Pro & Pro Plus - RCA In to Coax / Opt Out

[Witterings]

If I'm using the RCA input on a Pro or Pro Plus for lets call it "The 1st Device" device and then using the Optical out from the Pro or Pro Plus into say a Vibelink.
I'm guessing the fact the 1st device has already converted from Digital to Analogue will be ignored (as opposed to passed through), it'll be converted back to digital by the Pro / Pro Plus, then fed out as a digital signal to the Vibelink who's DAC will do the conversion?

If this is correct, might I be better off just using a digital out from the 1st device into the Pro / Pro Plus avoiding the 1st and the 2nd conversion and it'll just get passed straight through to the Vibelink which will then become the only conversion?

Real shame the Vibelink hasn't got auto input sensor the same as the streamers, I'm using that on one of my setups and works really well.

 

[harkpabst]

I'm guessing the fact the 1st device has already converted from Digital to Analogue will be ignored (as opposed to passed through), ...

If "The first device" is digital by nature and contains a DAC, then there is no way the digital source signal could be passed through its analogue RCA outputs. The devices DAC will always be in use (just like the ADC on the WiiM Pro or WiiM Pro Plus).

... it'll be converted back to digital by the Pro / Pro Plus, then fed out as a digital signal to the Vibelink who's DAC will do the conversion?

Correct.

If this is correct, might I be better off just using a digital out from the 1st device into the Pro / Pro Plus avoiding the 1st and the 2nd conversion and it'll just get passed straight through to the Vibelink which will then become the only conversion?

Probably yes, this will be measurably better. If it is really audible might be another question but there's no advantage to adding unneeded D2A and A2D conversions.

Real shame the Vibelink hasn't got auto input sensor the same as the streamers, I'm using that on one of my setups and works really well.

You can use the trigger output from the WiiM Pro Plus to the WiiM Vibelink Amp.

Edit:
In case you are asking for input switching on the Vibelink Amp then no, this is not possible. Your streamer should be the device all your sources are connected to.

 

[Witterings]

Edit:
In case you are asking for input switching on the Vibelink Amp then no, this is not possible. Your streamer should be the device all your sources are connected to.

Yes that is what I meant as i could then plug the "1st device" in via RCA using it's DAC as opposed to the Vibelink's and use a Pro's digital out to use the higher quality DAC on the Vibelink ..... the amp will be placed somewhere it'll be difficult to reach the button to switch inputs unfortunately.

Cheers for all your responses, much appreciated!

 

[harkpabst]

Yes that is what I meant as i could then plug the "1st device" in via RCA using it's DAC as opposed to the Vibelink's and use a Pro's digital out to use the higher quality DAC on the Vibelink ...

Got it. Do you have reasons to believe that the device's DAC could better the (pretty excellent) one in the Vibelink Amp? You can try it out of course.

I'd probably go fully digital from the source device through the WiiM Pro into the WiiM Vibelink Amp, with just one A/D conversion right before the power stage.

... the amp will be placed somewhere it'll be difficult to reach the button to switch inputs unfortunately.

Even more so since the amp is going to be to be tucked away.

For everything but desktop use the Vibelink Amp is more of a power amp (which happens to have variable gain control and digital inputs) than an integrated amplifier. Or for those who don't like it to be called like that, it's a "set it and forget it" amplifier.

 

[Witterings]

Got it. Do you have reasons to believe that the device's DAC could better the (pretty excellent) one in the Vibelink Amp? You can try it out of course.

I'm a MASSIVE WiiM fan for many reasons ... just wanted to get that across 1st, but, I have recently found that the newer Bluesound products have the edge in terms of sound quality, irrespective of whether they're analogue out OR digital / USB out into a decent DAC.

In the room I'm referring to, I have a WiiM Pro which I use for all my multiroom and simplicity of Alexa voice commands setting it as my preferred speaker. I also have a Node Nano which I use for my more critical listening and sending it via the Wiim Pro would likely lose any advantage it has on SQ.

I'm looking to upgrade my current Denon M39 DAB to something that will drive higher quality speakers than my current Elac B5.2's like Dynaudio Evoke 10's ... or something else, the Denon though has a remote so I currently just switch inputs, if the Vibelink had a remote, it'd be everything I needed.

As it's not really a very critical listening area I'm thinking about selling the Nano, I have a Node in my main listening area but they don't Sync well for multiroom which is something the WiiMs do extremely well.

I could just find another better amp with a remote which means I could keep both but I'm very limited on width for the amp, as another alternative I could sell the Denon and WiiM Pro and get a Ultra Amp, see if there's any difference between just using that or plugging the Nano into it (which I think would lose the Nanos advantage) and possibly sell the Nano as well.

It's that trade of between a marginal difference in SQ vs something being much more user friendly.