I run a Esoteric SA 60 for 5.1 music only.A Esoteric UX-1 LE would be a nice upgrade.Is anyone else playing music in 5.1? What would be considered the best player for this format????:
Stump
Best? Playback Designs MPS-5 + 2 x MPD-5
... but to get the best bang for the buck here is what you can do. Get an Oppo 103 with Vanity HD103 board. This will get you 4 x S/PDIF out of the Oppo at full resolution - the Vanity board reclocks and does proprietary DSD -> LPCM conversion at 176/24, which beats the standard Oppo conversion hands down. ...
Thanks for the tip on the Vanity, I had been looking for a way to digitize my SACD discs, and this is simpler than the PS3 route.
How would you hook this up for 5.1 playback? The transport only has a stereo digital .
The ST-optical output can do stereo or 5.1
This is how I rip the MCH layer from SACD's
The 5.1 Surround Setup with Playback Designs is done with optical PLAYLINK:
And works like a charm !
But one problem exist today:
This Setup only works with Multichannel-SACD's, Playback Designs, up to now, cannot play 5.1 DSD-Files.
To play this files I use a Mytek stack.
Nice. How do you control volume? Do you need a MCH analog preamp behind the DACs?
Yes..... I use the Switchman 3 for surround
So you actually use the 3 piece "Playback Designs Stack" for MCH?
I would personally prefer a stack of 3 dacs with RS232 and control volume with macros on the DAC (only contenders I'm aware of are NAD M51 and MSB). The Switchman in my experience detracts from SQ.
If you want to go all out you can daisy chain 3 of Ayre's preamps for $20K a piece....
Guess my SQ is detracted then!
For volume control I use a Denon AVP A1HDA which is connencted by EXT.IN to the MPS/MPD-5 stack (and for Mch-Files to the Mytek Stack).Nice. How do you control volume? Do you need a MCH analog preamp behind the DACs?
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