Your camera guy never loses focus. I hope he is well renumerated. Enjoying these Back to Basics vids. I bought my first DAC last week and it's pushed me to upgrade my humble system and speakers to something better. It's great fun.
Lesson here is a lot of people understand these sorts of videos when you actually show where the cables go and how these would work in real life situations, great video thanks.
Thank you John. I finally managed to understand DACs and their importance thanks to your review of the Schiit Modi 3, which I bought along with a Schiit Magni Heresy. I have a really old set up: NAD 510 CD player and a NAD 710 amp hooked up to some exotic McFarlow Regency Two speakers. I know.... Thanks to your advice and help I've rediscovered my love for listening to music. I use a small PC to stream FLAC files from DEEZER HI-FI to my Modi. The modi then sends it to the NAD 710 or I plug in my Phillips X2HRs into the Heresy. For me, my budget and my untrained ears this set up is great. I wouldn't have discovered this new level of listening experience if it hadn't been for your videos and Internet site. I'd recommend anybody thinking twice about investing in a DAC to take the plunge. You won't regret it. Please keep up the good work as it's really made a difference. I look forward to my coffee Sunday mornings and listening to some music. Thanks.
Your tutorial has shown the ease that one can enter into digital audio without much fuss. the example of the MODI 3 multi-bit DAC shows it to be a digital to analog "Swiss army knife" of sorts. Accepting a TV via Toslink, a RasPi/Hat streamer via S/PDIF Coax, and a PC/tablet/smartphone via USB makes this 'Cheap as Schiit' DAC a true single box solution. All you need is a volume controlled amplifier and a set of speakers. There is an even more minimalist single box that throws in amplification as well. It's called the Cobalt DA from True Blue Box in the Netherlands. Inputs include 2 Toslink, 1 USB, 1 Line in, and 1 MM Phono. These are all processed digitally, even the Phono's RIAA compensation. All is up-sampled to 24 /192, converted to PWM, and then sent out to the speakers via 100 WPC BTL outputs. Definitely Kalax Fi. Waiting for it to arrive ...
Great video showing how converged many digital devices are today regardless of quality - hence the ability to go toward digital separates in compact form factors. 👍
A great explanation for the novice enthusiast! Now when my colleagues and friends ask me I can simply point them to your video, and spare myself of repeating story over and over again ;) Thank you!
Really helpful. Would love some advice on getting quality audio out from home hifi (my case Uniti Star to Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones. Sure can be hard wired but 5 metre sitting distance is not enjoyed. Have tried rx/tx unit but connection ropey. Any ideas for best sound?
This stuff is fascinating and I've gotten hooked of late...I'm waiting for my Denafrips Ares II DAC delivery...what no one ever talks about is the weak point in the whole digital chain is the stability of your WiFi network and configuring your router, extender NAS server etc...
I was always mystified as to what a DAC was. I mean yeah, I knew they "converted digital to analogue" but how one was supposed to use them, I hadn't a clue. Thanks, John!
Along with Roon - Tital , added the Schiit Modius DAC....awesome audio now on my home system PSB, Pioneer Elite A/V, ASUS computer. Thanks for the informative videos and clarity on whats the basic requirements for amazing results.
Literally never thought about using a Toslink cable from the tv to a sound bar well the tv is 12 years old and man it works any other way wouldn't work for some reason and it was just that simple !!
This is all helpful and I've sent your videos to a few people and it's helped clear things up so thank you. Seems most of the confusion is because some devices do all the work and some devices do just one or two parts of it and it's not always clear what does what.
For TV sound I would highly suggest to use HDMI ARC (or eARC) to an AV Receiver (ARC = Audio Return Channel). Most likely when watching TV (using the TV internal reciver via CI slot or the TV internal Apps like: Netflix, Amazon Prime, UA-cam etc.) you will get a HDCP (copyright protected) multichannel signal. So Toslink to an external DAC is not really a good choice here. Your TV might still have a Toslink output port, but it might be very limited for the use case of watching movies. Also Toslink does not support new uncompressed multichannel audio formats.
I'm currently connecting my tv to a Chord DAC via Toslink and it seems to sound fine but would it be possible to connect my tv to the DAC via an ARC connection and would that sound even better as I don't have an AV reciever?
I listen to music while out walking so portability is vital, i feed my digital stream from my s8 out of the type c into a cyrus soundkey which costs £50 and this connects to my Grado headphones, the end result is a very well balanced highly detailed sound and very portable.
Thx, John. At home, I only play vinyl or cds through my 30 years old Hi-Fi-system, And I find it sounds great. Occasionally it happened to me that I want to stream something through my Hi-Fi. A dac like the Shiite should do the job for me. I like your channel, always something to learn. And you listen to techno too, that‘s 👍
Well Done mate, your videos are so informative and simplify things to the easy understanding point. gathered heaps of knowledge with this video. Keep it up, Ben From Melbourne Australia (Well known for its Lockdown 😊)
Nice basics vid! I know you said at the end you don’t know much about pre amps and amps but would be great to see a video on it even if just general overview
Love your channel - wasn't very interested early on in the episode and then realized how "back to basic" this segment was and closed out entirely. Still, looking forward to your future videos.
