Transporter Digital-In with DEQ2496 in loop

[MediaCenter]

I am running Airplay using Airport Express into Transporter's digital-in. I wanted to do room correction on Airplay. Currently, room correction is applied using Inguz. I am thinking of buying DEQ2496 or something similar to insert it in the digital loop. Will this work?

[MediaCenter]

Any help is appreciated

[Soulkeeper]

I can't see any reason why it would not work.

I have myself been considering a DEQ2496 for use with my Touch, but then I'd have to use the DAC in the DEQ2496, and I have no idea how good that one is.

[callesoroe]

I am running Airplay using Airport Express into Transporter's digital-in. I wanted to do room correction on Airplay. Currently, room correction is applied using Inguz. I am thinking of buying DEQ2496 or something similar to insert it in the digital loop. Will this work?

I am using my Transporter in a digital loop with my Tact RCS 2.2.x because I prefer the sound of the Transporters DAC to the one in my Tact.
The setup is like this Transporter > Tact RCS 22.X does roomcorrection and volumecontrol > Transporter > AMPS (bi amp) .

Works exellent and I can not see why this should not work with the DEQ2496

[cliveb]

I am running Airplay using Airport Express into Transporter's digital-in. I wanted to do room correction on Airplay. Currently, room correction is applied using Inguz. I am thinking of buying DEQ2496 or something similar to insert it in the digital loop. Will this work?

So your current connection is: Airport Express digital out > Transporter digital in.

(Side issue: I don't see how you're using Inguz in this setup. Is there some kind of plugin that allows the Airport Express to appear as a Squeezebox player to LMS, and therefore allow Inguz to do its stuff?)

Anyhow, of course you can add a DEQ2496 to this: Airport Express digital out > DEQ2496 > Transporter digital in.

Note that the term "digital loop" usually refers to using the Transporter as the source and DAC, passing the signal via an external effects unit (eg: Transporter digital out > DEQ > Transporter digital in). If you're using an Airport Express as the source, this isn't using the Transporter's digital loop - it's simply using the Transporter as a DAC.

[Archimago]

So your current connection is: Airport Express digital out > Transporter digital in.

(Side issue: I don't see how you're using Inguz in this setup. Is there some kind of plugin that allows the Airport Express to appear as a Squeezebox player to LMS, and therefore allow Inguz to do its stuff?)

Anyhow, of course you can add a DEQ2496 to this: Airport Express digital out > DEQ2496 > Transporter digital in.

Note that the term "digital loop" usually refers to using the Transporter as the source and DAC, passing the signal via an external effects unit (eg: Transporter digital out > DEQ > Transporter digital in). If you're using an Airport Express as the source, this isn't using the Transporter's digital loop - it's simply using the Transporter as a DAC.

Yup, Clive's setup should work.

I got the DEQ2496 in January and it works great for room correction. Currently running it as a digital loop: Transporter > DEQ > Transporter. Using the Toslink out and back in again (to all the hardcore "audiophiles"; my Toslink cables cost $6 each on sale and this sounds great despite all the trash talking about Toslink and jitter issue, LOL).

The DEQ's DAC is the AKM4393 so it is a step down specwise from the Transporter's AKM4396. Not sure how it sounds compared to the Touch's WM8761, but if you just look at the specs, I think the AKM4393 measures better just by the published SNR & THD values. Of course there's a lot more to the sound than just the DAC chip. Would be a great experiment though, come back and let us know!

[MediaCenter]

Thanks for the reply and sorry for not being clear.

My current setup is:
1. Airport Express Digital out > Transporter Digital in (No room correction at the moment, Inguz cannot work)
2. LMS > Inguz > Transporter > Amp (using transporter as a pre with room correction)

Proposed setup:
1. Airport Express Digital out (Toslink) > Transporter > Transporter Digital out (AES, no other choice as AE is already using toslink) > DEQ Digital in (AES) > DEQ Digital out (AES) > Transporter Digital in (AES) > Amp
2. LMS > Transporter > DEQ > Transporter > Amp

Inguz is removed, DEQ doing room correction for both LMS and AE streams.

My primary source is LMS, I occasionally use AE. The main idea is to use TP as a preamp with room correction. I don't want to buy DEQ if the above cannot work. I like TP's dac directly connected to amp. Awesome speakers BTW.

So your current connection is: Airport Express digital out > Transporter digital in.

