T+A DAC 200

[Miska]

4 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I’ve gone the opposite direction lately. I want a remote for volume changes. I hate grabbing my iPad, swiping / unlocking the screen, adjusting the volume. 
 

I prefer to just grab the remote and hit volume. 

 

USB connected HID remotes are pretty easy for such and what I've been using.

 

[Rovo]

19 hours ago, Miska said:

 

USB connected HID remotes are pretty easy for such and what I've been using.

 

@MiskaCan you elaborate more on these USB HID remotes for volume control? Are these connected to the HQPlayer Embedded PC? And do you have examples for these remotes?

[Miska]

1 hour ago, Rovo said:

@MiskaCan you elaborate more on these USB HID remotes for volume control? Are these connected to the HQPlayer Embedded PC? And do you have examples for these remotes?

 

Those should be connected to the control computer, running HQPlayer Client. Or alternatively to the one running HQPlayer Desktop.

 

HQPlayer Embedded is just a server, so it doesn't directly deal with user interface things.

 

There are various different remotes available, usually with some USB wireless receiver dongle. These are similar to keyboard and/or mouse, but have remote control button layout.

 

[Maurizio_Maggi]

hello everyone, I am new,
Maurizio from Munich.
I have recently completely changed my setup.
After years of vinyl I decided to go against the tide, sell my turntable (a Transrotor Max) my Unison S8 amplifier and go digital.
I bought on offer two Mcintosh MC275 as left and right power amplifiers and got a T+A Dac200 as DAC and Preamplifier.
At the moment I am using a Bluesound Node 130 on trial, but I would like to change it.
I am trying to use Roon by feeding a Streaming in PCM converted to DSD to the T+A DAC 200 using a MacBook Air as the Roon Server usb-attached to the DAC, but I would like to take advantage of a Streamer that also does Upsampling from PCM to DSD.
Do you have any recommendations?
What could be a moderately priced streamer that can be used with or Without Roon and does PCM to DSD up-sampling itself... also without using Roon?

 

LUMIN U2 ?

HIFI - ROSE ?
...

 

Thanks!

Maurizio

 

[OE333]

On 2/10/2024 at 5:06 PM, AlwaysListening said:

 

I doubt I'm alone in my appreciation for the time you take to post such detailed information to the forum - thank you.

 

As I edge closer to retirement and plan my final audio system, a source with pre-amp capability connected to active speakers is my firm preference. The DAC 200 would be top of the list if there was volume control via Roon.

 

While I understand the current T+A firmware situation, I simply don't want a return to juggling a tablet and device remote while listening to music.

 

Volume control via roon should be possible.

I will have a closer look at this.

 

I wonder if there are more users out there who would like to see this implemented ???

[Apollo]

38 minutes ago, OE333 said:

 

I wonder if there are more users out there who would like to see this implemented ???

Definitely not for me.

if I can avoid digital volume control, I absolutely will.

And T+A 200 dac is fully equipped to so in my book. Nothing as quick and handy as a decent remote control.

[Asdfgh]

5 hours ago, OE333 said:

 

Volume control via roon should be possible.

I will have a closer look at this.

 

I wonder if there are more users out there who would like to see this implemented ???

Control of the DAC 200’s relay volume over USB from Roon and/or HQ Player software would be a fantastic feature. I would definitely love to see that implemented if possible

[e.Latte]

11 hours ago, Asdfgh said:

Control of the DAC 200’s relay volume over USB from Roon and/or HQ Player software would be a fantastic feature. I would definitely love to see that implemented if possible

I think you can adjust the volume if you have a ROON Nucleus connected to the DAC 200 via USB.

[stefano_mbp]

On 2/11/2024 at 10:19 PM, Maurizio_Maggi said:

What could be a moderately priced streamer that can be used with or Without Roon and does PCM to DSD up-sampling itself... also without using Roon?

Why not consider HQPlayer for upsampling?
Desktop and Embedded version can be connected to Roon, the Embedded version can be used as a UPNP renderer too, in this case you need a mediaserver (maybe a nas running Minimserver) and a UPNP control app on your tablet/smartphone.

In both cases you could use the HQPlayer endpoint (NAA) to be able to keep the HQP server away from your listening room.

.

Of course HQPlayer has it own library management, much more basic than Roon or Minimserver but can be enough depending on your taste, therefore it can be used standalone too and controlled by HQPlayer Client (now available on iOS too) or by HQPDControl V4 ( Android and iOS, free)

[Maurizio_Maggi]

Quote

Why not consider HQPlayer for upsampling?
Desktop and Embedded version can be connected to Roon, the Embedded version can be used as a UPNP renderer too, in this case you need a mediaserver (maybe a nas running Minimserver) and a UPNP control app on your tablet/smartphone.

In both cases you could use the HQPlayer endpoint (NAA) to be able to keep the HQP server away from your listening room.

.

Of course HQPlayer has it own library management, much more basic than Roon or Minimserver but can be enough depending on your taste, therefore it can be used standalone too and controlled by HQPlayer Client (now available on iOS too) or by HQPDControl V4 ( Android and iOS, free)

hi Stefano, thanks. because I was thinking of something simple, without too many things working at home, I don't have any files to store on a server, and I would also like to use it without roon, perhaps with a direct stream from Tidal. and in this case it would do the upsampling itself.

[OE333]

18 hours ago, Apollo said:

Definitely not for me.

if I can avoid digital volume control, I absolutely will.

And T+A 200 dac is fully equipped to so in my book. Nothing as quick and handy as a decent remote control.

