# Audiolab Mdac with Yamaha RXA1010



## Chrisn3108 (Feb 15, 2014)

Hi guys

I have the opportunity to purchase a used mdac and would like to connect it to the RXA 1010 AVR. Reciever pre-outs are connected to a Rotel RMB 1075 and then connected to a B&W CM10 HT package. I have a lot of music on my laptop and 2 ipods. The sound is really lousy when I connect these to the AVR usb input.

My thinking is to use the pure mode for the AVR (switch of the dac in the AVR) when the Mdac is connected. Also how would I connect the Mdac to AVR.

Has anybody had this or similar setup and what does it sound like. Does anybody have any views how this will sound. 

Thanks
Chrisn


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## ajinfla (May 10, 2009)

Chrisn3108 said:


> I have a lot of music on my laptop and 2 ipods. The sound is really lousy when I connect these to the AVR usb input.
> 
> Thanks
> Chrisn


Hi Chris,

Welcome to HTS . While in audiophile folklore, DACs make huge differences and have "improved" markedly, every year, for the last 20 or so, in reality, modern DACs, playing back recordings, often made with 20yr old ADCs, are largely transparent, commodity parts.
Unless outright broken, the DACs in your Yamaha should be indistinguishable. What type of music files are you referring to? Under what exact scenario have you heard pristine SQ from them on playback?

cheers


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## Chrisn3108 (Feb 15, 2014)

Hi Aj

The music I listen to are normally from iTunes lossless, AAC or MP3. The only time I heard them sound really good was through my ipod and monster DNA headphones. I mostly use that or my Logitech Z5500 for my PC or ipod in car. I have rarely connected these to the avr. I did connected the ipod via the usb input located on the front panel of the avr and the sound was terrible. Maybe need to try to connect the ipod to the aux input at the back panel, using a 3.5mm jack to rca L/R.

I know the Yamaha has a descent dac (burr brown) and so does the Mdac (sabre I think). The B&W HT system is almost exclusively used for movies and music videos. 

Thanks
Chris


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## ajinfla (May 10, 2009)

Hi Chris,

Yes, try a couple different connection methods and see. Yes, your Yamaha is modern enough where the internal DAC is every bit as good as the MDAC, so they should both sound as good as the program you feed them. Lossless AAC shouldn't be the issue. I've heard/had both types (Burr/Sabre implementations) in my various systems - no difference that I could detect. YMMV.
I'd be surprised if you did, but you already have both, so give it a whirl.

cheers,


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Chrisn3108 said:


> Maybe need to try to connect the ipod to the aux input at the back panel, using a 3.5mm jack to rca L/R.


I would have tried this first.  It should sound fine. After all, if the laptop and ipods sounded great with your headphones, there’s no reason they won’t get a good signal to the AVR via the same headphone jack. If that doesn’t get it for you, you might try an outboard soundcard or audio interface. I’ve used a couple of these devices with my computer sound system (currently using a TASCAM US122L, see details in my signature) and have been happy with them.




Chrisn3108 said:


> Also how would I connect the Mdac to AVR.


The Mdac has both coax and optical digital outputs, and I’m sure the Yamaha has inputs for at least one of those, so I’m not sure what the challenge is?

Regards, 
Wayne


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## Chrisn3108 (Feb 15, 2014)

Hi Wayne

If I use the coax/optical outs of the Mdac then avr gets digital and it uses its own dac so defeats the purpose of the external Mdac. 

If I suggest to use a RCA splitter (2x female into male) so that the FL/FR channels of the 5 channel 1075 can get signal from Mdac directly or receiver. In that way Mdac is connected directly to power amplifier. Also the Mdac has a preamp/vol control. Its kinda like a HT bypass. Will that work and what about the SQ.

Thanks 
Chrisn


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Chrisn3108 said:


> Hi Wayne
> 
> If I use the coax/optical outs of the Mdac then avr gets digital and it uses its own dac so defeats the purpose of the external Mdac.


 Exactly. If you’re going USB from your laptop and ipod to the Mdac, then the signal is going in as digital. The Mdac wouldn’t be converting anything to analog, just passing the digital signal on to the Yamaha. You’d have to be using the Mdac’s analog outputs to take advantage of its digital to analog converters. You _could_ use the analog outs to an analog input on the Yamaha, if you're really intent on using the Mdac's converters.




> If I suggest to use a RCA splitter (2x female into male) so that the FL/FR channels of the 5 channel 1075 can get signal from Mdac directly or receiver. In that way Mdac is connected directly to power amplifier. Also the Mdac has a preamp/vol control. Its kinda like a HT bypass. Will that work and what about the SQ.


Don’t get the part about the splitter or how the receiver fits into this scenario, but if you’re connecting the Mdac direct to the Rotel, SQ will be excellent.

Regards,
Wayne


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## Chrisn3108 (Feb 15, 2014)

Hi Wayne 

I was referring to something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-splitter-female-15-24cm-cable/dp/B000GUSQJG.

One input will come from avr and one from Mdac (RCA males coming into the females of the splitter). The male end of the splitter will then plug into the Rotel. I would require two of these one each for left and right channels. 

This way I can bypass the avr.

Regards
Chrisn


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

You can split output signals, but you can't merge two input signals to a single component without a combining network. You'd be better off using some kind of outboard line-level switcher

Regards,
Wayne


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