Using Cascade for Surround L/R

Other Audio Components
1

I’m in the process of replacing my current AVP with a Trinnov Altitude. I’ve got a question about how the TOSLINK works with the Cascade.

Specifically, if I use the TOSLINK input on the Cascade, will the Cascade process the L and R channels from the TOSLINK surround signal?

Some details:

It maybe that no one has the answer to this, but I’m just looking to pick up as much info as I can before I start configuring. I am having a Trinnov specialist come in to do the configuring, but me, being me, I want to know as much as I can before the config is done.

I am going to use my stereo speakers as the L and R speakers of the surround system. A straightforward way to do this is to just connect the L and R analog outputs of the Altitude to the L and R inputs of the Cascade, which means the Trinnov DAC will do the decoding.

However, the specialist has told me that I can use and external DAC instead of the one built into the Altitude by using the SPDIF/TOSALINK output of the Altitude.

I don’t understand if/how surround is sent over TOSLINK. Will the Cascade pick out the L and R channels from the TOSLINK input, if, in fact, full surround is being sent over TOSLINK?

BTW, I am using TOSLINK instead of AES/EBU because I want as much isolation as possible between the Alititude surround processor and the Cascade.

Thanks in advance for any info you can give me.

Dan

2

I enjoy TOSLink connection from my TV to the MSB Premier DAC. I use the TV to be my HDMI input chooser. This works great, IMO. I do use video mode to get lip sync. I have not told the TV to only output stereo.

I have done no actual scientific analysis though to confirm that the MSB optical input actually strips out only the R/L channels from a multi channel input signal. Nor whether this would be synchronized with other channels going through other decoders.

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3

Thanks for the info!

Dan

4

@Dan my reply has nothing to do with your question but it’s observation on my setup. My wife likes Spotify so I run a small Bluesound Node via Toslink into the Cascade for her, it works well but there is 1 annoying aspect, the volume is not matched to the Renderer at all.

As the volume is not tied to the input it means we have to crank it up, which isn’t an issue but if you forget to turn it down and then start Roon there is a very loud moment here and there!

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5

As I use a separate pre-amp, I don’t have the over volume issue. I have the DAC fixed at 99, feeding into the pre-amp.

Would there be any way of setting default starting levels for each input? Label each input, and assign a starting volume level?