CD Player as a DAC Confusion - Please Help!

[admin_exported]

Hello all,

I've just purchased a Logitech Squeezebox Duet music network device and intend to use it as my new source. However, I want to continue using the DAC in my Sudgen Masterclass CDP.

I've set up the Squeezebox and it works when directly connected to my amp (i.e. using its own DAC), however, when connected to the Sugden via a coaxial cable...nothing.

Can anyone suggest a solution?

 

[Anonymous]

I think it is possible but your Sugden will need to be modified. I'm not 100% on this so if anyone else knows? I say this because we were thinking about looking for high end cd players with broken transports for cheap and using their DAC's and we looked into it, and then we gave up. External DAC's comparable to your CD player's though you could look at Benchmark/Harmony?

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your thoughts octopo. My initial impression ran on a similar line (i.e. needs modification). I plan to try a different coaxial as the one I'm using has seen better days (possible break in the connection). If that fails, I shall give Sugden a call in Tuesday.

 

[Anonymous]

I may be missing something obvious here, but CD players usually have digital OUTPUTS to feed the bitstream from the CD to something else, not inputs.... So you're probably trying to feed an output into an output. If your CD is wierd/high end enough to have digital inputs as well as outputs, then the next question is what format and/or samplerate does it expect? I suspect the CD bitstream with heavy error correction to cope with ropey CDs, scratches and whatnot, may have a different format to a standard digital stream.

 

[Anonymous]

Uh-huh, I'm talking about adding an input to the DAC, but like I said we gave up!

 

[Anonymous]

I am not familiar with the CDP but, assuming that it does have a digital *input* to allow use of an external source with its DAC, what you are doing sounds perfectly reasonable. ÿ(I do this with my CD player: it has two digital inputs, coaxial and optical, to which I have connected my DVD player and Apple Airport Express.)

So, four things you might check:

1. ÿThat the coaxial cable you are using is OK (and that it really is a 75 ohm cable that is suitable for making a digital connection).ÿ

2. ÿThat the CD player is set to use the digital input. ÿ(On my CD player, you have to explicitly select one of the digital inputs; the default on powering up is to play a CD, of course.)

3. That the Logitech box is sending a signal that the CD player is capable of processing. ÿ(Check the CD player's manual; it may specify e.g. a particular sampling rate such as 48 kHz.)

4. That the digital input works with another digital source, if you have one. ÿ(That would give some reassurance. ÿIf you have a DVD player with an RCA digital output, it will probably be possible to set it to "downmix" to two-channel audio.)

Good luck!ÿ

(And if you're wondering why I have my DVD player connected to my CD player: the CD player's DAC is *far* superior, and I use the CD player on its own with active loudspeakers, no preamp, so this is the only way to get stereo output from the DVD player. This multichannel stuff is much too fancy for an old vinyl guy like me .... 3

ÿ

 

[Thaiman]

maclrc:

Hello all,

I've just purchased a Logitech Squeezebox Duet music network device and intend to use it as my new source. However, I want to continue using the DAC in my Sudgen Masterclass CDP.

I've set up the Squeezebox and it works when directly connected to my amp (i.e. using its own DAC), however, when connected to the Sugden via a coaxial cable...nothing.

Can anyone suggest a solution?

The Masterclass digital inputs are for BNC type connection so you will need a Digital Coax - Phono to BNC cables.

If you already done this but still no sound then turn the CDP off at the back, push 2 digital buttons on the front to on position then click them off again. now push the one that you are using the input ie "input 1" , turn the power switch back on.....should work.

The TDA1541 DAC is awesome piece of HiFi history and you should get a big dose of Sudgen sound connecting from SB when connecting this way....at least 80% of the Sudgen's Phillip's transport.

I hope this help, any more question please ask.

 

[Thaiman]

Double post!