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which ports for DAC?

blanc

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Aug 21, 2022
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Hi,

I’m going to connect a DAC to the amplifier. Can these ports provide the same sound quality with 2.5V input:Tape, DVD, AV, Tuner, CD, AUX and Phone (MM)?
 
As already said. Any high level port. Definitely NOT phono.
 
Hi,
Can you let us know which DAC and Amp please, it may make a difference.

Don't use the Phono (MM) connections - there is additional filtering and amplification behind that and it will sound terrible.
Everything else should be the same although I'd avoid the Tape (for reasons I can't quite remember!)
 
Nice - all the line in connections, including tape, have the same spec. I'd use "AUX" but not for any particular reason, it just seems tidy to me.
 
I wouldn't connect a full 2.5V volume DAC to it:



arcam.PNG


Make sure that your DAC's output is below the specified 250mV .

Edit:I can post examples of what an overloaded input looks like.
 
Are you sure that ‚Nominal sensitivity‘ of the amp and the DAC‘s general output level are related as you represent it?
 
The amplifier manual says to connect a DAC or CD Player to the CD input.

As for voltage, a random Arcam CD player gives this:

1733313148185.png



An Arcam DAC says

1733313635851.png



So, I 'd hook it up as stated in the manual, and not worry about it..

What does "nominal" input voltage mean, anyway? My guess, in this case, is "powerful enough to work".
 
Last edited:
Are you sure that ‚Nominal sensitivity‘ of the amp and the DAC‘s general output level are related as you represent it?
Want to see it in action?
Here's a similar old amp with nominal sensitivity triple than Arcam:


270mV.PNG
At 270mV


1V.PNG
at only 1V.

Probably not audible as only H2,H3 skyrockets,noise is at check,but...

So...
 
I too would have thought that a DAC or CD player would have overloaded the A70 - however...

It looks as though what I believe to be the matching CD player (CD-72) does actually output 2v...

At normal use it will be fine,yes.
It's rare that you see music levels at pre-amp level more than 100mV (combined spectrum) at normal listening levels when a decent gain amp follows.
 
All the input sensitivity spec tells you about maximum level handling is that it can't be any less. Trying to infer anything more from it is an exercise in futility.

Unfortunately there appears to be no service documentation for the A70, and at the same time its specs differ from the A80. We can still assume PGA volume of sorts, I guess.
 
Given the amp is from the CD era and typical CD RCA output level always was in the 2.xV ballpark, I would not mind too much.

IMG_1215.jpeg
 
It is just a normal integrated amplifier. Probably about 29dB gain in the power section and about 10dB maximum gain in the preamp section. You are meant to turn down the volume knob when you use a 2V source.
 
This is all really interesting ... how is any normal user (i.e. me!) meant to know this. I've always just plugged stuff in and it's been fine (or lucky?)
 
This is all really interesting ... how is any normal user (i.e. me!) meant to know this. I've always just plugged stuff in and it's been fine (or lucky?)
Yes the integrated amplifier is meant to be fine with just about anything close to normal line levels plugged in.
 
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