Streaming to nDAC - file compatability

Posted by: totemphile on 29 April 2011

This might be a silly question but is the nDAC able to convert all digital signals it is fed via S/PDIF? For example, if a file in iTunes is in AIFF or ALAC and served to the nDAC by a Sonos ZP90 or directly via Hiface/DC1, can the nDAC convert it into an analogue signal? It can, can't it, because the decoding of the file takes place in iTunes / Sonos already, unlike files fed to the nDAC on a USB stick, where it only accepts WAV and FLAC, correct?

Thank you

Posted on: 29 April 2011 by Aleg

All file formats are in the end converted to PCM by the player / renderer and this PCM is what is fed to a DAC. It is part of the definitio of the SPDIF standard.

Posted on: 29 April 2011 by Guido Fawkes

>If a file in iTunes is in AIFF or ALAC and served to the nDAC by a Sonos ZP90 or directly via Hiface/DC1, can the nDAC convert it into an analogue signal?

Yes - that's how I play my music files, which are nearly all AIFF - except that I use MF VLink instead of the hiFace, but that makes no difference either will work just fine.

All the best, Guy

Posted on: 29 April 2011 by sheffieldgraham

Originally Posted by totemphile:

Thank you

Limited by my digital "techno nounce" I suspect your right. I have fed my nDAc from my Mac Pro via the M-Tech USB ,BNC input using i-Tunes (Apple Loseless) and Fidelia (Apple Loseless, FLAC, WAV files) without issue. When I tried the USB input WAV worked, FLAC didn't (that's before the recent firmware update. That's another issue!).

Posted on: 29 April 2011 by garyi

If you have a computer outputting SPDIF and its plugged into the nDac spdif then yes it will work just fine. Infact if you want you can have your system alert sounds/you tube, anything you like. The computer deals with delivering an output to the SPDIF that the nDac will recognise just fine, its ones and noughts at the end of the day.

Posted on: 02 May 2011 by totemphile

Thanks everyone for your answers.