No sound from DAC

Steve74

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Maybe I'm doing this wrong but I had read that my CD player was a very good transport (Pioneer PD-S904) so I decided to try it using my Sony BDPS370 blu ray player as a DAC figuring as it supported SACD, 24 bit it would have a better DAC than the almost 30 year old Pioneer. I connected the Digital Out from.the CD player using a digital coax cable to the Digital Out coax on the blu ray player, with the RCA out from the blu ray to.my amp and speakers but I am getting no sound. If I play the CD through the blu ray player I get sound and also if I connect the RCA back to the CD player. What am I doing wrong, any suggestions appreciated.
 
Have you checked to see if the Sony is set to output from the digital input and not from the hdmi?

Also that it’s set to accept bitstream from the Pioneer?
 
I think the clue is in your OP, you have the cd digital output connected to the digital output on the blue ray. If you want to use the blue ray as a dac it needs a digital input, looking at the rear of the blue ray there is no digital input so what you are trying to do is impossible.

You could get a stand alone dac which range from £20-£20,000 but given your 904 was near the top of the range then you will need to spend a fair bit to better it even after 30years. Also remember the cd will only output 16/44 spdif data so no matter how high a bitrate the dac will accept (maybe up to 32/384) it will only be processing the cd quality sound.
 
I think the clue is in your OP, you have the cd digital output connected to the digital output on the blue ray. If you want to use the blue ray as a dac it needs a digital input, looking at the rear of the blue ray there is no digital input so what you are trying to do is impossible.

You could get a stand alone dac which range from £20-£20,000 but given your 904 was near the top of the range then you will need to spend a fair bit to better it even after 30years. Also remember the cd will only output 16/44 spdif data so no matter how high a bitrate the dac will accept (maybe up to 32/384) it will only be processing the cd quality sound.
That makes sense now, I was thinking of getting a Yamaha WX AD10 for streaming Spotify and Quboz so I will try that with the CD player also, Thanks.
 
What UGG says is spot on. The Pioneer outputs a stream of digital bits .. pulses of voltage following a standard called SPDIF, whenever a CD is played. The Sony can do the exact same, whenever a CD or DVD or BluRay is playing in it. In both cases these are intended for going into a Audio Visual Reciever AVR , which usually has an input for Digital data. In the case of the Sony an AVR can decode multiple channel information for surround sound.
The only way of getting digital data INTO the Sony is.
1. Play a disc.
2. Connect it to the internet or home network ..using its LAN socket
3. Connect a USB drive ,with files in a suitable format
And then use the remote control to select the source.
 
If you could let us know what amp you are using then we may have other suggestions. The wxad10 is also only a player so again it will not help connecting the cd through it if that is your intention. You will have to connect the wxad10 using analogue rca, like the cd direct to the amp.

If you are looking at a slightly bigger upgrade then the Yamaha RN602 (or rn803) or have streaming built in and have digital inputs assuming you have a stereo amp. If you are using an avr then most of these have digital inputs so the cd could connect directly to the amp. Another newer amp is the audiolab 6000a which has a number of digital inputs but no streamer built in.

As said before if you want to keep everything digital up until the last point before the amp then you need to look at a dac with multiple digital inputs. On the cheap end a dacmagic 100 may do the job (you need to count up the number of coax(rca) or optical toslink connectors you need), next step up would be something like the Arcam irdac II and then the audiolab m-dac (which can also be used as a preamp) and from there the sky is the limit.

Just a couple of thoughts.
 
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What UGG says is spot on. The Pioneer outputs a stream of digital bits .. pulses of voltage following a standard called SPDIF, whenever a CD is played. The Sony can do the exact same, whenever a CD or DVD or BluRay is playing in it. In both cases these are intended for going into a Audio Visual Reciever AVR , which usually has an input for Digital data. In the case of the Sony an AVR can decode multiple channel information for surround sound.
The only way of getting digital data INTO the Sony is.
1. Play a disc.
2. Connect it to the internet or home network ..using its LAN socket
3. Connect a USB drive ,with files in a suitable format
And then use the remote control to select the source.
Thanks for the suggestions.
 
If you could let us know what amp you are using then we may have other suggestions. The wxad10 is also only a player so again it will not help connecting the cd through it if that is your intention. You will have to connect the wxad10 using analogue rca, like the cd direct to the amp.

If you are looking at a slightly bigger upgrade then the Yamaha RN602 (or rn803) or have streaming built in and have digital inputs assuming you have a stereo amp. If you are using an avr then most of these have digital inputs so the cd could connect directly to the amp. Another newer amp is the audiolab 6000a which has a number of digital inputs but no streamer built in.

As said before if you want to keep everything digital up until the last point before the amp then you need to look at a dac with multiple digital inputs. On the cheap end a dacmagic 100 may do the job (you need to count up the number of coax(rca) or optical toslink connectors you need), next step up would be something like the Arcam irdac II and then the audiolab m-dac (which can also be used as a preamp) and from there the sky is the limit.

Just a couple of thoughts.
I am using a 27 year old Pioneer A400 full analogue amp and I had intended buying the Yamaha WXAD 10 mainly to stream hi res audio through the amp and speakers but had thought I would also be able to use it as an external DAC with my CD player solely as a transport.
 
Having looked at the specs for that device, I think you might be making a mistake, but that depends on what you have available in terms of network infrastructure . I would expect it has a very good maybe exceptional DAC but you won't be able to access it from the CD desk. The only way to get digital data in is via Ethernet ..and that includes all the streaming services .So that means you need to be thinking of a hard drive linked into your network,and ripping your CDs to that Drive.
 
