Linked devices - which DAC

[Rene]

Apologies for this noob question but I’m trying to understand how these devices work and which DAC is doing the work. It’s all very new to me.

Setup :

ULTRA
Output is ‘Line Out’ into an Echo Studio (into 3.5mm). Input for my question is set as ‘WiFi’. It also has a turntable connected to the ‘Phono’ for playing Vinyl.

PRO+
Input is ‘WiFi’. Output is analog RCA to Denon AVR 760 powering 2 Atmos enabled bookshelf speakers and a center speaker. This is my main setup with a Sony TV, PS4 and 4K BluRay player connected to the Denon AVR.

I link the Ultra to the Pro+

Playing Amazon Music through the Ultra which is linked to the Pro+. I can hear the audio from my Denon connected speakers.

There are 3 DAC’s in the room… Ultra, Pro+ and the Denon.

By using the RCA out to the Denon I assume I’m bypassing the Denon DAC and using the Pro+ DAC.

However, with the music being streamed by the Ultra and also linked to the Pro+ is the DAC in the Ultra used or the Pro+?

 

[Mr Ee]

By using the analog outputs of the wiims, the ultra uses its dac, the pro+ uses its dac.
The digital data coming into the ultra is simply 'copied' to the pro+ (or vice versa, depending on which is the primary device in the group.)

However, it's possible that the Denon is converting the analog input to digital and back to analog again, in the same way that the analog inputs, including phono, of the wiims are converted to digital.

e.g. if you had your wiims in a group and played vinyl
turntable analog into ultra, digitised in ultra, digital data 'copied' to pro+, each wiim can then apply whatever EQ etc they like, convert to analog and output via line out.
Hope that helps!

 

[hgo58]

Apologies for this noob question but I’m trying to understand how these devices work and which DAC is doing the work. It’s all very new to me.

Setup :

ULTRA
Output is ‘Line Out’ into an Echo Studio (into 3.5mm). Input for my question is set as ‘WiFi’. It also has a turntable connected to the ‘Phono’ for playing Vinyl.

PRO+
Input is ‘WiFi’. Output is analog RCA to Denon AVR 760 powering 2 Atmos enabled bookshelf speakers and a center speaker. This is my main setup with a Sony TV, PS4 and 4K BluRay player connected to the Denon AVR.

I link the Ultra to the Pro+

Playing Amazon Music through the Ultra which is linked to the Pro+. I can hear the audio from my Denon connected speakers.

There are 3 DAC’s in the room… Ultra, Pro+ and the Denon.

By using the RCA out to the Denon I assume I’m bypassing the Denon DAC and using the Pro+ DAC.

However, with the music being streamed by the Ultra and also linked to the Pro+ is the DAC in the Ultra used or the Pro+?

As the Denon converts its analog input to digital, it will always be the Denon DAC that is used in the end.

Using the analog output (RCA) of the WiiM Pro Plus will also use its DAC. So there will be multiple conversions!

It will be best to only use the digital out of the WiiM to a digital input on the Denon (Coax or optical).

The optical input on the Echo Studio should also be used, if possible.

 

[Wiimer]

Setup :

ULTRA
Output is ‘Line Out’ into an Echo Studio (into 3.5mm). Input for my question is set as ‘WiFi’. It also has a turntable connected to the ‘Phono’ for playing Vinyl.

You may be aware that the Echo studio's line-in is dual-use with the Optical input; I don't know if the Echo is outputting the analogue signal received from the line-in in analogue form. Presumably it is converted to a digital signal via ADC.

If you are interested, you could connect the Optical output of the Ultra to the Echo Studio and listen and compare. However, you will need a conversion cable like this one.

[Toslink to Mini Toslink Cable]

(honestly I'm not sure if it's worth buying the cable to try it out..)

 

[harkpabst]

Denon AVR 760

Is this the Denon AVR-S760H? If yes, then it does digitise its analogue inputs, indeed, even in Direct or Pure Direct mode.

So, the short answer is that all three DACs will be in use. Grouping (or not) doesn't change which DAC is used as long as the device is playing some music.