. I know the Dot has a DAC which converts input from digital to analog. I sometimes see talk of people putting a "better DAC" between the Dot and the receiver. My question is: if the Dot converts to digital and a subsequent DAC of some sort is next in line, then the subsequent one is not converting, nor improving, anything, right?
I am just an old music lover, so hope question is not too lame. Just trying to keep up
Greg

Currently, it sounds like the Dot is outputting an analog signal to your receiver.

If the receiver is capable of outputting better sound quality than the Dot is delivering, then yes, a better DAC inserted between the Dot and receiver would improve the sound.

 

[Apesbrain]

An external DAC can only be used if the Dot has a digital output; I don't think it does. You would need an Echo Link or a WiiM.

 

[MaxwellsEq]

It's not a dumb question. There are many online statements recommending putting a DAC between device A and device B to improve sound quality, yet this is only the case if device A outputs a real-time digital bitstream commonly via USB or S/PDIF.

Lots of devices can't or don't do this - they just output audio via a 3.5mm plug or dual RCA. These can not be improved via an external DAC.

 

[antcollinet]

See also:

connect echo 3.5 to Toslink of DAC unit =24 bit ?

Hi guys Just joined the audiophile folks after 66 years and so glad I found this site . I want to simplify getting HI Res music . I only use Amazon HD /UHD for my music listening . Here is my questions . I do not use earphones .I have 2 1000 RMS powered Mackie Speakers and a SMSL DO100 Dac unit...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[JeremyFife]

Hi,
I play music through an Echo Dot to an old Marantz receiver. I know the Dot has a DAC which converts input from digital to analog. I sometimes see talk of people putting a "better DAC" between the Dot and the receiver. My question is: if the Dot converts to digital and a subsequent DAC of some sort is next in line, then the subsequent one is not converting, nor improving, anything, right?
I am just an old music lover, so hope question is not too lame. Just trying to keep up
Greg

Not at all dumb, especially since Amazon keep changing things ...

DAC = Digital to Analogue Conversion ... a digital signal goes in, and analogue comes out. You can't then put that Analogue signal into another DAC (not simply)

If you are connecting your Dot to your receiver with a cable then you are using the Dot's DAC and there is no more conversion to be done, no additional DAC. You are using your receiver's Analogue Line In.

If you are connecting by Bluetooth then you are sending a Digital signal and your receiver will use its internal DAC to convert the signal - still only one DAC. Bluetooth is generally a lower quality signal that wired though.

The Dot does not offer another digital output, there is no other way of sending a digital signal and avoiding the Dot's DAC.
The latest (Gen 5) Dot don't have any outputs at all, apart from Bluetooth.

If you want to use Amazon as your streaming source and have a 'better' signal sent to your receiver then consider the £90 (GBP, I'm in the UK) WiiM mini, which connects well with Amazon, and can send a high quality digital output to your receiver (if it has an internal DAC) or to another DAC ... but only if you want to go down that route

 

[Deleted member 65547]

I use a WiiM Pro connected to a Sanskrit MK3 DAC, and with Amazon Music I get excellent results even with 24/192 streams.
The analog output of Echo devices (possibly taken inside them for those that do not have the appropriate socket) is a CD quantity. But I remember an old article whose author had found a way to take the PCM and send it to an external DAC, but this too would obtain CD quality, although reproduced by a better DAC.

 

[antcollinet]

If you want to use Amazon as your streaming source and have a 'better' signal sent to your receiver then consider the £90 (GBP, I'm in the UK) WiiM mini, which connects well with Amazon, and can send a high quality digital output to your receiver (if it has an internal DAC) or to another DAC ... but only if you want to go down that route

And that is - or should be - a big if. If you used a digital signal to a good DAC it will be a measurable improvement to the sound compared with the DAC in the dot.

However it is very likely (almost certain) that you won't be able to hear the difference. We are currently measuring DAC performance way way beyond the ability of the human ear to detect under normal listening conditions.