Optical in from CD player or RCA direct to amp?

[ZoydWheeler]

Okay here’s a potentially daft interconnect question: I’ve plugged my Marantz CD player in to the optical in on the WiiM Pro Plus, instead of plugging it in to the Naim Nait 5i amp directly. And it sounds pretty great.

Is using a bog standard optical cable in this way better than me investing in a high-end RCA cable to plug the CD player directly into my amp?

 

[Brantome]

Using optical means you’re using the DAC of the device it’s connected to, while using analog RCA means you’re using the CD player’s DAC. You may prefer the sound of one to the other

 

[sral]

Is using a bog standard optical cable in this way better than me investing in a high-end RCA cable to plug the CD player directly into my amp?

Depends on the DAC in the CD player.

 

[BowsAndArrows]

Okay here’s a potentially daft interconnect question: I’ve plugged my Marantz CD player in to the optical in on the WiiM Pro Plus, instead of plugging it in to the Naim Nait 5i amp directly. And it sounds pretty great.

Is using a bog standard optical cable in this way better than me investing in a high-end RCA cable to plug the CD player directly into my amp?

Yes the DAC you choose will have more influence on the sound in this case than the cables imo.. In my experience there are differences between optical cables but they are subtle.
Also inthis case - convenience may be a consideration. if you want to use the WiiM ecosystem to share audio via multiroom from your CD player or just manage it all - then that would be a vote for optical in to the WiiM...

 

[merifon]

It's the easiest situation for comparison. Connect both digital and analog to same amp, start a CD then switch back and fort. Having no delay and synchronized sound, will be bias proof.
As for me, I checked that a good 2004's player was slightly worst than a cheap new ESS dac.
And about cables, me and the Goddess of Electricity, are very pragmatic and doubtful about anything could overcome the RLC equivalent network...

 

[harkpabst]

It's the easiest situation for comparison. Connect both digital and analog to same amp, start a CD then switch back and fort. Having no delay and synchronized sound, will be bias proof.

Except for that the volume will most probably be different. If just by a tiny bit or if there is a more substantial difference, it will always have in influence on perceived sound quality.

 

[merifon]

Except for that the volume will most probably be different. If just by a tiny bit or if there is a more substantial difference, it will always have in influence on perceived sound quality.

In all similar test I did with different dac's, volume was the same of a couple of players that were in use. Maybe I was lucky, anyway many dac's have volume control.

 

[harkpabst]

In all similar test I did with different dac's, volume was the same of a couple of players that were in use. Maybe I was lucky, anyway many dac's have volume control.

Did you measure that? Just 1 dB off, possibly less, and you will prefer the louder source.

 

[merifon]

Did you measure that? Just 1 dB off, possibly less, and you will prefer the louder source.

No, that time did not used the scope. Just jumped seamless from a source to another and no differences in volume were appreciable, differences were only in more decise attack of ride shots and more air on acoustic guitar strumming, on the modern dac.
I think both devices, CD and DAC, were correct in nominal analog voltage output, so the same digital value, gave the same output voltage, hence no need to adjust overall loudness.
Such differences in transients, were noticeable because there was instantaneous passage from one to another. Trying to catch them in an absolute way, it's quite impossible, as determining if a file is well lossy compressed or lossless without short time comparison is.

 

[harkpabst]

I think both devices, CD and DAC, were correct in nominal analog voltage output, ...

Is there such a thing as correct nominal analog voltage output? At least those into PS One tuning are trying to jelust get as high a voltage as possible from their mods.

 

[merifon]

Is there such a thing as correct nominal analog voltage output? At least those into PS One tuning are trying to jelust get as high a voltage as possible from their mods.

Yes, it should be. If you look at ASR test for example, near all dac's, even those of mine (one with volume, the other fixed), at 1Khz 0dB, generally shows around 2Vrms unbalanced output.

 

[harkpabst]

That's not really what I would call a standard. But don't get me wrong, I do not question what you have heard, I wasn't there. I just want to point out that comparisons might not be as easy as they appear. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree, you probably know that already.

 

[cooky560]

I always use the WiiM as a go between these days between the CD and my amp, largely because the WiiM's dac sounds lovely, but also the WiiM supports a 0.5v output mode and my cd player doesn't meaning that I can better match my amps expected line in.

 

[merifon]

That's not really what I would call a standard.

There are standardized voltage levels vs dB(x), for professional and consumers both but in the years of cd players, such 2Vrms for 0 dBu has emerged as standard de facto. That's the reason why all those tested equipment show the same line level (even WiiM let choice for 2Vrms). This means that with the same digital unprocessed input, the listening analog level, will be likely the same.
To be honest, at time of testing, i did a not so regular check, just for convenience, I put a microphone in front the speaker, I masterized a CD with a single tone near to digital 0dB and looked on a spectrum analyzer what happened, the reading was the same regardless coax, optic or analog from CD were used. Anyway I can imagine that can be some gears with different behaviors.