Stello U3 review. Personal thoughts.

[Raym87]

Stello U3 review.

 

System : Shown below.

 

A note on the DAC. The 300D upsamples S/PDIF inputs to 352.8Khz so all software upsampling is turned off. The USB input is restricted to 48Khz and doesn't sound nearly as good as the S/PDIF inputs. Moon, in their blurb say they only add it for convenience and recommend that for highest quality to use the S/PDIF inputs. They're right.

The Cardas USB and WBT Supra cables are new. Would another cable sound better/different, I don't know. Cable burn in, I'm not sure. I certainly know cables can sound different but burn in isn't something I can say does or doesn't happen. Does the U3 require burn in time? Again, not sure.

 

I have been using Toslink for about a year, since I got the Mac and have compared it to a Windows PC (W7) running JRiver (WASAPI ES) through 75 Ohm COAX out of an ASUS Xonar card. Switching between the 2, I really couldn't tell the difference. Having read innumerable forum posts about Toslink being vastly inferior I could only come to the conclusion that either the forum posters hadn't a clue or the DAC's internal jitter circuit was working and from what I was hearing, working very well. Maybe a combination of both. Moon make a big deal about their jitter reduction circuit and it may be worth you while reading what they have to say. Link supplied.

 

Playback software is another strange topic. I found it easy to tell the difference between different playback software on the W7 PC but on the MAC I tried all sorts and they all either sounded pretty much the same or were a such pig to operate that I didn't bother. All except for BitPerfect which made a subtle but worthwhile difference. As it only cost £2.99, integrated with iTunes and allows playback from memory then there's nothing to lose. I'd recommend it to anyone. Link supplied.

 

To business:

I have always thought there was more 'sound' in the system than I was getting. Lows/mids were never a problem but I suppose with advancing years, tons of soft furnishings (to keep madam happy), the highs just seemed a little flat, grey around the edges. Overall sound seems a little too laid back. A recent Cardas rewire of my Sennheiser HD650 phones pretty much confirmed that point.

 

So, how was I going to get it out. A change of any components listed above was out of the question. It's taken me a lifetime (nearly, as I'm not quite dead yet) to get to this stage and I wasn't going to change what I had. No, this was going to have to be a tweak and a modest one at that.

 

I could have bought a Weiss INT202 Firewire interface, too expensive or any one of the plethora USB interfaces appearing on the market.

At this point I couldn't decide if any tweak would indeed yield better results as in the end I would still be feeding my DAC an S/PDIF signal whichever converter I plugged in. After all, it's only 0's and 1's, right?

However, I was convinced, well almost, that I was missing out on 'something' so decided to break the piggy bank and pull the trigger on a USB converter. If it didn't do it's job downstairs I could always use it in my spare room setup.

 

So why did I choose the Stello U3. Don't buy anything you haven't heard is the oft toted advice. That really helps when you live in a hifi technological backwater. We don't have a single hifi shop where I live now and because of mobility issues I'm not in the position of being able to travel far. The short answer is that it appeared, from what I had read, to do everything I needed. It offered a good degree of future proofing, I didn't need 3 or 4 different O/P formats, I preferred an option that didn't rely on software to make it work and the absence of a power supply was a bonus as there's always the option of 'well if you upgrade the PSU you will get XY and Z' No thanks, too much like hard work and at the moment, more ££ than I was prepared to spend. Galvanic isolation of the U3 should help here. I don't have a problem with USB powered kit, as long as you have a decent cable all should be well. OK, so I got 2 outputs, one of which I am unlikely to use but, hey, life's a compromise.

Could have gone for the new MF V-Link 192, that seems to tick all the boxes, but, amongst other things like circuit design considerations, I preferred the way the U3 had it's sockets arranged, both on the same side so it's easier to fit around existing gear. All things considered the U3 was the one to go for.

 

So how does it work/sound. It works great, just plug it in, power up the Mac and select it as output from the Mac, job done.

How does it sound? Not so easy to answer. Does it have it's own sonic signature.....you tell me. I have sat here for hours trying to think of how or if it imparts anything of itself to the final output sound and I can't come up with anything. But one thing it does do, it somehow manages to make the S/PDIF from the 2 previous sources seem like they are, frankly, not up to par.

 

How do I describe how my system sounds now, here's my best shot.

It is heaps better than Toslink from the Mac or Coax from Windows. At least on par with a major source component upgrade I would say, although I'm unable to validate that. Lets just say if I spent £1.5K+ on a cd spinner and got this much of an improvement I would be satisfied. In simple terms, everything is clearer and there's more of it.

Lows are extended and tight, mids full/rich (not bloated) and highs are refreshingly detailed and extended. Being able to tell where a cymbal has been hit, on the bell or bow, is amazing especially with other instruments plugging their own space. A decent whack on a bass drum gives a palpable punch in the chest, even at normal volumes.

Female vocals, a traditional test, are stunning.

Now able to clearly hear the woody tone of a well miked and played double bass. The tone of other instruments is no less detailed, particularly Sax's. The sound of a reed vibrating against a mouthpiece...I can now hear if the reed is dry or wet with spit, if it's being choked or allowed to vibrate freely. The list goes on and of course this is all dependant on the quality of the recording.

Soundstage has improved greatly. Left and right has always been good but now I'm getting a greater sense of front to back like I have never had.

Does it have it's own inherent sound though, I don't think so. Maybe someone with better ears than me would be able to tell you otherwise but I didn't buy the U3 for someone else. Its Mine! To quote the Seagulls in 'Finding Nemo', 'Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!

It does me very nicely, thank you. OK, so with cables it has cost me best part of £500 quid and then some. Was it worth it. When you consider the amount of use it will get and the pleasure I'll get from listening then, yes, damn right it was worth it. Is burn in a real phenomenon, if it is, I have something to look forward to although my ageing ears probably won't hear it.

