Anup, Barry says that BOTH disc are CDs and both are transport upsampled to DSD x 2 . The EasyPlay point that your correctly make is why I asked him if he is certain that one of them was not actually an SACD. However whether SACD or transport upsampled CD to DSD they would both use transport AES 1+2 out and DAC AES 1+2 in as they are both DSD.
However DAC AES3 (which is what he says it is switching to ) is ( using the User Manual wiring guide) the DAC input for the Upsampler (if input <176.4 otherwise it’s 3+4) which he says is switched off in both cases ( subject to his confirmation)
If I understand correctly, the transport upsamples the redbook cd to dsd x2 if selected without the need for the upsampler. I have it locked in this mode at the transport. I don’t know that the upsampler is capable of adding anything in addition so it is left off. This may not be how the system is intended to be used…I don’t know. it automatically switcheds to sacd if a sacd is put in. Transport responds properly. DAC responds properly but always wants to default to AES 3 when a cd or sacd is ejected. Upsampler when I turn it on sees my NAS immediately.
I have checked a few times and believe that my wiring is identical to the book for a 4 stack. If I play the transport I select button AES 1 (1&2) and if I play the NAS I select 3 (AES 3&4) and turn on the Upsampler. Am I missing the boat…and what is the connection from AES 3 really doing. Is it just a route to get 16/44 for comparison?
All of the transport outputs are “live” all of the time. It is only the Upsampler or DAC that selects between them.
You are saying that DAC AES3 is connected to the upsampler yet it is being selected automatically by DAC even though the Upsampler is switched off .With Upsampler switched off but with a physical connection to DAC still in place then if AES3input is selected by the DAC you should see “no Input” “mute” in red on the DAC display. So otherwise it is getting a live signal when there should not be one.
Your wiring connection of the system appears to be correct from your description. However I have been here before and what you may think you have wired up may not be actually what you have got. It is so easy to stick a plug into the wrong socket which is situated next to the one you intended. Please double check your wiring.
NB: Yes Transport AES3 output delivers bit perfect output from a CD i.e.16/44.1 as does the S/Pdif connection. I am wondering if that " phantom" AES 3 DAC input is not mistakenly connected to the AES3 Transport output which would explain the live input even though the Upsampler is switched off. The switching would then happen because EasyPlay is engaged and ( if I recall) it may select a “CD” output ( the single AES output or S/pdif) as its default if no SACD is loaded.
I just tried it out; my Vivaldi stack does exactly what yours does; with the Upsampler left off, inserted a redbook disc on the Transport (and regardless of whether upsampling is active on the Transport), the DAC will switch to AES3 as soon as the redbook disc is recognised by the transport (even though AES3 input on the DAC comes from the Upsampler which is off).
Barry, the Upsampler does a significantly better job of upsampling redbook disc than the Transport’s DSDx2, give it a close listen, I highly recommend you use the Upsampler. And with EasyPlay ON, you only ever need to consider your Upsampler’s source - AES3+4 or Network - everything else happens automatically depending on what disc you insert into the transport.
Thank you very much for your articulate analysis of my situation. Anupc seems to think it is the Upsampler that I haven’t engaged. I will be home from work soon and will try his solution. If I understand correctly I will just take the system in it’s current configuration and turn on the upsampler and play the transport through AES 3&4 without changing any wiring. I will confirm this with Anupc
Thank you very much for helping me trouble shoot this. If I understand this correctly I won’t rewire anything but will turn on the Upsampler and place the DAC into AES 3&4 mode. I will then need to tell the upsampler to look at AES 1&2 and just play a cd. It should work automatically from there. When I want to play the NAS just switch Upsampler to network.
With the full stack wired exactly as described in the manual, and EasyPlay ON. You won’t need to change inputs on the DAC, it’ll automatically switch to AES1+2 for SACDs, and AES3+4 for Redbook [or streaming] (coming from the Upsampler’s AES1+2 output).
The only source change you’ll need to make on a regular basis is on the Upsampler; AES (for redbbok) or Network (for streaming).
Ok. Now i think i have it but i had to make a few changes. First i had to turn pcm on in the thansport. Now when i play cds the upsampler reads aes 16/44.1>dxd. Dac reads aes 3&4 24/352.8 rather than dsd x2. Is this correct. Listening for the first time. Never noticed that shirley horn has a slight lisp.
Thats correct. But you can chose to upsample the redbook to DSD or DSDx2 on the Upsampler; just hit the “Output” button twice on the Upsampler and it’ll upsample the incoming AES 16/44.1 to DSDx2 on the output straight through the DAC (no need to change anything on the DAC).
