Does a USB-to-S/PDIF converter bypasses my rDac Wolfson?

[davidian]

Hey guys I have a newbie question regarding my mLink USB-to-S/PDIF converter

when I connect it to my mac on the MIDI audio setup I see now the mlink working as the external DAC this mean is bypassing the Wolfson chip on the rDAC and using the mlink instead? Is this right? if not I don’t get how I also get 192 kHz support.

 

 

PS: I don’t know much about electronics I’ll prefer the dummy friendly explanation

[Musicophile]

No worries, all the mlink does is convert the USB signal into a SPDIF signal, which is still digital, which is then fed into your DAC where it is converted to analog using the Wolfson.

 

However, all your computer sees is what's connected to the USB port directly.

 

So all is fine.

 

By the way, I'm another happy mlink user, it made a nice impact in my system.

[davidian]

No worries, all the mlink does is convert the USB signal into a SPDIF signal, which is still digital, which is then fed into your DAC where it is converted to analog using the Wolfson.

 

However, all your computer sees is what's connected to the USB port directly.

 

So all is fine.

 

By the way, I'm another happy mlink user, it made a nice impact in my system.

 

Great explanation!!!

thanks and by the way I have mixed experience with the mLink, with my previous powerdacs: the NuForce DDA-100 and the Wadia 151 It made a really noticeable improvement over their respective usb ports, but with the rDac I am not so sure, sometimes I even think the usb alone is better than the spdif port+mlink, I still don't manage the audiophile vocabulary to put in word the differences I hear but I feel the rDac via USB have more kick-power for example with percussion instruments and that the spdif+mlink is a bit more gentle in that area.

[Musicophile]

Great explanation!!!

thanks and by the way I have mixed experience with the mLink, with my previous powerdacs: the NuForce DDA-100 and the Wadia 151 It made a really noticeable improvement over their respective usb ports, but with the rDac I am not so sure, sometimes I even think the usb alone is better than the spdif port+mlink, I still don't manage the audiophile vocabulary to put in word the differences I hear but I feel the rDac via USB have more kick-power for example with percussion instruments and that the spdif+mlink is a bit more gentle in that area.

 

I suppose it all depends how good the USB implementation of the Arcam is. If it is well done, you can probably sell the mlink, as it shouldn't be adding anything per se.

[davidian]

@Musicophile

 

I believe that the USB implementation of the rDac is really good, for that reason my next DAC its gonna be de irDac.

For the moment I will keep the mLink, I kind of got attached to the little wonder.

[Audio_ELF]

I suppose it all depends how good the USB implementation of the Arcam is. If it is well done, you can probably sell the mlink, as it shouldn't be adding anything per se.

The USB implementation of the Arcam was licences from dCS.

[Musicophile]

The USB implementation of the Arcam was licences from dCS.

They hopefully know what they are doing.

 

On my Exposure Dac, the developers insisted on developing their own USB-interface, which wasn't a full blown success in my view (e.g. only acception 24/96 and no other format).

 

Davidian, what you want to be looking for is with regards to impact of a digital to digital converter: it is less likely being tonal impact, more likely spatial cues. When I inserted the mlink into my chain, it opened up the room, gave more space around the instruments, and gave a more defined sound stage.

[davidian]

@Musicophile

 

I know what you mean with spatial cues, and this improvement was very noticeable on the wadia and nuforce powerdacs, not so much on the rDac.

[davidian]

A bit off topic: today I compare again the rDac via its USB and via SPDIF via the mLink, the rDac via USB sounding more analog, really good for metal/rock music and with a great foot taping effect,in the other hand the SPDIF-mLink sounds more analytical, more digital, with a lean overall presentation, more refined but also more fatiguing, I also think the mLink exaggerates the grainy treble of the Arcam-Naim combination.