Need DAC Advice Please ^_^

[Mdude186]

Hello everybody, I currently have Audioengine A5+ speakers hooked up to my computer and will be ordering a HSU STF-2 in the next week or so. I was wondering (For future upgrade purposes) if I should get a DAC. I was also curious as to if the DAC should be just for the A5+'s and leave the Sub hooked up the 3.5mm jack? Do they make DACs that have Sub RCA's and speaker ones for a 2.1 setup (for a computer)? My original idea was to just get the Audioengine D1 and hook the A5+'s up to them and leave the sub in the 3.5mm jack but i decided i'd rather get some advice before moving forward.

 

[bikemig]

There isn't much out there when it comes to a dac designed for a 2.1 set up. An AV receiver would do it but you obviously don't need one with the A-5 speakers. In any case, that's not much of a problem for you since the A-5s have an RCA out that you can connect to your sub. The set up would go dac -> A-5s -> sub. The audio engine dac that runs $170 or so has been getting good reviews (and comes with a 30 day money back guarantee) and it has a headphone amp. I'd get that if I were looking for a dac right now.

 

[Mdude186]

I'm afraid connecting the sub to the A-5's will not work. I e-mailed HSU quite a while back and this was their reply:

"Due to the Audioengine's two channel line outs, you need a VTF-1 MK2 which has two RCA inputs. The Audioengine outputs full range signal, which the VTF-1 MK2 can filter out higher frequencies. The Audioengine will be fed full range signal from your source. The VTF-1 MK2 has no high pass filter, and neither does the A5+ has any way to receive a high pass filtered signal. At least the sub can fill in where the A5+ rolls off. If the A5+ is well designed, it would have a built-in high pass filter."


This is why I was wondering if buying the DAC for just the A-5's would matter. And just leave the sub in the 3.5mm sound card jack. But I don't know if cross-over will be a problem. Thank you for your input.

 

[jonnythan]

You can feed the output of the A5 into the STF-2 and adjust the STF-2's crossover to 100 Hz or so. That should work fine. You can use a Y-adapter to combine the two channels.

I'd only consider an external DAC if you have a noisy sound card output. If so, go ahead and get the Audioengine one.

 

[TLS Guy]

You can feed the output of the A5 into the STF-2 and adjust the STF-2's crossover to 100 Hz or so. That should work fine. You can use a Y-adapter to combine the two channels.

I'd only consider an external DAC if you have a noisy sound card output. If so, go ahead and get the Audioengine one.

No he can't use a Y adapter or everything will be mono. He will need buffer amps. ATI sell one that would work fine. It will buffer the left and right outputs and combine to one.

 

[jonnythan]

Mono? Why would that be?

 

[TLS Guy]

Mono? Why would that be?

Unless the outputs on the A5 are buffered which they almost certainly will not be, then it will sum the outputs of the A5s to mono. If you take the pre outs of a receiver or a pre/pro and use a Y then you get mono from the speakers. It will b e the same thing with the A5. You must buffer if you connect two two channel outputs and not get mono.

 

[jonnythan]

Unless the outputs on the A5 are buffered which they almost certainly will not be, then it will sum the outputs of the A5s to mono. If you take the pre outs of a receiver or a pre/pro and use a Y then you get mono from the speakers. It will b e the same thing with the A5. You must buffer if you connect two two channel outputs and not get mono.

Yes, you sum the preouts of the A5 to mono at the sub.

You do stereo inputs to the A5 and take the output and sum it to mono at the sub. Why would this make you get mono from the speakers?

 

[TLS Guy]

Yes, you sum the preouts of the A5 to mono at the sub.

You do stereo inputs to the A5 and take the output and sum it to mono at the sub. Why would this make you get mono from the speakers?

Because generally the outputs come off the voltage amp stage without buffering. So when you sum it is mono. This is why so many subs have left and right inputs. The sub manufacturers know that line outs are not usually buffered outputs. So they provide buffered inputs for just this situation. Unfortunately the OP's sub has just one input.

 

[jonnythan]

But you're summing the output of the speaker's preamp. The left speaker has stereo inputs that feed an internal 2-channel amp. The amp also has stereo preouts.

 

[TLS Guy]

But you're summing the output of the speaker's preamp. The left speaker has stereo inputs that feed an internal 2-channel amp. The amp also has stereo preouts.

I know, but if those outputs are not buffered you will get mono.

To be certain you would have to see the circuit. However the overwhelming likely hood is that those outputs are not buffered.

 

[Grador]

I believe what TLS Guy is saying is that if the speaker's internal amplifier is not well designed they can be driven from the output jacks. If this is the case putting a Y-cable on the left and right outputs could allow them to essentially drive each other which would end up summing the signals to mono internal to each speaker.

Hope this is correct and clears things up a little.

 

[TLS Guy]

I believe what TLS Guy is saying is that if the speaker's internal amplifier is not well designed they can be driven from the output jacks. If this is the case putting a Y-cable on the left and right outputs could allow them to essentially drive each other which would end up summing the signals to mono internal to each speaker.

Hope this is correct and clears things up a little.

That is exactly what is most likely to happen. That is why sub manufacturers put on left and right inputs, as this is the usual situation and the sub has the buffer amps. A sub with only one line input can only be powered from an LFE input, a buffer or dual channel crossover.

 

[TLS Guy]

The OP can do a simple test to see if the A5 outputs are buffered. Connect the two line outs together and then provide input to only one speaker.

If sound only comes out of that speaker the outputs are buffered, if sound come out of both speakers they are not buffered.

 

[mmbuckwa]

Hello, this is my first post and I have the Audioengine A5 speakers hooked up to my desktop and I love them. I looked into DACs a month ago and almost got the Audioengine D1 but read the audio blog over at cnet and they recommended the Fiio E10 dac over the audioengine. I ended up getting that because of this and the fact that it cost only half the price of the D1. It sounds better than without it but I have no way of knowing myself how it compares to the Audioengine. The Fiio does have a bass boost switch that I keep turned on and it provides all the bass I need with out a subwoofer.