 

This feature would permit the control of the analog (i.e. relay) volume control in the DAC200 from the roon control APP.

[SPAZ]

That would be amazing 

[camott]

20 minutes ago, OE333 said:

 

This feature would permit the control of the analog (i.e. relay) volume control in the DAC200 from the roon control APP.

They would be really great. I sometimes use the DAC200 directly from Roon in a grouped zone and being able to control master volume from the Roon App would be very helpful.

Wouldn’t work via HQP of course … nudge nudge @Miska

[Miska]

27 minutes ago, camott said:

Wouldn’t work via HQP of course … nudge nudge @Miska

 

Yes it would, with Embedded doing local output...

 

Embedded has supported hybrid volume since v4. Where coarse steps within available range are made with analog volume control, and finer steps between (and possible adjustments beyond analog range) are made with digital volume control, while keeping the -3 dBFS digital headroom always.

 

[StreamFidelity]

15 minutes ago, Miska said:

Yes it would, with Embedded doing local output...

What does local output mean in this context? Do you have an example?

[camott]

11 minutes ago, StreamFidelity said:

What does local output mean in this context? Do you have an example?

 

Pretty sure he means DAC/device directly connected to HQPlayer Embedded, not via NAA. NAA doesn't have support for anything other than the audio stream afaik.

[Miska]

1 hour ago, StreamFidelity said:

What does local output mean in this context?

 

It means it works with ALSA backend, as long as the volume control is available through ALSA API.

 

[camott]

1 hour ago, camott said:

 

Pretty sure he means DAC/device directly connected to HQPlayer Embedded, not via NAA. 

 

 

13 minutes ago, Miska said:

It means it works with ALSA backend, as long as the volume control is available through ALSA API.

 

 

Can you clarify what kind of use-cases that would apply to? Like HQPEmbedded inside a DAC/all-in-one?

[Miska]

15 minutes ago, camott said:

Can you clarify what kind of use-cases that would apply to? Like HQPEmbedded inside a DAC/all-in-one?

 

Yes, that's the primary use case Embedded is designed for...  For example inside Estelon Lynx active speakers quite a while ago.

 

[Apollo]

On 2/5/2024 at 3:17 PM, Apollo said:

 

Unfortunately my HDMI input also failed on me ('No HDMI installed' error message).  My DAC is at the factory for repair.

Dirk

Today, after about less than 10 business days ( transport both ways included), I can again  fully enjoy my dac 200. And my grandchildren will be superhappy to be able to view a movie on the big screen this weekend.

[Maurizio_Maggi]

hi! I tried to understand the difference between Bluesound Node and Lumin u 2 mini.... but could not. 

I have a very simple system. I have two Mcintosh mc 275 that I use as power amps and a T+A dac 200 that I use as pre and DAC.

I have a Bluesound Node 130 and today I picked up a Lumin u2 Mini on loan from a shop for testing. Was convinced that I was experiencing a difference, because through Roon I was using my Mac to upsample from PCM to DSD and I seemed to find substantial differences. Today I had Lumin upsampled from PCM to DSD 256 and I connected the Lumin via USB and the buesound via Toslink to the T+A 200.

I did cross-tests using the same music and simply switching between one and the other. but....  I don´t Know  they sound the same to me. Is it Possible? no Goldenears?

[citro]

On 2/15/2024 at 8:42 PM, Maurizio_Maggi said:

hi! I tried to understand the difference between Bluesound Node and Lumin u 2 mini.... but could not. 

I have a very simple system. I have two Mcintosh mc 275 that I use as power amps and a T+A dac 200 that I use as pre and DAC.

I have a Bluesound Node 130 and today I picked up a Lumin u2 Mini on loan from a shop for testing. Was convinced that I was experiencing a difference, because through Roon I was using my Mac to upsample from PCM to DSD and I seemed to find substantial differences. Today I had Lumin upsampled from PCM to DSD 256 and I connected the Lumin via USB and the buesound via Toslink to the T+A 200.

I did cross-tests using the same music and simply switching between one and the other. but....  I don´t Know  they sound the same to me. Is it Possible? no Goldenears?

Hi, Maurizio. Stefano helped me achieve something similar to what you're after (I think)...

Question is, how much you want to spend?

The cheap solution...

Buy a WiiM Pro Plus, connect it to your DAC200, install Bubble UPnP and you're done. Then you would let DAC200 do the upsampling.

The expensive solution...

You could build a server yourself and use HQPlayer embedded version, and then use BubbleUPnP to control it. HQPlayer would take care of the upsampling.

These two solutions are thousands of euros apart, especially if you're after the best DAC200 has to offer, which is DSD1024.

How much better is one solution over the other? Already taking into account the inherent subjectivity these kind of questions always arise, I would say it's a night and day difference which will be proportional to the quality/sensibility of the ears judging it, as well as the rest of the components on your system, which can either obscure them, or make them much more evident.
 

[citro]

About the HDMI module...

Is it possible to add some PEQ to the HDMI input, either directly on the dac, or with a component like the ones miniDSP does?

[Bobusfindus]

Apologies if this has already been asked (I haven’t read all 60+ pages yet 🤦🏻‍♂️)…

 

I have a Lumin U1 Mini which is upsampling to DSD and feeding that to my DAC 200. Because this is happening externally to the DAC, should I only be using the NOS filters, and steer clear of the FIR and BEZ filters? The manual indicates this but I’m not 100% sure why?

 

Thanks in advance, Bob

[Woolf]

As far as I know, the filter setting has no influence on DSD files.

Greetings

Wolfram