Agreed that the CD players have digital output but that doesn't mean that it's available to the "outside" world. It's all integrated in the HU. Sure, you could tap into it but where would you send it?

Why would you want to disassemble the HU and go through the pain and risk?

You have an HU that receives XM and CD as digital input, sends it through the BB DAC and out to the amps. If you want better sound, you send the analog output from the BB DAC to an eqaulizer and suffer the loss that occurs in the conversion. That signal is sent to after market amps and then to higher quality speakers.

My question remains: Will somebody explain the work required and the expected benefits? What hardware are you going to use? What's the configuration?

I have a high end home system, TOS and digital, but my Onkyo amp does all the work. Tell me what I might see in my G, hardware wise.

 

I really don't know where you are going with this. Do you understand the benefit of having a digital out? If so then it's not hard to understand that with a little effort, you could tap into your HU and have a complete digital signal out, all the way to a DSP or component that has digital inputs i.e Zapco DSP6. The work required is to gain access to your HU internals so that you can solder a TOSLINK. If you are adept at electronics, this is not a difficult endevour. I personally wouldn't do it due to 1. loss of warranty 2. loss of volume control via HU. But thats not the primary question that was presented.

I also have NO idea what your talking about in the last sentence. The amp does it's part of the job...amplification of the signal. If anything, the speakers are what matters as the digital signal is just a bunch of 1's and 0's, although this is hotly debated.

 

Well, a digital signal is one's and zero's. That's an absolute fact.

I'm going to assume that you know how the digital signal turns into the analog signal that speakers need to see. I.e., DAC.

My last sentance means that my CD player and DVD player are fed into the amp and wind up being fed to the speakers. 110 watts per channel. Sounds good to me.

 

Well yes, but your signal is only going through one series of D to A conversions. If you take the signal out of the HU, it goes through a D to A conversion then to a A to D conversion going into a DSP and then to a second D to A conversion. The advantage of a digital out in a car can be two fold 1. complete noise rejection which is not problematic in home audio and 2. one less D/A conversion which will lead to degradation of signal via input of harmonic distortions.

Again, unless you are critically listening to your car audio system, a balanced system is adequate, especially for someone looking to retain OEM HU.

 

with a little effort, you could tap into your HU and have a complete digital signal out, all the way to a DSP or component that has digital inputs t with a little effort, you could tap into your HU and have a complete digital signal out, all the way to a DSP or component that has digital inputs

>>>> Please expound.

 

If you are looking for a step by step, please state and I can direct you to someones sight who has documented the procedure. If your asking what is done in general, I thought I was previously speaking ENGRISH!

 

Relax, man, let's make peace.

We've lost sight of the original discussion and what we're yelling at each other about belongs not only in another thread but in another forum.

From fcarpio:

I want to add a digital signal processor and a digital output would be just plain awesome.

The short answer is that you can't get there from here directly.

Granted it would be awesome but to get there from here would be very risky and require getting into the HU. Not a good idea.

With today's hardware, the signal quality loss won't be an issue in a moving car so consider the Rockford or JBL (if it ever shows up) or one of the others that have DSP capability.

I think you'll find that, in time, the novelty wears off and you'll wind up adjusting the EQ to get the sound you like. Some of the sound profiles(like "cavern") are kind of cute but you won't want to hear them all the time.

I had a terrific DSP system in my Acura and after a while, the only time it got used was when somebody wanted to play with it. LOL!

 

I wasn't arguing in the least. I originally was just stating that if you have a cd player, one CAN make a digital out for only a few dollars. What is most important is that you know what you are doing. I have already stated the main advantages and disadvantages to a full digital signal, so I won't go there.

It seems that you are limiting what DSP's do now a days. Back in the day they were basically various EQ curves that IMHO made the music sound horrible. In current time, DSP's conatin complete 1/3 octave EQ,s parametric EQ's, time alignment, crossovers, etc. As i stated a few times before, the only place one will notice the advantages of a full digital signal from the HU to either an amp that takes digital in or a DSP, is when competing or critically listening with the car off and a PROPERLY set up sound system.

 

Hey Dillyyo, did you get your system done? Have pics? Mine should be done shortly! See my sig!

 

Yeah, I did! Front stage is done and I am running a 12W3 (ver 1) in the trunk. I have no trunk room with 2 Zapco 650.6's and the sub box. I am in the process of dropping in 2 Dyn 190's in an IB set up. The car is going to be pretty sick once I finish the under floor amp and DSP rack! And still have almost my whole trunk, minus the spare! The Dyn setup up front is just plain kick azz. With T/A of course, my stage is wider than the pillers, on my dash and sometimes beyond my windshield. I am very impressed at how well it stages in the stock locations. Dynamics of the system is just down nasty. The 182's in the doors are sick and the dome and tweets are so accurate.

Will be getting final pics soon. IB setup should be installed this week and the amp rack within a week or so after. keep a look out!