Your perfect component that doesn't exist

[Purité Audio]

The A-8 is an analogue pre amp, and has analogue ‘ins’.
Keith

 

[Jas0_0]

???
Why does the DMP-A8 need a preamp?
What functionality are you missing?

For me it lacks a phono preamp for a turntable, and also lacks an AD converter, so even if I used a separate phono pre, I couldn’t EQ (room corrrect) the signal from my turntable.

 

[Jas0_0]

For the record I use an RME Fireface 400 as DA/AD converter, and Roon and Audio Hijack on a Mac Mini for streaming and EQ.

My system lacks dynamic loudness so I’ve created loudness presets (clunky).

It also lacks a remote, but MacOS system volume controls the Fireface so I use the volume keys on the Mac’s Bluetooth keyboard (inelegant).

I could add an RME ADI-2 DAC, which would solve these two problems, but it would be nice to have one box that did it all, rather than three, with all the attendant signal and power cables.

I guess my problem is that I am sort of halfway between two camps - the vinyl-loving analogue lot to whom MC cartridges are standard and digitisation is sacrilege, and the room-correcting digital lot to whom vinyl is quaint and faintly laughable.

But with the vinyl renaissance still going full tilt, and the rising understanding that rooms need correcting, I feel I can’t be that odd.

 

[markstein]

If you are streaming via PC, just use Jriver Media Center, it has a loudness option as well (64 bit, so no quality loss).

Jriver MC has a WDM driver which let's you route all music sources through MC. This way you can its DSP capability for all sources.

 

[terryforsythe]

An all active version of the KEF Blade, with a bit wider dispersion, using a Hypex Nilai amplifier for the woofers, and something equivalent (from sound perspective, not quality) to the Topping LA90D or B200 for the midrange and tweeter. It would be out of my price range, but I can dream.

 

[Roland68]

For me it lacks a phono preamp for a turntable, and also lacks an AD converter, so even if I used a separate phono pre, I couldn’t EQ (room corrrect) the signal from my turntable.

That's exactly why I suggested the E1DA Cosmos ADCiso as an ADC. There are already threads and suggested solutions for phono in the forum and it can hardly be better in terms of sound.
Built-in phono preamps are always a compromise and very rarely a good solution. Hence my question, because for me a real preamp has nothing to do with phono. That's why many good manufacturers also offer retrofit boards for phono.
Your demand for dynamic loudness clashes with the analog volume control.

With the DMP-A8 you have the best analog volume control with relays and subsequent analog output stage, separate from the DAC. But it's much too slow for dynamic loudness, that only works digitally.
Perhaps Eversolo is open to suggestions and will add the function to the DSP?

With the DMP-A8, E1DA Cosmos ADCiso as ADC for phono and dynamic loudness (if Eversolo adds that), all your requirements would be met, or have I missed something?

 

[Jas0_0]

That's exactly why I suggested the E1DA Cosmos ADCiso as an ADC. There are already threads and suggested solutions for phono in the forum and it can hardly be better in terms of sound.
Built-in phono preamps are always a compromise and very rarely a good solution. Hence my question, because for me a real preamp has nothing to do with phono. That's why many good manufacturers also offer retrofit boards for phono.
Your demand for dynamic loudness clashes with the analog volume control.

With the DMP-A8 you have the best analog volume control with relays and subsequent analog output stage, separate from the DAC. But it's much too slow for dynamic loudness, that only works digitally.
Perhaps Eversolo is open to suggestions and will add the function to the DSP?

With the DMP-A8, E1DA Cosmos ADCiso as ADC for phono and dynamic loudness (if Eversolo adds that), all your requirements would be met, or have I missed something?

Thanks for the suggestion, but I’d still need a preamp (mic or phono) with 60dB of gain to get my MC cartridge up to line level for the AD converter, so I’d still be looking at three boxes and no dynamic loudness, at least for the time being.

My biggest hope is that RME adds the mic pre tech it’s already created for its pro interfaces to its consumer friendly ADI range. An RME ADI 2/4 with mic preamps would get me down to two boxes (RME and Mac mini).

 

[markstein]

That's exactly why I suggested the E1DA Cosmos ADCiso as an ADC. There are already threads and suggested solutions for phono in the forum and it can hardly be better in terms of sound.

Sounds interesting, can you please provide links?

 

[markstein]

My biggest hope is that RME adds the mic pre tech it’s already created for its pro interfaces to its consumer friendly ADI range. An RME ADI 2/4 with mic preamps would get me down to two boxes (RME and Mac mini).

How would you perform RIAA equalization?

 

[Jas0_0]

How would you perform RIAA equalization?

