need help with ultra+yamaha as1100

[catchmeifyoucan]

I have a (perhaps stupid) question.
Right now i have my yamaha as1100 connected through the 'main out' on the yamaha to the ultra. The ultra is the pre amp.
Works great, but sometimes i feel like the sound is a bit too sharp because of the sabre DAC.
I wonder if there is a workaround, to use the yamaha's house sound ?
Maybe connect the ultra with rca to one of the pre outs ?

any help would be nice. thanks !

 

[Wiimer]

I have a (perhaps stupid) question.
Right now i have my yamaha as1100 connected through the 'main out' on the yamaha to the ultra. The ultra is the pre amp.
Works great, but sometimes i feel like the sound is a bit too sharp because of the sabre DAC.
I wonder if there is a workaround, to use the yamaha's house sound ?
Maybe connect the ultra with rca to one of the pre outs ?

any help would be nice. thanks !

I think you need to use Ultra's digital output.

 

[catchmeifyoucan]

and then, connect it to ? sorry its sometimes confusing..

 

[RVG1895]

Your amp is a pure analog one, it has no digital inputs! You need either an external DAC or have to use the Ultra's internal one.
To use an external DAC:
Ultra one of the available digital outs -> external DAC's RCA or XLR out -> one of the line in of the 1100
To use the internal DAC of the Ultra:
Ultra RCA out -> line in of the 1100

 

[catchmeifyoucan]

Thanks for that!
but in both of your solutions i wont be using the 'yamaha sound' right ? i will always get the sound of the external dac attached.
i dont know, somehow i hear people talking about the 'tube like' sound of the yamaha but i cant hear it ...

 

[hgo58]

Thanks for that!
but in both of your solutions i wont be using the 'yamaha sound' right ? i will always get the sound of the external dac attached.
i dont know, somehow i hear people talking about the 'tube like' sound of the yamaha but i cant hear it ...

That sound is from the power amplifier, so if it's there, you will hear it for any input.

It's actually "just" the way the amplifier distorts the sound you will get. So probably good that you don't hear it.

 

[Valentino]

If you want the Yamaha Natural Sound (see what I did there) you shall connect the Ultra Analog Out to Yamaha Line 1 In.
The Yamaha Input sensitivity is 200 mV by the way, so I advise to set the Ultra Output to 200 mV max output voltage. This way you can use the full volume control of the Yamaha and you'll never run into clipping.
The Ultra has no sound of it's own by the way.

 

[harkpabst]

If you want the Yamaha Natural Sound (see what I did there) you shall connect the Ultra Analog Out to Yamaha Line 1 In.
The Yamaha Input sensitivity is 200 mV by the way, so I advise to set the Ultra Output to 200 mV max output voltage. This way you can use the full volune control of the Yamaha and you'll never run into clipping.
The Ultra has no sound of it's own by the way.

You forgot that ESS always sounds sharp as a sabre, of course, while e.g. AKM always sounds like velvet.

Yamaha probably always sounds like a piano. Unfortunately, Yamaha pianos are known for their rather strong and assertive treble, don't know what to make of that.

 

[slartibartfast]

You forgot that ESS always sounds sharp as a sabre, of course, while e.g. AKM always sounds like velvet.

Yamaha probably always sounds like a piano. Unfortunately, Yamaha pianos are known for their rather strong and assertive treble, don't know what to make of that.

Yamaha probably sounds like a motorbike

 

[Valentino]

Nah! Like an outboard!

 

[harkpabst]

You got it all wrong again, each Yamaha sounds like three tuning forks ...

 

[Valentino]

...in perfect pitch. AAA actually. True audiophilia.

 

[narcoleptic-haze]

I have the same setup. I would suggest using the Ultra at fixed volume and using the A-S1100 in it's normal integrated mode (using the Yamaha to control volume etc) - that way you're using the pre-amp part of the Yamaha as well - which might give you more of the Yamaha sound you're looking for.

TBH though I can never hear that level of detail ..

 

[catchmeifyoucan]

If you want the Yamaha Natural Sound (see what I did there) you shall connect the Ultra Analog Out to Yamaha Line 1 In.
The Yamaha Input sensitivity is 200 mV by the way, so I advise to set the Ultra Output to 200 mV max output voltage. This way you can use the full volume control of the Yamaha and you'll never run into clipping.
The Ultra has no sound of it's own by the way.

but when i connect the ultra or an external dac like the smsl su 1 i hear a difference, so they must do something to the sound or not ?
maybe ill just leave it as is then. Thanks for the tip on the sensitivity!

 

[catchmeifyoucan]

I have the same setup. I would suggest using the Ultra at fixed volume and using the A-S1100 in it's normal integrated mode (using the Yamaha to control volume etc) - that way you're using the pre-amp part of the Yamaha as well - which might give you more of the Yamaha sound you're looking for.

TBH though I can never hear that level of detail ..

thanks, maybe ill just leave it as is. im probably making things more difficult then it has to be. im pretty sure yeah.

 

[Valentino]

^When comparing DACs (or any other piece of electronics) volume level should be matched to within 0.1 dB. The ear is extremely sensible to volume differences.