Can the preamp function of the dmp A6 e turned off so I can use it as a streamer only? It’s hard to tell if that is an option in the manual.
As far as I can see, no - the XLR output settings are not separate to the phono outs and although boot gain can be adjusted, it would always appear to be line level.
Yes, you can do that with "Volume Passthrough Mode" so all outputs, digital & analogue, are fixed at 0db attenuation. Obviously Volume is not the right nomenclature here, it's gain (or in this case, specifically attenuation).
To be fair, if you use the analogues, you lose a lot of the functionality, that's to say multichannel audio whether PCM, DSD, DTS or MQA. I have a Linn system which is superb for stereo, but this player opens up a whole new layer of music which I've obviously played around with before on other systems but never had something of this quality to play SACD rips for example. Although I realise that even speaking of such things can be sacrilegious to some folks
@Markswift2003 Then I will do so a bit more. I am really anxious to try it with MCH via HDMI using the claimed ultra stable clocking that way. Learned over time that DAC reproduction above all for PCM is extremely influenced by femto stable crystals. Doing this very well the differences between DSD and PCM almost vanish. So my new Onkyo TX-RZ50 AMP might get to another dimension using the DMP-A6 via HDMI? I know from talking with the engineers of McIntosh AMPs that they do use their own specialized HDMI chip for that since many years. I believe without documenting that anywhere? Never could play with such a setup myself to find out the practical effect. Looking at the "Dune HD Homatics Box R 4K Plus" found it is really an entry level player and Amlogic saved apparently on the crystal used with their SOC. It scores the lowest on my scale for AQ via HDMI. My private AQ via HDMI scale: Amlogic => Zidoo std players => Dune players <=> Oppo UDP20x => Zidoo Neo Alpha + Neo X => Eversolo DMP-A6? But admit differences are not huge but definitely audible for each step. All evaluations I have seen thus far did not look at sound via HDMI and focused on the internal DAC via analog. Many still think sound via HDMI being digital is always the same, confessed till about 2 years ago thought the same.
MCH audio is not something I've ever really been overly interested in - more a curiosity. I bought a lot of SACDs and DVD-As back in the day and of course original quad mixes of the likes of Dark Side of the Moon hold endless fascination, but for music I generally prefer stereo. But the A6 may just change my mind a bit - and I've yet to try it on my PMCs...
There are simply a lot more good albums of my liking in Stereo. So it is my common way of listening too. But a very few are just awesome in MCH. Can´t repeat it enough without a consistent set of speakers (same brand same series) the sound will never be good. Learned that one the hard way myself.
Mine are all M&K in one room and all PMC in the other. Except for subs - I use Richard Lord era Rel subs. The big ones. I've always stuck same brand/same series. I upgraded from KEF to PMC after hearing a set of IB2s in a friend's dubbing theatre at the BBC.
So excuse my ignorance here. I want to try the A6 as a pre but use my external dac via USB and RCA from the dac to the power amp. Ive got it hooked up and it works with the digital volume up to 15. Ive got the Volume Passthrough off. Have a got this all correct?? I assuming you only turn on the volume passthrough when connecting to an external preamp?? Also there is an click through the speakers at every track start?? Any ideas what that is?
