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Pairing the right DAC (or another converter...?) to a Marantz PM6006 UK

ajookon

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Feb 26, 2021
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Hi ya'll,

This is a cry for help...

I've been wasting so many hours on reading, comparing and going absolutely all over the place picking up audio equipment... Being an engineer and a nerd sure doesn't help :(
Also being a business owner and spending so much time on this instead of actually working to get some more income to buy whatever I want, definitely isn't a good idea either lol

Basically, I'm now so lost that I'm actually feeling stressed out and would really appreciate your knowledgeable help.

I just bought a brand new Marantz PM6006 UK edition to pair with Dali Spektor 2's.

I'm only using my computer as the music source, and my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd generation does a great job as a DAC (I saw it scored very well in the review by Amirm).
However, this is in the living room and I need that audio interface to record bass and guitar in the other room, so I'm looking for a DAC to replace it, and if possible also have a decent quality Bluetooth connectivity so that the wife could enjoy the speakers as well :D

The Marantz only has coaxial and optical inputs for its built in DAC, so I guess it's either finding some USB to Optical or USB to Coaxial converter or just going with a DAC that has Bluetooth connectivity as well. Maybe even a DAC and a separate Bluetooth unit? Ughh...

Regarding the budget - I guess the less the better, since don't live in the US/CA/UK/EU and the shipping and import charges will probably make this close to twice as expensive as you'd get it for.
Chinese products that I could buy from Chinese sites would have a much higher chance of making it without import charges in comparison to Amazon for example.

Obviously, I'd prefer to avoid products that would be a very obvious weakest link in the current setup.


Many thanks for any help that you could offer!
 

twsecrest

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Run an optical connection from the computer to the Marantz PM6006.
 
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ajookon

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Get a low cost sound card, cheap way to add an optical port.
Would pretty much any low cost sound card with an optical port be good enough? I have no idea how different the quality of the signal might be when it comes to a cheap card's optical port in comparison to an expensive one's....
 

twsecrest

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Any $25-$30 sound card would be fine.
Never had a issue with using the optical port of lower costing sound cards.
 
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ajookon

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I see :)

Another thing I thought of is simply using the following configuration:
PC via HDMI to my 7 years old Samsung TV
then to the Marantz via the TV's optical output.

It's all digital signal until it reaches the amp's DAC.
I guess I just assume (without actually knowing that for a fact... lol) that the amp's DAC might be "tuned" to help giving it a signature PM6006 UK sound.
 
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I would be careful adding TVs and such into the mix. They might do some processing or somesuch - might not be bit perfect. Even though it remains digital, some manufacturers have been known to think of them selves as knowing better than the musicians, studio engineers and mastering people. If you catch my drift. (That being said, 99% of what I consume in my living-room goes from my Panasonic TV's optical output to my DAC.)
 

gags

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I guess this is an old post and my suspicion is you aren’t using a Mac but I use a FireWire Duet with my Mini and my 6006 and the difference is phenomenal.

Got it 2nd hand for £120
 
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