A novel way to massively improve the SQ of computer audio streaming

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romaz, imitche, thanks guys for detailed answers!

I will put into my wishlist some most expensive PC PSUs, like Seasonic.

 

I also found HDPLEX Fanless 400W ATX Linear Power Supply with Modular ATX Output

But...800 bucks, i guess its too much))

 

Remember that just because it is a linear design does not mean it puts out high quality DC power the ripple can be high and the output impedance also high and as I understand low ripple and low impedance is what makes a PSU good.

 

I think that the old 100W HD Plex had around 20-30mV ripple, compare that to a paul Hynes that has single digits microvolts of ripple and really low impedance.

 

I have looked at the new 200W HD Plex but was adviced to spend more money and get the real deal directly.

[octaviars]

2 hours ago, lojay said:

Third, the router I am using is a ipTIME A8004NS-M, from a Korean brand which May kindly sourced for me. It's clock is fed by the sCLK-EX on my tX-USBultra.

 

What is your opinion on this router is it working ok?

 

Does it need one clock input? 

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2 minutes ago, ElviaCaprice said:

Adding the rest of the clock points to the mobo, takes it to a whole new level

 

Regarding adding the extra clocks to the mobo any special mobo to look for? No need for high power cpu will not use dsp in Roon.

[octaviars]

10 minutes ago, austinpop said:

I noted a new USB cable and a new BNC clock cable. There may be others.

 

I have seen pictures of analog cables and speakercables from SotM but cant remember where it was and no prices.

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1 hour ago, ElviaCaprice said:

So in theory one still needs to address the server, which is what I have done to an even greater degree than a renderer, by using 3 of the sCLK-EX points on the low power mobo and the 4th point on the attached tXUSBexp PCIE usb card.

 

Perhaps you have written this somewere but it is hard to find information in this large thread about specific systems so my question is what mobo do you use?  

[octaviars]

1 hour ago, ElviaCaprice said:

 

 

So the mobo uses 3 clock outputs from the sCLK-EX and one clock output goes to tXUSBexp?

[octaviars]

@ElviaCaprice on your Jetway mobo I see that SOtM modded it to three external clock points do you know what clocks they replaced? I only thought a mobo had one clock for the system and one clock for the ethernet connection but it seems that there is a third one? In the manual for the SOtM sCLK-EX they show a picture of a mobo and a tX-USBexp and they only use three clock points for the mobo AND the  tX-USBexp.

 

I have been searching for a mobo that might work well to modify and also have M.2 for OS (Windows, Roon), SATA for my SSD (music) and a PCIe connector for the tX-USBexp. Found this but I dont really have a clue if it is any good and would work with this setup  

 

https://www.minipc.de/catalog/il/1409

[octaviars]

29 minutes ago, Johnseye said:

The board I've identified, and will likely send off to SOtM for modification is the Jetway NF591.  Very similar to the DFI board Roy is using.  The Celeron proc is 6w.  It has a PCIe slot so I can use a tx-USBexp.  It has DC 2.5mm in which means I don't have to use an adapter from my SR7 anymore.  This is a big win.  But it has an M.2 slot which means I can A. use my current low power SSD and B. 

 

The M.2 slot is not capable of using the Optane stick, but I may be able to use it with the mini PCIE.

 

This board will go out to SOtM for modification this week.

 

Thanks for the info. But do you know how many clock points this mobo takes and what frequency they have? My thoughts is if I use 2 clocks for the mobo and one for the USB card I would have one left to use for my router/switch

[octaviars]

25 minutes ago, Johnseye said:

May at SOtM told me she won't know until they get it in hand, but hopefully it's only 2, one for the motherboard and one to cover both ethernet NICs. 

 

Ok I see thanks for the answer.

[octaviars]

8 minutes ago, d_elm said:

Also, @JohnSwenson - do you know what the FS105/FS108 are doing that is unique to suppress leakage through the transformers in the signal path? 

 

I suppose one would need to check what transformers they use and how they are connected to the groundplane.

 

This is an example of a Pulse transformer that I have seen in 10/100 switches but if this specific connection is the one in a FS105/108 I dont know. 

[octaviars]

17 minutes ago, Forehaven said:

 

The 5 port/7.5vdc ps...will the LPS=1 at 7 work here?

 

If there is a DC/DC converter that most of this stuff have internaly I think it will work with 7V but perhaps John can answer this.  

 

For example my router runs on 19vdc and I tried it on my adjustable PSU and it would work all the way down to 12vdc so 0,5vdc lower on a switch might just work.

[octaviars]

4 hours ago, ElviaCaprice said:

Hopefully others are in the process of doing their own sCLK-EX DIY servers and we shall get some other impressions soon.

 

I am planing a server with Win10, AO and Roon right now with the same Jetway NF591 mobo as @Johnseye has planned to get modified by SOtM, really looking forward to what they do to it.

So perhaps it is 3 clocks for the mobo (system, LAN and USB) like @ElviaCaprice had done for his mobo and use the leftover clock for the tX-USBexp? My first plan was to use one clock for my router but I dont know if I want to go down that route, perhaps focusing on the server is a better thing?

 

Regarding the tX-USBexp is there a prefered voltage on the external input (6,5-9Vdc)? And perhaps the same goes for the sCLK-EX with 9Vdc (Standard), optional 12Vdc and optional 6.5Vdc ~ 8.5Vdc which one is the prefered voltage (I know May says it is system dependant)?

 

 

[octaviars]

6 hours ago, ElviaCaprice said:

Main system clock, LAN (both we're done) and the USB (I would assume all of the inputs). 

 

Well that was what I also thought but as the system above uses 3 clocks for the mobo and one for the USB card I really dont know. Time will tell how they do with the Jetway NF591.

