Introducing Lina DAC X: The new network music player from dCS…

I should certainly think so

Me too, but I need confirmation lol

I sent an email. See what they say :slight_smile:

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If the headphone and 2 channel systems were in the same room there would probably no difficulty. However:

So being in different parts of your house brings limitations from the lengthy interconnects that you would need to make or custom order and install from Lina to at least one of the systems. I would not go there without a lot of consideration regarding the practicality as a run from one room downstairs to another and accounting for any necessary deviation from a straight line which may exceed the maximum advisable length of either RCA or XLR wires.

I am unsure why you find the Lina X desirable over the ordinary Lina. It seems to have nave no obvious advantages for the scheme you propose but presumably you may have reasons.

My bad. I explained it wrong.

I want to MOVE the headphone amp and clock Upstairs and integrate into the larger system in such a way that the Lina X can be used discreetly as a headphone rig but then use the DAC/clock ALSO for my speakers when listening to digital that way.

Also, by using the X I am wondering if connectivity makes it easier and less cumbersome to use the gear I have in this way. Hope that makes sense?

My understanding was (from previous posts) that the Lina can sort of do this but levels and such must be watched and set carefully vs my hope with the X being its all meant to do this… have various components plugged into it and use them all discreetly.

Thanks for the clarification. If you do move the headphone and two channel systems then there should be no problem. Headphone amp or 2 channel units can be fed from Lina with either RCA or AES outputs ( which is partly dependent on your home theatre inputs). Lina or Lina X have appropriate analogue outputs and wordclock inputs.

Yes you may need to watch line levels as the overall sensitivities of a home theatre system or headphone amp/cans are likely to be very different in practice even if it looks good on paper.

Yeah, and looking at my preamp it seems it may still be an issue bc my the Lina X still uses the same balanced out and my preamp only has balanced/unbalanced in; no usb etc so it may not work any better than the Lina for my purposes…

Once I use that for the headphone amp the rest is the same challenge.

I am not sure what you mean. Lina has balanced and unbalanced outputs, RCA and XLR. These are analogue. Lina is a digital to analogue converter / streamer after all and so it provides digital in and analogue out.

Without knowing exactly what you use, surely your preamp has RCA inputs? XLR to Lina headphone amp and RCA to preamp?

If you are thinking of some kind of digital input to your preamp that means that you do not want an external DAC as the preamp would need to have its own internal DAC ( that’s what the digital input feeds) and the source would be a transport/streamer/video player of some kind but without conversion to analogue.

Yeah so I was mistaken. I can use my Lina and the new one is just form factor and inputs for cd player etc which I don’t need. Moving my Lina stack to my dedicated room this week :slight_smile:

Lina DAC X has exactly the same input/output complement as Lina DAC. The main differences are the form factor and the physical volume knob. Any firmware differences should even out over time.

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Is the volume knob different from Rossini? I feel the volume knob turning is abit too without resistance in that product.

The rotary encoder is the same as on Rossini, yes. It has a different physical volume knob than Rossini which can be seen in the photos, but the parts it connects to are the same.

Do you mean that the knob on Rossini turns too easily?

Indeed, the Rossini knob last time I audition it appear to turn without much resistant. I much prefer the Naim Alps pot if you know what I mean. It is subtle and nothing to do with sound. Just a feeling and different people feel differently. I just feel a knob can be designed with good resistant to make it not so easily turn.

What about the Varese remote control volume knob. Is it also the same turning style as the Rosinni. Or it has a much premium and heavier resistant to it?

Hi @mech. It may not be immediately obvious but the volume control on the Lina (and Bartók/Rossini/Vivaldi) isn’t a potentiometer but a rotary encoder since the volume control is implemented in the digital domain (after upsampling to preserve bit depth of course). That’s why it has a different feel.

The only pot in a current dCS product afaik is the volume control in the Lina Headphone amp, which is coincidentally an Alps part. FWIW the implementation here is not actually in the signal path but in the feedback loop.

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I think it make sense to me now. Without knowing the implementation, I do feel the way the Alps move is more satisfying :smiling_imp:. At least to me.

I would just add that, in the many years i have had my dcs kit, i really don’t use the volume control on the dac.
If i do then i use mosaic in the app or the remote control.
But i also find the volume on the dac fine as well and certainly not a problem at all.

Lina DAC X looks like a nice form factor for some. I can see why dCS has gone that route.

As much as I’d love to move up from my Bartok Apex, I doubt I will be able to afford to upgrade before I need to downsize :rofl:.

I like the form factor of the original Lina as it is small enough to tuck away in a cabinet and control through the app. The Dac X would look a little nicer on display

Are you saying that the Lina DAC X is an upgrade from Bartok? If so that isn’t the case ( pun unintended). The dCS range of lines offers real superiority as the hierarchy is ascended. For example, Lina does not offer Apex. The price differential also reflects this ; 13,500 gbp ( Lina X) against 19K (Bartok) . UK prices.

I should think the bartok apex is still the better sounding compared to the lina dac, be it x or not, mainly down to apex. As i am not sure if it runs the same maps and filters as the bartok.

Ha no. I’m saying I doubt i’ll ever be able to afford to upgrade to a Rossini or Vivaldi! my Bartok Apex and Rossini clock are likely the summit for me. I love them and honestly I’m happy swiming in the lane I’m in.

My point is the original Lina is a nice solution that would work well in a small footprint system if one ever needed to down grade. (Which is something I would consider doing if we move to a home where we don’t have room for a dedicated listening space)

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Hello!

Has anyone been able to find pictures of the inside of the Lina DAC X?