Hi all and hope this doesn’t come over as me being stupid, but having looked at the manual many times, i was hoping that someone could give an idiots guide to what settings i should be using, or atleast make sure i am not got it set wrong, I have the clock as well and again would be great to be sure i have it right.
So far i have
Upsampling to DSD×2
Filtr F1
DSD filter F5
Mapper 1
Output 2v
Auto wordclock
Dual aes on
Usb class1
Buffer on
On the clock i have dither 1 and 2 off
I know a few bits but a brief description off what each does etc would be great, i have tried different filters etc and i like the F5, but others i couldn’t really tell any difference and that got me thinking have i got it all right.
Also just for reference i have the player version and use that along with my melco that has all my CDs ripped on it, plus different format stuff like aif,flac, m4a and wav, also 16 & 24 bit.
It depends on where your stream to Rossini originates. I see you have the Melco server, and you mention the player version. Are you feeding signal over network or USB or another input? If USB, I would set to USB Class 2 [p.16 of manual]. Further, some of those settings you need to play with by ear, e.g., the Mapper, the upsampling setting, and the filters. There are a number of recommendations here on where to start and what other people like, but those are personal decisions. At p. 35 of the Manual, you will see some helpful but brief descriptions of the filters. Here is what my dealer recommended when they shipped me the Vivaldi:
I suggest starting with Filter 3 for your PCM settings, after it has all settled in somewhat you will likely want to compare Filter 1 and see which you prefer generally. You will need to set the filter by playing 16/44.1 content and then again playing a 24/192 file (it retains 2 settings independently allowing for standard res and high res to be different settings).
The DXD upsampling option is a good place to start for the output from the Upsampler. DSD or 2xDSD are the other options to consider.
I would generally suggest setting the DAC for the 6v output setting. In some gear combinations the 2V output is favorable (in particular some preamps do favor this setting), generally in situations where the 6V sounds great and even really high output signals don’t exhibit any overloading (either actual distortion on peaks or a little compression on the same) the 6V will be the pick. There are also options of 0.2V and 0.6V, I don’t think there is any situation in which you are likely to use these.
FWIW, I run Vivaldi DAC at 2V because that is better with the room correction processor supplied with my speakers. And when my Clock arrives next week, I intend to run with Dither on.
Thank you for your reply, i use the network connection from the melco.
I did at first use the 6 v output into my naim 552 pre amp, but it was quite a bit louder than the phone in put, plus i wasn’t sure if the naim would be happy with 6v going into it.
I have played with the filters since i got it and to be honest only just realised today that the 2 sets off filters are for different formats lol, thats why i couldn’t tell the difference.
The dither on the clock, that is one that i cant tell any difference if its on, or off or if both or just one is on. Plus i am not sure what its ment to do.
I found an intriguing explanation somewhere of the dither function. I do not actually know if it is technically correct, but it seemed to make sense. Let me see if I can find it again.
Been playing today and decided after quite a bit off trial and error, that i prefer the output at 6v rather than 2v. Its hard to judge them as the volume needs to be adjusted all the time, but i think the 6v output does sound a bit more dynamic or it could be just my imagination?
Plus i understand the filters and mapping much better know, that i have actually sat down and had a proper read off the instructions, which i didn’t do if being honest before as just went with what i was told to use by the dealer.
Cheers all and keep on enjoying your music in these strange times
I have a new to me Bartok . I agree the 6v setting sounds more dynamic than the 2v setting. However, my integrated amp manufacturer told me to go with the 2v setting because the max input of the amp is 6v. Apparently, overloading the input on loud passages is a concern at the 6v setting.
Basically you and your amp manufacturer are both right.
Input sensitivities are not absolute figures. They mean that X voltage will result in Y distortion. The acceptable level of the latter is decided upon by the manufacturer.
So e.g. 2v. input may provide the distortion level recommended by the amp manufacturer. However distortion ( e.g. total harmonic distortion) can be interpreted by the human ear in many ways. It is possible that exceeding the distortion level recommended by the amp manufacturer can be heard by you as added excitement. This particularly may be the case if you are mainly listening to rock/pop repertoire .Think of rock guitarists who deliberately add gross amounts of distortion to their amplification ( e.g. “overdrive”) to produce the sound that they want. So if you like it, why not?
NB:there are other considerations relating to where high input voltage settings to a preamp result in volume control positions which have their own issues. However I will leave that aside for now.
Sometimes " High Fidelity" is not precisely what we desire.
@PAR Pete and others. I was reviewing this thread yesterday and tried some suggested settings on my Rossini. First time I changed the Mapper from 1 to 3. I found Mapper 3 noticeably better in my system. I think John Quick described Mapper 3 as more analog sounding. Mapper 3 is a bit fuller. Mapper 1 now sounds a bit on the lean side when compared to Mapper 3.
The other settings are as follows, but I hear very little difference when changing any of the below.
Upsampling to DSD×2
Filtr F3
DSD filter F5
Also, does anyone know what the recent Network Board ver 1.1.3 (506) upgrade does?
Hi Brian. There are no “right” Mapper or filter settings. Although the User Manuals suggest selections that provide good results it is ultimately for the user him/herself to choose what they prefer. Such preferences may change from individual to individual or from system to system and even from one album to another. The latter is also, of course, also subject to the format being played.
Generally I would not advise changing settings for every album or track. If you do this you will never enjoy music on your Rossini. Sure, you may want to experiment from time to time e.g. you seem to have found that you prefer Map 3 to Map 1. However if it were me I would leave it on Map 3 for a couple of weeks then go back to Map1 to check. Just like Map 3 made Map 1 sound a bit thin for you, maybe Map1 will then make Map 3 sound a bit fat. Or maybe you will then decide to stick with Map 3. There is no rush, just let your choices evolve over time. Broadly speaking, aside from choice of Map and DSD filter 5 ( which only became available with Vivaldi v.2.0), my choice of settings has been the same for the past 10 or more years despite having changed all of my dCS hardware during that time.
Of course if you genuinely cannot hear all of the differences then that simply reduces the number of permutations of choices to be made. Often the difference may be quite subtle and not reveal itself on a quick A/B comparison. However after some hours of listening you may find yourself thinking that you are not enjoying things so much as you did.
As the choice of digital filters for different resolutions are not necessarily he same ( even if some of the different filters at different resolutions carry the same number - do be aware of that), Rossini will remember the filter setting that you choose for each one.
The object is that after a while they should all have been set and forgotten about
What Mosaic v 1.1.3 does is in the Software Release Notes:
Any suggestions on the use of mappers and filters to get the sound crisp with fast transients and high dynamic contrasts. I mostly listen to 16-44 redbook ripped CDs with no compression. I’m new with the 2.0 version.
Thanks a lot.
. I agree the 6v setting sounds more dynamic than the 2v setting. However, my integrated amp manufacturer told me to go with the 2v setting because the max input of the amp is 6v. Apparently, overloading the input on loud passages is a concern at the 6v setting.