Using expert 200 with a separate DAC/preamp

[jcole05]

Hi - longtime expert 200 owner, new to the forum.  I've just purchased a rose hifi streamer and am debating going different routes with my current setup which has simply been the devialet -->  B&W 802Ds.  

One option is to sell the devialet, another is to keep using it as an integrated and the third is to use only part of its capabilities I suppose.

I don't understand devialet's technology, which I recall being quite exciting back in the mid 2010s, well enough to understand what is lost if the unit's DAC and preamplification stages are bypassed.  A better understanding would help me decide how I want to proceed.  Thanks!

[thumb5]

Hello, and welcome.

Probably the most relevant points to bear in mind in your situation are:

1: the Expert amplifiers digitise all analog inputs
2: the main DAC is an integral part of the power amp - in particular the ADH architecture - and can't be bypassed if you're using the amp to drive your speakers

If you're planning to use an analogue output from the streamer, this means there will be an "unnecessary" analog-to-digital-to-analog conversion. Depending on your point of view you might be quite happy with that - it should be completely transparent with no effect on sound quality - but nevertheless some people consider it less than ideal.

If you're using a digital output from the streamer, there's nothing to worry about.

I hope that's helpful (and I haven't misunderstood your concerns).

Ian

[jcole05]

Hi Ian and thanks for the reply. You seem to understand my concerns/questions quite well.

Specifically, your reminder that I can't bypass the DAC/pre stage of the devialet is very helpful. It rings a bell now that your say it but it is fairly basic information like this of which I'm looking to be reminded. I don't have any experience with using a phono stage and even though I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, wasn't certain if this allowed an analog input pathway into the devialet.

A lot of my question has to do with the fact that I went through an "audiophile-lite" stage about 10 years ago and now I have some mismatched gear and a large knowledge gap. My inclination is to keep the expert 200 and I of course can A/B/C/D several scenarios. But the better I understand the better.

[G51]

It will be much more convenient to stream music via an external DAC. The connection would be much more solid. You can connect the streamer to D200 using analog method with rca interconnect or digital connection using AES/EBU or coaxial cables.

[thumb5]

Hi Ian and thanks for the reply.

My pleasure.

Specifically, your reminder that I can't bypass the DAC/pre stage of the devialet is very helpful....

To be clear, you can bypass the pre-amp stage by configuring the "pass through" option on the analog or digital input to which your source is connected.  This gives you a fixed-gain input (not affected by the volume control) to the ADH power stage.  This configuration can be used for example where the Devialet is driving two speakers in a multi-channel home theatre set-up.  (Other inputs will still work normally, when selected, subject to the volume control, etc.)  Analog sources will still be digitised, because the power stage reuires a digital input.  Think of the main internal DAC as the input to the power stage rather than part of the pre-amp.

[jcole05]

So - that's kind of the heart of the question I guess. Since I've just purchased a rose RS151, I'm tempted to use its DAC. Theoretically, bc I also own a W4S ST1000 amp I could remove the D200 entirely. But given its depreciation over the years, I'd prefer to keep it I think.

Thus, the question about how viable the strategy is to use only part of it (rs151 as streamer/DAC/pre and D200 as amp VS rs151 only as streamer and D200 as integrated; VS other possibilities where the ST1000 is the power amp).

But combining the responses from thumb5 and G51 - if the D200 will convert the analog signal back to digital anyway, what does this mean on a technical level? Is the RS151's DAC influencing the sound signature at all in this case? To anyone knowledgable I know these are very basic questions.

[thumb5]

So - that's kind of the heart of the question I guess.  Since I've just purchased a rose RS151, I'm tempted to use its DAC.  Theoretically, bc I also own a W4S ST1000 amp I could remove the D200 entirely.  But given its depreciation over the years, I'd prefer to keep it I think. 

Thus, the question about how viable the strategy is to use only part of it (rs151 as streamer/DAC/pre and D200 as amp VS rs151 only as streamer and D200 as integrated; VS other possibilities where the ST1000 is the power amp).

But combining the responses from thumb5 and G51 - if the D200 will convert the analog signal back to digital anyway, what does this mean on a technical level?  Is the RS151's DAC influencing the sound signature at all in this case?  To anyone knowledgable I know these are very basic questions.

I wouldn't say they are very basic questions; they are reasonable questions for anyone interested in sound quality to ask.  That's what I was hinting at when I said that the extra analog-digital-analog conversions done inside the Devialet "should be completely transparent with no effect on sound quality".

Some people are happy that given the sample rate of these conversion and the quality of the Devialet's design and components, there is no audible degradation in which case you will hear the sound quality of the source - the RS151's DAC in your case.  Others fret about all such conversions introducing artefacts which might mask or degrade the sound quality of the source.

All I can say is unless you have some high quality measuring gear and the time and inclination to investigate it technically, the only real way to answer that question for yourself is to listen to both configurations and decide based on what you hear.



 completely transparent with no effect on sound quality