WiiM Ultra

[Evo42]

That's essentially exactly what I was suggesting. Then connect the wiim to the amp by coaxial? So that would work then?

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

That's essentially exactly what I was suggesting. Then connect the wiim to the amp by coaxial? So that would work then?

Any EQ changes you make in the WiiM continue along the digital path, yes.

 

[Evo42]

Great I have been wanting to add bass management and this will also give me upgraded streamer. Other than the effects of EQ and high pass filter it will not degrade the sound quality of my amp?

Also by connecting by coaxial does it still use the amps dac or the wiims dac?

 

[Brantome]

Great I have been wanting to add bass management and this will also give me upgraded streamer. Other than the effects of EQ and high pass filter it will not degrade the sound quality of my amp?

Also by connecting by coaxial does it still use the amps dac or the wiims dac?

Using a digital connection means it hasn’t yet done a digital to analog conversion so it hasn’t used the WiiM DAC.

 

[Evo42]

Okay right. So if you went line in that would use the wiim DAC? Is there a potential drop in quality using rca or is that how you would ordinarily connect a external DAC?

 

[Nutul]

Okay right. So if you went line in that would use the wiim DAC? Is there a potential drop in quality using rca or is that how you would ordinarily connect a external DAC?

If you use the LINE IN of the cxa80 then you are using Wiim's DAC,
You connect external DACs by means of digital connections, that is: SPDIF (coax or toslink), USB, I2S, etc.
All analog inputs, if a DAC is involved in the "receiving" device, imply that an internal conversion to digital needs to be done beforehand, and this will cancel the previous DAC in the chain...
You usually want only one D to A conversion, and done by the better DAC, at the end of all signal manipulation (digital crorr-overs / DSP / EQ / room correction / whatever), that is: just before entering your AMP (or pre-amp...).

 

[Evo42]

If you use the LINE IN of the cxa80 then you are using Wiim's DAC,
You connect external DACs by means of digital connections, that is: SPDIF (coax or toslink), USB, I2S, etc.

Thanks for the reply. I am bit confused as the poster above said that the digital inputs would bypass the external DAC in the connecting device. Wouldn't connecting the wiim be effectively the same as connecting an external DAC?

 

[Nutul]

Thanks for the reply. I am bit confused as the poster above said that the digital inputs would bypass the external DAC in the connecting device. Wouldn't connecting the wiim be effectively the same as connecting an external DAC?

An EXTERNAL DAC is any other DAC you connect to a device that ALREADY has a DAC in it... after it.
Like another DAC after the Wiim...

 

[Evo42]

Yes get that but doesn't using the digital inputs on the amp mean the DAC in the amp is being used not the external DAC like this poster mentioned?

Using a digital connection means it hasn’t yet done a digital to analog conversion so it hasn’t used the WiiM DAC.

 

[gwing]

Yes get that but doesn't using the digital inputs on the amp mean the DAC in the amp is being used not the external DAC like this poster mentioned?

Yes you will be using the DAC in the amp if you feed it digital and output analog. There was some ambiguity in the original question and it would be correct as per the post you question (i.e. you would be using an external DAC not the amps DAC) if you used the digital output from the Wiim amp to feed another external DAC.

 

[Nutul]

Yes get that but doesn't using the digital inputs on the amp mean the DAC in the amp is being used not the external DAC like this poster mentioned?

Yes.

 

[morillon]

don't confuse adc in ana input ....and dac ;-)

 

[Nutul]

don't confuse adc in input ....and dac ;-)

Yes, you are right... I thought it was obvious that there had to be a ADC -> DAC chain.

 

[Evo42]

Haha this is getting confusing. In summary:

1. External DAC or wiim connected to digital inputs on amp will use amps DAC.

2. External DAC or wiim connected to line input will use external DAC or wiims dac.

What would be the best option? Also are there any potential issues in the cohesiveness(latency etc)of the sound with separating the bass signal to the wiim from the amp or is that not an issue.

 

[gwing]

Haha this is getting confusing. In summary:

1. External DAC or wiim connected to digital inputs on amp will use amps DAC.

2. External DAC or wiim connected to line input will use external DAC or wiims dac.

What would be the best option? Also are there any potential issues in the cohesiveness(latency etc)of the sound with separating the bass signal to the wiim from the amp or is that not an issue.

Yes, exactly so.

If the DACs are all good then it won't make any difference which option you choose. But the DAC in the Wiim is known and measured as good, how good are the other ones you have?

I have no idea what you are actually proposing with that comment about 'bass separation'. What are you trying to do here?

 

[staticV3]

Haha this is getting confusing. In summary:

1. External DAC or wiim connected to digital inputs on amp will use amps DAC.

2. External DAC or wiim connected to line input will use external DAC or wiims dac.

What would be the best option? Also are there any potential issues in the cohesiveness(latency etc)of the sound with separating the bass signal to the wiim from the amp or is that not an issue.

If the CXA80 supports a fully analog signal chain from Line in to Speaker out, then I would use the WiiM's excellent built-in DAC via Line out.

If the CXA80 digitizes analog inputs no matter what, then WiiM->Sub out->Sub and WiiM->Coax/Toslink out->CXA80 would be preferable.

No lately issues would arise afaik since the WiiM would serve as clock for both the Sub out and Mains out (no clock drift), and since the WiiM supports time-aligning Sub and Mains in its settings.

 

[Evo42]

If the DACs are all good then it won't make any difference which option you choose. But the DAC in the Wiim is known and measured as good, how good are the other ones you have?

I currently have a Chromecast audio connected via optical and using the DAC the Cambridge audio cxa80 amp.

I have no idea what you are actually proposing with that comment about 'bass separation'. What are you trying to do here?

I am wanting bass management to essentially apply a high pass filter to my speakers and bass to the sub.

 

[Evo42]

If the CXA80 supports a fully analog signal chain from Line in to Speaker out, then I would use the WiiM's excellent built-in DAC via Line out.

If the CXA80 digitizes analog inputs no matter what, then WiiM->Sub out->Sub and WiiM->Coax/Toslink out->CXA80 would be preferable.

Hmm good question will look into that, do you how I could find that out? Thanks!

No lately issues would arise afaik since the WiiM would serve as clock for both the Sub out and Mains out (no clock drift), and since the WiiM supports time-aligning Sub and Mains in its settings.

Great thanks

 

[staticV3]

Hmm good question will look into that, do you how I could find that out?

A sharp kink in the Analog in->Analog out frequency response is a tell-tale sign of digitization:


In each case, you can see how disabling digitization results in a much smoother high frequency roll-off.

The CXA80 has a Direct mode, which according to the manual "gives the audio signal a more direct path to the power amplifier".

If the CXA80 does tone controls digitally, then this setting would disable digitization.

If the CXA80 instead uses analog circuitry for tone controls, then it most likely never digitizes the analog inputs in the first place.

Direct mode then just bypasses this analog tone chip for slightly higher SNR.

 

[Evo42]

Interesting!