Squeezebox Duet - Audio Connections?

[utahsavages]

I've got a Duet hooked up using optical to my 5 year old Denon AVR. I'm wondering if I should use the internal Squeezebox DAC by connecting via the digital coax or the L/R RCA connections.

Any thoughts?

[bunnyma357]

I've got a Duet hooked up using optical to my 5 year old Denon AVR. I'm wondering if I should use the internal Squeezebox DAC by connecting via the digital coax or the L/R RCA connections.

Any thoughts?

To use the DAC in the Squeezebox you'd have to use the L/R RCA connections, the Coax is just another flavor of digital just like the optical (for digital many believe coax to be superior to optical - in my system I can't hear a difference).

Depending on how your receiver works, it is worth hooking up both analog and digital - with my old Yamaha on some material it sounded good using the Receiver DAC's on others the DAC in the CD or Squeezebox sounded better.

At the least it gives you a good comparison of the qualities off different DACs and an idea of why people often end up going to outboard DACs.

Jim C

[utahsavages]

Thanks. I hooked up the L/R, and I think I like it better than the optical.

Is this going to be a good application for Tweak City's Dac-Man?

[Ray3]

You betcha!!

[dvenardos]

Absolutely, the dac in the duet and the dac in most receivers aren't great. I run my sb3 to a channel islands dac and the difference is night and day.

[madpoet]

Or you can get into SB modding ;) Gets expensive! I've got a Wellbourne Labs power supply that makes a pretty significant difference in my opinion.

[utahsavages]

It's pretty bizarre, but the Squeezebox setup sounds decent in 5.1 - not so great in stereo. I'm running an older Denon 3802 AVR in that room.