CA-2200 + Slimdevices Transporter

[Ligald]

Hi,

I intend to buy a new hifi system based on B&W 802d speakers and CA-2200 amplifier. As I already owns a Slimdevices Transporter (high-end network player with great AD converter and volume control capabilities), I was curious to see the matching of the combo, especially by running the amp directly from the TP via the balanced or unbalanced outputs (i.e. by skipping the pre-amp).

I went to my local dealer and connected the whole stuff with the appropriate analog attenuation (it can be set internally of the TP as the latter outputs 3 Vrms which is quite high for the 1.4 Vrms input of the CA-2200). For this first test, the unbalanced outputs were used and the volume control was done on the TP.

The dealer never seen a TP before and was first a bit skeptical... however we both were rapidly convinced by the capabilities of the system. Highs and medium were so clear and and non-aggressive, the basses powerful and the soundstage so deep. He admits that this was one of the best matching he has never heard. I'm really convinced of driving an amp directly for the source (as long as the latter has volume control capabilities), as this makes the audio path the shortest one and without any pre-amplification in between. anyone having such experiences? Warmly recommended!

[Freek]

Ligald,

i never tested the transporter directly connected to the power amp. i did test it connected to the ssp-300 (digital through the internal dac of the ssp-300 and analog through the 7.1 input). it was indeed very good. wide soundstage. good detail.

your way is the way to go. the shortest path is the best. if used in combination with dvd of blu-ray it's not so easy because the tp cannot be used as a pre-amp with input selections i think.

is the volume control in the transporter in the digital stage or at the analog output stage? i always heard that volume control in the digital stage means a not bit perfect stream anymore at the d/a conversion.

good luck

Freek

[Ligald]

Hi,

The TP can manage up to 2 digital external sources and accepts signals up to 24bits/96khz. You can therefore connect a SACD player (or Blueray, ...) as long as you output a compatible stream. However, you cannot connect analog sources as the system is digital only...

As you said, the volume is controlled digitally on 24 bits. If your system is properly matched, this constitutes a real advantage as you do not require pre-amplification on the signal path which would introduce additional noise (unless you use passive attenuation). The sound goes directly from the source to the power-amp.

I'll receive my equipment very soon and will make extended tests. However the first experiences with this setting were truly amazing in term of sound clarity and sound stage width.

Regards.

Ligald

[NonSense]

Ligald

Just to note, with a SACD stream, you will experience resolution loss straight away with any bit shifting volume control. Even with 24 bit DAC's to perform the bit shifting on a red book format of 16 bits, you have a limit to the top 1/3 of your volume control before you start to see resolution loss. Digial volume control's often have switched in line attenuation to match the amplifier gain to ensure that at prefered listening levels the volume control if above 67%.

[Ligald]

Hi,

That's it. Proper matching between any source and the power amp is the key point! As you said, I use in line analog attenuators for setting the general volume level and the digital control to tune it for a daily use. This way I only need between -0db and -20dB digital attenuation.

Fully agree for the SACD. However, if you digital volume is at a reasonable level you still benefit from part of the 8 additional bits as you roughly loose 1 bit per -6dB digital attenuation.

On the other hand, an additional pre-amp will amplify your original signal which will further increase the mismatch with your power amp sensitivity . Proper attenuation is also required in this case...which is a non-sense as you first pre-amplify the signal and then attenuate it before amplifying it.

[Freek]

Ligald,

nice to see you go this way!!
looking forward to your review when you have everything installed.

good luck

[Ligald]

Setup 802d + CA 2200 + Transporter

Hello,

I received my installation 2 weeks ago. The setup is based on B&W 802 speakers, powered by a CA 2200 stereo power amplifier connected to a Slimdevices Transporter. The latter is a network music player with high end D/A converter and volume control capabilities. It is wired to the amplifier with in akustik NF-1302 XLR cables.

My objective in this setup was to keep the signal audio path as short as possible, by skipping the pre-amplifier. This requires the source output level to be perfectly matched with the amplifier input sensitivity and often requires passive attenuation.

Here are some impressions after a few days of use. The stereophonic effect and the spatialization (3D) is impressive. The sound seems to come from behind the speakers and put the listener in the middle of the scene.

The precision of the medium and highs is amazing without being aggressive. The purity of the sound is simply superb and makes the voices so natural. This makes sounds "La Callas" so real... what an emotion! Finally the bass are powerfull and dynamic but without being too much present. The right balance.

In conclusion, my first impressions are extremely positive and I'm definitively convinced that skipping the pre-amplifier and connecting directly the DA converter to the power amplifier (with adequate level matching) is the winning combo in term of sound quality and costs. In the other hands, this also limits yours setup to digital only sources.

Highly recommended.

Ligald

[hd99yr]

what type of music files are you using?

[Ligald]

All my music is ripped in original WAV files with EAC.
I'm now starting buying some high resolution music (24 bits/96 kHz).