 

2 minutes ago, elan120 said:

I thought if you use tX-USBexp card, there will be three clocks (system, LAN, and tX-USBexp), not sure if there is a need for the USB clock replacement.

 

[octaviars]

11 minutes ago, austinpop said:

I plan to do another eval at home once the NB firmware update to enable USB output comes out.

 

No talk about when this will happen?

[octaviars]

6 hours ago, thyname said:

Wouldn’t this switch work better for this purpose?

 

It all depends on how the ports magnetictransformers are aranged and coupled together to the groundplane. This will be different between different switches.

 

There is no way to tell if it will stop leakage between ports or stop leakage from the PSU without measure, it is not something you can just open up a switch and look inside as the magnetictransformers may be coupled different and the connections to ground may be done diffrently. 

 

This is one type of connectio on a 10/100 magnetictransformer but a gigabit one may be different. 

 

 

 

[octaviars]

9 hours ago, austinpop said:

Network noise. John found that of the switches he tested, only the Netgear FS105/108 (so far) seemed to block noise on the network data lines effectively. His hypothesis was that it appears to be a function of the magnetics used by switch vendors, but since these are sourced from OEMs, there isn't a reliable way to know which switches were good in this regard

 

It would be fun to see how D-link DGS-108 that JCAT, AQVOX and SOtM in USA uses to modify if that have this ability to stop the leakage. 

[octaviars]

On 2017-06-27 at 5:40 PM, paulhynes said:

The SR4 is in production engineering at present and I plan to have this available “Off the Shelf”, as a standard version to replace the SR3 in small quantities initially, from September/October to coincide with the new manufacturing facility start. Price will be circa £330 (currently $421) for all countries excluding Europe where VAT (Value Added Tax) will have to be added to comply with local tax legislation. Customisation outside the range of 5/12v is possible but this will be a made to order option and additional cost may apply for this depending on the level of customisation.

 

Regards

Paul

Paul Hynes Design

 

Anybody heard anymore regarding Pauls SR4? 

[octaviars]

39 minutes ago, Confused said:

 

I am glad I did this, one thing that is now clear is that the slight harshness that I am experiencing with some material is resulting from the sMS-200Ultra, but at the same time I can see that the sMS-200Ultra is producing some real magic.  All the tX does is improve things! 

 

@Confused I have just seen your answer at Devialet chat so dont bother with replaying to this I wrote here....

 

 

So am I right that you would not want to use the SOtM chain without the tX? 

 

I am very close to buying a used tX and run that with a second SR4. 

 

I dont feel that my sms Ultra is harsh in my system, perhaps it was a bit with the original 9V SMPS. With the Paul Hynes SR4 fully burnt in I really feel that hear details and deep in the music without it geting to bright with my TAD speakers. 

 

 

[octaviars]

1 hour ago, austinpop said:

I would love to hear other voices reviewing the SR-4. Did I miss it, or am I the only one who has had anything to say about it?

 

Come on, people!

 

I have not come around to write about the SR4, I started a seperate thread when I got it but have not had the time to compare it to the stock SMPS (I only own a HD Plex 200W and SR4 so not much else to compare it to)

Just bought a Tx-USBultra today and will run that on a second SR4, need to get some USB and DC cables to connect it so my SMS Ultra and the second SR4.

[octaviars]

22 minutes ago, Confused said:

Part of me thinks the SOtM modified switch will make no difference also, but I remain open minded.

 

SOtM hopes to show their own switch at München fair but I have no information on it perhaps @MayfromSOtM can shed some light.....

[octaviars]

8 hours ago, austinpop said:

Other than the internally shunted SMPS for the LPS-1.2, I've removed all the grounding shunts and adapters in my system. Obviously, all this is highly system dependent, so please do not read anything more into my post other than the message - try it on YOUR system and see. And revisit your tweaks from time to time. I'm glad I did!

 

 

As a side note perhaps something that is known to the users of SOtM equipment but the -0V on the input of both sMS-200ultra and the tX-USBultra are connected to the chassi and the metallparts of the ethernet and usb ports. In a case where the DAC:s USB sheild is grounded to safetyground inside the DAC this ground will travel through the USB sheild to the SOtM product and ground the -0V.

 

In my case this grounds both my SR4 -0V through the USB cables connecting my system to the DAC.

 

I dont know how this will affect things or if it affects anything, I suppose this also is system dependent how the ground travel through the system.

[octaviars]

11 hours ago, AmusedToD said:

 

Wow, this thing looks mighty!

 

@MayfromSOtM, any indication of the price? I hope you will bring it as a finished product to High End Munich in May, it’s high on my shopping list!

 

Two different switch solutions to look at in the future (klick on Superdad replied to a topic to get to the right post).

 

 

[octaviars]

2 minutes ago, AmusedToD said:

 

Good stuff indeed, do we have a release date for the Uptone switch?

 

No and Alex (Uptone) wrote not to ask.....but that was 7 days ago

[octaviars]

1 hour ago, Cornan said:

Since the LS-HPULN can only handle 5A and the battery provides 6A I´ll guess that´s the reason.

 

The battery will only provide the current that the component connected to it draws. If a Aries draws 1A for example the battery will not put out 6A just because it can put out 6A.

[octaviars]

6 minutes ago, austinpop said:

I did some quick comparisons last night between it and my reference - JSSG 360'd Audio Sensibility 7N UPOCC silver cable. Please note - since this was on my switch, I used Tidal streamed music to do the comparison.

 

 

How does the ZENith play Tidal in Roon does it buffer the song? My NUC with ROCK buffers the whole song when I hit play on a Tidal song so I can remove the LAN cable from my router and the song contuinous to play until the end.