Devialet 170 with 47 Lab CD player, Line in or S/PDIF?

agentsmith · Dec 23, 2013

I have a dilemma

I bought a 47 Lab CD player 0647 assembled kit CD player whose Raison d'etre seems to be its non-oversampling DAC and internal I2S interface, and thus the analogue our should be the output of choice to bring out the 47Lab flavor. In fact, the manual from this eccentric manufacturer says to use this S/PDIF "defective" interface only if you see fit.

I happen to be using it with the Devialet 170 whose line in interface is actually a A to D converter.

My question is should I use the S/PDIF out of the CD player or the analogue line out to the Devialet?

The S/PDIF should be the more direct route to make use of the Devialet DAC. However, assuming the Devialet A to D line in is transparent to the analogue source, it may mean that I can retain most of the 47Lab "flavor"?

of course the proof is in the listening. I will try to test it out during the Christmas holiday.

LL21 · Dec 24, 2013

Look forward to your comparison. Agree the proof is in the pudding...you are using your 47Labs as a full-on CD player...or just a transport + Devialet DAC. So you will be basically comparing the 2 DACs.

agentsmith · Jan 16, 2014

LL21 said:
Look forward to your comparison. Agree the proof is in the pudding...you are using your 47Labs as a full-on CD player...or just a transport + Devialet DAC. So you will be basically comparing the 2 DACs.

Sorry for the long delay.

I finally got to try it out and the result is very interesting.

I tried the following 3 playback methods with materials generated from the same CD:

1. Ripped ALAC files played through a Mac Mini via Ethernet to the Devialet
2. CD through the 47 Lab S/PDIF output
3. CD through the 47 Lab Line out to the Devialet line in. (through the Devialet A to D circuit)

The Ethernet file playback and CD S/PDIF sounded indistinguishable to my middle aged ears. However, the line paled in comparison. The result is not subtle, the analogue in sounded and smeared and un-dynamic. It is like the A to D of the Devialet is broken. Which is strange because my experience with other cheap A to D like the cheap Creative is that they are quite transparent.

Thinking back, It could be the obscure Japanese Audio Tekne interconnect I was using. Those cables are very different design with no shielding. I will try some other "normal" cables like the Linn Silver.

f1eng · Aug 2, 2014

agentsmith said:
Sorry for the long delay.

I finally got to try it out and the result is very interesting.

I tried the following 3 playback methods with materials generated from the same CD:

1. Ripped ALAC files played through a Mac Mini via Ethernet to the Devialet
2. CD through the 47 Lab S/PDIF output
3. CD through the 47 Lab Line out to the Devialet line in. (through the Devialet A to D circuit)

The Ethernet file playback and CD S/PDIF sounded indistinguishable to my middle aged ears. However, the line paled in comparison. The result is not subtle, the analogue in sounded and smeared and un-dynamic. It is like the A to D of the Devialet is broken. Which is strange because my experience with other cheap A to D like the cheap Creative is that they are quite transparent.

Thinking back, It could be the obscure Japanese Audio Tekne interconnect I was using. Those cables are very different design with no shielding. I will try some other "normal" cables like the Linn Silver.

I bought my first Devialet over 3 years ago.
At the time I had similar questions in my mind. Now previous tests I had done had convinced me that the Devialet ADC/DAC was completely transparent to my ears, so I was interested to hear if the colour of some of the "tuned to taste" Dacs came through if I connected them to the analogue inputs.
So far the characteristic colour of each analogue source I have connected to the Devialet has been clearly audible, confirming that the ADC/DAC is transparent as far as I can see.
It is worth checking that the 47-labs analogue output isn't clipping the ADC input by looking at the level meter in the information menu.
The characteristic sound of my FM tuner, Goldmund and Chord DACs is clearly heard using the Devialet analogue inputs.

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Devialet 170 with 47 Lab CD player, Line in or S/PDIF?

agentsmith

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LL21

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agentsmith

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f1eng

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