Very interesting product. Would be interesting to hear how it performs in comparison to the Sonore OpticalModule+OpticalRendu combination.

That might be an interesting test.  

If I understand correctly the Sonore OpticalRendu and OpticalModule are Ethernet based.  The OpticalRendu has optical Ethernet input (via the SFP) and USB-Audio output, and the OpticalModule uses the SFP fiber optic transceiver for Ethernet input/output with the RJ45 connector also as input/output.

The Adnaco is USB based, running the USB signal via the optical cable.  

So the similarity between them, is they booth run the signal vial SFP optical modules, and the difference is the Adnaco is USB based while the Sonore is Ethernet based.   

Is this correct?

As I noted above the ADNACO is a PCIe bus extender. One of the applications is PCIe->USB.  They also have other applications.

 We are using the ADNACO  to get the computing noise away from the USB ports and using good DC power at the endpoints to not re-introduce noise.  You can use the extended USB port for DAC, or USB Ethernet, or keyboard and mouse if you want!..  

The selection of the SFP+ (10 Gbits) transceivers and Fiber Optic cable is another set of variables in building these systems.  There have been a few threads on the forum discussing ADNACO.  

The Sonore systemOptique  is a particular selection of optical cables and SFP transceivers that are Optical Ethernet IP devices. They have multiple devices that use their optical ethernet.  There has been extensive discussion on the forum around optical networks and Ethernet in general.

Here is my blog post on SFP devices

Had a look at the Adnaco products.  The USB remote uses the ten year old NEC USB3 controller, the same as the original J Cat card.  Adnaco's site doesn't say how this controller is clocked.  The upsides are isolation by optical cable and  powering the remote with a 5V supply of choice.  A better option may be to use the Adnaco RT4 PCIE card and populate it with a H1A optical card and a more recent USB card.  The H1A will require 3.3V, the USB card, 3.3, 5V and possibly 12V.  The J Cat and Pink Faun cards are a simpler but more expensive solution.

Martin.

Thanks for the information. I do not find the card installed in the computer a simpler solution, it is different.  Also the computer has to be next to the DAC, etc.  You still need an extra LPS rail for the card in the server.  

My server is in the basement with three remotes in use: one for network, one for headphone system and one for the living room.  
In my example the Hugo 2 endpoint and an ADNACO are powered by an Allo Shanti dual 5V supply.

All things are tradeoffs.  In my mind you cannot tell what sounds better unless you test them yourself!

Thanks for this very interesting post. Could be really interested to put in front of JCAT or PF boards as mentioned earlier

9 hours ago, Patatorz said:

Thanks for this very interesting post. Could be really interested to put in front of JCAT or PF boards as mentioned earlier

While that is interesting, it is a different endpoint board than what I am talking about.  You need the PCIE bus board from ADNACO.  I am using the USB output  device.

This is interesting. I’d love to know how the computer sees this. Can one use a USB DAC’s Windows driver somehow or does this device have a virtual USB driver etc...

It is actually really simple;  The Fiber connection extends the PCIE bus out to the remote end.  The remote end is a PCIE USB board where the interface is the FMC vs the PCIE connector.    The FMCS are SFP+ 10Gbps  devices.

The computer sees the DAC directly.  Works fine with Linux and Windows.  

Their base kit has all you need to test.  A PCIE board for the computer, and the PCIE to USB card for the other end.  A ton of research has gone into FMC,s for this and fiber. @lmitche has been working this for quite a while.  I did some very basic testing!

My server is in the basement.  There is one ADNACO 4 port card in the server.  One endpoint goes to Ethernet, one to the main stereo and a third is going to my headphone system.  i will be adding a USB 18TB HD to the network end for PGGB storage on the server shortly.  

You still need good power supplies at the endpoint.  I have been testing some modest ones.  One of my favorites right now is the Allo Shanti using the 3Amp lead.  

I really think this needs a lot more study time! 

23 hours ago, bobfa said:

While that is interesting, it is a different endpoint board than what I am talking about.  You need the PCIE bus board from ADNACO.  I am using the USB output  device.

