USB converter

[greenhorn]

Hi. Am very new to all this. Bought a micro vortex box appliance this spring, and have minim server on it. Am using Bubble upnp and my android as control point. The renderer is what's odd: its an NAD D 7050 digital amplifier. With a good bit of help, I have got it all working together well. It's a pleasure to instantly be able to choose any of my music for listening. Infinitely better than physically moving cd's around. Better late than never.

I've bought a few HD downloads, you know, just to see. This is where everything stops working. My system as configured works for 16/44hz. The micro vortex box supports 24/192hz but (mine) only through its USB output. I have purchased a 'bridge' by SOtM which converts the USB into SPDF for the NAD D7050. The amplifier is supposed to be able to process 24/192hz through that digital input (coax PCM.) As yet I have had no success playing the HD files.

Only caveat is that (somehow) when I select my networked bluray player, an Oppo 103, as the renderer from within the Bubble upnp - I can listen to the music by directing the digital audio out from the Oppo to another input on the Nad. But it seems very unlikely that I'm hearing 24/192hz audio. I suspect the Oppo has some way of converting the signal to a workable resolution. The micro vortex box, the Oppo, and the NAD are all networked with ethernet, and the signal is getting from the storage to the renderer that way. In this situation, the Oppo does move its digital out to the NAD via digital optical.

So I'm reaching out for help. The SOtM device comes with a USB driver disc, but I don't understand where that program would reside in my system. It seems as though its intended to enable a computer to transport files over USB to the device. But my computer - I guess - is the micro vortex box. If anyone sees what it is I've misunderstood, or have failed to do, please take a few moments and steer me in the right direction. What would be my ideal would be to route every selection through the USB to SPDF converter, because then I don't need to configure the system differently to play back different resolutions. I think the SOtM automatically detects what is coming. On the other hand, that would result in a great deal of unnecessary processing for my 16/44hz files - the vast majority of my collection. Guess I really just need to be able to understand why the HD files won't play . Thanks for any help at all.

[audio_elf]

Your Oppo can play 24/192 from minimserver, and output that to the NAD.

[greenhorn]

Thanks for your reply.

Maybe that's what happens when I can hear the HD tracks after having chosen the Oppo as renderer. What doesn't make sense to me is that the NAD D 7050 is supposed to be able to receive the 24/192 hz PCM only through that one specified digital input. The amplifier has not a single analog input.

When I want to hear HD track at present, I select Oppo as renderer. Upnp and or DLNA function to get the music off the minimserver and to the Oppo. The amp is listening for a DLNA source signal, and I have to switch it to the digital optical input that comes out of the Oppo. I guess I'm just stuck on why this seems to work, when the instructions for the amplifier as I understand them suggest the coaxial digital input.

"Important Note: The digital audio input is 24/192 capable and can accept PCM signal only. Ensure that the digital audio output of your source is set to PCM before connecting to the digital audio input of the D 7050."

Is optical digital audio a PCM source? I thought not, but that would explain this.