An i5 is ample for a Roon core unless you’re running multiple zones simultaneously, each with one or more DSP functions enabled.
If you’re using NAA/HQPlayer, then do the i7.
Please help if you can with this technical question.
I have a vintage (1990) Onkyo Surround Sound Receiver TX-SV313PRO that I want to add some new components to…but don’t know which Left-Right Input jacks to use.
Current hook-ups: a Turntable into PHONO, a CD Player into the CD jacks, and a Cassette Deck into TAPE 1.
I want to add 2 new DAC’s and 1 new CD Player…the input jacks I have available to potentially plug their Left and Right RCA connectors into are these:
●TAPE 2 which has REC jacks as well as PLAY jacks.
●VIDEO 1 which just has IN jacks.
●VIDEO 2 which has OUT jacks as well as IN jacks.
So the question is, which of the ●inputs above could I use for the DAC’s…and which could I use for the CD Player?
Thanks if you can help.
You can use the REC jacks on TAPE 2 and the IN jacks on both VIDEO 1 and VIDEO 2 for any line level source (anything but a turntable, unless it has its own RIAA/phono stage).
Makes no difference which you use for what, you just have to select the appropriate input (e.g. TAPE 2 Monitor) for the source you want to listen to.
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One thing to check for is bleed-over between inputs. If this happens you might hear output from a non-selected channel. In the past I’ve had to swap cables around to keep the receiver inputs happy (excluding Record as the phono preamp). In my experience those with either tape or video recording are the most finicky.
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Hello Ian,
Thanks for the quick, clear and succinct reply.
You saved me a mistake and potential problem–I was thinking to use PLAY on
VIDEO 2.
BTW, this is one of my three big rig systems, which is playing Wharfedale
80th Anniversary speakers, mounted on stands, in a 12x15 carpeted room, with
my listening chair in the golden triangle position. It’s a great match with
the 60 watt per channel Onyko and to my ears has wonderful sound.
Thanks again Ian…Lee
PS
I’m still using the excellent settings advice you gave me for using the
various Amps I connect with my two RME ADI 2 DAC’s. I get wonderful sound
out of those rigs too. One of these days I’ll try to figure out how to use
the EQ feature of the RME for optimizing the various headphones I use with
the various Amps.
PPS
My headphone collection is now up to 35. Have a Koss Porta Pro coming today
and a ZMF Aeolus arriving Thursday…I’m a lucky man and “life is good.”
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Thanks. Hope I have no problems, but will remember what you said re different cables if I do.
I have a 1990s Onkyo integrated amp that used to be a main rig but is now relegated to emergency backup use. Sounds good but I’ve been warned that they are complex and often junky inside. I opened it for cleaning and maintenance and they were correct. Not impressed with quality of workmanship. So if anything happens with it, it’s on the “do not resuscitate” list.
Hi David,
My Onkyo Receiver is 33 years and has never missed a beat. Bought it from
Best Buy along with a matching Onkyo CD Player, Cassette Deck and Graphic
Equalize for just under a thousand bucks. Like you, it was my main system
for many years, mostly to play through some 3 way speakers I had bought 20
years before. It had great sound in a medium sized, carpeted room with
fabric furniture, a large roll top wooden desk and lots of framed artwork on
the walls. Ran it through a Furman power conditioner for most of those
years. The speakers were elevated roughly a foot and angled about 25-30
degrees on teak wood stands. I have untold thousands of hours on that system
and the only repair was to replace a crossover wire on one of the speakers
(12 inch woofers, 5 inch midrange and dome tweeter with adjustment controls
for treble and midrange emphasis). The wood in those speakers has mellowed
and settled-in very nicely over the past 50+ years and I still enjoy them
today in another system. The Onkyo also has a great tuner and still gets
occasional use for fm radio classical music. I also liked its low volume
power boost/loudness feature. Always wished it would have a midrange tone
control to go with the bass and treble adjustments, but that was my only
regret. If that Onkyo ever breaks I suppose I’ll just throw it away, but be
sad when I do because it has served me so well for so long. It also did good
work on a pair of Advent speakers which you no doubt remember from the
1980’s. Those speakers have also aged well and are part of another big rig
system in a different part of the house. Oh the fond memories of music and
sound…
Lee
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Yes, I recall both the Larger and Smaller Advents, with the Smaller being one of the best matched 2 ways that you could buy - on a student’s budget…
And although the Onkyo does play nicely, and mine has one LED that is intermittent, has never given me an ounce of trouble in, as yours has, thousands of hours of service. However, when I did that board-level restoration of my 1979 Sansui AU-919, there was no question which was cleaner.
