Is DEQX a game changer?

Hi guys
I am missing something here that fluffier just mentioned about connecting his external dac 

OK I have a deqx premate 
I have just bought a chord dac

As per the manual I have connected the bnc cable on the deqx to the bnc input on the Dave. I left my subs connected to the deqx and connected my xlr cords to the Dave to my amps. No sound. 

The Dave doesn't say it's receiving any signal input. Is there a setting in my deqx I need to enable to allow the digital output to play? I have connected my server via usb to the Dave input. It used go work find when I had the Deqx connected to my amps. Now with tje Dave connected via bnc to the digital output and with the amps connected to the Dave dac I get no sound now. I only get minor bass frequency sound as I have kept my subs connected to the deqx. I am ck fjsed as to what I am doing wrong and if there is a setting in the deqx to allow the digital output to play? 

Hi Drew an thanks for your response. 

To confirm I have the server connected to the deqx via usb input. Then I have the Dave connected to the only bnc digital output from the deqx premate. 

I can confirm the analog digital icon is checked. I can't find the section where it allows me to set "single amp with mono subwoofer" in my case I will need "single amp with stereo subwoofer" as I have two subs (they re built into my speakers)

Can you tell me where that option is so I can check? I have checked the Dave input and it is on the correct bnc input. Whatever I choose with Dave it says "no data" or something like that which tell me the deqx is holding something back.

I just hope that the Dave as a dac is compatible with the deqx as I wanted to get the mscaler as well. The deqx has been one of thole biggest uplift ls in my system and I don't think I can live without the room correction side even with Dave. 

Please excuse previous spelling errors.

I am looking at the manual where it discusses using two subs in the analog domain on page 23 and connecting an external dac on page 24. Since I was using two subwoofers already and running the amps from my deqx via analog xlr connections, I am fairly sure(without checking as I am out) that Alan would have set it up already as "single amp with stereo subwoofers" as thats what the manual says to do, so I am baffled as to why it’s not working.

Could it be an input issue on the Dave? It’s brand new and could be fault. It is saying that it isn’t receiving any input on any bnc signal even when I am playing music.

I confirm that when I select the usb on the deqx (as I have connected my server to the usb input) I can hear the corrected low bass sub frequencies in the song in the analog domain (since I am still running my subwoofers from the deqx sub analog out into my speakers.) I just can’t hear the digital out mid and high frequencies, since the Dave is connected via the deqx digital output (full l2/r2) into the Dave’s bnc input 1. (I did try bnc 3 as well) I can confirm I have tried changed the inputs on the Dave and it still wasn’t working.

Further to this I did try changing in the I/O the Analog/digital to digital only. As expected I lost the low frequencies as the subs are connected via analog, but still no sound to the dac. I’m baffled.

Thanks Drewan
I think I have found the problem. Basically I bought an express hd 2 originally and over time took it back to deqx to get them to upgrade to the premate board as I wanted xlr for my new bel canto amps I bought.

I rang deqx and he told me there was a chance they didn't add the digital outputs even though my back unit has digital output. So basically the signal was going nowjere so it looks like a physical hardware issue. 

Pretty funny when you think about it. So I will be looking to upgrade to the premate at least.

On another note as a fellow deqx user I was wondering something. At the moment I am running goldenear triton 1s which have an active subwoofer built in. Alan set it up so my subwoofers are seperate from the mods and highs and I send my sub channel out via the sub out channels.

I am concerned that adding the Dave dac will give me delay from the mids and highs to the lows. I assume we can set the deqx up to not include any subwoofer channel so my speakers naturally send lfe to the subswithout with rca input. I am worried when I upgrade to the chord mscaler that I will get timing delays. Not sure if you know much aBout chord products

Good to hear. Do you think it will work if I add an mscaler before the Dave as well? This device specifically has a video option because the signal is delayed up to about 1.4 seconds due to the processing power when listening to music. I don't want to use the video option with the deqx for music listening, as it doesn't upscale as much.

People who are familiar with the Dave but unfamiliar with the deqx are telling me to get rid of the deqx and go straight to mscaler and Dave. However they don't understand how much the deqx helps with timing and room correction so that isn't an option for me. I like the deqx tech that much and there is nothing really put there that can compare to it at the same level. So I need to figure it out and hoping the deqx can be flexible enough  to do this.

