Overall Isolation - network, USB, and power

[lmitche]

Wait - just realized this won't work. The RUR needs 6-9V DC, and the USB power is 5V, of course.

Oh yeah, your are right, I'd try it anyway, at 5volts.

[lmitche]

Well the REGEN will run at 5 volts, so I bet the RUR will as well. I very much doubt anything will break undervolted by 1 volt.

[lmitche]

Quite by accident I flipped the switch on the lps-1 to 7 volts. I discovered a day later that my DAC and usb hub had been getting 7 volts for about 24 hours. Once switched back to 5 volts and powered down and up, all works fine.

[lmitche]

plus an EN-70HD isolator in the "correct" orientation.

 

 

Scan,

 

I missed it. What was the consensus on en-hd70 orientation? One cable entry point is black. Should that be pointing to source or the opposites direction?

 

Thanks,

 

Larry

 

P.S. I am not surprised to hear the Aries sounds different at a lower voltage. I noticed this behavior on FMCs and then realized that anything with clocks will sound better at the maximum voltage after heating up and stabilizing for an hour or two.

[lmitche]

Scan,

 

In looking at the EMOsystems data sheet page 16 found here:

 

http://www.emosystems.com/network-isolators/

 

one notices that the en70hd is asymmetric with something called a transient voltage suppressor on one side. Which side is unclear. Nevertheless it is not surprising that it is directional. I have always installed mine with the black end pointing in the signal direction as the black end appears to be attached to patient side devices in a hospital setting.

 

It now seems like this was a stupid assumption so I will have to have a listen to determine was sounds best. Stay tuned.

[lmitche]

lmitche, I have the same understanding. There may be "transorb" components on one side. I was tempted to open one up to investigate but changed my mind considering the price of one of these and how it may be difficult to open without breaking something.

 

Looking forward to hearing which orientation sounds better to you.

 

OK well I am hearing a definitive change in sound quality from one direction to the other. I am losing bass and body if I have the black side to the NAS. Switching it so black is pointing in the direction of the signal restores SQ. Of course YMMV.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Computer Audiophile

[lmitche]

Hi Scan, in reading your experience it seems you are validating much that I learned to do here via trial and error.

 

I have two networks, a general one for the house with a Basske IT between the cable modem and first router. There is a second router creating a second subnet and music ssid on one wired leg of the first network. 6 inches away is one of these:

 

http://www.asus.com/us/Networking/EAN66/

 

Which is wirelessly connected to the second network router via an EN70HD and two 1ft. BJC cables to the first nic port of my NAS PC. The second NAS nic port is connected with two 1ft. BJC cables and a second EN70HD to the upsampling PC. A virtual switch runs in the NAS PC to link the two nic ports.

 

With this design wireless control signals can be sent to either the NAS or upsampling PC, but music only moves on the wired segment between the NAS PC and upsampling PC.

 

It is good to hear of your success with a similar network design. It means there is no need to visit this(these) piece(s) of the puzzle.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Larry

[lmitche]

Hi Larry,

 

So you're essentially isolating your 2nd network from your first by using wireless, with your EAN-66 as the bridge? In other words, your audio gear is only electrically (I.e. Wire attached) to your EAN-66 - everything upstream is isolated by wireless , right?

 

Are you using an LPS on your EAN-66?

Yes, there is both physical isolation via the wireless adapter, and at a network level with the two subnets. No traffic from the general network can leak traffic into the music network, except when done for a purpose.

 

And yes, I have an El cheapo powering the Asus adapter.

[lmitche]

Until recently I also thought that lower input voltage should translate to better sound, but I got hit with a couple of counterexamples:

 

(1) replaced Auralic LPS 16V with Vinnie Rossi MINI LPS 12V for Aries Femto

 

(2) replaced stock Netgear FS105v3 switch powered by Teradak 12V LPS with modified FS105v3 (low-noise linear regulator inside) power by Teradak 5V LPS.

 

In each case there was an audible SQ degradation, and my friend and I went back and forth several times to ensure what we heard was not a fluke.

 

One hypothesis here is that higher input current level (w/ lower input voltage) may translate to more board-level electrical noise. Things may not be quite that simple, however.

This is consistent with my observations here, especially the FMCs.

[lmitche]

with asynchrous usb the dac is control with its clock in timing the signal from the computer by sending packets of data to the pc controlling how and when information is received. with an intona or something like a regen is the dac asynchrous usb still fully in control as these devices also reclock the incoming data. if the dac is sending info and commands upstream back to the computer for timing does the digtal data have to pass through the intona or regen in the opposite direction back to the pc. if so do these devices interrupt the dac usb asynchrous to computer communication? thanks mk

Yes, the REGEN and Intona are bidirectional, so control signals flow back from the DAC to the PC through these devices. USB is half duplex, so data flows in only one direction at a time.