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

[seeteeyou]

http://www.hiendy.com/hififorum/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=117309

 

You learn something new every day, an owner of Synology DiskStation DS3617xs compared both Main DSM and Virtual DSM recently. For some reasons running Roon from the latter one turned out to sound better when compared to the former one.

 

Do you guys know why a virtualized environment would come out on top? Transparency, dynamic, three-dimensionality, and more vivid as well.

[seeteeyou]

11 hours ago, austinpop said:

To be honest, when it comes to DC cables, even after all my forays into Canare starquad and then JSSG, I have ended up finding my silver Audio Sensibility and Paul Hynes cables  to sound the best so far.

 

@romaz posted something about the conductivity of silver and copper etc. last year

 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/30376-a-novel-way-to-massively-improve-the-sq-of-computer-audio-streaming/?page=49&tab=comments#comment-645953

 

On 3/30/2017 at 11:10 AM, romaz said:

Clean power is always important but line resistance is maybe even more important only because the PSRR of well-built components is so high these days.  I pride myself in having clean power (dedicated 20A line, Shunyata Denali line conditioner, High Fidelity Cables power distributor, SR grounding block) and yet cables still make a HUGE difference in my system, not from the standpoint of lowering noise but minimizing line resistance.  Absolutely, the shorter the cable the better because shorter cables have less line resistance but there is much more to it than just cable length.  Here is an excerpt from one of my posts on Head-Fi a few months ago that discusses some of the things I consider when evaluating a cable:

 

1)  Conductor:  This can range from tin to iron, brass, gold, copper, silver and graphene (the fastest electrical conductor known to man).  Here are the relative conductivity of various conductors:

 

Material IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard)
Ranking	Metal	% Conductivity*
1	Silver (Pure)	105%
2	Copper	100%
3	Gold (Pure)	70%
4	Aluminum	61%
5	Brass	28%
6	Zinc	27%
7	Nickel	22%
8	Iron (Pure)	17%
9	Tin	15%
10	Phosphor Bronze	15%
11	Steel (Stainless included)	3-15%
12	Lead (Pure)	7%
13	Nickel Aluminum Bronze	7%

 

Graphene isn't listed but it is claimed to have a conductivity 100x of copper.  Note that silver is 5% more conductive than copper and that purity matters.  UP-OCC grade purity is the purest form of silver or copper that is commercially available (guaranteed to be 99.99997% pure).  Unfortunately, silver is much more expensive than copper and UP-OCC grade is much more expensive than standard OFC (oxygen-free copper).  What does increased conductivity get you?  Decreased line resistance.

 

2)  Conductor gauge:  Most basic computers come with 18g power chords.  Audiophile power chords for low power digital components seem to range from 12-16 gauge while chords designed for high current devices like amplifiers and power distributors are as large as 6 gauge.  What happens as wire gauge gets bigger?  Once again, line resistance goes down and large conductor gauge is especially important for the conduction of lower frequencies.  

 

3)  Dielectric:  This is an area of controversy and there isn't consensus on what is real and what is hype.  In short, dielectrics are designed to function as insulators against other conductors within a cable but also against its outer environment.  One premise held is that the only perfect dielectric is a vacuum (negative air pressure) and that any other material used as a dielectric will have some negative impact on SQ due to skin effect.  With alternating currents running through a conductor, it has been said that lower frequencies (bass) travel at the inner most core of a conductor while also occupying the largest cross section of a conductor as it travels down that conductor.  This is the premise on why large conductors are so important for bass transmission.  The higher frequencies (midrange and treble) travel toward the outer edges of the conductor.  With the perfect cable where you have a conductor that is highly conductive and a dielectric that has zero impact, then the high and low frequencies arrive at their destination at exactly the same time (meaning perfect timing).  Because it is the highest frequencies that travel at the outer edges of a conductor, the dielectric used will have impact on these higher frequencies potentially resulting in treble and even midrange smearing but also timing issues.  This is often where cable companies get creative and why some cables can cost so much.

