Got my new toy to finish my install yesterday.

[Audiogal]

BTW, I'm trying to figure out your avatar. Vampire science officer?

Yup, and it will make total sense in due time.

Live long and prosper ��

[dumdum]

Now try it with a decent digital source and be shocked how bad the pioneer sounds, I use a topping d10 with an iPhone XR and tidal, but a fiio M11 will do the same via coax, I was sceptical but tried it and the difference is staggering! Who needs radio anyway!

you have a lovely kit list, and I had my mates dsp ultra in my hands the other day, I have a dsp pro 2 and the differences are tiny as I won’t use the additional functions the dsp ultra, mini and dsp.3 have, the resolution is the same, s/n is slightly better, it may sound slightly different also if the op amps on the outputs have been changed from 1 dollar to 2 dollar items, but I don’t see the need to change just yet 👍🏼

[Audiogal]

Now try it with a decent digital source and be shocked how bad the pioneer sounds, I use a topping d10 with an iPhone XR and tidal, but a fiio M11 will do the same via coax, I was sceptical but tried it and the difference is staggering! Who needs radio anyway!

you have a lovely kit list, and I had my mates dsp ultra in my hands the other day, I have a dsp pro 2 and the differences are tiny as I won’t use the additional functions the dsp ultra, mini and dsp.3 have, the resolution is the same, s/n is slightly better, it may sound slightly different also if the op amps on the outputs have been changed from 1 dollar to 2 dollar items, but I don’t see the need to change just yet 

Lol, it is like you read my mind about the first part, thank you for the comment. My dislike for the pioneer grows daily as I somewhat eluded to earlier. I want to try a better source however I am torn. I have a iPhone XS Max with a lot of storage. So I am not sure about another device such as a Fiio. I want to wait for the Audiostage to land and stream to the DSP that way as opposed to investing in a BT card. If there was a cheap / cost effective Lightning to toslink convertor I would try that out to the DSP. But I totally agree with you on the pioneer deck and inputing directly to the dsp. One reason I got the ultra was for that purpose.

As far as the Ultra goes everybody has to make their own value assessment and upgrading is not always required for sure just to have the latest especially at the cost of the top of the line units these days. For me I did not have a external DSP I like or wanted to use. I have had an integrated unit with the Helix V8 so to change out the amp I wanted to go separate DSP as well.

The Ultra has the more channels which I will need to expand the system from the .3 model. I wanted the ACO processor for the audiostage upgrade path. The virtual channel mapping is cool and allows for some pretty awesome EQ possibilities and mixing possibilities. Plus newer chipsets and design architectures usually have better jitter performance which affects the time domain info so i wanted to take advantage of this if it was there. So for me I was willing to make the choice.

Again thanks for you feedback!!

[Audiogal]

Well, I took the nudge and went out and picked up a Lightening to HDMI converter. Then a small HMDI to Toslink converter and connected it to my DSP. I went in and configured the DSP digital inputs. Wow what a nice difference in SQ and the enjoyment of choosing and playing music from my phone directly without apple car play and the Pioneer in the middle of all. I have the digital input as priority so it turns on when my phone (Tidal) is playing. When I stop it the radio comes on automatically. Very nice and way way better than using the head unit!!!

[blockrocker]

What HDMI/Toslink converter did you go with? Did you find it locally?
Dumdum has been suggesting a similar upgrade for myself, it's nice to see some more positive feedback.

[Audiogal]

What HDMI/Toslink converter did you go with? Did you find it locally?
Dumdum has been suggesting a similar upgrade for myself, it's nice to see some more positive feedback.

it

Ya, I picked up the Lightening to HDMI at Staples, avoiding the apple store chaos. Then I went to Memory Express and picked up the HDMI to Toslink adapter and 12 Ft of Toslink cable. Maybe not the cleanest solution however it works great.

I am so glad to punt the head unit for Tidal music playing. The Apple car play integration is horrible, imho

[blockrocker]

I always forget about memory express, good tip. I'm glad the setup is working out, thanks for sharing.

[dumdum]

it

Ya, I picked up the Lightening to HDMI at Staples, avoiding the apple store chaos. Then I went to Memory Express and picked up the HDMI to Toslink adapter and 12 Ft of Toslink cable. Maybe not the cleanest solution however it works great.

I am so glad to punt the head unit for Tidal music playing. The Apple car play integration is horrible, imho

I’ll be honest and say I didn’t mind my old pioneer sph-230dab car play with tidal... if you didn’t like that don’t ever get an android phone! I tried a Samsung galaxy s9 for a weekend before I sent it back

ah you went the HDMI adaptor route, I had considered that... and charge the phone via contactless charging

ive got a few lengths of lightening extension leads for a dock so I don’t wear out the cable or have to glue the lightening into my dock

it is night and day difference in the detail in My system!

also if you select Bluetooth on the stereo you can select an album on the phone no use the stereo for forward and back on tracks

[BigAl205]

also if you select Bluetooth on the stereo you can select an album on the phone no use the stereo for forward and back on tracks

That was a pleasant surprise for me as well. I've got the lightning to USB setup and can hook up via USB HEC. Still being able to change tracks with my steering wheel rocks.

[dumdum]

That was a pleasant surprise for me as well. I've got the lightning to USB setup and can hook up via USB HEC. Still being able to change tracks with my steering wheel rocks.

I suspect the usb hec doesn’t measure so well compared to the topping, I am actually trying to find someone in the U.K. who can measure the usb hec performance, all things digital are not created equal, and I know lots of people who have tried the usb hec and found other methods way cleaner from the same digital files

if I find some I shall report back