I have a KEF KC62 with LS50 metas and currently use a Gustard X16 DAC to a Marantz receiver with an external amp.
I have heard the Marantz AVR may degrade the analog signal coming from the Gustard due to the conversion of the analog to digital - necessary for room equalization, volume control, and sub crossover and then back to analog using the receiver DAC.
I switch to PURE and notice some subtle differences - especially in mid tones.
I was going to test going straight from the DAC to the external amp with balanced XLR cables.
Then I will do room correction with REW using either the DAC or Roon for volume control.
I’m a little fuzzy on how to hook up the sub. I can either use the high level connection or I can output the DACs unbalanced low level to the sub and then output the sub to the amp (and set the crossover to 80)
The high level connection gives me no crossover to the main speakers.
This is an awful lot of work for a test and people have told me I won’t hear a difference by bypassing the Marantz.
Can anyone shed light on this? The Gustard sounds quite good now and if I compare it to some older DACs I own, it really shines. Will it get even better?
Hello Dennis, I’ve spent years trying to get sub(s) integrated into my environment and the best sound possible out of my equipment. The trick is knowing what the best possible sound is. Without sound level instruments involved it is in the ears of the beholder, what sounds best to you.
Does your Marantz AVR model have the MC analog input processing? My Denon AVR does and that is what I use to connect my DAC. It’s my understanding the use of the analog inputs bypasses the receivers internal processors and goes straight through to the amps or amp connections so no analog to digital and back to analog conversions take place. It also bypasses the receivers built in room correction. That understanding could be totally wrong. I use the AVR to control the volume, don’t know if that is digital or analog.
For my system everything to connected to the AVR and it controls the output to speakers and subs. The sub(s) volume is set to what works best for the auto on signal from the AVR with the built in room correction and the 7.2.4 speaker arrangement. My DAC sounds very good in Stereo or Multi-channel with the AVR setup. No additional Room Correction is needed based on what I hear.
I don’t know what MC analog input processing is. I have a PURE and a PURE DIRECT which I believe is bypassing the analog to digital conversion but I’m not sure how the volume is changed.
But I think the only way to find out is to listen to it both ways. I was hoping someone here had blazed that trail already.
FYI, Your Marantz does have the “7.1 Ch In” same as my Denon. Those are your analog inputs. That is for devices that have 7.1 analog outputs. SACD players, MC Dac’s, etc…
Sorry I brought that up, your device is 2 channel so you would not get the sub channel out without the sub channel in using the 7.1 inputs.
Yes…I believe I can use the front L+R as analog. I had not seen the term “MC” for multichannel before…But I had an old SACD player and that’s how I hooked it up. Never could figure out bass management