 

Here are examples of the dielectric constants of various materials:

 

Air (vacuum) 1.0

Cotton 1.3

Wood 1.4

Teflon (PTFE) 2.1

Polypropylene 2.2

Kevlar 3.5

Neoprene 4.0

Distilled water 34

 

Teflon and polypropylene are the most commonly used dielectrics because of their durability and heat resistance.  Certain manufacturers have gone to cotton as a primary dielectric (i.e. DHC, Zenwave) and I believe their results speak for themselves.  Once again, what is the impact of the dielectric on the conductor that supposedly leads to this purported smearing?  It has to do with the build-up of an opposing electrical charge but ultimately, this is once again a form of line resistance.

 

There are other factors like cable geometry, solid-core vs stranded wire and litz configuration which I won't get into here but the strategy for their use is to reduce line resistance.

 

Finally, there is shielding.  All cables are shielded but some shields are especially designed to repel or mitigate EMI and this is the concept behind cables designed for "digital" gear with the idea that it is our digital gear that is most sensitive to EMI.  While important for certain components, it has been my observation that well-made components with high PSRR have less need for exotic shielding.

 

Unfortunately the conductivity of both DC plugs and jacks are the weakest links

 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/29458-ultracap™-lps-1-listening-impressions-thread/?page=13&tab=comments#comment-611953

 

On 12/28/2016 at 11:57 PM, MikeyFresh said:

They are brass, albeit gold plated, but certainly suspect at $20 a piece in terms of conductivity. Mechanically they are seemingly machined to a tight tolerance and thus superior to a generic plug, they have a reassuring fit.

 

Curious why they didn't at least use an electrical grade phosphor bronze, though I can understand why straight copper is probably a little too soft for this application being difficult/expensive to machine without defects at that small a dimension.

 

Various companies are doing 3.5mm plugs in phosphor bronze now, maybe the forthcoming/rumored new version Oyaide DC plug will be exactly that.

 

Then again, the 2.1mm jacks on the LPS-1 and microRendu are probably also brass.

 

[seeteeyou]

10 hours ago, mozes said:

I also have the same conclusion. The quality and the gauge of the conductor is very important. I have done many many comparisons over the last years and my favourite conductor for DC cables is OCC copper. I don’t have anything less than 13 or 14 AWG. Yes it matters even for 30cm cables!

 

What's the largest gauge from your collection of DC cables so far? Do we have any male plugs that are compatible with 12 AWG wires? I could get some bulk wires of Wireworld Platinum Electra 7 (with OCC solid silver conductors) or Silver Electra 7 (with ultra-pure OCC silver-clad copper conductors) locally

 

http://www.wireworldcable.com/power-conditioning-cords.html

Quote

Qty: 20   Gauge: 12AWG  |  3 sq. mm

 

[seeteeyou]

 

 

 

 

 

 

OMG, these guys are boasting signal integrity and all that

 

https://pro.intona.eu/en/stories/cable

https://www.audioasylum.com/forums/pcaudio/messages/17/171383.html

 

$319 to $549 for Premium, $549 to $919 for Reference, I guess that Ultimate should cost $919 and up?

 

https://pro.intona.eu/en/products/buy/4053/

https://kitsunehifi.com/product/intona-professional-ids-vna-impedance-controlled-usb-cable/

Most likely a cable alone couldn't replace the role of ISO REGEN + LPS-1.2 combo so what's the point?

[seeteeyou]

Yet another shocker from Rob Watts?

 

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hugo-tt-2-by-chord-electronics-the-official-thread.879425/page-52#post-14321258

Quote

No it's not a fairly standard unit - I went through a lot of units before approving this one. It measures extremely well - giving the same measurements connected and disconnected (measuring wideband). Also, SQ wise, disconnecting the unit makes no difference (TT will run for 10 seconds with no power). A linear PSU will almost certainly make it sound worse, as the audiophile ones have no RF filtering, unlike the supplied PSU. Moreover, linear supplies create much more magnetic noise, measurable audio BW noise, worse leakage currents (interwinding capacitance is much larger on a toroidal transformer) and are transparent to mains bourne RF noise. And they are horribly inefficient, and this can in itself degrade SQ. So absolutely not recommended.

 

I'm assuming that LT3045 or SR4 / SR7 etc. should have no such issues mentioned above?

[seeteeyou]

1 hour ago, austinpop said:

Why does the cheap internal cabling not seem to matter? I don't have a good answer.