So a question i have is can i plug in both my old android phone, (which i use to stream my music apps) and my cd player with its digital output into this single Schitt Modi 3 into my 2238B Marantz? receiver?
I have been using a Cambridge Dacmagic 100 for a year now. It's quite inexpensive, has usb, toslink and two spdif inputs, sounds pretty good to my ears and I guess it's easier to find in Europe than Schiit stuff.
Sometime during the last part of the first half of the 21st century there are going to be lots of YT channels going back over our tech and making fun of all the wires we dealt with.
Hi John, I am considering buying a Bottlehead Mainline 1.1 headphone amp kit to build and use with my Sennheiser HD650's. I currently run them from a Denon AVC-A1SRA, which does a pretty good job at driving them, but I think there is more to be had out of them! I am using the DAC which is inbuilt into the Denon, via Optical connection from out of my PC. I was thinking of trying to source a DAC with a Preamp/Volume control built into it, to drive the Mainline 1.1 as I am not sure if I will get on with its Stepped Attenuation design (course/fine). I am seeking some guidence on what would be a good match going forward as there is such a lot out there! But not all that many have built in preamps, going forward too the possibility of buying more different types of headphones could be a thing! And I will be buying a balanced XLR cable for the HD650s. I hope you can help me here, Thanks Mike
Great video again John. Thanks. How about a video explaining where the Digital audio conversion is being done when I play Spotify on my smartphone with Bluetooth wireless headphones. Is the dac in the phone or the wireless headphones being used?
It would be very interesting, as if to add to this or a next review on this topic, to have the opportunity to hear the HiFi music(FLAC, ALAC, WAV) played by those DAC devices, right? IMHO! 🙏🏻📱🎧🎵🎶🎵👍🏻
You should show how this all relates to 5.1 or 7.2 avr. In case your avr has an even better dac and surround sound abilities. Used avrs with really good dacs are not that expensive.
So does the source become almost irrelevant when you have a separate DAC? For instance if you play the same high quality stream from phone, sonos and mac book, will it sound the same as the digital signal would be the same? Or do they still play a part?
John, I watched parts 1, 2 & 3 of the “Back to Basics” series. Thanks explaining for the “mechanics” of networking, streamers, servers and DACs and how each can work in concert with each other. Does a given streamer-server like the Auralic or Bluesound provide any audible differences to streaming from the cloud versus streaming from a household server? Specifically, what are the audible advantages to streaming a track from Tidal vs streaming that same track from a server which has been downloaded from Tidal?
I'd say yes. The only way to know is to put the Auralic and Bluesound side-by-side in your system so the only difference is the streamer. Hopefully, you have a retailer (or Amazon) who will offer cheap or free returns.
Hi there! I'm looking to get my first headphone setup, I really fancy a tube amp setup but i want something budget friendly. I have a computer with optical out and i thought a good setup could be the Schiit Modi coupled to the schiit Vali with the Massdrop AKG K7XX headphones. My main use will be jazz, rock, classical & to connect it to my ps4 to game, as it also has optical out. Do you think this set up is worth it? Or is there anything you would change or add to get the most out of my money? Maybe invest more on headphones might be really worth it? What do you think?Thanks!!
Thanks John...trying to figure out if I should put a dedicated DAC between my Cambridge Audio CXN (v1) and my integrated amp. The CXN has Wolfson DACs but wondering how to improve
Had the same CXN, my suggestion is to connect it to an external dac in the same price range of the Cambridge, or higher. Then just listen, you definitely should hear improvement. My cxn had to make room for the Bryston 3.14 and no regrets yet!
dear darko audio,i wondered if you could advise me on a couple of products to enable me to stream losslessly. i have a subscription to amazon unlimited and have a router. £ are limited !please could you recommend a cheap but decent DAC (schitt modi 3 ?] using my phone as a 'remote' do i need any other components other than connectors -if you could let me know how to hook it all up to my amp that would be super cool.heres hoping.all the best.Tim Bernard.
Just started watching your channel. Really want to get a good dac and amp setup I’m big on having good audio for music but I also want to have good audio for pc gaming. Is there a video on how exactly he hooks everything up and what goes to what? I want a good dac and amp to also be able to connect a studio xlr mic and be able to drive the BT 990 pros but also listen to music to speakers for the best listening experience. Someone help. Point me in the right direction. Video. Or what I need to to set all this up.
