Discussions

[billyzbear]

I've looked everywhere on the internet for this answer. I'm older, all I keep hearing about is how great DAC's are. I have a Roku ultra/plus bigger box but it doesn't have a digital out. The HDMI cable goes to TV. From the TV there is a digital out. That goes to an older, 10-15 yr old Onkyo home theater receiver. I set it to Dolby logic because I'm only using center, left and right with a sub. I live in a townhouse and don't want it too loud. I use to have a cheap 192 bit converter that would take HDMI and convert it to digital out. It's hard to say if I noticed the difference. I didn't A/B it, it just went bad one day. I don't remember if there is a setting in Roku for higher bit sound. We use Hulu and Netflix. So if I get a good DAC is it going to sound better?

[MrXxx]

"I'm older, all I keep hearing about is how great DAC's are."

I'm 63 but I'm not sure what age has to do with it? What "great things" are you hearing?

"I have a Roku ultra/plus bigger box but it doesn't have a digital out. The HDMI cable goes to TV. From the TV there is a digital out. That goes to an older, 10-15 yr old Onkyo home theater receiver. I set it to Dolby logic because I'm only using center, left and right with a sub."

Not sure what this has to do with your question. Are you planning to continue using the Onkyo? I'm assuming that's the case and is why you want a DAC? Is that correct?

"I live in a townhouse and don't want it too loud."

Okay? So don't turn it up too loud? *shrug*

"I use to have a cheap 192 bit converter that would take HDMI and convert it to digital out. It's hard to say if I noticed the difference."

Only you would know so I don't know what to tell you.

"I didn't A/B it, it just went bad one day."

No idea what "A/B" means.

"I don't remember if there is a setting in Roku for higher bit sound."

I've had two Roku Ultras (different versions) and now a TV and have never seen a setting for changing the bit rate. Pretty sure that's controlled by the files you're streaming.

"We use Hulu and Netflix."

Okay? Not sure why we need to know that or what it has to do with your question.

"So if I get a good DAC is it going to sound better?"

Better than what? The 192 bit converter that just blew on you? I'm going to assume this is the question you're actually asking, so here goes:

What's the model of your Onkyo? What does it have for inputs? The one's I've seen so far have HDMI inputs so I'm not sure if you'd even need a converter. Does yours not have HDMI inputs? A little more information would be helpful.

EDIT: Sorry, I missed the detail of your TV having digital out. You didn't mention anything about the TV having HDMI out. What else does it have for outputs? Be specific. Read the labels.

EDIT2: If you have HDMI outputs, are any of them marked as (ARC) or (eARC)?

[billyzbear]

I'm doing just what I said. Taking the digital out to receiver. Not using HDMI. I only mention what we are listening to so you know what it's being used for. Although the wife is talked about hooking up the top of the line Alexia so she can hear music. 

I've been planning getting a receiver and bookshelf speakers for my boy. He's 18 about to turn 19. Anyways I've been look through manuals. The Onkyo has a DAC built into it 192khz/24bit. I just picked up a Denon receiver and it looks like it has one too. The Onkyo was getting crazy hot and only two channels were working. I'm super excited today because while looking for speakers I found a pair of NHT from 95' for 150$. There isn't even a scratch on them. They sound really nice and look great. Highs are smooth. Mids are clear and the bass is the best part. They could play a little lower but are perfect with a little sub added. Not a lot is needed. I've got a 200w Cerwin Vega and half way is plenty.  

[MrXxx]

The reason I asked most of my questions was because I was unsure what you were trying to do exactly. Many people don't understand (even me with certain applications), how one can interconnect various devices to get the desired result.

For example, I'm using a 25 year old RCA am/fm stereo component system for an amp, hooked up to 200W Cerwin Vega speakers. The RCA is only 50W but enough to blow the roof off my apartment. I don't need to worry about neighbors much since we have well insulated firewalls between each apartment and I'm on an end unit. I've been running my sound from a Philips TV headphone jack to AUX in on the stereo. The TV was 18 years old with no audio outputs at all other than the headphone jack. I would have needed an HDMI converter to get sound any other way but it wasn't necessary. All sound options on the Philips were also working through the headphone jack except that the volume on the TV was ineffective. The volume leveling in the Philips however, did work.

That TV blew up on me last week so I bought a new 43" Roku TV. Volume leveling doesn't work at all on this TV unless you have Roku wireless speakers attached. BIG problem!! Because I've been spoiled with volume leveling for so long I forgot how bad the variance in volume can be without it. I'm constantly riding the volume, for some shows as much as 100 increments between loud music and dialogue. It's ridiculous!

This is why I suddenly became more active here on the Roku forum. I needed help and when I get it I try to pay it forward.

Which bring me back to your situation. I had a bit of a hard time understanding what information you were really looking for and what you were trying to accomplish. Thus all the questions. In my case, the issue was controlling the wildly variant volume levels. I ended up solving this (at least I hope) by getting an HDMI eArc converter. It works much better than using the headphone jack but it's not entirely effective yet, so I've ordered a microcompressor designed primarily for a recording studio to insert in the audio line between the eARC converter and the stereo. This should give me a LOT more control over levels, but in ways even the Philips leveler isn't able to do.

If there is but one thing I can offer as far as advice it's this: nothing added into an audio chain can improve the original sound quality, but depending on what it is exactly, it may improve your personal experience. For example, one may choose to use an equalizer, perhaps because they don't like the original mix, or their equipment may not reproduce accurately. The bottom line is that we all use them to adjust frequency response to our own personal liking. No one can say for certain whether a DAC added to your system will sound better to you except you, after you've done it and come to your own conclusion.

My experience (which is extensive - I'm also a mixing engineer) is that converters of late won't make anything sound any worse, but they also won't improve anything unless you have something in your current system that's making it sound worse and the DAC is intended to replace that. If that is the case, yes, DAC will sound better.