 

Maybe the ones from Pasternak were also cheap to begin with? Not exactly a fair comparison but here we go

 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/38528-antipodes-dx-gen3-vs-innuos-zenith-mkii-se/?page=2&tab=comments#comment-792069

Quote

The Habst is far better. With the Pasternak the sound becomes unfocused, the bass and lower mids a smeared blob. The difference was almost as large as not using a clock. So the clock BNC cable matters - to the extent that an external clock is basically pointless without a good cable.  So much so that I am considering seeing if Habst can make up a 50ohm cable for my Cybershaft.

 

That's why I posted this after you started the Habst cable group buy, even internal cabling might benefit from a separate ground

 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/30376-a-novel-way-to-massively-improve-the-sq-of-computer-audio-streaming/?page=322&tab=comments#comment-827502

[seeteeyou]

1 hour ago, sandyk said:

A 3.3V .5A LT3045 would probably work quite well there too.

 

Don't wanna be Captain Obvious but the picture was actually show LT3045-A

 

http://www.ldovr.com/product-p/lt3045-a.htm

 

LT3045 in series might work even better. For instance, a Chinese seller was offering this one powered by 18650 with 5V output and we could add another LT3045 after that

 

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=565126246341

 

OH4 only requires 4 mA

 

http://www.conwin.com/datasheets/cx/cx259.pdf#page=3

[seeteeyou]

Since we're aware that even $55 OCXO clock is great for switches, some of us might wanna get our hands on some guinea pigs for experiments. 3Com might not be as good as Cisco Catalyst but it should be better than other consumer-oriented brands out there.

 

FYI - here's a list of switches on eBay, they're either unused or brand new:

 

Connor-Winfield OH4610LF-025.0M

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/connor-winfield/OH4610LF-025.0M/CW899-ND/5641634

 

Case of (8) NEW IN BOX 3COM 5-Port Fast Ethernet Switch 3CFSU05

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Case-of-8-NEW-IN-BOX-3COM-5-Port-Fast-Ethernet-Switch-3CFSU05/202342481711

 

Lot of 5 3Com OfficeConnect Dual Speed 5-Port Ethernet Computer Network Switch
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-5-3Com-OfficeConnect-Dual-Speed-5-Port-Ethernet-Computer-Network-Switch/273265337598

 

Lot of 5 3Com OfficeConnect Dual Speed 5-Port Ethernet Computer Network Switch

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-5-3Com-OfficeConnect-Dual-Speed-5-Port-Ethernet-Computer-Network-Switch/273321472412

 

4x New 3Com 10/100/1000 Mbps 8 Port Auto Sensing / MDIX Switch | 3CGSU08A
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4x-New-3Com-10-100-1000-Mbps-8-Port-Auto-Sensing-MDIX-Switch-3CGSU08A/382505884306

 

6x New 3 Com / IBM 3CGSU08A 8 Port Ethernet Switch & Adapter | 100-240 VAC
https://www.ebay.com/itm/6x-New-3-Com-IBM-3CGSU08A-8-Port-Ethernet-Switch-Adapter-100-240-VAC/382498059843

 

Lot Of(5)3Com 3C16791B OfficeConnect Dual Speed Switch 8 ports NEW
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-Of-5-3Com-3C16791B-OfficeConnect-Dual-Speed-Switch-8-ports-NEW/223029929576

 

3Com 3CFSU05 5-Ports External Switch
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3Com-3CFSU05-5-Ports-External-Switch/132325723699

 

3Com 3CFSU05 Switch 5 5-ports
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3Com-3CFSU05-Switch-5-5-ports/223008048129

 

3Com OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet Switch 5
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3Com-OfficeConnect-Fast-Ethernet-Switch-5/173239089326

 

3COM Wired 5-Port Fast Ethernet Full-Duplex Giga Switch 1000Mbps 3CFSU05
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3COM-Wired-5-Port-Fast-Ethernet-Full-Duplex-Giga-Switch-1000Mbps-3CFSU05/182865001909

 

3Com OfficeConnect Dual Speed 5-Port Ethernet Computer Network Switch 3C16790B
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3Com-OfficeConnect-Dual-Speed-5-Port-Ethernet-Computer-Network-Switch-3C16790B/273321472411

 

3Com OfficeConnect Dual Speed 5-Port Ethernet Computer Network Switch 3C16790B
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3Com-OfficeConnect-Dual-Speed-5-Port-Ethernet-Computer-Network-Switch-3C16790B/273265338047

