The end all tweak/improvement for usb audio

[mario620]

Guys I've been reading the thread about that disrupter usb tweak and it got me thinking. When I listen to my system, I hear a lot of haze in the upper frequency and the bass is muddy kind of slow disconnected from the music. There was an improvement when I used an audioquest jitter bug. But I'm thinking I still need to find a fix or a better solution. The sound still sounds kind of veiled with the jitter bug in place.

My system:

dac: wyred 4 sound dsdse

amp: wryed 4 sound sti 1000 with the internal kimber wire and upgraded speaker connectors

speakers: focal aria 948

wires: clear day xlr and double shot guns

Mac Pro 13" external 4 tb hard drive connected to Mac using usb. Usb from Mac to dac.

Usb wires: 2 1 meter Curious usb cables.

Software: jriver

 

what are you guys using beyond a jitterbug? And which tweak has worked best in your system, what have you tried before your current tweak (tweak roadmap). What sound differences have you found good or bad.

[tranz]

Please check/read the dozens of threads about USB cleaners. Or go one step further and leave USB where it belongs.

[Cornan]

You might want to check out the Sonore microRendu http://www.computeraudiophile.com/showthread.php?t=27389 or Aurelic Aries plus UpTone USB Regen. Also invest approx. USD25 in a SBooster Vbus2 Isolator and check if your DAC requires USB power and/or handshake (check on appropriate thread). Cutting the power were ever possible is the "holy grail" in USB audio. Using it before the AQ Jitterbug improves SQ.

[Guidof]

mario620:

 

if you are hearing haze in the upper frequencies and mud in the bass, my guess is that another USB tweak is unlikely to improve things for you.

 

in my system, first an Uptone REGEN, then an Intona Isolator, then a Supra cat 8 Ethernet cable provided a significant increase in clarity at each step. Finally, a Sonore microRendu resulted yet in further improvement. But the sound was already quite free of haze and mud prior to all these enhancements.

 

My suggestion would be to try to work on other elements of your system (including room treatments and/or room correction) until you achieve a satisfactory sound. Then, tweaking the USB may get you where you want to be. For instance, muddy and disjointed bass may be due to speaker placement issues, room modes or poor subwoofer integration, which can be corrected.

 

Best regards,

 

Guido F.

[17629]

How do you know the USB system is responsible for what you are hearing? Have you tried plugging a CD transport into the dac as a reference? Its a good idea to do that anyway just to see if your PC based front end is giving you SQ that's on par with the CD's you ripped the music from.

[Nikhil]

I would recommend you start by cleaning up the power for your computer and your stereo rig.

 

The Uptone Audio JS-2 power supply is very well regarded. For your stereo, a dedicated power line with a power conditioner(s) will make a tremendous difference. These are things which may take a little time and money but do these first before you attempt any other sort of optimization. You will be surprised at the improvement you will see in your setup.

 

Regards.

[One and a half]

The way the OP describes his USB system is pretty much how my system sounded with a good DAC and everything else in its place. Compared to a CD player, the highs were veiled and the bass , well, drums sounded like paper bags at times.

 

It took a lot of effort, but USB is finally sounding like music. CD still plays better For the OP, there's a lot of reading to do for sure.

[One and a half]

I would recommend you start by cleaning up the power for your computer and your stereo rig.

 

This is very good advice.

[esldude]

You won't believe me, but muddy bass and haze are not likely coming from USB. Speaker placement and room treatment are probably where the fix lies.

[sandyk]

You won't believe me, but muddy bass and haze are not likely coming from USB. Speaker placement and room treatment are probably where the fix lies.

 

No we won't.

Muddy Bass and "Haze" certainly can come from poorly implemented USB. It's due to a reduction in the S/N ratio caused by different mechanisms . I am assuming here that you mean "haze" as like listening through a thin veil ?

Improving S/N , whether with USB or a mediocre S/N in a preamplifier for example, can sound like removing a fine veil, permitting very low level HF detail to emerge. Yes, muddy Bass can also be due to poor speaker placement, room reflections and lack of proper decoupling of the speakers from the floor.

[esldude]

No we won't.

Muddy Bass and "Haze" certainly can come from poorly implemented USB. It's due to a reduction in the S/N ratio caused by different mechanisms . I am assuming here that you mean "haze" as like listening through a thin veil ?

Improving S/N , whether with USB or a mediocre S/N in a preamplifier for example, can sound like removing a fine veil, permitting very low level HF detail to emerge. Yes, muddy Bass can also be due to poor speaker placement, room reflections and lack of proper decoupling of the speakers from the floor.

 

Funny in files I attached to recent polls there is a 35 db range of noise floors yet people aren't hearing the haze for some reason. What noise levels are needed to cause haze?

[sandyk]

Funny in files I attached to recent polls there is a 35 db range of noise floors yet people aren't hearing the haze for some reason. What noise levels are needed to cause haze?

 

How you can possibly jump to such conclusions with such an extremely low member participation rate escapes me !

 

Instead of just all this pseudo scientific crap from the self styled "Experts" in the General Forum area, perhaps you should thoroughly check out the many other forum areas where numerous members continue to report hearing these kinds of things when they use their Intona Isolators, USB Regens, Linear PSUs etc. ?

 

Most members came here to learn how to obtain improved audio from their computers and Music Servers, not to be told by the resident "experts" that Computer Audio is already perfect, and that they are wasting their time trying to further improve it.

I have yet to see any practical advice from the "measurements are all that matter" crowd on how to achieve this goal.

[esldude]

 

Most members came here to learn how to obtain improved audio from their computers and Music Servers, not to be told by the resident "experts" that Computer Audio is already perfect, and that they are wasting their time trying to further improve it.

I have yet to see any practical advice from the "measurements are all that matter" crowd on how to achieve this goal.

