DAC In My Cd Player And Amp

Bought the Rotel RCD-1072 to play HDCD. When plugging it into my amp do I use the CD input or one of the line inputs considering the amp already has a built in dac.

If I plug it into the cd input will it be running 2 dacs at the same time? Thanks.

 

If you are using RCA interconnects, any line input will work. You'd have to send the digital stream via Toslink, HDMI, or coaxial to for the preamp's DAC to decode it.

 

HDCD is 16 bit CD audio, with extra junk thrown in the last few bits, and volume envelope changes in the audio that are supposed to be "decoded" when codes are detected.

If your receiver doesn't recognize and decode HDCD digital streams, you'll need to use the analog outs from the CD player to hear the "benefits" (instead of digital connections like a single coax digital or optical TOSLINK cable). You can hook the player up to any receiver analog input, whether it is called "CD", "AUX", or even "DVD".

HDCD was (mostly) a scam

 

The CD input on your amp is a line input, just like the other RCA inputs on the back panel. It's labeled "CD" solely for convenience. Many integrated amps, preamps and receivers are labeled exactly the same way. The CD input is an analog/RCA input.

If you use the RCA output connectors on your CD player, and then plug those RCA cables from the CD player into your amp's CD input or any of its other RCA inputs, you'll be using the DAC in the Rotel CD player. Your Rotel contains the Burr-Brown PCM-1732 DAC chips, which are quite respectable.

If you use the output from the digital output connector on the Rotel, and then plug the single cable into a digital input on your amp, then you'll be using the DAC built into the amp. Your Yamaha A-S701 is really quite excellent - the whole A-Sxxx and A-Sxxxx series has been a home run for Yamaha. I believe the A-S701 uses the Burr-Brown PCM5102A DAC chip, which is also quite good.

Stereo components are designed to prevent anyone from plugging the output of one DAC into the input of another DAC. That's because the output of a DAC (e.g., from your Rotel) is an analog stereo signal that requires two RCA interconnect cables.

Anyway, if I were you, I think I'd be happier with the DAC in the Rotel.

 

Play a CD while connected to RCA line-in inputs. Then disconnect them and hook the CD player up with a digital coax cable or fiber optic. Listen to the same CD.

Continue to use whichever sounded better

 

I was going to suggest the same thing

 

Thanks for the replies people, helped a lot.

Was worried it might be like using an external phono preamp and plugging it into the phono input on the amp.