It also raises the question, how much more is there just waiting to be set free.............that's another story.................which may or may not have a happy ending.

 

http://www.simaudio.com/moon300D.htm

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bitperfect/id455545700?ls=1&mt=12

 

 

[Copenhagen by Night]

Thanks for a great review.

 

I can only concur. I couldn't be happier with my Stello U3, which most certainly improved the sound quality in my system. Unfortunately i didn't have the chance to compare the performance of my Stello U3 with competing products like the Audiophilleo2 and alike, but i am nonetheless impressed with the increase in sound quality at the relatively low price of the Stello U3.

 

I use my Stello U3 as transport between my Mac Mini 2011 and Beolab 5 speakers.

 

 

 

[Musiq]

Thank you for the very interesting review,

 

I have had a very long test session with Stello U3 box and published a short article there :

http://musiq-audiophile.blogspot.com/2012/04/stello-u3-english-version.html

[Music Matters]

@Musiq

 

Do you have plans, to publish English version of your book PCAudiophile?

[tubegem]

Thanks for a wonderful review. I'm a recent retiree and trying to simplify my audio life. In your equipment summary, you show Pure Music and Bit Perfect. Can you please clarify if both were used with the Stello and any major differences with them on or off? I already use Bit Perfect and totally agree with your assessment.

[Raym87]

Wow, This thread resurrected from the deepest darkest depths of the 'computeraudiofile.com' hard drives.

Tubegem.....

I will have to say that with the U3, I find that Pure Music sounds better to me. While Bitperfect is really very good I just prefer PM. I find that Bitperfect sounds just a little thin and PM has a little more meat on its bones. Does that make sense?

I don't use iTunes on its own, both of these players make a significant ( better) difference.

 

Do you have a U3 or are you 'still in the looking around at whats available' stage.

[SteveS1]

Wow, This thread resurrected from the deepest darkest depths of the 'computeraudiofile.com' hard drives.

Tubegem.....

I will have to say that with the U3, I find that Pure Music sounds better to me. While Bitperfect is really very good I just prefer PM. I find that Bitperfect sounds just a little thin and PM has a little more meat on its bones. Does that make sense?

I don't use iTunes on its own, both of these players make a significant ( better) difference.

 

Do you have a U3 or are you 'still in the looking around at whats available' stage.

 

Interesting. I prefer the beta AV+ in direct mode to both of those although I would agree that PM sounds preferable between those two. I have recently got a U3 and like it a lot. It's my preferred feed to the Weiss via Spdif over the internal FireWire option.

[tubegem]

Wow, This thread resurrected from the deepest darkest depths of the 'computeraudiofile.com' hard drives.

Tubegem.....

I will have to say that with the U3, I find that Pure Music sounds better to me. While Bitperfect is really very good I just prefer PM. I find that Bitperfect sounds just a little thin and PM has a little more meat on its bones. Does that make sense?

I don't use iTunes on its own, both of these players make a significant ( better) difference.

 

Do you have a U3 or are you 'still in the looking around at whats available' stage.

 

Yes your comments make perfect sense, thank you.

I just started the research, but no dealer in town carries any units by any manufacturer. However I just read a review on the U3 that claimed that it was not compatible with PM nor Amarra. I see that Amarra has a promotion with the MF 192 V link, so it obviously works with that unit

 

Thanks for the confirmation on U3 working together with PM.

[tubegem]

Interesting. I prefer the beta AV+ in direct mode to both of those although I would agree that PM sounds preferable between those two. I have recently got a U3 and like it a lot. It's my preferred feed to the Weiss via Spdif over the internal FireWire option.

 

So Steve, can you confirm that the U3 works with Pure Music/Amarra as well as Audirvana. Is it dramatic versus the U3 by itself? Thank you.

[DigiPete]

Why not take advantage of the more robust AES/EBU in stead of the S/PDIF?

 

Am I missing something?

[SteveS1]

So Steve, can you confirm that the U3 works with Pure Music/Amarra as well as Audirvana. Is it dramatic versus the U3 by itself? Thank you.

 

Yes they all work fine. I prefer AV+ v1.3.9.9. "Dramatic"? No. Significant in terms of making a choice though. I'd say the addition of the U3 is slightly more on a scale of improvements but these things are subtle in the overall.

 

Regarding the AES/EBU - what's the advantage? Maybe I'm missing a trick.

[DigiPete]

Regarding the AES/EBU - what's the advantage? Maybe I'm missing a trick.

 

As far as I understand it:

 

 

S/PDIF and AES/EBU use the same protocol and stems from the same protocols.

AES/EBU beeing the original and S/PDIF a cheeper tweak.

 

S/PDIF

Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format

Used in consumer equipment

Single ended electrical - coaxial cable with RCA connector

Optical option - with F05 connector (TOSLINK)

Voltage typical 0,5-1,0V

Pro: Less expensive hardware

Con: max cable length approx. 1-2m (up to 24/192)

 

 

AES/EBU

Officially known as AES3

Used in professional/broadcast equipment

Balanced electrical - 110 ohm twisted pair cable with XLR connector

Voltage typical 3-5V

Pro: max cable length approx. 100-200m (up to 24/192)

Con: More expensive hardware

[SteveS1]

Thanks, coax cable length at 0.5m isn't an issue and it's a single AES from the Stello.

[Raym87]

Thanks, coax cable length at 0.5m isn't an issue and it's a single AES from the Stello.

Thats right...but dont forget that AES is still digital so you would only have 1 O/P for feeding into your DAC.

[Musiq]

@Musiq

 

Do you have plans, to publish English version of your book PCAudiophile?

 

apologies, I have missed your question. The answer is for the moment 'no'.

 

Regards,

Musiq