[Empeg-general] Re: Digital Out?

[hybrid8@empegbbs-noreply.merlins.org]

An amp with a digital input is only as good as its DAC.  There's nothing wrong with going analogue from source to amplifier.

A few years ago I remember someone trying to peddle the idea of connecting speakers via firewire.  Each speaker box would need its own DAC and amplifier.  Yeah, nice idea.  You're coupled with these supposedly high-end speakers using DACs and amps which I can assure you are not as good, nor versatile as seperates you can buy.

The reasons just given for wanting digital output are fairly valid.  More so that simply saying "I want a better DAC" - because to that I'd say, stop using Music Match (and Fraunhofer's encoder) and you'll get more of an improvement than you likely will with another DAC.

In the home it is easy to build a system for $20K that will obliterate someone else's for both volume and clarity that might cost $100K (it can be made to be better in any way you care to measure or describe).  Same is true for the car.  Too many times I find people just looking for ways to throw money at a problem without trying to figure out exactly what the problem is to begin with and looking at other ways around it.

Anyway, there's no argument to be had here.  I posted directions to THE SOURCE.  The "MAN" as far as the empeg goes.  The info that is needed is all in that single message (it includes a link to Hugo's PM-Box if anyone needs any other details).

I'll wrap this up by saying all problems should be attacked at the source.  And the source when dealing with the empeg, is the MP3 file.  No sense in building a transparent system to play potentially flawed tracks.  

Bruno