Transporter Word Clock Out to Weiss DAC2

[agentsmith]

This question may be for Daniel.

 

Is it possible to output the Transporter Word Clock out to the Weiss DAC2?

 

I seem to recall someone telling me that I could run a XLR cable from the Transporter clock out to the Weiss DAC.

 

How would I go about doing that? And how would I switch the sampling rate?

 

[weiss2496]

The Transporter has normal AES/EBU or S/PDIF outputs (no specific wordclock), so you simply connect e.g. the XLR output to the XLR input of the DAC2 and select that input on the DAC2 frontpanel. The DAC2 accommodates for the sampling rate put out by the Transporter.

 

Daniel

 

 

[ted_b]

The Transporter does NOT have a word clock output; it has a word clock input. So an external clock could be used on the TP, not on the Weiss. The external clock would reclock, send back to TP and TP would send to Weiss. Not needed, not a great setup, but that's the process and flow.

 

[loserica]

Hi Ted,

 

I was wondering, did you compare the Transporter and the Weiss on Firewire (Minerva, DAC2, Vesta or AF-1) only as transports ? Using the Alpha DAC for instance ?

I really like the user interface of the Transporter, but I was wondering if going on the firewire route would be better soundwise. I intend to have a degree of flexibility in changing the DAC afterwards, so I have two options :

a) buy the Transporter and use it only as a transport

b) buy a Vesta or AF-1 as a transport

What would you choose and why ?

 

Thanks,

Adrian

 

 

[ted_b]

To buy the Logitech Transporter and use only as a front-end would be, I think, a waste of money. Although the interface is nice, I use the Itouch (ipeng for Squeeze Server, Remote for Amarra/iTunes) as my interface so it's a wash. And this can be done with any other Logitech box (Touch, SB3, etc) although only Touch does 24/96 also.

 

I had my Transporter modded (huge mod well documented in the Modwright Transporter review in 6Moons, with some of my comments) and it took it to another level. The AKM Dacs are detailed but without a good analog stage they are brittle and sharp to my ears.

 

Given your choices I would go the AF-1 route and then have the world of hi-end DACs at your disposal (Weiss, Berkeley, Metric Halo/Sonic, etc). The iTouch/iPhone is a must, too.

 

[loserica]

Thanks Ted,

 

Actually, a Transporter is cheaper than an AF-1.

I can get a new transporter from audiogon for less than 1000 euros, compared to 1550 euros for a new AF-1.

Plus, if I buy the Weiss, I would need to buy a mac mini too.

I have now a SB3 + Lavry DA-10, and I am controlling the SB3 with Ipeng on my Iphone. I can also control foobar from my Iphone, but it's not so nice as Ipeng.

 

I want to use the Transporter instead of the SB3 + Lavry combo (I have a friend who would buy them), and in the future I want to be able to use a better dac (berkeley, EMM Labs etc).

I think that the Transporter is better than the SB3 or even Touch, as a digital transport, I have read many opinions on that.

In theory, I don't see why the AF-1 would be better than the Transporter anyway (as a transport), but from theory to practice there is a long way, so this is why I am asking.

 

Adrian

 

[loserica]

Hi Ted,

 

Sorry to bother you again, but I don't think I got your opinion.

Do you think that the AF-1 or the Vesta is a better transport than the Transporter ?

 

Any others ?

 

Thanks

 

[ted_b]

than, say its Squeeze box little brothers (better PS, better AES outputs, etc.) but know nothing of the Weiss interfaces or how they sound.

 

[loserica]

Thanks Ted

 

I think I will go with the Transporter. Now, I must only look for a good price

 

Will let you know of the results

 

Adrian

 

[Mr.C]

One thing you can consider doing is to modify the Squeezebox/touch to accept a wordclock input. This would allow you to synchronize a dac with wordclock output to it which would give the squeezebox a good clock to feed the dac with. It is probably cheaper to do this than to buy a transporter.