(Side issue: I don't see how you're using Inguz in this setup. Is there some kind of plugin that allows the Airport Express to appear as a Squeezebox player to LMS, and therefore allow Inguz to do its stuff?)

Anyhow, of course you can add a DEQ2496 to this: Airport Express digital out > DEQ2496 > Transporter digital in.

Note that the term "digital loop" usually refers to using the Transporter as the source and DAC, passing the signal via an external effects unit (eg: Transporter digital out > DEQ > Transporter digital in). If you're using an Airport Express as the source, this isn't using the Transporter's digital loop - it's simply using the Transporter as a DAC.

[cliveb]

Thanks for the reply and sorry for not being clear.
Proposed setup:
1. Airport Express Digital out (Toslink) > Transporter > Transporter Digital out (AES, no other choice as AE is already using toslink) > DEQ Digital in (AES) > DEQ Digital out (AES) > Transporter Digital in (AES) > Amp
2. LMS > Transporter > DEQ > Transporter > Amp

Inguz is removed, DEQ doing room correction for both LMS and AE streams.

My primary source is LMS, I occasionally use AE. The main idea is to use TP as a preamp with room correction. I don't want to buy DEQ if the above cannot work. I like TP's dac directly connected to amp. Awesome speakers BTW.

Unless something radical has changed in the TP's firmware that I'm unaware of, your proposed setup #1 will not work. You can't use the TP as a DAC for an external source *and* use its digital loop. Therefore, your two setups would have to be:

1. AE > DEQ > TP > Amp (using TP just as a DAC)
2. LMS > TP > DEQ > TP > Amp (using TP as source and DAC with digital loop)

You'll need to use a different set of digital ins and outs for the two setups (eg. use Toslink in setup 1 and BNC or RCA in setup 2).

I've not personally used the TP's digital loop, so I don't know how convenient it is to switch between the two setups. It is certainly simple to switch between using the TP as source or as a DAC when not using the digital loop, but what I don't know for sure is whether switching on the digital loop means it is always automatically engaged whenever the TP is selected as the source. Looking at the options in the LMS settings page for the TP's audio seems to imply it will just work that way.

You'd also have the issue of switching the input on the DEQ: setups 1 and 2 wil require you to use different inputs on the DEQ, so switching between the two setups will require the DEQ to switch its input as well as switching the TP's mode of operation. (I'm assuming that the DEQ has all its digital outputs active simultaneously, although that may be a rash assumption of course. If it doesn't, then you'll have to switch the DEQ's output as well as input).

[MediaCenter]

Based on your statement I need something like this in the loop to switch inputs

http://www.inday.com/da4x/da4x.htm

Thank you for your reply. I am surprised that there are no preamp/dac that offers digital loop, another unique feature in Transporter.

[cliveb]

Based on your statement I need something like this in the loop to switch inputs

http://www.inday.com/da4x/da4x.htm

You may not be able to use this SPDIF switchbox in the manner you expect. For it to do what you want, you'd need to have the TP and the airport express connected in to it, have its output connected to the input of the DEQ, and the the DEQ's output connected to the TP's digital input. BUT: it's not clear to me whether you can have the TP's digital loop set up on a certain input (say, the RCA COAX) *and* be able to use the same digital input for an external source when using the TP as a DAC.

Before you go spending money on more hardware, make sure you've researched exactly what your current devices can do. As I said earlier, I've never used the TP's digital loop or a DEQ, so all of what follows is supposition....

1. From looking at the options in the settings page of LMS, I get the impression that if you enable the digital loop in the TP, it will automatically get engaged whenever you switch the TP from an external digital input (ie. working as a DAC) to using it as the source (ie. working as a streamer). But of course you need to experiment and verify this is actually the case.

2. I looks as if you have not yet actually bought the DEQ, so perhaps you should look for a suitable model that allows you to easily switch inputs. I had a quick look at the manual for the Behringer DEQ2496 (assuming this is the one you're thinking about), and it appears that to change digital inputs you have to press the I/O menu button then use the big wheel to select the configuration you want. Not as convenient as a remote control, but it would probably only take a few seconds.

It strikes me that you're after a remote controllable digital preamp with room correction capabilities available on all inputs. Perhaps the TP is not the approriate starting point? Seems to me you'd be better of with some kind of TACT preamp or similar (assuming you can get one with remote control).