You can use a stereo 3.5mm to 2xRCA too but only one side will work. I believe it’s red. There are more high quality ones available then with shielding. Some claim this cable also affect sound quality on 552.
A high quality shielded cable is mandatory for this automation. I tried a cheap $2 cable and found it degraded the sound… once I replaced it with a shielded cable I did not hear a difference. It was not terribly expensive but it took some research to find a custom cable maker.
I’ve got a cable from designacable ‘digital mini-jack to RCA’. It’s much higher quality than the one I had before but I am not sure I can detect a SQ difference!
I found this one.
Will test with cheap one, what it brings to the table.
Still do not know what is the benefit of the system automation
Doing volume via iPad? This would be fine
99p from my local err pound store. They didnt have any audiophile cables, although the assistant did say they could charge me more if that helped.
Cant say it degraded the sound between the ndx2 and 282. But it has certainly made things more convenient.
Yeah, I doubt it will make differences, maybe in some very resolved systems like the one of @Darkebear , who found a decrease and doesn’t use automation.
But it’s easy to compare, volume with the preamp remote vs automation and see if you hear differences.
When I tried it years ago with my then 552 Pre I didn’t like the effect - it made things sound duller and lost a bit of resolution, so I didn’t use it. I tried it at my Dealer with their 552 - the same and they also said it does not give best performance with top-end systems, but people want it so it is offered.
Things may have changed by now if it has been implemented better by perhaps Optical link then it should be no difference.
But if people try it and it is the same - then it is the same for them!