Audio device shows up twice in Audio Output Selection List

[Cerotres8]

Hello,

I started to test (and get to know) Audirvana yesterday. Hence many questions open, resulting from lots of features/opportunities .

I basically like to find out whether my data transmission chain will be able to

a) ensure the playback of lossless audio files stored on my computer (without “adding” losses due shortcomings with the setup)

and

b) (less important at the moment) stream from a dedicated HighRes Streaming Service as Qobuz or TIDAL in a way, that again my setup does not “destroy” the transmission of the HighRes data to the DAC.

The latter one is the one of my AV Receiver Denon AVR-4520 (that apparently does not support DSD according to the information given in the device settings). The devices (i.e. the AVR as well as my Mac) are LAN wired via DSL router.

Now, in Audirvana, the AVR appears twice in the Audio Output Selection List:

My question at the moment is: Is my assumption correct, that the upper entry (in the “DAC section”) leads to connection via AirPlay and the lower one (“Network section” to direct data transmission via the home network? If so, I feel that the latter one should be preferable? At least more options (as for supported PCM rates) are offered here.

Anyway, the DAC to be used in both cases will probably be the one of the AVR? I find it somewhat misleading that the upper part is labelled “DAC” as it is always about the DAC.

I would be grateful for any clarification.

[Antoine]

@Cerotres8

Is my assumption correct, that the upper entry (in the “DAC section”) leads to connection via AirPlay and the lower one (“Network section” to direct data transmission via the home network? If so, I feel that the latter one should be preferable? At least more options (as for supported PCM rates) are offered here.

The entry in the DAC section is for Airplay connectivity and the other one is for UPnP connection.

[Cerotres8]

Thank you very much for the answer.

However, this immediately leads me to a general question that I had already in mind before my first post here. Where can I find explanations for all that stuff? I suppose that I don’t have to look for all this here in the forum or ask for it? Presumably there is a short description somewhere that e.g. says “Network -> UPnP; DAC -> AirPlay”? At the moment, I still have quite a number of similar questions, especially about the individual options in the settings…

I am very much interested in studying good overview texts for a better understanding of this so far for me quite unexplored world of UPnP, MQA, DSD etc. Perhaps some things will then explain themselves. As a first search did not lead me directly to something suitable, I would therefore also be very grateful for hints on where good overview explanations can be found. The texts in the “Product Features” or “Technology” sections on the Audirvana pages were already a starting point, but are unfortunately not yet comprehensible enough for my level of knowledge.