Seeking some "sound" advice on installing DSP into my system..

[MDAguy]

Hi all, new to the forum but I have been told this was the place to come find no-nonsense advice from people who know the ins and outs of the digital and analogue chain / signal and processing...

So here is my situation... I've got a decent Hi-Fi system that I mostly (80%) use for streaming hi-resolution music from Qobuz and Tidal, but I also occasionally listen to SACD and a bit more often RedBook CD...

My components are as follows:

dCS Rossini DAC /word clock
Accuphase DP-560 SACD player
McIntosh C1100 pre-amp
McIntosh MC462 Amp
McIntosh XR50 speakers (300W 3-way bookshelf but on stands)

And incoming from Japan in two weeks is a DG-68 DSP (room EQ)..

I live in a small condo (SF Bay Area living is very expensive) and use the spare bedroom for listening .. it's a 12x14 room with 8' ceilings and sounds pretty good, but after a friend brought over his Accuphase DG-58 (prior generation to the DG68) to try out the difference was quite impressive and noticeable, especially at the volume levels i tend to listen at, which is closer to 4.5W (about 70db). The sound is very good, but like I said, I really liked the "Room EQ" version even better... enough that I ordered the DG-68..

Anyway.. we installed his DG-58 in between the C1100 and MC462 (amp and pre-amp) via XLR Balance and it works great, but.. the problem with this setup is:

-I cannot use the DAC in the DG-68 which is better than the one in the DP-560 for SACD, which I would like to be able to do
-I feel like I might be able to get better sound (and dCS Advised me to do this) by putting the DG-68 before the Pre-Amp, and leave it analogue from that point onward..

I have two diagrams that show the two ways to do this (attached)..

I'd love some informed people to chime in on what they think is the best way to do this.. and remain in the digital domain as long as possible with streaming and CD music .. SACD is it's own unique problems and not so worried about that.

Anyway.. here we go!

I sincerely appreciate the effort to help.

 

[RayDunzl]

Try it both ways, see which you like more.

 

[MDAguy]

I will end up likely trying both... the first option appeals to me because it keeps me in the digital domain once in most cases, and allows me to use the better DAC in the DG68 for my SACD playback... but option 1 makes me fear a possible feedback loop situation.. will be hard to know until I get the unit in and set it all up next month.

Anyway, anyone else wish to take a stab at it? I'd appreciate the input on how best to setup the inputs and outputs!

 

[somebodyelse]

I think I'd be looking for another streamer with a digital output, and a digital switch box, to keep everything digital on the way into the DG-68. Feed its analog output to the preamp, and its digital output to the Rossini which then goes to another preamp input. You can now switch between the built in DAC and the Rossini easily, and decide whether the Rossini is worth keeping. I may have got the input and output capabilities of each bit wrong in a quick net search though, or misunderstood the requirements.

 

[MDAguy]

well, for what it's worth, and for anyone else who might come across this thread... I've decided to just insert the DSP between the Pre-Amp and Amp as Accuphase pretty much recommends and just accept the AD/DA byproduct ... realistically this is a very transparent unit if it's anything like the DG-58 (it's predecessor).

 

[GDK]

well, for what it's worth, and for anyone else who might come across this thread... I've decided to just insert the DSP between the Pre-Amp and Amp as Accuphase pretty much recommends and just accept the AD/DA byproduct ... realistically this is a very transparent unit if it's anything like the DG-58 (it's predecessor).

I would be curious as to your experiences with the DG-68 when it arrives. I think it’s a really interesting product.

 

[MDAguy]

I would be curious as to your experiences with the DG-68 when it arrives. I think it’s a really interesting product.

Hoping to have it by around the 20th of Dec... I'll get it setup and create a new thread here to review it.