Having looked at the specs for that device, I think you might be making a mistake, but that depends on what you have available in terms of network infrastructure . I would expect it has a very good maybe exceptional DAC but you won't be able to access it from the CD desk. The only way to get digital data in is via Ethernet ..and that includes all the streaming services .So that means you need to be thinking of a hard drive linked into your network,and ripping your CDs to that Drive.
So would the Yamaha WXAD 10 still work with my amp to stream hi res audio or would I be better with something like the Arcam Dacmagic 100?
 
These are two different devices -

The wxad10 is a streamer - this connects via WiFi to you network and pulls music from the web via whichever service you are using, Spotify, tidal etc. In most cases you control it via a phone or tablet but these just act as a remote with the data being pulled from the web directly, not via the phone/tablet. This happens to have a dac built in to covert the music data to analogue volts to feed into a line input on your amp. There is no digital input to connect any other devices to.

The dacmagic/irdac/m-dac are just DACs which accept digital data from a streamer, cd, dvd or pc/laptop, convert that data to analogue to feed a line in connection on your amp. This bypasses the dac in the streamer/cd/dvd/pc and uses the one in the dac which may/may not be better/preferable depending on the devices and your taste/ears/room.

So as a first step you can connect your cd, dvd and the wxad10 to your amp with the analogue outputs into the cd, tuner, line inputs (not phono) and see how it goes. The a400 is a bit of a classic and well regarded by many. If you then feel the urge you can connect the cd/dvd/wxad10 to a dac and then the dac to the line in on the amp, using the dac to choose which one you are playing from.
 
So would the Yamaha WXAD 10 still work with my amp to stream hi res audio or would I be better with something like the Arcam Dacmagic 100?
I think you are now floundering about.. No criticism, just an observation, and it happens to us all when we start getting new information.
The Yamaha is no doubt an excellent component ,and if your objective is to stream from the internet via your home network , I am sure it is great. It will happily stream Hi Res audio from the web or any servers you have ,only depending on the quality of the source material... CDs even ripped onto Hard Drives , Computers etc will not meet the minimum definition of Hi Res.
Whether your amplifier will be in a position to properly handle Hi Res , or your speakers , or your ears , and distinguish it from standard full CD quality is another discussion. But if you want HI RES files, the only way you will get them is by paid subscription to the highest tier on the likes of Tidal or Quobuz.
Just a minor correction to Uggs latest. The output from the Yamaha is always Analog, The inputs always Digital over a network, so there is no way it can be the missing link between a CD player and an amplifier.
Other DACs?? . These Devices may or may not have the streaming function, some will have USB inputs ,some have coaxial SPDIF, some have optical SPDIF. Some very recent AVRs have all these and digital room correction software included.
What is unclear is what you really want, what you are prepared to pay for it , how wedded you are to the Pioneer and its CD player, and what nature of network you currently enjoy. There are just so many ways to skin a cat in the audio world, the problem is deciding what you want.
Since you are in NI a visit to Richer Sounds off the Markets in Belfast will pay dividends. .. park in the Castle Court and take the rear exit from the Shopping Centre...
 
Just a minor correction to Uggs latest. The output from the Yamaha is always Analog

Thanks for the correction, I had a quick look at pics of the rear of the wxad10 and saw what looked like a toslink connection but the manual states this is a maintenance socket.

An alternative if you want a cheap way into streaming is the Chromecast audio, unfortunately now not supported but will still work for £20 will give you a taster. This has a 3.5mm combo port for analogue or optical digital output. I use one of these into a dac with Spotify premium.

Google Chromecast Audio

The other alternative for similar £ to the wxad10 is the tuefel connect which has digital and analogue outs.

Teufel Connector : Buy online at Teufel
 
I think you are now floundering about.. No criticism, just an observation, and it happens to us all when we start getting new information.
The Yamaha is no doubt an excellent component ,and if your objective is to stream from the internet via your home network , I am sure it is great. It will happily stream Hi Res audio from the web or any servers you have ,only depending on the quality of the source material... CDs even ripped onto Hard Drives , Computers etc will not meet the minimum definition of Hi Res.
Whether your amplifier will be in a position to properly handle Hi Res , or your speakers , or your ears , and distinguish it from standard full CD quality is another discussion. But if you want HI RES files, the only way you will get them is by paid subscription to the highest tier on the likes of Tidal or Quobuz.
Just a minor correction to Uggs latest. The output from the Yamaha is always Analog, The inputs always Digital over a network, so there is no way it can be the missing link between a CD player and an amplifier.
Other DACs?? . These Devices may or may not have the streaming function, some will have USB inputs ,some have coaxial SPDIF, some have optical SPDIF. Some very recent AVRs have all these and digital room correction software included.
What is unclear is what you really want, what you are prepared to pay for it , how wedded you are to the Pioneer and its CD player, and what nature of network you currently enjoy. There are just so many ways to skin a cat in the audio world, the problem is deciding what you want.
Since you are in NI a visit to Richer Sounds off the Markets in Belfast will pay dividends. .. park in the Castle Court and take the rear exit from the Shopping Centre...
Thanks I do intend a visit to Richer Sounds anyway as I'm interested in upgrading my turntable as well. I intend paying for Quboz subscription for the hi res audio although I'd read hi res won't transfer over Bluetooth only wired. I would like to keep at least the CD player as I still haven't found anything to compare to it soundwise although I don't mind upgrading the amp.
 

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