An Interlude of the Project:
Sync connection from DAC8PRO to second DAC8PRO, or to another DAC, possible?
Edited to add on July 7:
In his post today here, Pavel of OKTO RESAERCH kindly confirmed the AES/EBU digital sync connection from DAC8PRO to second DAC8PRO or to another DAC.
Hello friends,
As you well aware by looking at many schematic diagrams of my current project, OKTO DAC8PRO, an amazing 8-channel multi-channel DAC, is the core of my multi-channel system.
One of my audio-enthu friends in Japan is now very much interested in building stereo 8-way 16-channel system with software crossover and two of DAC8PRO, and he has recently placed his order for two DA8PROs! As you aware, one DAC8PRO is just enough for my current project, while he and myself are interested in how we could establish two DAC8PROs
in sync with each other.
Recently, I had a series of interesting discussion with
@Zooqu1ko in
the Review thread of DAC8PRO, from
here to
here. We agreed, and also the Owner's Manual of DAC8PRO tells, that if we connect the AES/EBU digital OUT (CH1+CH2) of DAC8PRO into AES/EBU digital IN of second DAC8PRO, or into another second DAC capable of AES/EBU digital IN, then the second DAC would be automatically
in sync with the first DAC8PRO, without using the internal clock for DA processing, but using the sync signal provided by the AES/EBU digital input.
As described
here, I tested and confirmed such sync connection to second DAC, and let me share that trial and result again here, and some additional features in this project will be also shared afterwards in this post.
I tested the
"sync connection" by putting AES/EBU digital OUT of my DAC8PRO into second DAC, not DAC8PRO, but ONKYO DAC-1000(S) which I have and capable of AES/EBU digital input;
Before my actual trial with DAC-1000(S), I sent my inquiry to ONKYO's customer support center asking; "If I would connect DAC8PRO's AES/EBU digital out (CH1+CH2) to DAC-1000(S)'s AES/EBU input, DAC-1000(S) would be fully
in sync with DAC8PRO for the DA processing, right?".
An ONKYO engineer quickly responded by email that "If DAC8PRO's AES/EBU digital out is fully compatible with the
IEC90958 of AES3 Standard issued in 1985, then DAC-1000(S) would be automatically fully
in sync with DAC8PRO, without using DAC-1000(S)'s internal clock."
As DAC8PRO is also for pro use, its AES/EBU digital out (CH1+CH2) should be fully compatible with the
IEC90958 of AES3 Standard, and as described in the Owner's Manual of DAC8PRO, the second DAC would be automatically
in sync by this AES/EBU connection, I believe.
Then I actually tested by connecting DAC8PRO's AES/EBU digital OUT (CH1+CH2) into ONKYO DAC-1000(S), and listened to both sound,
i.e. sound from DAC8PRO's XLR analog out (CH1 & CH2), and sound of ONKYO DAC-1000(S)'s XLR analog out (L & R), for a continuous period of overnight (15 hours). As the result, I found
no asynchronization nor drift of sync between the two DACs; DAC-1000(S) has been fully
in sync with DAC8PRO.
This
in sync connection to DAC-1000(S) gives another option in my project for connection to L & R sub-woofers YAMAHA YST-SW1000 by RCA unbalanced input.
In my previous post
#192, I showed that RCA unbalanced input into L & R sub-woofers YST-SW1000 can be achieved by using DAC8PRO's nice headphone output always giving CH1+CH2 line level signal under the control of DAC8PRO's volume and gain controller, just like in this scheme;
In this case, I need to use a
"TRS to two female RCA (L&R) adapter" at the front panel of my DAC8PRO;
Now, I have the new option of using second DAC, ONKYO DAC-1000(S), connecting its RCA unbalance OUT into RCA IN of L and R sub-woofers YST-SW1000 as shown here;
with EKIO's I/O setting of;
The main reason for keeping the super-low (SL) 15 - 50 Hz channels in this EKIO I/O configuration is that in a few music tracks in my library ripped from CD or digitized from LP records, unpleasant small volume super low Fq noises exist around 20 - 35 Hz caused by hall air conditioning or by LP records' bending which can be muted (if needed) by the Mute buttons of SL-L and SL-R Output panels. Except for these rare "super low Fq noise" cases, of course I usually need 15 - 50 Hz sound mainly played by sub-woofers.
We should note,however,that DAC8PRO's AES/EBU digital out (CH1+CH2) is the through digital out of CH1+CH2 which is
not under the control of DAC8PRO's volume or gain controller. In this setting, I need to control the sound volume of sub-woofers by its own volume controller using an IR remote controller. Of course, even in this setting, I can
use EKIO and/or JRiver on PC for master volume and gain controller after I would fix the volume balance in down stream.
In any way, it is nice to know
"DAC8PRO's AES/EBU digital OUT (CH1+CH2) into second DAC" enables
in sync simultaneous DA processing with DAC8PRO and the second DAC.
Edited to add on July 7:
In his post today here, Pavel of OKTO RESAERCH kindly confirmed the AES/EBU digital sync connection from DAC8PRO to second DAC8PRO or to another DAC.