 

3COM Wired 5-Port Fast Ethernet Full-Duplex Giga Switch 1000Mbps 3CFSU05
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3COM-Wired-5-Port-Fast-Ethernet-Full-Duplex-Giga-Switch-1000Mbps-3CFSU05/222466820017

 

3Com OfficeConnect Dual Speed Switch 5 - switch - 5 ports
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3Com-OfficeConnect-Dual-Speed-Switch-5-switch-5-ports/263784257401

 

3Com OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet Switch 5 - switch - 5 ports
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3Com-OfficeConnect-Fast-Ethernet-Switch-5-switch-5-ports/222644043260

 

3Com 3CFSU05 Ethernet Switch 5 Port x 10/100
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3Com-3CFSU05-Ethernet-Switch-5-Port-x-10-100/323324666721

 

3com - 3cfsu05 switch 5 porte 10/100mbps rj45
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3com-3cfsu05-switch-5-porte-10-100mbps-rj45/263729259589

 

3com OfficeConnect Switch 5 - 3C16793 - 5 10/100 Fast Ethernet Ports - Neu
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3com-OfficeConnect-Switch-5-3C16793-5-10-100-Fast-Ethernet-Ports-Neu/163117221089

 

3Com Office Connect Switch 8 10/100Mbps, beige, NEU&OVP
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3Com-Office-Connect-Switch-8-10-100Mbps-beige-NEU-OVP/253128550889

 

3Com 3C16794-US OfficeConnect Switch 8 Ports 10/100 Mbit/s
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3Com-3C16794-US-OfficeConnect-Switch-8-Ports-10-100-Mbit-s/153075613350

 

3Com 3C16791A OfficeConnect Dual Speed 8-Port Switch NUOVO BTP NHSWE8 ETHERNET
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3Com-3C16791A-OfficeConnect-Dual-Speed-8-Port-Switch-NUOVO-BTP-NHSWE8-ETHERNET/132673751021

 

New 3Com 3CGSU08A 10/100/1000 Mbps 8 Port Auto Sensing/ MDIX Switch | Wired
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-3Com-3CGSU08A-10-100-1000-Mbps-8-Port-Auto-Sensing-MDIX-Switch-Wired/132649696715

 

3COM/HP -3CFSU08/ V1405-8 ETHERNET SWITCH 8-PORT 10/100 w/ power cord
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3COM-HP-3CFSU08-V1405-8-ETHERNET-SWITCH-8-PORT-10-100-w-power-cord/162986937842

 

JD866A I Factory Sealed Retail HP HP 1405 Small Office V1405-5 Switch
https://www.ebay.com/itm/JD866A-I-Factory-Sealed-Retail-HP-HP-1405-Small-Office-V1405-5-Switch/113083725888

 

HP 1405 Small Office V1405-5 Switch , JD866A HEWLETT PACKARD
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-1405-Small-Office-V1405-5-Switch-JD866A-HEWLETT-PACKARD/283030392787

 

HP JD866A V1405-5 3CFSU05 5-Port Ethernet Switch
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-JD866A-V1405-5-3CFSU05-5-Port-Ethernet-Switch/173362533947

 

HP V1405C-5 Switch 5x 100 - JD853A Neu
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-V1405C-5-Switch-5x-100-JD853A-Neu/390641871379

[seeteeyou]

4 hours ago, mansr said:

Maybe that's because they don't make that frequency.

 

ROFLMAO

 

[seeteeyou]

7 hours ago, jean-michel6 said:

- Metallurgy may matter Neotech is occ where canare and Gotham are only ofc.

 

That seemed to further validate what @mozes was reporting after he tried lots of DC cables. In other words, we aren't fully unleashing the potential of LT3045 unless we're actually getting our hands on some "right" cables.

 

BTW, are you tempted to replace those power cables inside your music server as @jean-michel6 described before?

 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/30376-a-novel-way-to-massively-improve-the-sq-of-computer-audio-streaming/?page=304&tab=comments#comment-806606

[seeteeyou]

22 hours ago, elan120 said:

I have not done other mods yet as I plan on comparing this modded switch with your suggested Cisco WS-C2960-8TC-L first, and if this turnout to be better, I will change out the two switch mode regulators.

