XXHighEnd

I am looking for a Hi Fi related project for the Winter.

One improvement I believe I can make to my horn system is the implementation of the concept of Layered Sound. Put simplistically, this is the introduction of a pair of panel speakers to play alongside, but below the horns in volume. These speakers are truely omni directional and load the room with the subtle background clues that make up a musical performance. Well thats the theory anyway  :grin:. At least one reviewer has tried it and delared it to make "stereo obsolete", but I take this with a big pinch of salt. ;)
http://www.layeredsound.com/indepth.html (http://www.layeredsound.com/indepth.html)

OK, to my questions.

I need to find a second outlet to the sound to feed the panels. The Fireface 400 looks to have an optical output and if I read the manual correctly this can feed out a simultameous signal to another DAC. Is this right?

I will need to buy another (cheap for experiment) DAC and am looking at the Sigtone Shek D2 non oversampling DAC. It looks to have an optical input. Do I just need to ensure it works with 16bit 44.1 signal?

Thanks Chris

Answer to both questions : that's correct.

But now I wonder ... Why wouldn't it be possible to Y-split the output channels of your current DAC ? RCA Y connectors exist, but be careful to buy two good ones.
Ahh ... uhh ... ohh ... your TacT is the amplifier as well, right ?

Thanks Peter

The alternatives seem to be:

1. Take additional output from the Fireface - need another DAC and amplifier, but is simple for someone without electronic skills. The panels will receive the full frequency range output.

2. Y split the connections between pre amp/DAC (Tact) and power amp - need just another amp, but dont know if one can do this? Also the signal to the panels will have had the same room treatment as the main horns and will have a low pass crossover filter (not best case)

3. Take a further set of cables from the output of my main amp - need to add some sort of volume control, but dont know if one can do this? Also the signal to the panels will have had the same room treatment as the main horns and will have a low pass crossover filter (not best case). Also there may be issues with balancing volumes as my horns have a sensitivity of 100+ and the panels about 90.

Hence my opting for option 1. Unless anyone thinks better. :dntknw:

 :blush2: Sitting in front of my system I have just realised that option 1 is a non starter as there is nothing to link the volume of the two Dacs/amps. :cry: :cry:

So option 2 becomes favourite . Does anyone know of this Y piece connector that will allow me to connect two power amps to a single preamp?? :veryhappy:

The bad one : http://www.audiogear.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?key=Adpt-2RcmRcff&preadd=action

The better one : http://www.audiogear.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?key=ADPT-2RCFRCMRTGLD&preadd=action


Not selected by sonic quality, but by physical strength. The first is a "loose" type (but the most common).

Peter

Actually there is ...
The digital volume of either of the digital outs on the Fireface can be changed ... (by means of the Mixer).
Let one of them stay at 0dB (that one would pertain the best quality). Also, never go over 0dB, so only lower.

By heart I can't tell whether this is possible for the SPDIF device. So maybe for the output you want to control you must use two ADAT channels (left/right).

HTH
Peter

Peter, I think you've cracked it. I just spoke with the RME UK distributor, who was more than helpful. The SPdiff channels can be adjusted for volume using the fireface mixer. Quite independant of this one can adjust the volume of a pair of the 8 x ADAT channels which need to be assigned as optical output in the settings box (to make it compatible with Toslink).
 
Once this is done you click on the channel title at the bottom of any volume control till it turns orange. Then, everyone you do this to, is controlled by a single volume control. 

I guess this is meat and drink to the professional boys, but I am impressed. :good:

Just got to find a NOSDAC and amp to experiment with and I am ready to go with Layered Sound.