Rossini DAC Output

dCS Products
1

I cannot seem to find the thread so I’m restarting. Sorry about that. Anyway, there was a thread where folks were talking about whether to go with 2V or 6V output to a preamp. I use a D’Agostino Progression Integrated and have always (1 yr) used 6V output from Rossini to the integrated. So, after the Apex upgrade I contacted D’Agostino based on responses I read from the thread I cannot find. D’Agostino (not Dan, but the guy I’ve talked with) said 2V! (Exclamation point his). Interesting. Though I’d pass along. Thoughts, comments, appreciated as always.

2

Here is the topic:

1 Like
3

I’ve always used 2v with my Momentum HD pre-amp. Not enough volume control for me at 6V.

4

The best setting is always as good as your preference. 6V is nice but sometimes it veers on the loud side for night listening and left my Naim 252 pre with much less control on the volume…

You can fiddle the settings and see…
Remember it’s 3 way: 2V or 6V; the volume control on Rossini/or Roon etc; and the volume control on your pre/integrated…. No definitive answer

Text book will say 2V for a pre and 6V for direct to power amp. But we all know Hi-Fi is nothing text book…

5

There are some things that are “text book” though … in this case you should choose the maximum output voltage that you can - this ensures that the overall system noise floor, once you are back in the analogue domain, is as low as possible.

However, if you select a 6v output level on your - say - Rossini DAC and you are using that as a source into a preamp that can only handle a maximum of 2v before the input clips then even if you are keeping the volume down on the preamp you might still be driving the input of the preamp into clipping in which case you should choose the 2v output level on your - in this example - Rossini DAC.

Cheers

Phil

6

Hi @Phil,

I hope this question makes sense. I was looking around to see what the Audio Research Ref 6SE could take for input voltage and the manual says it can handle up to 18v balanced, so no issue going with 6v. However reading a review from Stereophile magazine the reviewer states “However, as with the Reference 6, the Reference 6SE’s ultrasonic bandwidth decreased at lower volume control settings.”

I am not gonna lie, I have no idea if you want more ultrasonics or not, but if you did would you set the Rossini output voltage lower so that you can increase the volume setting on the Ref 6?

Here is a link to that section of the article. Not trying to overthink this, just wanted your advice.

Thanks!!

7

So if you’re not going to overload the inputs then it’s simple … which do you prefer the sound of yourself?

Cheers

Phil

8

I’ll be honest I prefer the sound at the 6v, it seems more dynamic, but late night it would be nice to be able to have it a bit quieter.

I suppose at the end of the day the change is so easy in Mosaic I should just change it as needed and stop overthinking this!

Thanks Phil!

P.s. I am still curious what ultrasonics are and if they are bad or good, in general.

1 Like
9

Depends whether you’re a bat… :rofl:

Obviously there’s a well established train of thought that, although you can’t hear it, the high frequencies that you can’t hear do influence and enhance the range that you can hear … and that’s absolutely cool if you subscribe to that train of thought.

I am also aware of hardware that plays files out to 384kHz sample rates (so in theory has response well beyond the audible range) that still uses the same brick wall audio filtering when playing 192kHz audio that it uses for 44.1kHz audio playback (so basically outputting nothing above 20kHz) and that hardware has received very positive comments on its audio capabilities.

4 Likes
10

Thank you Phil, much appreciated explanation.