 

It's an interesting switch to mod since there were so many Naim fans who loved that as @charlesphoto mentioned below

 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/37034-smps-and-grounding/?page=38&tab=comments#comment-816134

 

Even Netgear (without network leakage issues) seemed to be no match

 

http://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cisco-switch
http://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cisco-2960-set-up

http://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cisco-2960-router-confusion

http://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cisco-2960-recommendation

http://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cisco-2960-8tc-vs-paul-pang-tcxo

http://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cisco-catalyst-ws-c2960-8tc-l-2960

http://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cisco-router-to-match-cisco-ws-c2960-8tc-l

Quote

GS105 was my first switch introduction, yes it was an improvement, but the 2960 blew it away with ease.

 

Now the question is what voltage(s) would that switch actually needs. Cisco Power Supply 341-0208-01 should be providing 48V since WS-C2960-8TC-L only needs 20W while the current draw is 0.5 to 0.25 A

 

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst2960/hardware/installation/guide/2960_hg/higspec.html

 

Besides, we could actually find two system clocks instead of one

 

 

 

In other words, we'll have lots of fun if both of them were replaced with better ones.

[seeteeyou]

Someone was indeed getting gig Catalyst WS-C2960G-8TC-L and I didn't see any complaints

 

https://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cisco-2960-again-recommended-settings

 

Both WS-C2960G-8TC-L and WS-C2960-8TC-L are sharing the same PSU model 341-0208-01 from Lite-On

 

https://supportforums.cisco.com/t5/lan-switching-and-routing/2960-port-issue/td-p/1647404

Quote

Motherboard assembly number     : 73-10613-08
Power supply part number        : 341-0208-01
Motherboard serial number       : FOC12123DXJ
Power supply serial number      : LIT12090BZC
Model revision number           : A0
Motherboard revision number     : B0
Model number                    : WS-C2960G-8TC-L

 

https://supportforums.cisco.com/t5/lan-switching-and-routing/high-latency-issue-in-lan-between-two-switches/td-p/2231639

Quote

Motherboard assembly number     : 73-10611-07
Power supply part number        : 341-0208-01
Motherboard serial number       : FOC140359C9
Power supply serial number      : LIT13510LWX
Model revision number           : C0
Motherboard revision number     : D0
Model number                    : WS-C2960-8TC-L

 

Former one draws 0.8 to 0.4 A while latter one draws 0.5 to 0.25 A respectively

 

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst2960/hardware/installation/guide/2960_hg/higspec.html

 

BTW, those old caps inside that Lite-On 341-0208-01 might need a few days to get better according to Peder, and then a few people weren't 100% happy about their own Cisco because those caps could be lemons or something after all these years

 

https://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cisco-router-to-match-cisco-ws-c2960-8tc-l?page=2

Quote

Many people on this forum say the same,better after 4-5 days.....most in the music flow area,the naturalness.Think Naim, when you put the power on again,even used equipment take at least 3 days for full performance.Exactly,just because the Cisco is used, you perhaps need a longer warm uptime for the caps.

 

I have had contact with over 50 people who has the Cisco 2960, only 3-4 are not 100% positive about it.Maybe your Cisco isn't "fresch", something is wrong with it.As you remember I say that the Company I buy my Cisco from,they say that some Cisco's failed in the 26-step testprogram.Maybe your Cisco need a recapp

 

In that case, maybe replacing the PSU with LT3045 should do the trick since I didn't see any kinda caps on the motherboard itself. Other than that, French Rooster actually paid more for a sealed 2960 and it seemed to make a huge difference to his setup sans FMC

 

https://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/cisco-switch?page=8

[seeteeyou]

Only one gig Catalyst left from MN, 75 bucks shipped within US and seller seemed to have 100% positive feedback under the belt

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cisco-WS-C2960G-8TC-L-2960-Series-8-Port-Gigabit-Switch-10-100-1000-CTC/391985472133

 

Fortunately it's only $60 a pop in China

 

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=557845901834

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=558899927588

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=562616562000

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=564834073722

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=571566562569

 

That SFP port should be interesting because we could grab two 2960 just like @charlesphoto did, then they'll replace FMC while we're still taking advantage of what fiber optic cables could offer.

[seeteeyou]

4 hours ago, tboooe said:

I thought the Cisco Catalyst switch required AC power input?

