With a device like the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 added to the system, the OP’s existing preamp may be unnecessary. The CXN V2 can operate in preamp mode.
Simply using an HDMI cable wtill be an improvement on AirPlay; no need for another box, I’d think.
Hi Bill, I have been very busy trying to sharpen my knowledge. It is hard for me to process the language used by those in the forum and understand it. You seem to be a fixture on the forum and I pay close attention to your posts. I want to have a stand alone 2 ch stereo setup separate from my multichannel Home Theatre system I don’t plan to use my Marantz for hi res audio. Just Nucleus to an external DAC preamp then to Bryston 7B amps then to B&W 802D speakers. No analog additions. Just digital.
When I get recommendations it seems that they all seem to duplicate some of the Nucleus attributes and 2 TB SSD hard drive making me feel that I should never have bought the Nucleus in the 1st place, but I did. These recommendations are in the $4k to $7k area. Cash is not a major problem but I just hate to duplicate equipment. Ideally there is something in between that would work well without the total cost ballooning to $6k to $9k.
I also tend to believe you get what you pay for, but understand that those who have great knowledge don’t have to rely on my questionable belief to get just as much for much less.
Hopefully, this will help explain where I am at. Wish there was someone to trust like you who offer your kind help with nothing to personally gain. Anyway thanks for listening again as you have each time I post.
Recommendations for what?
Sounds like you have it all worked out OK. All you need to do is pick a DAC. You can go to the ASR site and look at what’s recommended there. The site isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty good, lots of knowledgeable people there working out the various issues.
Personally, for a DAC, I’d just go with a Topping D90 or D70. Not very expensive, but excellent sound reproduction. They both include preamp stages and remote controls. If you want something flashier, look at the ASR reviews and find something that measures well. But DACs are kind of a known quantity these days, and it’s not hard to make a good one.
More important is to match those speakers to your listening room.
1 Like
Sounds like a great idea! They have a Topping D90 and a D90SE. I have briefly read thru the ASR review and am curious if you have an opinion between the 2. I don’t know enough to make an informed decision even though the reviewer seemed high on the SE.
Now I am really going to sound ignorant, but what exactly is implied in matching speakers to my listening room? Are you talking about software that takes into account room size, number of windows, ceiling height etc?
No, not really. I think the SE is newer and includes support for MQA.
One of the things you can do with Roon is to measure your room’s acoustics, and then add digital signal processing to Roon that will make it sound perfect given your speakers in your room. People do things like adding sound absorbers, curtains, covering tables (highly reflective surfaces), and all sorts of other steps to connect the speakers properly to the room.
I’m no expert here; @andybob has gathered together a number of threads on how to do digital room correction (using a calibrated microphone), but there are lots of physical steps you can take to remove sound reflections and/or absorption. A good starting article on this is How To Mitigate Problematic Room Acoustics. That will give you a basic understanding of the issues involved.
3 Likes
This topic was automatically closed 36 hours after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.