I dont understand english but you help me with this Video. Can you give me a Name for a cable did i need from my Samsung Galaxy phone to DAC. I have Active Speaker. I hope you understand me and can help me. Thanks
Use Mojo on my I-Mac for my music libary I use Roon software in my home office but my stereo system is around 14 meters away from.my home office were the I Mac is located.Question what is the best way to stream my library to my NAD C388. Bluetooth is not great and the distance is to far and I have various music formats any suggestions would be appreciated
The DAC in Apple products are pretty good, I have an iMac and compared using the headphone jack vs USB to Fostex DAC to headsets and cannot hear the difference.
I need someone to explain to me, which DAC they bought that’s really made a big difference. Cause I’m still not quite convinced I need to get one. My echo sounds really good compared to my cd version of Rumors.
I'm going listen to Rumors with and without an Audioquest Dragonfly cobalt using a Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphone and Sennheiser entry-level passive headphones. I'll reply again later and let you know if it makes a big difference. In the mean time, consider watching John's review of the PX7. I bought the comparable Sony wireless bluetooth headphones and I haven't taken them off since.
Any thoughts on using the TV as the music streamer (eg Chromecast to TV to DAC via toslink)? I've always wondered if the TV adds an extra step in the path the music takes, thus negatively affecting the sound.
If you’re happy with the sound, then you are good. You don’t need an audiophile telling you what they would do 🙂. I’m not implying that you are or are not an audiophile my friend
How to be a success on UA-cam: 1) British accent 2) extensive and deep knowledge of the subject at hand 3) extensive command of the English language, avoiding overused terms such as "warm". 4)ability to give listeners an idea of how something sounds WITHOUT denigrating products or brands. 5) ability to explain a complex subject without sounding arrogant or talking down to the audience. Well done, sir!
Please dig into the information linked in the description box before leaving a comment. For example, if you want to see me talk about DACs inside amplifiers and active loudspeakers, you need to watch THIS video: ua-cam.com/video/Dhrv-O9sivI/v-deo.html Oh -- and constructive comments only, please. :)
I need to understand if I need an amp or not for my speaker system. I am currently only using the Schiit Modi 3 DAC with my LG smartphone as source using Tidal high quality. My speaker system is a Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A9 Mk2 connected to the Schiit Modi 3 via RCA line in. My speaker system is powered. It is 480 watts, 2 tweeters, 2 midrange, and 1 subwoofer. Let me know I need an amp or not. Thanks!
@@barrybenkendorf672 you don't need an amp. you amp is already built into your speakers (hence the "480watts"). the big clue that you don't need an amp is that you are (presumably) already hearing sound from the speakers.
@@johncolton thank you all for your replies! So using the Schiit Modi 3 via RCA connection to the speaker instead of wirelessly streaming music via bluetooth or airplay with my smartphone and only using my phone as the data transfer to the Modi is the highest possible sound quality I can get with my speaker system setup using Tidal high quality?
John, thank you so much. I'm an old 2 channel guy and am struggling to enter the digital world. This was a great video, helped so much. I'd love to see more basic videos if you can.
When you buy all their components to make a full hifi system, you can say “I definitely got my Schiit together”. Thank you - you can have that one for free. I’m here all week.
@@daverich3352 I am pretty damn impressed with the Schiit Gungnir multibit DAC I purchased last year! They have great products at all price points. (excluding insanely expensive...not their gig)
One thing to note about the audio from TVs that you mention towards the end. Most TV programming is 5.1 (surround sound) while almost all external DACs that I know of are stereo only. Plugging your TV's digital signal into an A/V receiver and using the receiver's DAC will give you the surround sound audio from the TV. If you plug the TV's digital signal into an external DAC before it goes into your receiver you will only get stereo audio from your receiver, not surround sound. Surround sound audio (5.1 or more) is something that never really caught on in the "audiophile" community (though some of the 5.1 mixes of music are pretty cool actually. However there's very little of it out there).
Is this a problem with a 2.1 channel system like the bose 901's with sub? Can I still get full sound from the tv to the speakers when the original is 5.1 into a 2.1 system?
Since I found this channel a few months ago. I learned so much from Darko, thanks a lot! Watching all the videos with joy its so down to earth for a nitwit as me in the audiophile world. Also helpt me to upgrade from my old system (20+ years) to the KEF LSX
It’s Audiophile madness this DAC business , I’ve re entered the market after 3 kids . (U all understand) . By the time u add a streamer and a Dac your hitting top units like CA’s cxa61 or 81 , even the all in one bluesound solution takes the cost up there on a modest stereo amp . Like Aka CA’s axa35. Surely those DACS on Cambridge Amps are as good or within 5% variation . When a company spends $400 to put an ESS Sabre SE9010K2M DAC In There amp why would u bypass it for $200 more .
Your videos are great, especially for beginners, but you make it sound like connecting to a DAC with a computer is simply plug and play. Is it? On Apple? On Windows? Or do you have to go in and fiddle with sound card and/or sound settings to get it to stream the PCM audio and bypass the onboard crappy DAC? Thanks.
Omg. I’ve struggled with understanding this concept for so long and SOMETHING (i.e., I can’t pinpoint it) you said made this all click for me. Thank you!! New sub!
