I'm currently streaming using an analog board but plan to swap to a preamp with digital inputs and a decent DAC.
Is there a reason to prefer coax vs optical for streaming the data to my preamp?
I'm currently streaming using an analog board but plan to swap to a preamp with digital inputs and a decent DAC.
Is there a reason to prefer coax vs optical for streaming the data to my preamp?
While theoretically jitter on coax is lower, for a high-quality DAC this should not make any difference.
However, the best way to do digitzal-analog-conversion is on the Pi. Multiplexing three signals into one (2x clock + 1 x data) and and de-multiplexing it on an external DAC (that's what happens when you send a signal over SPDIF) doesn't make things easier or better. The direct connection to the Pi's CPU is the best way IMHO.
Just have a look at the DAC2HD for best performance.
Thanks. I'm using a DAC+Pro now. Would it be reasonable to guess that I might detect the difference with the DAC2HD when streaming FLAC content into a competent analog audio system, but that the distinction would be irrelevant for lower-fi 128k MP3 internet radio streams?
(I'm using Picoreplayer 6.0 at the moment. I see folks have tried the new board with 6.1 and had to fuss a bit to get full volume delivered. Are you aware if that issue has been resolved with 7.0?)
It's always hard to say as it not only depends on your equipment, but also on your personal listening skills. Some people might not notice a difference at all. We're talking about really small differences not something you will hear from 100 meters away.
Thanks so much.