[Huck]

Hi:
Let's say I am not happy with the sound of the internal DAC in my CD player,or the sound of the DAC in my pre-amp to which the CD player is hooked up via RCA cables, other than using an external DAC and digital (toslink or coax) out on the CD player or replacing the pre-amp,what are my options to by-pass the DAC in my pre-amp?
Do all pre-amps have internal DAC's?Thanks,Huck

[JLM]

CD player:  look for a digital output (probably coax or optical), if none exist you're out of luck.

Pre-amp:  look for analog input (non-phono) and connect DAC output to it (few pre-amps have a built-in DAC).

[Huck]

CD player:  look for a digital output (probably coax or optical), if none exist you're out of luck.

Pre-amp:  look for analog input (non-phono) and connect DAC output to it (few pre-amps have a built-in DAC).

My Parasound P6 pre-amp has an internal dac.( I think),it's(ESS Sabre ES9018K2M).My player has both toslink and coax outs for which I have both plugged into the external dac and from there to analogue input on pre-amp,but the signal still has to go through the dac in the pre-amp for which is what I am asking about (bypassing).Thanks.

[newzooreview]

Hi,

If you are connecting the analogue outputs from your DAC to the analogue inputs of the P6 then the DAC inside the P6 is bypassed. The DAC in the P6 works only with the digital inputs on the P6, which you are not using in this case.

Because the P6 has a built-in DAC, you have the option of connecting the digital output from your CD player directly into a digital input on the P6. The DAC in the P6 will then do the digital to analogue conversion. This would allow you to compare the results to using your external, stand-alone DAC.

If the direct CD player to P6 digital connection sounds good, then you can save some money by selling the external DAC and the analogue cables running from the DAC into the P6.

Happy listening! 

[Huck]

Hi,

If you are connecting the analogue outputs from your DAC to the analogue inputs of the P6 then the DAC inside the P6 is bypassed. The DAC in the P6 works only with the digital inputs on the P6, which you are not using in this case.

Because the P6 has a built-in DAC, you have the option of connecting the digital output from your CD player directly into a digital input on the P6. The DAC in the P6 will then do the digital to analogue conversion. This would allow you to compare the results to using your external, stand-alone DAC.

If the direct CD player to P6 digital connection sounds good, then you can save some money by selling the external DAC and the analogue cables running from the DAC into the P6.

Happy listening! 

That is basically what I am asking...what if I don't care for the digital to analogue conversion when done by the P6...do I try a different pre-amp or some other option? Thanks.

[newzooreview]

Sure, just a clarification in order to make a useful suggestion for your case. Below are the digital inputs on the P6 (from the user's manual). Which of these digital inputs have you tried so far?





I am asking because unless you connect something to those inputs, the DAC inside the P6 is not used at all. Your earlier posts were a little confusing to me, so I wanted to clarify.

[Huck]

Sure, just a clarification in order to make a useful suggestion for your case. Below are the digital inputs on the P6 (from the user's manual). Which of these digital inputs have you tried so far?





I am asking because unless you connect something to those inputs, the DAC inside the P6 is not used at all. Your earlier posts were a little confusing to me, so I wanted to clarify.

Hi: I have used Opt1 and Coax together,so I can compare on the fly...if the sound is not to my liking,now what? Thanks

[toocool4]

Are you sure that every signal goes through the P6’s DAC? I know on something like the Devialet everything goes through the digital section no matter if it originates in digital or analogue domain.

You need to check if the P6 is putting everything through the digital section. If it is and you cannot bypass it then you will have to get a new pre-amp that does not do that.

This is why I like everything to be separate, that way you can chose precisely what you want. Also if anything breaks, you can just repair or replace that component. In your case if the DAC breaks in your pre-amp, the whole pre-amp needs to go in for repair.

[sunnydaze]

Hi: I have used Opt1 and Coax together,so I can compare on the fly...if the sound is not to my liking,now what? Thanks

It's not complicated.  If you don't like the P6 internal DAC, you either:

(1)  run you cd player's SE/RCA analog outputs into your line stage SE/RCA inputs,

or

(2)  run your cd player's digital output into digital input on your outboard DAC, and then run the DAC's SE/RCA outputs into your line stage SE/RCA inputs

[newzooreview]

Are you sure that every signal goes through the P6’s DAC?

I checked the manual and the P6 has a standard analogue section for the analogue inputs. The DAC is only used for signals coming through the digital inputs.

So "bypassing" the DAC in the P6 is not a concern for anything connected to the analogue inputs. That was definitely confusing in the earlier posts, but it is a red herring.

[newzooreview]

+1 for what sunnydaze says.


You can get an external DAC and try that. There is no need to "bypass" the DAC in the Parasound P6 in that case. You would connect the digital output (Coax, preferably) from the CD player to the stand-alone DAC. Then you would connect a pair of analogue outputs (frequently single ended (SE) using an RCA connector) to a pair of analogue inputs on the Parasound P6.

This would accomplish what you are asking. The external DAC would be doing the digital to analogue conversion, not the DAC in the CD player and not the DAC in the P6.

[Huck]

Thanks everyone!