Announce: Enhanced Digital Output app - USB Dac and 192k Digital Ouput

[Triode]

I've got an Mdac connected currently via Belden based coaxial. Will this improve the sound? Any fellow Mdac owners running it?

Works for me with MDAC- if you only want 44.1/48 kHz sample rate support then you can try it with just a usb cable (A-B). If you want 96k support then you will need an external hub. You can also add a usb isolator - waiting for others to report back the sound quality improvement (or otherwise) of this.

[HumanMedia]

Just checking if I can install it over the top of Touch Toolbox 3.0?
Uninstall that first?

[stereoptic]

Does a DAC need to be connected while the app is being installed? My only DAC is the one built into my Marantz receiver (can accept up to 192k).

[Triode]

Just checking if I can install it over the top of Touch Toolbox 3.0?
Uninstall that first?

You are best to uninstall first - I've not looked at in detail, but I think some of the TT modification for priories will conflict with the app if you use usb output.

[Triode]

Does a DAC need to be connected while the app is being installed? My only DAC is the one built into my Marantz receiver (can accept up to 192k).

This is only necessary for usb based dacs - I assume this is not - just install without dac and then select "Digital Output" to use the digital output to the dac. Note when you do this, the analog output is not used - you need to reset the output to Digital + Analog (which is the default and won't do 192k) if you want analog to work.

[HumanMedia]

Uninstalled TT 3 (with tt -r) and installed this.

Absolutely brilliant. Works to my Rega DAC via coax.

Having problems locking at 176.4 but that is a known problem of the 1st gen Rega DAC.
Locks at 192 perfectly for most material. One title - Casino Royale soundtrack at 24-192 plays but drops out for a half second every 20 secs. About 10 other titles play fine at 192. I even have replaced clocks (Fidelity Audio) in the SBT and all is good.

And it sounds great!

Edit: can't reproduce the signal lock drop
Edit: intermittent signal drop noticed in other track which played fine before - not data related. Network bandwidth? Strength of output signal?

[tank121]

Is it better than coaxial though? Whatwould be the advantages for my Mdac
If any?

[HumanMedia]

Is it better than coaxial though? Whatwould be the advantages for my Mdac
If any?

You can play 176 and 192 kHz material. You can't do that now unless the server down converts to 88 or 96 kHz first.

[Jeff Flowerday]

Great work Triode!

[Triode]

Is it better than coaxial though? Whatwould be the advantages for my Mdac
If any?

Assuming you are asking about usb - async usb could be better than spdif for a given dac, it really depends on the dac. The theory is that having the player clock locked to the dac (which is what async does) provides a better conversion clock at the dac than recovering the clock from the spdif interface. However it really comes down to how well each of the interfaces is implemented in the dac. The fact that JohnW (Mdac designer) considers it worthwhile should mean its useful for you to try.