Digitally in Audio Hijack (as currently)

Edit - or in the RME - the 2/4 does this already

 

[markstein]

Ok, that would be too complicated for me. The whole setup has to work without PC - one of my prerequisites.

Mic input on my UFX II has 3.4kOhm@1kHz. Too much for your MC cartridge probably.

You could try a ADI 2/4 with external streamer (WIIM mini) and a step-up-transformer for your MC system. Alternatively switch to a MM. Done

 

[Roland68]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I’d still need a preamp (mic or phono) with 60dB of gain to get my MC cartridge up to line level for the AD converter, so I’d still be looking at three boxes and no dynamic loudness, at least for the time being.

MM/MC signals are pretty much the most sensitive thing there is and deteriorate with any additional interference with the signal. That's why it's not a good idea to put something like that in a complex device.
I find it breathtaking anyway, the measured values that eversolo achieves with this device, even though various analog and digital sections are located together with the power supplies in a very small space. Most AVRs could really learn a thing or two from that.

My biggest hope is that RME adds the mic pre tech it’s already created for its pro interfaces to its consumer friendly ADI range. An RME ADI 2/4 with mic preamps would get me down to two boxes (RME and Mac mini).

#166
Please read the next 4 posts, he is also the one who decides this.

 

[Roland68]

Sounds interesting, can you please provide links?

All you have to do is search for Phono or RIAA in the relevant E1DA Cosmos threads.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/e1da-cosmos-adciso-review.54020/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-e1da-cosmos-adciso-a-decent-phono-adc.54038/

Or in these threads the E1DA Cosmos.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...classic-audio-mc-pro-phonostage-review.47139/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...he-phono-cartridge-measurement-library.46108/

 

[JiiPee]

First choice: The combination of features/performance/price of RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE is good enough for me, if they would just recase it to look like a HiFi equpment form '70s - Either with a classy dark walnut box with a brushed aluminum front plate (think of vintage Marantz receivers), or something like B&O receivers from that era.

Runner up: Take Octo DAC 8 with a silver front plate, add AES3 output, and nice walnut side plates to it.

 

[markstein]

All you have to do is search for Phono or RIAA in the relevant E1DA Cosmos threads.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/e1da-cosmos-adciso-review.54020/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-e1da-cosmos-adciso-a-decent-phono-adc.54038/

Or in these threads the E1DA Cosmos.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...classic-audio-mc-pro-phonostage-review.47139/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...he-phono-cartridge-measurement-library.46108/

Thank you Roland.

Seems that all these threads assume there is a separate RIAA phono preamp, just AD converted by the Cosmos.

I guess more interesting would be a solution like implemented in the ADI 2/4: AD conversion of the raw phono signal and digital RIAA equalization. However, this seems to work sufficiently "good" with MM only.

May try - just for fun and when I have some time - using my UFX II mic input to AD convert my MC phono signal and do RIAA equalization using Acourate convolver... However, this solution requires the PC running during vinyl playback, is somehow complicated and - even if it works - I would prefer a separate phono preamp for simplicity and convenience.

 

[Jas0_0]

May try - just for fun and when I have some time - using my UFX II mic input to AD convert my MC phono signal and do RIAA equalization using Acourate convolver... However, this solution requires the PC running during vinyl playback, is somehow complicated and - even if it works - I would prefer a separate phono preamp.

I do this with my Fireface 400 and Mac mini, though use convolver in Audio Hijack for RIAA. Works really well, and far lower noise than the dedicated Avid Pellar MC phono pre I used before.

 

[Jas0_0]

#166
Please read the next 4 posts, he is also the one who decides this.

Interesting - thanks for posting

 

[Jas0_0]

Alternatively switch to a MM. Done

You might be right there!

 

[Salt]

If I had a dream ...

... RME ADI 2/4 including Waxwing for phono, an analogue passthrough (for audioph...
), streaming from sources locally and globally via ethernet, WIFI and BT, as well as decent display like A8, all balanced and SE in and out, completed by a competent amplifier in case of passive speakers (TA, Hypex, Purify ... at your choice of demanded power and clarity), all components slotted on a basic PCB to ensure quick exchange in case of failure or hardware upgrade (like EMT TT have).

Some kind of AdiEverWaxPur

 

[ahofer]

RME ADI, Roon-ready, with Tidal/Chromecast/Spotify/Apple streaming built in. Mostly the volume, loudness, EQ integration with Roon, and one-click easy access, with volume, when my wife or visitors want to play from whatever their music player of choice happens to be.

They could always incorporate two purifi modules and make ian integrated amp/streamer, but that part is invisible and visitor-proof in my setup (triggers on with a signal).