 

Correct. However, Lite-On 341-0208-01 would actually output 12V to the input of motherboard and therefore the PSU mod should be pretty much the same deal as how they're upgrading this "audiophile" switch Buffalo BS-GS2016/A

 

http://www.hiendy.com/hififorum/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=107184

 

As shown in those pictures, Kenneth Lau simply removed that "disposable" SMPS as well as the original IEC inlet. Then he installed his own LPS with 12V output, Audio Note Kaisei electrolytic caps, and also that IEC inlet Furutech FI-06 NCF afterwards.

 

IMHO the most cost effective way should be finding a power source with 14V output and connect that to the first LT3045-A. It's gonna output 13V and then we'll connect that to our second LT3045. Finally that's giving us 12V and we could connect that to the input of the motherboard accordingly

 

http://www.ldovr.com/product-p/lt3045-a.htm

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LT3045-A-Ultralow-noise-0-8-Vrms-LDO-linear-regulator-0V-15V-1A-Fixed-out-/253378132579

 

Of course it's even better if we're tracing what other regulators are found on the motherboard itself, then we could simply bypass them with the right LT3045 combo in series.

[seeteeyou]

9 hours ago, charlesphoto said:

So got my practically brand new and sadly dented in one corner during shipping, Nov 2017 mfg date, $155 Cisco 2960-L-16PS-LL up and running as my main, and now only, switch.

 

Non-PoE 8-port version in Japan seemed to be quite affordable, brand new ones cost about 10,800 yen a piece so that's less than 100 bucks

 

https://www.cisco.com/c/m/ja_jp/solutions/cisco-start/product_cat2960l.html

https://www.amazon.co.jp/シスコシステムズ-Catalyst-2960-L-Switch-WS-C2960L-8TS-JP/dp/B06XDBNJFG

https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/en/special/order/confirm/https%3A%2F%2Fitem.rakuten.co.jp%2Fe-fellows5%2Fs-17041859%2F/N_1/

[seeteeyou]

Here's Hugo M Scaler for £3495 and it's a much better upgrade than many tweaks according to @romaz

 

https://chordelectronics.co.uk/product/hugo-mscaler/

https://www.facebook.com/chordelectronics/posts/1430277567072260

 

 

 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/30376-a-novel-way-to-massively-improve-the-sq-of-computer-audio-streaming/?page=148&tab=comments#comment-723032

On 9/25/2017 at 5:16 PM, romaz said:

Practically speaking, this results in a massive improvement in DAVE's resolution, so massive that the collective impact of my server mods which includes 8 clocks being replaced pales in comparison to what Blu Mk2 provides.  For those of you who own a Chord DAVE, I would suggest you prioritize getting a Blu Mk2 beyond anything else discussed on this thread.  Combined with Chord's upcoming "digital" amplifiers, there will be no more resolute or transparent way of listening to a digital file.  Despite all of this, I am finding, however, that the quality of the music server still matters.

 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/30376-a-novel-way-to-massively-improve-the-sq-of-computer-audio-streaming/?page=164&tab=comments#comment-728221

On 10/11/2017 at 6:37 PM, romaz said:

HQPlayer was drier and less smooth.  With Blu2 combined with either DAVE or Hugo2, the improvement was massive.  HQPlayer does not come close to what the M-scaler in Blu2 can do with either Hugo2 or DAVE.

 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/30376-a-novel-way-to-massively-improve-the-sq-of-computer-audio-streaming/?page=159&tab=comments#comment-727232

On 10/9/2017 at 9:41 AM, austinpop said:

One such exception was the Bluebird room, which demo'd the Chord Dave and Blu-2 M-scaler, playing on Vienna Acoustics speakers. Hearing the Dave by itself and then with the M-Scaler was epic. This was a fall out of your chair improvement. I know I've said I find DAC differences to be modest, but this was anything but. I heard the same effect downstairs in the CanJam Chord booth.

 

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/my-long-list-of-amplifiers-and-my-personal-review-of-each/post?postid=1499074#1499074

Quote

The Chord DAVE on its own wasn't that impressive to me. However, when you add the Blu2, it becomes a beast.

