USB Flash or SSD?

[Doak]

You will never get the highest possible SQ from either method unless you at least improve the power supplied to the devices. Even an internal USB card with clean power instead of the noisy +5V SMPS derived power will help. A normal USB hub won't help that either. Those solutions were designed for photography and normal data, NOT Audio where timing is critical, and low Jitter is required . To get the best SQ from USB storage you need to use measures such as many other members have done using USB Regens, USB cables with improved separation between D+ and D- data wires, and the power leads etc..

 

Regen on USB HD?

[Doak]

Cripes... should have given this a go BEFORE I sold the Regen (replaced w/W4S Recovery)

 

We are talking about low current devices such as a USB memory stick here, not something that is going to draw more current than the maximum 500mA capabilities of the Regen. Devices such as a 256GB Imation pocket sized portable SSD which I have,also benefit from such measures, The Imation connects via a very short USB lead. When properly powered , both USB memory sticks and the Imation SSD sound quite similar with a much improved performance.

For best possible performance, the same setup for playing from the external Media player should be used. In other words, take the USB memory stick,Regen etc. along to the recipient device and plug it into it's USB port.

 

Alex

[Doak]

You would be surprised what you can do with a well implemented USB Regen solution for more than just connecting to a DAC.

If it's mainly clean 5vDC power that improves things, shouldn't there be more cost effective ways to accomplish this?

[Doak]

It would be interesting for me to know your opinion if you would compare the discussed SD card and playing the same music from free SoftPerfect RAMDISK https://www.softperfect.com/products/ramdisk/

This is apparently just what my Auralic Aries is doing now thanks to its new firmware update, so maybe I should be too cocerned about all of thi stuff.

Now using a 480GB Sandisk Extreme USB SSD that I just got. Haven't done any serious listening of comparisons yet. My plan is to load a bunch of my favorite and demo type stuff onto this drive.

[Doak]

Plugged Sandisk Extreme 480GB USB SSD into a JB then into data port on Auralic Aries. Music would play for 15-20 seconds, paused for several seconds then repeat the cycle. Obviously not compatible in this setup. All is well w/o JB in the loop.