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rx7mark  
#1 Posted : Monday, July 6, 2009 10:15:58 PM(UTC)
rx7mark

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Hi, I'm a newbie at all this, and this is my first post on this forum. Please forgive me if any of this has been covered elswhere, or any of these are dumb questions.

Just returning to audio after a bit of a layoff and currently have a pretty good headphone rig. Audio GD Compass with Denon D2000 headphones driven from an old Dell laptop via USB ASIO. Note the Denons are fairly low impedance phones.

I am planning/researching my upgrade path and I became very interested when I found out that the Buffalo32S will drive headphones directly. I would like to set up the Baffalo32s as DAC/Pre/headphone amp in combination with a two channel stereo amp to drive speakers. So I am trying to plan out what I need to make this work the best. Here are my goals.

Inputs - I really only need USB and SPDIF/BNC. Only one or the other hooked up at any one time.

Output headphones - Ideally both balanced and SE headphone jacks, but I would only use one at a time.

Output Speakers - Both balanced and SE outputs to a 2 channel stereo amp, maybe even a Sympatico. It would also be great to be able to use balanced and SE at the same time for bi-amping with a sub.

So I would start with the dual mono Buffalo32S kit, Volumite, and the USB reciever. I am assuming that I do not need a Mux, since I don't want to activily switch between the two inputs, but correct me if I am wrong. I would start with the USB until I could upgrade my computer source to a custom desktop with a Julie@ card, or similar, then switch to SPDIF.

1) What are the pro's and con's of using the Ballsie for the SE outputs vs wiring direct?

2) What would everyone recommended to switch between the various ouputs? A Darwin hooked up backwords? Or a couple of Otto's? Toggle switches? I am assuming here that I need some type of switch or selector.

3) And last do I need an extra power supplier for the auxilier boards or do you just hook them up parallel to the Bi-polar or dual power supplies, that are provided with the Buffalo32S combo?

Any suggestions? Or details I should know about that might make this not work as planned?

Again any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mark

Edited by user Monday, July 6, 2009 10:37:47 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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Russ White  
#2 Posted : Wednesday, July 8, 2009 4:05:05 PM(UTC)
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1) No Ballsie required or desired. Won't help in the least. :)
2) You will want MUX even if you only use one source at a time. Just use the USB module with SPDIF output into MUX.
3) You will just need one LCDPS and the LCBPS(one per channel). Power the MUX from one half of the LCDPS and the VD of the BUUF32S with the other. One LCBPS is used on each BUF32S.

Wire the the headphone jacks at the R47-R50 pads closest to the output terminal blocks.

Cut at the output marks to enable the output Rs.

The wire the amplifier outputs from the output terminal blocks.

Other than that just read the manuals and you should be fine. :)

Don't hesitate to ask more questions on this forum if you are stumped.

Cheers!
Russ

Edited by user Wednesday, July 8, 2009 4:06:14 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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rx7mark  
#3 Posted : Wednesday, July 8, 2009 9:46:26 PM(UTC)
rx7mark

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Fantastic Russ,
Thanks for the reply. I am sure that I will have more questions once I actually have the boards and other parts in front of me. At this point I just wanted to know what to order.

From everything I have read this is a great Dac, and the fact that it can drive headphones and can be attenuated without degrading sound quality is a huge bonus. Nice job.

Now I just have to actually get a Buffalo32S kit!

Mark

Edited by user Wednesday, July 8, 2009 9:54:06 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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mourip  
#4 Posted : Saturday, July 11, 2009 2:09:23 PM(UTC)
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Russ White wrote:
You will want MUX even if you only use one source at a time. Just use the USB module with SPDIF output into MUX.

Wire the the headphone jacks at the R47-R50 pads closest to the output terminal blocks.

Cut at the output marks to enable the output Rs.

The wire the amplifier outputs from the output terminal blocks.


Two clarifications.

For input switching: If you are using an SPDIF input and also the USB input board set for SPDIF output could you just use a simple toggle switch for input to the Buff32?

For headphone output: If you wire HPs to the R47/50 pad and cut the traces does this affect the output impedance of the normal single ended outputs or just give you an additional appropriate headphone output? Can you listen to the headphones while the SE outputs are connected to an amp?

Thanks!

Paul
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NicMac  
#5 Posted : Sunday, July 12, 2009 6:49:07 AM(UTC)
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mourip wrote:

For headphone output: If you wire HPs to the R47/50 pad and cut the traces does this affect the output impedance of the normal single ended outputs or just give you an additional appropriate headphone output? Can you listen to the headphones while the SE outputs are connected to an amp?


Exact same question from here. I just could not formulate it as well.
Thanks,
Nic
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Russ White  
#6 Posted : Sunday, July 12, 2009 7:16:44 AM(UTC)
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Regarding SPDIF switching with just a switch - The problem with going this route is termination. The switch contacts will change the impedance characteristics of the transmission line. This is not ideal. It may work well enough for you, but the MUX would be superior in this regard.

Cheers!
Russ

Edited by user Sunday, July 12, 2009 7:41:57 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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Russ White  
#7 Posted : Sunday, July 12, 2009 7:44:37 AM(UTC)
Russ White

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Sidenius112 wrote:
mourip wrote:

For headphone output: If you wire HPs to the R47/50 pad and cut the traces does this affect the output impedance of the normal single ended outputs or just give you an additional appropriate headphone output? Can you listen to the headphones while the SE outputs are connected to an amp?


Exact same question from here. I just could not formulate it as well.
Thanks,
Nic


If you wire a headphone jack as I described it will just give you an additional output with an output impedance close to 0. The output impedance at the terminal blocks will still be 21ohms.

You should have no trouble leaving the normal(terminal block) outputs connected to a power amp while listing to headphones.

Edited by user Sunday, July 12, 2009 7:45:35 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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