Beosound core – Beolab 18 connection

[jamesj]

I’m sure this has been answered (at least in part), so sorry for any potential repetition, but the site is a bit difficult to navigate at the moment.

I have recently bought a pair of Beolab 18’s and a beosound core. I’m using the core, as I also have a Stage and A9 and I prefer the B&O app to Chromecast or Airplay for multiroom.

While I was waiting for the core to be delivered, I tested the speakers by connecting my laptop via headphone to RCA. Sounded great, Though cracked a little on connection.

Source: Apple Music; 24-bit, 48Hz output selected via my MacBook’s ‘Audio Midi setup’.

I now have the core connected via Powerlink (daisy chained); 2.5mm B&O Powerlink cable.

Listening now with Deezer HiFi doesn’t sound quite as good. I know Deezer Hifi is lower quality than Apple Music (16-bit, 1.411 Kbps), though they claim on their site this is CD Quality. Would I be hearing the difference, or is it more likely the cables?

According to the Tech Specs the core supports:

“Standard sample rates up to 192 kHz, stereo and up to 24 bit”

It is not at all clear to me how you would get this to the core, or from the core to the speakers.

So my questions are as follows, for the best quality source at the speakers:

1. Should I upgrade the Powerlink to some expensive Audioquest ethernet cables (a recommendation from the HiFi shop)?
2. Should I use optical? Will the core control the volume if I do?
3. Should I use a Transmitter 1?
4. Is this more likely a Deezer/source issue? If so, any advice on how to get a better quality source to the core, can I keep multiroom if I combine something with the optical in?

Any advice, answers to the questions above, or more logical setup welcome!

Sorry if these are dumb questions, I did quite a bit of googling, but couldn’t find a definitive answer to what happens to the sample rates via the different cable options (except with transmitter 1, though that seems to come with its own problems).

I’m also not 100% on what the DAC in the 18’s is doing.

Under ‘Inputs and outputs’ on the B&O site tech specs it states:

In: Sample rate 32k, 44.1k, 48k, 96k/PCM16-24 bit
Out: Sample rate 48k/PCM 24 bit

Though it looks like that could just be for Toslink/Optical. Does this mean that anything above 24/48 will be downsampled anyway, or have I misunderstood this completely?

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