Optical switch or new DAC

neil_g

neil_g

neil_g

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At the moment I have :

PC > Optical out > SMSL SD793-II > Yamaha hs5

Works brilliantly, the SMSL is fantastic budget DAC.

I want to add in a Chromecast Audio so I don't have to have the pc on to listen to music, I want to run it optically into the SMSL. So I got a small budget "CSL Toslink 2 x 1 switch" from the rainforest.

The problem is the switch doesn't play nice with the SMSL, it sounds like the optical source isn't stable. You can hear a relay type clicking noise over and over from the dac (makes this noise once when a source is detected normally) although this doesn't effect the audio it's loud enough to be annoying.

So do I persevere with an optical switch, if so does anyone have a recommendation without spending too much (pref from the rainforest if I return the CSL).

Or do I dump the switch and rehome the SMSL and get a dac with multiple inputs. Again any suggestions without spending too much, one of the big plusses of this dac was its bang for buck.
 
SD793 II has coaxial in, so as a cheap option, you could use an optical to coaxial converter for about £10, which would free up the optical input on the SD793 II for either PC or Audiocast.
 
Purchased as chromecast too, and during research had logged this article about unstable output on GCA digital output

The upshot? A S/PDIF re-clocker is required to take the GCA’s digital output up to – and beyond – an acceptable level of audible quality.
Click to expand...

I too had been planning to do what Marsman suggested .

so .. did the GCA connected digitally directly into your DAC work ?

I found the DAC in the gca does not sound too bad , so have you considered taking GCA analog output directly into your AMP ?

edit : I guess you do not to have the GCA yet anyway, but if they can still be had for £15, good deal, even if digital out is not so good; unlike yourself I did not decide which dac yet !
 
That looks like an audiophile site though (cost the Mytek DAC at £1500 is the give away), and such people are a lot more picky than most mortals.
 
saw a number of other articles on chromecast jitter on less esoteric equipment
here, here and a much fuller frequency response etc analysis so GCA is great anyway for listening without PC via analogue, but optical maybe impaired.
but if you already have the mini toslink connector can try.
Had to get a 3.5mm -> RCA plug to go with mine for amp, as included is only 3.5->3.5
 
thanks.
soundcloud seems to be 44.1KHz/16, bit most online stuff is, so should be good for me
seems s'cloud is only 128Kb/s mp3 no ? .. so better quality 128aac or 320mp3 streams out there ?

Do you think SMSL sounds that much better than GCA analog output if you tried it ? - price differential £10, not so great, albeit smsl is a headphone amp too,
I was debating SMSL or a higher price dac but bit with the recent GCA offer.
(some folks use a standalone usb power banks to power GCA and say it improves it over a wall wart)
 
This smsl model only has digital input so can't tell you. Or do you mean straight to speakers? My speakers are too far apart to check with a 3.5mm to rca unfortunately.

Will check streaming some flac later.
 
neil_g said:
This smsl model only has digital input so can't tell you. Or do you mean straight to speakers? My speakers are too far apart to check with a 3.5mm to rca unfortunately.

Will check streaming some flac later.
Click to expand...

I had not realised HS5 is an active speaker as opposed to av amp, but yes, I meant drive the phono lead to these speakers from the GCA, but would need a 3.5mm->phono socket.
(the smsl has a phono line output i believed)
 
Afraid I can't do that. Even if I had a 3.5mm to RCA long enough as the left and right speakers are too far apart, the only inputs on the Yamahas are XLR or TRS so would have to be adapted to the cables I have now.

The SMSL does have rca out which is connected to the XLR in my case via RCA to XLR cables.

Anyway I can't find any jitter issues with the Chromecast.

So going..

OnePlus 3 (Rocket Player app) > GCA > Mini toslink to full cable > Optical to Coax converter > SMSL > HS-5

Sounds good to me. Tried a few different FLAC albums and all sound the same to my ears as if they were played straight from PC > SMSL via optical.
 
I take it you dont have a coax output on the pc? would be neater if you did - pc > coax > smsl and GCA > Optical > smsl.

I actually have this setup on my desk with the same smsl so i can either listen from the pc or cast to the GCA from any device.
 
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