Thanks for the great video! Would it be possible for you to run through the options of getting high res audio from a Synology Nas to high end analogue amp? Any recommendations would be greatly apprecieated! Thanks in advance!
Every party In the world. Audiophile : Guuud DACs, ... D'ya like DACs? Pleb : Dags? Audiophile : Ye, DACs. D'ya like? Pleb : Aaah DOGs... I love dogs. But I prefer caravans. Audiophile : ???...
Hi, thanks for your thorough and calm explanation! Does the quality of a USB cable to link up DAC to amp matter as much as say proper speaker cable? I have just picked up a lovely second hand Topping D10s with no USB cable, so I've just used what I have. Would a dedicated hifi USB cable make a difference, please?
Hi, Sound wise, connecting a Smartphone to a DAC, and using the USB Audio Player PRO App, and playing WAV file, VS quality Streamer, it's not a good thing to do? Or the sound quality will be the same? Thank you
Such an unfortunate name for what seems to be a good bit of kit. Great vid mate. Can I pick your - or any other reader's - brains? My wonderful Cambridge Audio 752DB multidisc player which I mainly use to watch films via USB /external drive, has 5 WM8740 Wolson chips. My question is....would the Modi 3 make a noticeable difference if I bypassed the CA unit? Cheers!
Dont you have to connect your DAC to a Pre-amp then to an amp since the DAC doesn't have a volume knob? I would love to not have to buy a Pre-amp if the DAC had a volume control.
Is an external DAC dongle (like KA5) helping with music quality for UA-cam Music for example? I read mixed reviews that a DAC won't benefit streaming services...
Dear Mr. Darko, I am new to the HiFi world and I would like to say that your videos have helped me tremendously when it comes to understanding the complex world of audiophile listening. But I have a question: as a person who has just entered the market for being some kit, (headphones, IEMs, speakers, etc.), what should I get first?
Hi Kieran, it all depends on your listening preferences and need of portability. Headphones would be probably the cheapest option of those 3 you mentioned. Improvement in speakers department will cost you many times more for the same quality of sound. Hope it helps.
Hi, I just subscribed, but only because of the blinking/popping eyes before and after the videos 😂. Seriously though, your videos are very good and while I have been down DAC rabbit hole before (Bursin DA-160 and still powered on after 15 or so years!), so now getting back to it and these are great primers.
Using optical out... airport express "apple" to optical in SCHIIT modi 3 ...then analog out of SCHIIT to RCA in to 1997 ONKYO Tuner Amplifier "TX-SV515PRO" So from My desktop Mac..or iPhone can bluetooth my music to ONKYO RECEIVER is that the right hook up?
Your camera guy never loses focus. I hope he is well renumerated.
Enjoying these Back to Basics vids. I bought my first DAC last week and it's pushed me to upgrade my humble system and speakers to something better. It's great fun.
Lesson here is a lot of people understand these sorts of videos when you actually show where the cables go and how these would work in real life situations, great video thanks.
Thank you John. I finally managed to understand DACs and their importance thanks to your review of the Schiit Modi 3, which I bought along with a Schiit Magni Heresy. I have a really old set up: NAD 510 CD player and a NAD 710 amp hooked up to some exotic McFarlow Regency Two speakers. I know.... Thanks to your advice and help I've rediscovered my love for listening to music. I use a small PC to stream FLAC files from DEEZER HI-FI to my Modi. The modi then sends it to the NAD 710 or I plug in my Phillips X2HRs into the Heresy. For me, my budget and my untrained ears this set up is great. I wouldn't have discovered this new level of listening experience if it hadn't been for your videos and Internet site. I'd recommend anybody thinking twice about investing in a DAC to take the plunge. You won't regret it. Please keep up the good work as it's really made a difference. I look forward to my coffee Sunday mornings and listening to some music. Thanks.
Your tutorial has shown the ease that one can enter into digital audio without much fuss. the example of the MODI 3 multi-bit DAC shows it to be a digital to analog "Swiss army knife" of sorts. Accepting a TV via Toslink, a RasPi/Hat streamer via S/PDIF Coax, and a PC/tablet/smartphone via USB makes this 'Cheap as Schiit' DAC a true single box solution. All you need is a volume controlled amplifier and a set of speakers.
There is an even more minimalist single box that throws in amplification as well. It's called the Cobalt DA from True Blue Box in the Netherlands. Inputs include 2 Toslink, 1 USB, 1 Line in, and 1 MM Phono. These are all processed digitally, even the Phono's RIAA compensation. All is up-sampled to 24 /192, converted to PWM, and then sent out to the speakers via 100 WPC BTL outputs.
Definitely Kalax Fi. Waiting for it to arrive ...
‘dac’ to basics.
dac to dacdacs
Great video showing how converged many digital devices are today regardless of quality - hence the ability to go toward digital separates in compact form factors. 👍
A great explanation for the novice enthusiast! Now when my colleagues and friends ask me I can simply point them to your video, and spare myself of repeating story over and over again ;) Thank you!
