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DAC OR NO DAC???

I am a newbie here and just getting into hifi and I am sure this is a dumb question but if anyone can comment and help me out?

I am currently listening to a lot of youtube music videos(quality varies) and tidal from my hp laptop via hdmi connect to a marrantz 7704. the 7704 seems to be decoding the signal pretty well. I tried a audioquest dragonfly red and it gave me some interference or something. ( maybe I needed the jitterbug to go with it?) so I returned it and just using the hdmi. Happy with tidal also but really like the music videos. One question is hdmi sound quality not as good as I could get? Can a dac help from this source? a dac to try that uses an hdmi? or should I just forget hdmi? A dac to try for under 500 or should I just wait and spend more? Thanks


My startup system consists of bw 804 d3's ( I do see where people say they are a little bright but so far I am enjoying them:) Marantz 7704, McIntosh mc207, bw 805d3 and htm1d3 for movies, fathom 212 that I turn up for movies and back down for music, source as described above and audio technical at lp5 ( I know it is a cheaper one but wasn't sure how much vinyl I would listen to but I am impressed with the quality of the new vinyl and sound I am currently getting compared to digital) -room 13 x 15 no acoustic treatments yet




rwrightcpa
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

@caphill  - I highly recommend using the iFi SPDIF iPurifier between your cable box or blu-ray player and your SS processor.  Lowering this jitter for $150 is a no-brainer.  Elevated my movie experience significantly.  It's the only reclocker that does Dolby Digital.  I do not sell it BTW.  Get it on Amazon.

For 2-channel, I recommend the Synchro-Mesh, which delivers 7psec of jitter.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

caphill
665 posts
 
@audioengr

This is not for me. It is for the OP.
The OP just recently purchased a used defective unit of the Classe Sigma SSP Mk2 AV processor on eBay. I do not own the Classe Sigma SSP.
I think you got it all mixed up.
rwrightcpa OP
30 posts
 
@ caphill

Yes I was disappointed but he is going to let me know when it comes back from warranty.

Thanks for all your input.
rwrightcpa OP
30 posts
 
How do you guys feel about the mc 2600 internal dac?

Do I need a dac with it?
caphill
665 posts
 
@rwrightcpa 

Are you sure you had everything set up correctly and properly on your Sigma SSP? Cause setting up Classe processors are very different from setting up your Marantz processor or other Japanese processors. I had set up my friend's Marantz av receiver and it was easy and basically plug n play. Whereas with Classe processors you will have create a profile, input name, set up speaker configurations etc and then assign each profile & input name with each speaker configuratuo to each assigned input. 


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