Another option I guess I could remove the subs for my p1 profile? Do you know, if for example, I can set the p1 profile for no subs, so the deqx takes the full range of the speakers for music, so the digital signal has the bass frequencies? Then on p3 I have a sub present for the low lfe frequencies for movie watching? This is what I do at the moment p1 for music and p3 for movies.

I am hoping the deqx can be set up this way as well without adding another configuration and having to switch between them in the application. 

Yes you are correct. I have my speaker cables connected and they Are doing the highs and mids. I have an rca connected to my subs taking care of the low frequencies. Deqx set it up with the rca doing sub duties but I can have full range through just a speaker cable. 

My speakers are designed to go full range without an rca connection. They included an rca for home theatre and movies and having more options for Setup.

 I am hoping the deqx can run p1 with no subs full range and then when I switch to p3 for movies it will include the subs for the bass section and the speaker cables for mids and highs,without having two sets of deqx configurations. 

What speakers and dacs are you running with your hdp5 and hdp3? Sounds like an active Setup to me. 

Yes you are correct. I have my speaker cables connected and they Are doing the highs and mids. I have an rca connected to my subs taking care of the low frequencies. Deqx set it up with the rca doing sub duties but I can have full range through just a speaker cable. 

My speakers are designed to go full range without an rca connection. They included an rca for home theatre and movies and having more options for Setup.

 I am hoping the deqx can run p1 with no subs full range and then when I switch to p3 for movies it will include the subs for the bass section and the speaker cables for mids and highs,without having two sets of deqx configurations. 

What speakers and dacs are you running with your hdp5 and hdp3? Sounds like an active Setup to me. 

Yes you're right they weren't calibrated as full range. It was only done for the mids and highs, and If I disconnect the subs I wont get any bass frequencies. Can the deqx be configured with full range for P1 (once we do this) and then for P3 using the subs as I am now on the fly? I assume that should be easy right? Or do we have to change Deqx profiles?

Nice setup btw. Wow, that bass must be out of this world.. I am thinking of getting the HDP5 to future proof myself in case I go active, instead of the premate. Plus the screen looks pretty cool 

So I got the hdp5 and installed the Dave. Sounds pretty good. I tested the Dave without the deqx in the chain and lteffered the deqx on its own. With the deqx and Dave it sounds very transparent. I'll need a bit more time with it together. It really showed me again how good the deqx is.

I still have the subs running seperately from the deqx. Do you think it will sound better as full range into the Dave? Alan from deqx seems to think I would get worse results going full rangez even though my speakers are designed to go full range without the subwoofer rca plugged in.

On a side note can the deqx delay the subs by a full 1.5seconds? I need to know because the mscaler delays music by about 1.5seconds and need to know if the deqx can do that if I keep my subwoofers in the chain? 

Hi Drewan
I have the hdp5 now and have tried the chord Dave. I have to say it has made me like the deqx even more.

I tried the Dave on its own and the deqx sounded better due to the room treatment. I have tried the Dave as a dac after the deqx and feel it is ok. Maybe slightly wider soundstage maybe I can hear more in the music. However in some way it sounds more smeared if that makes sense. The deqx on its own without the Dave still holds its own and it may be my preference, considering the price difference 

Do you think I need to recalibrate the deqx with the Dave to make it sound better? Is that what you did when you added dacs? 

Hi Drewan
I was talking to you recently about the chord dave with the deqx. I have just read some of your older comments and can see you are using a dac before the deqx via its analog input and I had some questions. 

1. I was using the Dave after the deqx via the digital output, and wasn't overly impressed with it in that configuration. Do you think if I placed the Dave before the deqx via its analog inputs that it would yield better results than running it digitally out after the deqx? I felt the Dave sounded slightly different to the deqx on its own but not much better compared to the deqx. I have heard the Dave is supposed to be an amazing dac so I was confused with that. 

2. The reason I was looking at the Dave was to get the chord mscaler which upsamples the file from say a 24/96 file to a 786k file which apparantly does wonders to the sound. Do you think if I placed a Dave and mscaler before the deqx via the analog inpit that the deqxs analog to digital Converter would ruin that up sampling? Or does the analog Converter maintain the nicer signal that is put into it? I heard you were running vinyl and dacs via the analog input and you were very happy. Not sure if you are still doing that.

Do you think based on what I done, the Dave would have sounded better before the deqx instead of after? I would check myself but have sent the Dave back interstate but I may be able to get it back..