 

[loserica]

Hi Ted,

 

"I can't compare. The Transporter is clearly a better transport

 

than, say its Squeeze box little brothers (better PS, better AES outputs, etc.) but know nothing of the Weiss interfaces or how they sound."

 

I was quite confident that I should get a Transporter, but while I waited for a good used price, I kept asking myself if the Weiss DAC2 would not be a better deal (on the sound, not on the money).

 

Surfing the net for comparisons between Transporter ( + external DAC) and Weiss DAC2, I found this thread :

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16200702#post16200702

 

Was this post written by you ? If so, do you or don't you know how the Weiss sounds ?

If I might ask, what transport did you use when testing the MW TP versus the Weiss DAC2 ? did you use the TP , or firewire straight into the DAC2 ? Same for TP

 

Thanks

 

 

 

[ted_b]

I've stated many times here on CA, including in this thread (where I said to use an AF-1 into a good DAC like the Weiss, etc), that I love my own Weiss DAC2. However, that wasn't your question. You asked whether the Vesta or AF-1 was a good transport! I've not used them, nor any Weiss product as a transport or interface.

 

As I've documented elsewhere, I used the MW TP standalone, MW TP via AES/EBU into the DAC2, and Macbook firewire into the DAC2. In all cases the Weiss DAC2 was a DAC only (only way I know how to use it, frankly). The sonics were also in that ascending order.

 

[loserica]

Thanks Ted,

 

Sorry, until reading the AVS thread I did not know that you own a DAC2, I did not say that your post was not relevant. It was not clear to me that you own a Weiss, and that you answered strictly on the transport question.

 

I thought that the DAC2 can function as a Firewire to AES-EBU bridge, as it is stated on their webpage.

http://www.weiss.ch/dac2/dac2.htm

Isn't that so ?

 

I really do not know what to choose right now....maybe that a DAC2 would sound great now, and would offer me the possibility to try other DAC's attached to it in the future (via the AES/EBU output).

In both scenarios, the DAC2 will be used with its firewire input.

 

Can you comment on the analog outs of the Weiss DAC2 vs the TP + Berkeley combo ? Did you have the chance to try that ?

 

Adrian

 

 

 

[remachu]

Dear Adrian,

I am not sure if you are still interested in the transporter, but I have just bought one and am very thrilled with it. I used to run my Squeezebox into my DCS dac and upsampler, but using the transporter as source has improved matters immensely. I once had a very fine CD-drive (Audiomeca Mephisto), but I guess the transporter trumps it. The clock link is an improvement, but then you have to use a Dac that allows operation in master mode outputting a clock signal. That narrows down your choice. Only DCS (buy used!) and Esoteric come to mind.

 

Best

 

René

 

 

[loserica]

Hi René,

 

Thanks for your input,

I have bought a Weiss DAC2 in the meantime, because I did not have enough funds right now to invest in a Transporter + a very good DAC.

Btw, EMM Labs also produces DAC's that have a master clock out. This is what I had in mind for the TP. I did not had a chance to compare the TP with the Weiss.

 

Best regards,

Adrian

 

 

 

[Elberoth]

Hi there,

 

Anyone tried the Word Clock input on the Logitech Transporter ?

 

What clock frequency do you need to play back 96kHz files ? Can you use 48kHz Word Clock signal or do you need a 96kHz one ?

 

I'm asking since the dCS Puccini U-Clock (or any other dCS clock for that matter), which is a natural partner for my dCS Puccini CDP, only supports 44.1k and 48k output rates.

 

[remachu]

Dear Elberoth,

 

I have been wondering about the same thing for some time and - unfortunately - my conclusion is that transporter cannot double the clock frequency it receives. So you cannot use the clock in with the dcs clocks. What might be worth trying is using a professional clock like the Apogee Big Ben that allows you to set the clocking frequency up to 24/192. Haven't gotten hold of one yet, though, so I don't know if it works in practice.

 

Best

 

René