Which digital input to use? Technics SU-R1000 or Technics SL-G700

@ricevs question, if the Technics reference line all use an ADC, and convert everything to PWM "when dealing with analog signals, a 192kHz/24bit high precision A/D converter is used to ensure high performance." Would this then effectually make external DAC's useless?

The DAC goes digital to analog and the Technics goes analog to digital to analog via the ADC, which seems redundant if using an external DAC.

This correct?

I’m almost certain they use the exact same AKM chipset. It was listed in one of my HiFi magazines at home and am 99% certain that was it.

So I’d say SU-R1000 digital input.

I have the SU-R1000, but I wasn’t super impressed with it’s DAC at first listen. I need to do some more comparisons, but have a really good DAC as is (Zenith Steamer via USB audio to Matrix X SPIDF D2D w/LPS 9v running I2S to my Gustard X26 Pro) and have the Musetec MH-DA005 coming to trial.

Only had the SU-R1000 for a week though now.

What are your thoughts?

I'll be honest I had the SU-G700 and I believe that had a Burr Brown chipset for it's DAC, I really enjoyed the sound. Now I've had the SU-R1000 for a week, with only two listening sessions in and none of them too loud thanks to my pregnant wife. But I know it has a AKM chip, not the Burr Brown, and there absolutely is a difference.

@georgehifi more neutral then the SU-G700, that's for sure, but I also got my new speakers too so my entire system is new. Heads still spinning. Previously had a lot of enjoyable time with my KEF LS50 Meta's and SU-G700, but now have the SU-R1000 and JBL L100 Classic 75's.

All an all when I did listen straight from my streamer (Innuous Zenith) to the SU-R100 I noticed more detail, but I've honesty not given it nearly enough time to even speak about it.

I need to just get my wife out of the house and settle in to my chair and listen.

Side question, so the AKM chip in the r1000 then is just part of Technics own proprietary analog to digital conversion?

@stephencowslipI'm really sorry to hear that, I just got my new turntable that has balanced XLR connections which I intend to be using on the phone MC inputs. I really hope I don't encounter anything like this, but please keep me posted on what comes of your repair.

I honestly feel my time with the g700 had me so enamored with it considering the sound Improvement compared to my previous integrated amplifier, that now the r1000 needs a little time to grow and impress me while I listen to it.

I however committed the grand audiophile / Hi-Fi sin and swapping out every single component in my whole system for all different things within a matter of a month, so I'm completely at a loss as far as what I don't like, do like, and what is responsible for what I'm hearing.

@georgehifi I always find your posts very helpful and informative regardless of whatever misspeak takes place. So thank you for your post, thank you also for clarifying everything @ricevs the knowledge level of so many people on these forums really does impress me.

SU-R1000 (Integrated) and the Technics SL-G700 (CD Transport).

So yeah I would agree coax out to the SU-R1000.

Avoid the other steps.

This is kinda of opposite of the basic "keep it simple" conventions, but when I had my SU-G700 (which did it's own internal digital to analogue magic) I actually preferred the sound of running my Innuos Zenith USB to my Gustard X26 pro, then balanced analogue XLR outs to my SU-G700, which did a analogue to digital conversions yet again.

It had a noticeable sound signature change which was even more detailed, wide and deep regarding the overall sound field, but gave a slight hint of veiled reverb on vocals, more noticeable with long listening sessions and less natural sounding. This made some noticeably good, yet sometimes unaturally forward changes with what sounds you were hearing as being more forthright in recordings versus others that became more distant. It definitely made me hear familiar songs with a very new presentation which was very entertaining.

It was such a change that it caused me to actually have to switch filters on my X26 Pro, which I had never done previously before that. So I do feel that there is some nuance to the analog to digital conversion within these integrated amplifiers by Technics that could very well translate into actual sonic signature changes that you can perceive.

So experimenting to your liking is obviously something that is totally worth doing too. You might surprise yourself and find out that you prefer the balance outputs into your R1000 versus the direct digital feed as I did while using the G700.

I do listen to a lot of highly layered, and maybe more digital music and feel that this does give me a little bit more of an interesting listen to the bulk of the music I enjoy. However acoustic, orchestral, and more minimalist music too took on a more interesting sound field that was altered from what i typical heard, but I do feel that maybe some sound purists may take issue with some sonic alterations of these switchbacks from analog, to digital, to analog have.