Really helpful. Would love some advice on getting quality audio out from home hifi (my case Uniti Star to Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones. Sure can be hard wired but 5 metre sitting distance is not enjoyed. Have tried rx/tx unit but connection ropey. Any ideas for best sound?
This stuff is fascinating and I've gotten hooked of late...I'm waiting for my Denafrips Ares II DAC delivery...what no one ever talks about is the weak point in the whole digital chain is the stability of your WiFi network and configuring your router, extender NAS server etc...
I was in the dark about this and now I’m not. Very well done thank you so much!
I was always mystified as to what a DAC was. I mean yeah, I knew they "converted digital to analogue" but how one was supposed to use them, I hadn't a clue. Thanks, John!
Along with Roon - Tital , added the Schiit Modius DAC....awesome audio now on my home system PSB, Pioneer Elite A/V, ASUS computer. Thanks for the informative videos and clarity on whats the basic requirements for amazing results.
Thank you! And you have great taste in music IMO.
Literally never thought about using a Toslink cable from the tv to a sound bar well the tv is 12 years old and man it works any other way wouldn't work for some reason and it was just that simple !!
This is all helpful and I've sent your videos to a few people and it's helped clear things up so thank you. Seems most of the confusion is because some devices do all the work and some devices do just one or two parts of it and it's not always clear what does what.
Currently using the Mojo+Poly as streamer/dac line out (2V) to my Nait. Fantastic all-in-one solution!
Very helpful. Love your videos
Love the video, mate. So refreshing to see actual things and not some graphics.
For TV sound I would highly suggest to use HDMI ARC (or eARC) to an AV Receiver (ARC = Audio Return Channel). Most likely when watching TV (using the TV internal reciver via CI slot or the TV internal Apps like: Netflix, Amazon Prime, UA-cam etc.) you will get a HDCP (copyright protected) multichannel signal. So Toslink to an external DAC is not really a good choice here. Your TV might still have a Toslink output port, but it might be very limited for the use case of watching movies. Also Toslink does not support new uncompressed multichannel audio formats.
I'm currently connecting my tv to a Chord DAC via Toslink and it seems to sound fine but would it be possible to connect my tv to the DAC via an ARC connection and would that sound even better as I don't have an AV reciever?
Very nice, basic, easy to understand. Thank you sir!
Excellent video. Believe that every beginner should be covered.
So happy that I ve just bought my Modi 3 + magni 3+ stack! Next stop: dt770 pro and some powered speakers
I've learned so much thru your channel ! Thank you and keep up the good work !
I listen to music while out walking so portability is vital, i feed my digital stream from my s8 out of the type c into a cyrus soundkey which costs £50 and this connects to my Grado headphones, the end result is a very well balanced highly detailed sound and very portable.
Thx, John. At home, I only play vinyl or cds through my 30 years old Hi-Fi-system, And I find it sounds great. Occasionally it happened to me that I want to stream something through my Hi-Fi. A dac like the Shiite should do the job for me. I like your channel, always something to learn. And you listen to techno too, that‘s 👍
Some older MacBook pros had Toslink output from their audio output plug.
Thanks for that John, us thicko's finally understand what your talking about now!
Well Done mate, your videos are so informative and simplify things to the easy understanding point. gathered heaps of knowledge with this video. Keep it up, Ben
From Melbourne Australia (Well known for its Lockdown 😊)
Thanks for all these videos! Would you recommend running a DAC with a soundbar and a 4k Apple TV?
Nice basics vid! I know you said at the end you don’t know much about pre amps and amps but would be great to see a video on it even if just general overview
Love your channel - wasn't very interested early on in the episode and then realized how "back to basic" this segment was and closed out entirely. Still, looking forward to your future videos.
So a question i have is can i plug in both my old android phone, (which i use to stream my music apps) and my cd player with its digital output into this single Schitt Modi 3 into my 2238B Marantz? receiver?
I have been using a Cambridge Dacmagic 100 for a year now. It's quite inexpensive, has usb, toslink and two spdif inputs, sounds pretty good to my ears and I guess it's easier to find in Europe than Schiit stuff.
Sometime during the last part of the first half of the 21st century there are going to be lots of YT channels going back over our tech and making fun of all the wires we dealt with.
Thank you !
Great job 👍
Hi John, I am considering buying a Bottlehead Mainline 1.1 headphone amp kit to build and use with my Sennheiser HD650's. I currently run them from a Denon AVC-A1SRA, which does a pretty good job at driving them, but I think there is more to be had out of them! I am using the DAC which is inbuilt into the Denon, via Optical connection from out of my PC. I was thinking of trying to source a DAC with a Preamp/Volume control built into it, to drive the Mainline 1.1 as I am not sure if I will get on with its Stepped Attenuation design (course/fine). I am seeking some guidence on what would be a good match going forward as there is such a lot out there! But not all that many have built in preamps, going forward too the possibility of buying more different types of headphones could be a thing! And I will be buying a balanced XLR cable for the HD650s. I hope you can help me here, Thanks Mike
This is simply a great video
Great video!!!
