DAC for a Hi-Fi System

tonyb

Gotcha man, so you have a passive sub already then ?

Still not 100% on how you plan on routing the Kodi, the receiver, pre, dac.

sfosselman

Yep...passive is in the house...it would be kodi -> dac -> pre -> amp/receiver configuration....man this is getting complicated. I am tempted to take the cart cinema 12 route and simplify a bit but that will have to be as funds allow

sfosselman

Sorry Cary not cart...Damn autocorrect

Nightfall

Going from Kodi to DAC automatically removes surround sound any further down the line.

Nightfall

You have to have two separate chains, one for HT and one for 2 channel. So HT would be Kodi > AVR > HT bypass on Pre> Amp > Speakers then your 2 channel setup would be 2 channel sources > DAC > Pre > Amp > Speakers

tonyb

Except he wants to use the Kodi for streaming music also....I think anyway. You won't be able to do that in the configuration he has in mind. Well, you could, if you remove the dac from the equation and let the receiver do everything.

If you want to use the Kodi for music only, that's easy enough, but doing both music and movies with a 2 channel dac and the Kodi is your problem.

I'd let the receiver handle the movies from the Kodi.....done. I'd pick up something easy to stream music and not use the Kodi at all for it.

You can get a used Cambridge network player, A used Squeezebox Touch, Sony hap1, teac, Sonos, or an old laptop and go straight into a dac, then a separate input on the pre. Your receiver that handles the Kodi would go to the pre's HT pass thru input on out to the amp bypassing the external dac.

Lots of cables there man, you sure that's the route you want to go down ?

We suggested the pre and dac for you based on you saying it was for 2 channel only, no movies. Throwing movies in the mix changes everything.

sfosselman

I hear ya...That is a lot of cables and seems overly complicated. Everything in the system can be moved around/ sold. I would like to get the McCormack 5 channel for both 2 and 5 channel and I really like the bells pre but would like to simplify the system while getting quality 2 channel music and 5.1 movies. I really want to avoid a receiver but a multimate channel process9r with dac looms promising. Could the kodi go into that then to the amp and speakers and control 2 and 5 channel configuration through the processor for kodi.

sfosselman

I would like one streamlined path from kodi for quality 2 and 5 channels for music and movies respectively. Also a Blu Ray player / aux input for my phone preamp to make things even for complicated would the kodi to Cary cinema to amp be a viable option

Nightfall

The Kodi isn't going to be awesome for 2 channel playback period. Do Oppo's have streaming music? Maybe look into that, they pretty much do everything.

sfosselman

The kodi would be used for movie streaming almost exclusively. An oppo may work to play music cd/DVD and use the Oppos DAC for Kodi. I have not looked into Meridian but I will. I would I still have to go oppo to receiver for 5 channel playback, right? Or could I go kodi to oppo directly to amp and let Oppos processor/DAC handle 2 in 5 channel playback, removing the need for a reciever/pre amp?

Nightfall

Oppo has Netflix and all of that and can play digital movie files from a USB stick or hard drive. The 105 can act as a preamp, not sure about the 103.

Nightfall

So yes, technically the 105 could cut the AVR out of the equation. Maybe do some reading up first though to make sure it will do what you want.

sfosselman

Okay I'll look at my options. . Yes i would like the ability to switch from between 2 and 5 channel for movies and music. Please let me if you think of any other ideas.Thanks for the help.

sfosselman

Well here's the idea.... thinking about getting a pre/pro with hdmi from the likes of Marantz or Yamaha. The two senerios are using the belles for 2 channel with ht bypass or just letting the pre/pro with its built in DAC handle both 2 and 5 channel and save some money. Do you think I would be losing much quality with something like the Yamaha cx 5000 with its internal DACs going to the McCormack HT-5? It would certainly simplify the system and give me access to music streaming as well as a connection for Kodi

tonyb

They won't give you the sound of the Belles pre amp if that's what you mean. They aren't a slouch though either for music, just a different type of sound than what you'd get with the Belles.

But yes....it would simply things and save you boat loads on cables too.

Both brands make pretty good pre/pro's, but if you want to kick it up a few notches, look at the ones I suggested like the Cary cinema 12 or Anthem D2. You find them used around 2-2500.

sfosselman

OK a decision has been made. I have decided to get the Marantz av7005 for kodi movie duties and keep the Belles 21a with HT bypass for 2 channel music. I just can't get rid of the Belles and it's sweet tube sound.

tonyb

sfosselman wrote: »

OK a decision has been made. I have decided to get the Marantz av7005 for kodi movie duties and keep the Belles 21a with HT bypass for 2 channel music. I just can't get rid of the Belles and it's sweet tube sound.

lol....don't blame ya man, once you get a taste of a sweet tubed pre it's hard to go backwards.