dacmagic? some help please for someone not that clued up!!

[admin_exported]

morning

i've been wodering about getting a cambridge audio dacmagic for my current set - up

i currently watch all my films straight from my PC which via optical goes into my Yamaha AV Reciever

I do the same with most of my music collection - but also have a seperate cd player

now i'm probaby being a bit thick but if I link everything i've got through one of these cambride audio Dacmagics - what will it do?

will it imrove the sound that i get? if i put a dolby 5.1 signal through will it spit out the same to my amp? and could i link numerous inputs to oit and have one output to my amp?

I've read reviews and it looks like the way to go (debit card at the ready) but would like a little real time advice

cheers

 

[The_Lhc]

The DacMagic is a stereo only DAC, so it won't do anything with a 5.1 signal.

I don't mean to be rude (and hopefully I won't be...) but if you don't know what it does, why do you think you need or want one?

 

[John Duncan]

It does however have an optical pass-through, though not sure how you'd configure it to work where stereo goes to the DACMagic and 5.1 goes to the passthrough. Think it just wouldn't be possible...

Personally I think the DAC in the Yamaha is probably half decent, and you wouldn't get *that* much improvement from the DM.

 

[John Duncan]

Reading your post again, I think it might be useful to know what other kit you have.

 

[tyranniux42]

Shatwell.

Hope I can shed some light on this or you, as I currently use my Dacmagic for a similar purpose.

I connect pretty much every source to my DAC (with exception of my CD player, being as it is far superior to the DAC soundwise and the fact that it doesn't have a digital output anyway), and then use the digital and analogue outputs to route the relevant sound to each of my amplifiers.

Basically my pc, my xbox, my bluray player etc all connect to the DAC magic via optical and coaxial cables. The manual says not to have both optical and coaxial inputs plugged in at the same time but as long as both sources are not switched on at the same time, or outputting signals then it will be absolutely fine!

When any of those sources are outputting a 2ch signal the DAC will pick up the sample frequency and output this both to the pass through digital output and the analogue outputs.

When any of the sources output a dolby or DTS signal the DAC simply does not pick up the sample freauency and just passes the signal straight to the digital output unaltered. This allows my Surround amp connected via optical to pick up the surround signal and process it, or output the raw dolby or dts signal.

When playing stereo I just switch either my stereo amplifier on (Nait XS) or of listening late at night I use my headphone amp.

The DAC magic is simply a fantastic little audio hub and is the reason that unless the new Rega DAC or maybe any DAC upto £1000 sounds head and shoulders above it, I will be holding onto it for some time!

If you have any questions about my set up or about the DAC magic in general please feel free to PM me.

Regards

Dan

 

[Anonymous]

cool Dan - think i've got that

my set-up isn't earth shattering, but it does me fine

my av reciever is a Yamaha RX-V357 which is a little outdated but hey i'm not a millionaire. i run my pc via optical, the virgin v+ box via optical, leaving me no imputs for anything else (PS3)

in theory could I link the PC, V+ box, PS3 through the Dacmagic and have 1 digital output to my av reciever? - or am i wasting my money and just get an optical splitter

you've said it runs the signal unaltered - I take it the DacMagic does nothing to improve the sound of a 5.1? but if I play my mp3's from my pc will it improve the sound?

I have a Sony CDP-XE270 cd player (£20 off ebay!) - will it improve the sound of a bog standard CD?

cheers mate

 

[Gerrardasnails]

shatwell:
cool Dan - think i've got that

my set-up isn't earth shattering, but it does me fine

my av reciever is a Yamaha RX-V357 which is a little outdated but hey i'm not a millionaire. i run my pc via optical, the virgin v+ box via optical, leaving me no imputs for anything else (PS3)

in theory could I link the PC, V+ box, PS3 through the Dacmagic and have 1 digital output to my av reciever? - or am i wasting my money and just get an optical splitter

you've said it runs the signal unaltered - I take it the DacMagic does nothing to improve the sound of a 5.1? but if I play my mp3's from my pc will it improve the sound?

I have a Sony CDP-XE270 cd player (£20 off ebay!) - will it improve the sound of a bog standard CD?

cheers mate

Seriously mate, don't waste your money (look at my kit - I love the DM). Your av receiver will not dig out the plus points offered by the DM. You would be better off just sending the digital cables to your Yamaha.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

shatwell:
cool Dan - think i've got that

my set-up isn't earth shattering, but it does me fine

my av reciever is a Yamaha RX-V357 which is a little outdated but hey i'm not a millionaire. i run my pc via optical, the virgin v+ box via optical, leaving me no imputs for anything else (PS3)

in theory could I link the PC, V+ box, PS3 through the Dacmagic and have 1 digital output to my av reciever? - or am i wasting my money and just get an optical splitter

you've said it runs the signal unaltered - I take it the DacMagic does nothing to improve the sound of a 5.1? but if I play my mp3's from my pc will it improve the sound?

I have a Sony CDP-XE270 cd player (£20 off ebay!) - will it improve the sound of a bog standard CD?

cheers mate

Seriously mate, don't waste your money (look at my kit - I love the DM). Your av receiver will not dig out the plus points offered by the DM. You would be better off just sending the digital cables to your Yamaha.

By the way, the DM won't play 5.1 full stop and the set up would be digital inputs from pc etc., and then analogue output to your av receiver. Just get an optical splitter though.

 

[Anonymous]

cheers mate