Great video again John. Thanks. How about a video explaining where the Digital audio conversion is being done when I play Spotify on my smartphone with Bluetooth wireless headphones. Is the dac in the phone or the wireless headphones being used?
The DAC in the headphone.
I was wondering the same thing.
It would be very interesting, as if to add to this or a next review on this topic, to have the opportunity to hear the HiFi music(FLAC, ALAC, WAV) played by those DAC devices, right? IMHO! 🙏🏻📱🎧🎵🎶🎵👍🏻
Great explanation! Things can be a bit complicated in this digital era.
Thanks for the video John. Would it be possible to do a video with an audio engineer explaining amps and preamps more in-depth? Cheers.
You should show how this all relates to 5.1 or 7.2 avr. In case your avr has an even better dac and surround sound abilities. Used avrs with really good dacs are not that expensive.
Do you need a preamp for online streaming music or do you just go straight to amp? Thanks!
So does the source become almost irrelevant when you have a separate DAC? For instance if you play the same high quality stream from phone, sonos and mac book, will it sound the same as the digital signal would be the same? Or do they still play a part?
John, I watched parts 1, 2 & 3 of the “Back to Basics” series. Thanks explaining for the “mechanics” of networking, streamers, servers and DACs and how each can work in concert with each other. Does a given streamer-server like the Auralic or Bluesound provide any audible differences to streaming from the cloud versus streaming from a household server? Specifically, what are the audible advantages to streaming a track from Tidal vs streaming that same track from a server which has been downloaded from Tidal?
I'd say yes. The only way to know is to put the Auralic and Bluesound side-by-side in your system so the only difference is the streamer. Hopefully, you have a retailer (or Amazon) who will offer cheap or free returns.
Why did this series end with only 3 episodes?!
what USB dongle are you using from the Mac?
How is this LG phone's DAC sound compare to Schiit as LG has pretty decent DAC built in?
Hi There, how can I connect topping e30 dac to my old Yamaha Cdx-400 CD PLAYER (which works well) , the cd player only has RCA OUT with nothing else
Any reason you didn’t mention bluetooth
But what about your bike ? Does it have a built in DAC like everything else ? Where do you carry the amp ? 8-)
will two different streamers give you different results with the same external dac?
I like your taste in music. Do you keep all your playlists up on spotify?
Yo John Darko please check out the RMI ADI 2 DAC would like to hear your thoughts on it as they say it’s a supposed QUTEST killer or contender
? How does it bypass the phone DAC to the external DAC if the phone is still using the plug.
It gets more complicated when you discover digital to digital, and then signal cleaners, and then power cleaners
Hi there! I'm looking to get my first headphone setup, I really fancy a tube amp setup but i want something budget friendly. I have a computer with optical out and i thought a good setup could be the Schiit Modi coupled to the schiit Vali with the Massdrop AKG K7XX headphones. My main use will be jazz, rock, classical & to connect it to my ps4 to game, as it also has optical out. Do you think this set up is worth it? Or is there anything you would change or add to get the most out of my money? Maybe invest more on headphones might be really worth it? What do you think?Thanks!!
Thanks John...trying to figure out if I should put a dedicated DAC between my Cambridge Audio CXN (v1) and my integrated amp. The CXN has Wolfson DACs but wondering how to improve
Had the same CXN, my suggestion is to connect it to an external dac in the same price range of the Cambridge, or higher. Then just listen, you definitely should hear improvement.
My cxn had to make room for the Bryston 3.14 and no regrets yet!
Can someone ask this question can I power the modi with a usb cable into a wall outlet?
dear darko audio,i wondered if you could advise me on a couple of products to enable me to stream losslessly. i have a subscription to amazon unlimited and have a router. £ are limited !please could you recommend a cheap but decent DAC (schitt modi 3 ?] using my phone as a 'remote' do i need any other components other than connectors -if you could let me know how to hook it all up to my amp that would be super cool.heres hoping.all the best.Tim Bernard.
Just started watching your channel. Really want to get a good dac and amp setup I’m big on having good audio for music but I also want to have good audio for pc gaming. Is there a video on how exactly he hooks everything up and what goes to what? I want a good dac and amp to also be able to connect a studio xlr mic and be able to drive the BT 990 pros but also listen to music to speakers for the best listening experience. Someone help. Point me in the right direction. Video. Or what I need to to set all this up.
I dont understand english but you help me with this Video. Can you give me a Name for a cable did i need from my Samsung Galaxy phone to DAC. I have Active Speaker. I hope you understand me and can help me. Thanks
Use Mojo on my I-Mac for my music libary I use Roon software in my home office but my stereo system is around 14 meters away from.my home office were the I Mac is located.Question what is the best way to stream my library to my NAD C388. Bluetooth is not great and the distance is to far and I have various music formats any suggestions would be appreciated
The DAC in Apple products are pretty good, I have an iMac and compared using the headphone jack vs USB to Fostex DAC to headsets and cannot hear the difference.
