Is DEQX a game changer?

Strange, it’s possible that there is a fault with the Full Digital Output on the PreMate (I use it on my HDP-5, linking to a slave HDP-3 & have never had any issue).

On the Dave using the setup function, have you selected PCM rather than DSD (PCM is correct)? Also make sure it is not switched to DAC mode which disables volume control.

You could check that this DAC is working by connecting your server directly to its USB input, then connect one of its digital outputs to one of the appropriate digital inputs on the PreMate. The PreMate will then feed to amps & subs via analogue outputs. With this setup & the PreMate configured as "single amp with stereo subwoofers", everything should play & it will confirm that the Dave is working (but not necessarily its digital input).

As a final thought, I hope there isn’t some sort of conflict between the digital clocks in both units.

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

Actually, you should have no issues if you use the PreMate to drive everything (once the mods are done).

A delay on low frequencies via the Chord DAC will not be an issue - just measure the subs at the listening position separately to the other channels & then delay mid/high by comparing impulse responses & subtracting the slowest (subs) from the fastest (others). 

I used to have a Chord DAC64 which was very nice but sold it on a few years ago. Other than that I've not used their products (don't use the inbuilt DAC's on either of my DEQX processors either)

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. 

After you add the mscaler/Dave, then measure the speakers & subs and use these impulse responses to set delay. DEQX will measure what it hears from the speakers, irrespective of what is in between it/them.

Because I don't have details of your specific speaker wiring your previous posts infer that there are two sets of cables to each speaker - one for mid/high and another for the 'subs' (ie woofers - your post says ...."in my case I will need "single amp with stereo subwoofer" as I have two subs - they're built into my speakers")

If you set P1 with the subs disabled, then bass frequencies may not be present as the cabling feeding the subs will not have a signal. It all depends on the frequency range of your speakers without the 'subs'.