Aging Onkyo? Restored classic Sansui measuring .004 THD at 140 clean RMS watts, class AB output with class A preamp? Sansui, please.
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Wow–that Sansui sounds like a great piece of equipment. What speakers are you driving with that monster?
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The above are the speakers (naked without the magnetic grilles). The story of the Sansui restoration starts with the below thread and continues a few messages down the line.,
Hi David,
The amp and speakers are both very, very, very nice. Must sound absolutely
wonderful. Happy for you.
Lee
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I have a question for the engineers in the group. My current setup has my amp, dac and AES bridge all sitting within 8 inches of multiple monitors as well as my primary work PC. Would it be worth the trouble to move my hifi setup away from those sources of EMI? Even though all the pieces are well grounded, I am thinking that I really need to even though I am basically lazy and like everything within an easy arm’s reach. What are the opinions out there?
Is it ideal? no, but I assume you don’t have any audible noise from the computer and monitors, in which case I personally wouldn’t worry about it, any real benefit would be minor, and you’d probably have to move it to somewhere less convenient to use.
If you really want to know how much better it would be somewhere else, just turn the sources of interference off. But IME the environmental noise (as in the sound of the fans) from devices like computers and Heating/AC are more detrimental, and I can’t work without either of those.
My primary setup in in my office within a couple of foot of computers, same room as the Wifi router etc etc. But it’s there because that’s where I listen to it, and that is after all it’s primary function.
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As a lazy person myself, I would say that if you don’t hear any noise, don’t bother moving anything. All my audio equipment is next to my PC and router and I’ve been lucky enough not to have any noise, so I haven’t done anything.
To @Polygonhell’s point, I sometimes get some faint noise when the furnace (which is about 8 feet away) kicks in, but I can’t move my desk or move the furnace, so I live with that.
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The system is dead quiet. You can’t tell that it is on until the music starts. The AC fan and the refrigerator are the two noise makers within earshot. I am obsessing about any EMI impact. The system stays where it is convenient and therefore used more easily.
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You should be able to catch eventual EMI by cranking up your amp while playing a very quiet track. Maybe this can help:
Cheers. 
Does anyone know of headphones with extremely high impedance, or research into this? By extreme I mean starting at 600 ohms. Perhaps 1,200 ohms? More? My Beyer DT 880 at 600 ohms sounds different enough from everything else I’ve tried that I’m unsure whether it follows from high impedance versus something unique to this particular design.
I’m running the DT 880 with very heavy tweaks (pad swap + EQ) to control its treble issues, but now it’s…really, really, really, smooth…even versus my 300 ohm Sennheisers. Would even greater impedance be an improvement or result in excessive smoothing?
OK, I’m brand new to the audiophile world. Not sure if this is the right place to post my question. If not then moderators please feel free to move/delete.
…
So I recently purchased a Hifiman Sundara and paired this with a Topping E50/L50. First off, wow! I absolutely love listening to everything on this set up! My world became much brighter and I am so happy with my purchase.
I am currently using RCA cables between my DAC and Amp and I am using a SE cable for the Sundara. If I want to try a balanced cable for the headphones do I need to use balanced cables for the DAC/amp as well? If I “mix and match” the cables does that impact the sound quality?
Thanks in advance for helping this noob out! I’m really enjoying learning on these forums
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Here’s a good point of reference to help you better understand the two technologies and hopefully answer your question:
Unless you have a signal noise issue or just want more power, you don’t really need balanced.
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