I need someone to explain to me, which DAC they bought that’s really made a big difference. Cause I’m still not quite convinced I need to get one. My echo sounds really good compared to my cd version of Rumors.
I'm going listen to Rumors with and without an Audioquest Dragonfly cobalt using a Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphone and Sennheiser entry-level passive headphones. I'll reply again later and let you know if it makes a big difference.
In the mean time, consider watching John's review of the PX7. I bought the comparable Sony wireless bluetooth headphones and I haven't taken them off since.
Any thoughts on using the TV as the music streamer (eg Chromecast to TV to DAC via toslink)? I've always wondered if the TV adds an extra step in the path the music takes, thus negatively affecting the sound.
If you’re happy with the sound, then you are good. You don’t need an audiophile telling you what they would do 🙂. I’m not implying that you are or are not an audiophile my friend
Great video John! I hope you continue to do more 'Back to basics' videos. They're very helpful.
hear hear
Thanks for answering my DAC question regarding connections.
How to be a success on UA-cam: 1) British accent 2) extensive and deep knowledge of the subject at hand 3) extensive command of the English language, avoiding overused terms such as "warm". 4)ability to give listeners an idea of how something sounds WITHOUT denigrating products or brands. 5) ability to explain a complex subject without sounding arrogant or talking down to the audience. Well done, sir!
You would like James Hoffman 😂
Please dig into the information linked in the description box before leaving a comment. For example, if you want to see me talk about DACs inside amplifiers and active loudspeakers, you need to watch THIS video: ua-cam.com/video/Dhrv-O9sivI/v-deo.html
Oh -- and constructive comments only, please. :)
Hey John, was just enjoying an album from "Boards of Canada". Mellow eloctro and great sound. Thought, could be your cup of tea too. Cheers
I need to understand if I need an amp or not for my speaker system. I am currently only using the Schiit Modi 3 DAC with my LG smartphone as source using Tidal high quality. My speaker system is a Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A9 Mk2 connected to the Schiit Modi 3 via RCA line in. My speaker system is powered. It is 480 watts, 2 tweeters, 2 midrange, and 1 subwoofer. Let me know I need an amp or not. Thanks!
@@barrybenkendorf672 you don't need an amp. you amp is already built into your speakers (hence the "480watts"). the big clue that you don't need an amp is that you are (presumably) already hearing sound from the speakers.
@@barrybenkendorf672 The Beoplay A9 is an integrated amp. Don't connect an amp to it.
@@johncolton thank you all for your replies! So using the Schiit Modi 3 via RCA connection to the speaker instead of wirelessly streaming music via bluetooth or airplay with my smartphone and only using my phone as the data transfer to the Modi is the highest possible sound quality I can get with my speaker system setup using Tidal high quality?
John, thank you so much. I'm an old 2 channel guy and am struggling to enter the digital world. This was a great video, helped so much. I'd love to see more basic videos if you can.
Fred kinneary me 2
Yep. He does it so well.
When you buy all their components to make a full hifi system, you can say “I definitely got my Schiit together”. Thank you - you can have that one for free. I’m here all week.
The video is good, but I didn't want a 'Schitt' DAC I wanted a good one. ;-)
@@daverich3352 I am pretty damn impressed with the Schiit Gungnir multibit DAC I purchased last year! They have great products at all price points. (excluding insanely expensive...not their gig)
Maybe I should start selling my schiit too 🤔
One thing to note about the audio from TVs that you mention towards the end. Most TV programming is 5.1 (surround sound) while almost all external DACs that I know of are stereo only. Plugging your TV's digital signal into an A/V receiver and using the receiver's DAC will give you the surround sound audio from the TV. If you plug the TV's digital signal into an external DAC before it goes into your receiver you will only get stereo audio from your receiver, not surround sound. Surround sound audio (5.1 or more) is something that never really caught on in the "audiophile" community (though some of the 5.1 mixes of music are pretty cool actually. However there's very little of it out there).
Is this a problem with a 2.1 channel system like the bose 901's with sub? Can I still get full sound from the tv to the speakers when the original is 5.1 into a 2.1 system?
Bought a chord mojo last week after watching your videos, have had my eyes and ears squeegeed open to the power of DACs as a result - wow!
In chinese, we have「深入淺出」，that’s means explain something which is complicated, but in a simple and easy to understand way. Thank and great job👍🏻👍🏻
I like this complicated kanji. Seems appropriate.
Surely the DAC in the Uniti Atom is better than the Schitt. Why use an intermediate DAC in that case?
