Headphones and the Devialet

[Womaz]

@Womaz - hello again!

It looks to me as though the Taurus only has analog input, so I expect you have configured your 200 to use two RCA sockets as a stereo analog pre-amp output.  Since the 200 is receiving digital data from the Nucleus, it must be using an internal DAC to convert to analog.  (Note: this is not the same DAC that drives the ADH power amplifier section to which the loudspeakers are connected.)

You could re-configure the Devialet to give you a digital (S/P-DIF) output on one of the RCA sockets instead of the analog output.  That would enable you to connect an external DAC which could then send an analog signal to the Taurus.

The first question is whether the new DAC would sound better to you than the internal DAC the 200 uses to generate the analog pre-amp output.  If so, is it worth the cost and extra box count?  As usual I'd say that only you can decide, and probably only by getting a demonstration to compare the two ways of doing it.

Incidentally if you're thinking of buying another box, why not consider a headphone amp with a digital input?  Or possibly a Roon-Ready DAC that would act as its own endpoint without depending on your Devialet?

I should have asked: is your Nucleus physically close to where you want your headphone amp to sit?  For example, could you connect USB from the Nucleus to a DAC or digital-capable headphone amp?

Ian you know me a lot of this goes over my head, i just rely on forums and my ears

I decided to do a little test taking the Devialet out of the equation

I have been experimenting for the last 4 hours or so and I dont need to do it any more. I have no idea what the Devialet is actually doing in my HP set up but its bloody good. So yes the performance using the Devialet feeding the Tuarus is far superior to the Ifi Micro BL and it was quite noticeable too. I am not good at describing what I hear and using all the technical terms but I will try .

It was the clarity , the Devialet was much clearer, Instruments stood out , much better instrument separation. The ifi sounded muddled in comparison, but then the Devialet is a 6K product so maybe its not a surprise.

So i think the Devialet stays in the HP set up and its either a new HP amp or stick with the Tauris