Schoolboy DAC Question

[admin_exported]

This may seem somewhat trivial, but when would you use a DAC and when would there be no need?

Now that data storage capacity is no longer an issue, I've recently been re-ripping my music using AIFF format to benefit from better quality. I have an optical audio output on my laptop, and considering severely upgrading my hifi system including a multichannel receiver.

If there is an optical input in a multi-channel receiver, would I simply be able to connect my laptop to the receiver using a an optical cable and away I go, or is the setup more complicated than that? If it is this simple, where would a DAC be beneficial?

Thanks

 

[lordmortlock]

You certainly could connect in this way but the point of a dac is to improve the information the amp receives. For instance I use an airport express and I could attach it straight to my amp with a headphone to phono connect. However when I did, it sounded pants.

This is because the airport only has a very basic dac, and the amp doesn't convert signal it just amplifies. (in most cases - a few amps have dacs built in)

So the job of the dac is to convert the digital signal to analogue for the amp. I have a beresford dac between amp and airport and it sounds lovely.

Oh and be aware that av amps (multichannel) don'r always sing with music.

Hope thats useful.

 

[John Duncan]

Yeah the DAC in an AV receiver is probably quite adequate (worked well when I plugged an AE into an old Yamaha receiver I have), but the point is that you're then playing your well-rendered music through an AV amp, which is not always conducive to the best sound coming out the other end.

Quote yesterday from Clare about AV amps being about as good as a stereo amp a third of the price...

 

[lordmortlock]

lordmortlock:For instance I use an airport express and I could attach it straight to my amp with a headphone to phono connect. However when I did, it sounded pants.This is because the airport only has a very basic dac, and the amp doesn't convert signal it just amplifies. (in most cases - a few amps have dacs built in)

Ah. I'm talking about 2 channel aren't I. Serves me right for posting as soon as I've woken up.

lordmortlock:Oh and be aware that av amps (multichannel) don'r always sing with music.

At least I got something right!

 

[Messiah]

Gerbi1isimo:
If there is an optical input in a multi-channel receiver, would I simply be able to connect my laptop to the receiver using a an optical cable and away I go, or is the setup more complicated than that? If it is this simple, where would a DAC be beneficial?

Thanks

As the others have mentioned, you can connect the laptop directly to the receiver or amp with digital input. Where a separate DAC is beneficial is when you want to improve on that performance. Just like upgrading any other component, you would buy a better one.