Since I found this channel a few months ago. I learned so much from Darko, thanks a lot! Watching all the videos with joy its so down to earth for a nitwit as me in the audiophile world. Also helpt me to upgrade from my old system (20+ years) to the KEF LSX
Thanks for the recommendation on TV audio. I just connected my old Samsung TV to my Naim Uniti Atom via Toslink and my TV life is better.
thank you ! thank you ! thank you ! this really cleared things up for me l dont know how l !missed this video ?
Great breakdown. Thank you!
It’s Audiophile madness this DAC business , I’ve re entered the market after 3 kids . (U all understand) . By the time u add a streamer and a Dac your hitting top units like CA’s cxa61 or 81 , even the all in one bluesound solution takes the cost up there on a modest stereo amp . Like Aka CA’s axa35. Surely those DACS on Cambridge Amps are as good or within 5% variation . When a company spends $400 to put an ESS Sabre SE9010K2M DAC In There amp why would u bypass it for $200 more .
Your videos are great, especially for beginners, but you make it sound like connecting to a DAC with a computer is simply plug and play. Is it? On Apple? On Windows? Or do you have to go in and fiddle with sound card and/or sound settings to get it to stream the PCM audio and bypass the onboard crappy DAC? Thanks.
Omg. I’ve struggled with understanding this concept for so long and SOMETHING (i.e., I can’t pinpoint it) you said made this all click for me. Thank you!! New sub!
Thanks for the great video! Would it be possible for you to run through the options of getting high res audio from a Synology Nas to high end analogue amp? Any recommendations would be greatly apprecieated! Thanks in advance!
That bike in the background... John drowning more and more in Berlin‘s hipster scene... love it. 😉
Nothing hipster about my Trek bike. 👀
A steel frame in 2020 equals hipster.
It’s got more than one gear = just a cyclist. Keeping that carbon footprint low, my man. Love it!
Everytime he says "my Schiit DAC" I lose it.
Every party In the world.
Audiophile : Guuud DACs, ... D'ya like DACs?
Pleb : Dags?
Audiophile : Ye, DACs. D'ya like?
Pleb : Aaah DOGs... I love dogs. But I prefer caravans.
Audiophile : ???...
Hi, thanks for your thorough and calm explanation! Does the quality of a USB cable to link up DAC to amp matter as much as say proper speaker cable? I have just picked up a lovely second hand Topping D10s with no USB cable, so I've just used what I have. Would a dedicated hifi USB cable make a difference, please?
Toslink cant play lossless rate right??
Hi,
Sound wise, connecting a Smartphone to a DAC, and using the USB Audio Player PRO App, and playing WAV file, VS quality Streamer, it's not a good thing to do? Or the sound quality will be the same?
Thank you
thank you for the simple explanation!! On the whole analog/digital especially on the thing on the computer /DAC/bypass thing
Don’t forget mini-Toslink in 3.5mm socket (3.5mm with optical support) this is what I would love to see personally
Such an unfortunate name for what seems to be a good bit of kit. Great vid mate. Can I pick your - or any other reader's - brains?
My wonderful Cambridge Audio 752DB multidisc player which I mainly use to watch films via USB /external drive, has 5 WM8740 Wolson chips. My question is....would the Modi 3 make a noticeable difference if I bypassed the CA unit? Cheers!
Dont you have to connect your DAC to a Pre-amp then to an amp since the DAC doesn't have a volume knob? I would love to not have to buy a Pre-amp if the DAC had a volume control.
No you can go dac to amp... most hifi amps have volume knobs. you can of course add a pre-amp in the chain if you see fit, but it isnt necessary
Is an external DAC dongle (like KA5) helping with music quality for UA-cam Music for example? I read mixed reviews that a DAC won't benefit streaming services...
Dear Mr. Darko,
I am new to the HiFi world and I would like to say that your videos have helped me tremendously when it comes to understanding the complex world of audiophile listening. But I have a question: as a person who has just entered the market for being some kit, (headphones, IEMs, speakers, etc.), what should I get first?
Hi Kieran, it all depends on your listening preferences and need of portability. Headphones would be probably the cheapest option of those 3 you mentioned. Improvement in speakers department will cost you many times more for the same quality of sound. Hope it helps.
Hhmmmm, guess for my case I would have to use a usb B to usb C to connect it to my phone. I am looking at buying Emotiva's TA1 DAC/Amp.
Can you connect modi 3 to iloud MTM speaker using a 12.9 iPad Pro 2021 for music can you help!
Hi, I just subscribed, but only because of the blinking/popping eyes before and after the videos 😂. Seriously though, your videos are very good and while I have been down DAC rabbit hole before (Bursin DA-160 and still powered on after 15 or so years!), so now getting back to it and these are great primers.
Using optical out... airport express "apple" to optical in SCHIIT modi 3 ...then analog out of SCHIIT to RCA in to 1997 ONKYO Tuner Amplifier "TX-SV515PRO" So from My desktop Mac..or iPhone
can bluetooth my music to ONKYO RECEIVER is that the right hook up?