 

And what exactly should one do if in fact computer audio is already effectively perfect?

 

And if it isn't perfect why aren't these things abundantly clear without the use of knowing what you are listening to?

 

And what if given a chance to hear for yourself you don't hear a difference then why not celebrate that?

[sandyk]

And what exactly should one do if in fact computer audio is already effectively perfect?

 

If that was true , then Chris Connaker with his various music server designs, and many others, have been wasting their time, when perhaps a cheap laptop is capable of exactly the same results when combined with a large external USB powered HDD for music storage .

Neither should it matter which OS or music player was used either.

Perhaps everybody could then simply use a general purpose freeware player for all video and audio applications such as VLC player etc. too. If you also like to watch Blue Ray movies then a commercial product such as Power DVD could perhaps suffice ?

 

Why not just turn out the lights and close the door for this forum, because according to you, none of this matters as Computer Audio is already perfect.

[esldude]

If that was true , then Chris Connaker with his various music server designs, and many others, have been wasting their time, when perhaps a cheap laptop is capable of exactly the same results when combined with a large external USB powered HDD for music storage .

Neither should it matter which OS or music player was used either.

Perhaps everybody could then simply use a general purpose freeware player for all video and audio applications such as VLC player etc. too. If you also like to watch Blue Ray movies then a commercial product such as Power DVD could perhaps suffice ?

 

Why not just turn out the lights and close the door for this forum, because according to you, none of this matters as Computer Audio is already perfect.

 

Still plenty to talk about like software features and convenience. Setting up networks for music. Speakers and room and such. EQ for taste instead of wildly swapping equipment for taste. You know things that really matter.

[kumakuma]

Still plenty to talk about like software features and convenience. Setting up networks for music. Speakers and room and such. EQ for taste instead of wildly swapping equipment for taste. You know things that really matter.

 

Don't forget recommending music to others. CA has been a great way to discover new artists and their music.

[StephenJK]

If that was true , then Chris Connaker with his various music server designs, and many others, have been wasting their time, when perhaps a cheap laptop is capable of exactly the same results when combined with a large external USB powered HDD for music storage .

Neither should it matter which OS or music player was used either.

Perhaps everybody could then simply use a general purpose freeware player for all video and audio applications such as VLC player etc. too. If you also like to watch Blue Ray movies then a commercial product such as Power DVD could perhaps suffice ?

 

Why not just turn out the lights and close the door for this forum, because according to you, none of this matters as Computer Audio is already perfect.

 

Sandy,

 

I think you're being a bit harsh. Let's not forget that the Computer Audiophile is exactly that - someone who is developing a system where high quality analog playback is merged with a digital source.

 

One can't exist without the other.

[sandyk]

Sandy,

 

I think you're being a bit harsh. Let's not forget that the Computer Audiophile is exactly that - someone who is developing a system where high quality analog playback is merged with a digital source.

 

One can't exist without the other.

 

Despite what some here wish to believe, a large number of members have not been able to achieve from Computer Audio, SQ even comparable with that from a reasonable CD player, let alone markedly outperform the SQ of a typical CD player , WITHOUT markedly improving areas such as USB Audio etc. That's the reason for Audiophile in the name of this forum.

I seriously doubt that most members simply want sub CD quality music at their fingertips just to make it available right throughout the house, and even in the toilet, like the old Muzac and Seeburg you used to hear in many Department stores.

Most want the best possible SQ at a reasonable price , along with cover and track details.

Why settle for 2nd rate from your digital sources when your vinyl replay is superb?

Properly implemented Computer Audio is capable of outclassing the vast majority of vinyl set ups

both technically and audibly.

[PopPop]

I'm feeling fortunate. The SQ from the analog output of my CD player is noticeably inferior to the digital output running through an outboard DAC. Ripping the CD's to flac and playing back through the PC (USB) is also superior to the CD player. Of course I just said all this in another thread.

[Cornan]

Despite what some here wish to believe, a large number of members have not been able to achieve from Computer Audio, SQ even comparable with that from a reasonable CD player, let alone markedly outperform the SQ of a typical CD player , WITHOUT markedly improving areas such as USB Audio etc. That's the reason for Audiophile in the name of this forum.

I seriously doubt that most members simply want sub CD quality music at their fingertips just to make it available right throughout the house, and even in the toilet, like the old Muzac and Seeburg you used to hear in many Department stores.

Most want the best possible SQ at a reasonable price , along with cover and track details.

Why settle for 2nd rate from your digital sources when your vinyl replay is superb?

Properly implemented Computer Audio is capable of outclassing the vast majority of vinyl set ups

both technically and audibly.

 

+1 Thoughfully implemented USB audio can outperform much more expensive CD and vinyl setups IME.

 

Power is extremely important of course. But it is just as important to remove the power were possible plus separating power and signal cables from each other that it is to chose good low noise (and siutable) PSU and HQ power cables/blocks were absolutely needed. Everything matters for the final result.

 

Personally (looking at the current setup) I would start by changing the player solution by trying a Upnp/Dnla setup controlled via Kazoo on iPad and buy a SBooster Vbus2 Isolator. If the DAC works without 5v and handshake you will have a very good improvement there alone with pocket money.

 

Next step would be to checkout Aurelic Aries & USB Regen plus PSU or Sonore mR plus PSU. Be prepared that the PSU will cost you almost as much as the streamer/Regen. To cut costs on the PSU could potensially be a bad idea IMO.

 

When you finally think you got it all perfect (with good player/power/cables/placements etc) it is time to checkout Entreq Minimus/Tellus or similar and be amazed what external grounding can do to remove all digitus on USB audio. It will bring the music to life... just like a good vinyl setup can do!

 

Just my 2 cents!