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SACD

I have Denon SACD player.  The player has a digital output.  I have an external DAC, a Topping d90III.   Am I correct by thinking that I won’t be able to get a digital output while playing the SACD so I’d have to use the analog outputs of the player to my integrated to play an SACD?

opathy
ghdprentice's avatar
ghdprentice
9,529 posts
 

You should be able to use it as a transport... so connect your to the digital SACD output to your DAC’s digital input and play a SACD.

So to use as a player you use the internal DAC and the analog outputs. 

To use as a transport, use the digital outputs to and external DAC. 

The analog out from the player goes to your integrated, or the analog out from your DAC goes to your integrated. 

Or are you wanting to do this at the same time. Not sure why because you can only play one at a time through your integrated... unless you are trying to compare the internal DAC with the external DAC. 

 

If you want to do both, you can with this limitation:

SACD / DSD Audio

Here is the limitation:

Output Type SACD/DSD Audio Allowed? Notes
Analog RCA/XLR ✔ Yes Full-resolution SACD/DSD converted to analog by the player's internal DAC
HDMI (if equipped) ✔ Yes SACD/DSD digital output often allowed via HDMI (DSD or converted PCM)
Digital Coax/Optical (SPDIF) ❌ No SACD/DSD is not available over optical or coaxial digital outputs
thecarpathian's avatar
thecarpathian
6,252 posts
 

Plug the Denon's digital output into the digital input of your Topping.

Then using the Topping's analog output, plug that into one of your integrated's inputs.

soix
11,259 posts
 

The Denon needs to be able to output the SACD signal (not many do) via i2S or maybe USB?, and I believe you’d need the d90III Discrete version to process the full SACD signal as well (could be wrong on that tho).  Without both those things you’ll either get no signal or a downsampled/standard CD version if anything.  If you can’t get the full SACD signal through your DAC you might be better off running the analog outs from the Denon at least for SACDs.  Just some things to consider/check FWIW, and hope this helps at least somewhat. 

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