This is what I understand : pcie with fiber to a usb output.

Bob, Larry or other Adnaco users, do you know if their USB driver supports 32fs dacs (like Holo May or Denafrips varieties)?

On 4/24/2021 at 10:37 AM, ted_b said:

Bob, Larry or other Adnaco users, do you know if their USB driver supports 32fs dacs (like Holo May or Denafrips varieties)?

Ted, the existing USB drivers in Windows and Linux find the USB chipset and just work. I have never installed a driver with the Adnaco. This is the benefit of an using an "established" USB controller.

Adnaco has fiber connected motherboards with only PCIE slots at the end of the fiber, so one could plug in any USB or network card as preferred. These motherboards take independent power.

On 4/24/2021 at 10:37 AM, ted_b said:

Bob, Larry or other Adnaco users, do you know if their USB driver supports 32fs dacs (like Holo May or Denafrips varieties)?

Ted, my prior post didn't address your question directly.

I understand the May DAC handles 32fs with firmware 3012 fed by Intel USB controllers. The May won't play cleanly with the NEC chip in the Adnaco, which works best with firmware 3014. As the Adnaco can handle a 5gbps storage and network connection, I am not sure where the bottleneck lies. Culprits are the USB audio drivers or the May firmware. I suspect the latter but don't know for sure.

I have no experience with Denafrips DACs and the Adnaco as 32fs, but I do have a way to easily give it a try if people are interested.

In any case, adding a NUC endpoint as NAA is an easy solution to this issue.

On 4/27/2021 at 8:58 AM, lmitche said:

Ted, my prior post didn't address your question directly.

 

I understand the May DAC handles 32fs with firmware 3012 fed by Intel USB controllers. The May won't play cleanly with the NEC chip in the Adnaco, which works best with firmware 3014. As the Adnaco can handle a 5gbps storage and network connection, I am not sure where the bottleneck lies. Culprits are the USB audio drivers or the May firmware. I suspect the latter but don't know for sure.

 

I have no experience with Denafrips DACs and the Adnaco as 32fs, but I do have a way to easily give it a try if people are interested.

 

In any case, adding a NUC endpoint as NAA is an easy solution to this issue.

Follow-up - the Denafrips Venus II will play music up-sampled by Hqplayerd to 32fs via the Adnaco USB .

And many thanks to @oilpaintfor allowing to conduct this test on this system.

Has anyone put together a "case + LPS" package together to fit the Adnaco-R1BP1A?  This would be the remote end point "case" that would take the place of using R1USB endpoint which would enable use a JCAT type of usb card

Not the same as above but looks like @AfterDark. has a modified 2 box solution, not sure what the usb specs are (e.g. jcat)

https://www.adark.co/products/afterdark-nocturnes-usb-conditioning-over-fiber-optics-x-giesemann-10m-master-clock-edition?variant=39297542062198

On 6/4/2021 at 10:51 AM, Foggie said:

Not the same as above but looks like @AfterDark. has a modified 2 box solution, not sure what the usb specs are (e.g. jcat)

https://www.adark.co/products/afterdark-nocturnes-usb-conditioning-over-fiber-optics-x-giesemann-10m-master-clock-edition?variant=39297542062198

From the description, it is tough to figure out what this box does. I guess someone has to buy one to learn what it does.

49 minutes ago, lmitche said:

From the description, it is tough to figure out what this box does. I guess someone has to buy one to learn what it does.

Right.  A lot of positive reports on the stock Adnaco stuff, but if one were able to use an XE or sotm type of USB pci cards in a Adnaco R1BP1A, that would be interesting. 

28 minutes ago, Foggie said:

Right.  A lot of positive reports on the stock Adnaco stuff, but if one were able to use an XE or sotm type of USB pci cards in a Adnaco R1BP1A, that would be interesting. 

Interesting sure, better - who knows, but your comment is about the Adnaco solution.

What does that have to do with the AfterDark two box thingie?

22 hours ago, lmitche said:

What does that have to do with the AfterDark two box thingie?

Nothing other than the description mentions adanco and was wondering if this was some modified version of it etc..