 

[seeteeyou]

Too late to edit my post above, here's a little something

 

https://youtu.be/0BMk_dBIQjY

 

DC input is exactly 15V so that's perfect for the output voltage of LT3045

 

[seeteeyou]

1 hour ago, rickca said:

Thanks @seeteeyou I didn't realize  the Hugo M Scaler had been announced.

 

8 minutes ago, tapatrick said:

cool, thanks @seeteeyou, I s**t my pants!

 

Just now, Johnseye said:

Thanks for the info.  Not sure why they went with dual BNC out.  A little inconvenient.  Cost is $4500 US.  Looking forward to the reviews.

 

You're all very welcomed. I wish that we could actually find something that's capable of recording both BNC outputs but this particular $200 product only supports a single S/PDIF @ 384kHz to be recorded

 

http://www.comtrue-inc.com/index.php/products

http://www.comtrue-inc.com/index.php/downloads2/category/2-audio-usb-bridge

 

In other words, we won't see anything with USB outputs until their Davina is ready. Virtually all non-Chord DACs should only accept 192kHz via S/PDIF inputs, that's the whole point of recording the outputs of Hugo M Scaler so that we'll be able to play those recorded lossless audio files somewhere else with USB instead. Not to mention that we could even bring those upscaled files with us when we're on the road.

[seeteeyou]

At $10K or so, this HMS + TT2 combo is surely hard to beat. Just modify an Oppo with OCXO, then add a pair of Omega or Voxativ etc. and you're all set without too much spaghetti

 

https://youtu.be/WZn1kCwS70I

 

https://youtu.be/VfscfTkHgM4

 

[seeteeyou]

3 minutes ago, jabbr said:

Artix-7 ... yawn ... low powered FPGA, a step up from the Spartan-6 no doubt but doesn’t have the horsepower to make great filters for DSD upsampling ... HQPlayer has access to vastly higher processing ... you’re better off for $$& looking at the SQ of the new CPU/GPU combos. 

 

Lots of theories ... yawn ... @romaz actually compared HQPlayer to M Scaler and the latter one turned out to be superior as I quoted above.

 

[seeteeyou]

Uh oh, wait for their DX amp with Power Pulse Array and then we won't even need a DAC anymore when everything is digital

 

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/chord-electronics-blu-mk-2-the-official-thread.831343/page-266#post-14374158

Quote

The DX output audio data is identical to the dual BNC output which is a mono transmission standard - all that happens is that volume control information is transmitted in the SPDIF user data, so the DX power amps will read that data and change the volume at a more appropriate point inside the DX power amp. This means that the full audio data is transmitted without any loss in SQ, but with the convenience of the H M scaler controlling the volume.

 

[seeteeyou]

You could power Singxer F1 with battery-powered LT3045 (with 5V output) and it's only 200 RMB

 

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=565126246341

 

To feed Singxer F1 with an external power source, you could try some USB cables that are similar to the ones linked below

 

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=18645273306

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=18651345785

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=22596647235

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=36712132856

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=38636625250

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=41118241163

 

One leg for data and then another leg for power.

[seeteeyou]

Just an FYI - they've got 20% off everything on their site so their Neutron Star 2 would cost €300 shipped to anywhere outside EU

 

http://newclassd.com/index.php?euip=1&page=200

 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/30376-a-novel-way-to-massively-improve-the-sq-of-computer-audio-streaming/?page=288&tab=comments#comment-794884

On 3/13/2018 at 7:52 PM, RickyV said:

With the neutron star 2 the sound is balanced nicely but with much better resolution and detail all over the place.

i think the crystek 575 shouldn't be used at the end of the chain, sound is unbalanced. 

 

[seeteeyou]

1 minute ago, Cornan said:

Thanks for sharing that battery powered LT3045 board. I found it on eBay as well https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F273135946356

 

I will try it powering the GI Spdif output of my BluWave board possibly freeing up the LPS-1.2 for other duties.

 

No problem, buddy. It's more like 30 bucks when it's converted from 200 RMB but obviously they've gotta jack that up in order to cover free economy international shipping that could very well take weeks if not months.

 

Quote

1 x LT3045 four parallel regulated power supply 5V 2A Upgrade LT3042

 

And then it's kinda funny that LT3042 was added to the end simply because that should help them with matching more searches. Actually they do sell another module with a single piece of LT3042 but it's somewhat expensive for only 0.2A output

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-LT3042-ultra-low-noise-voltage-regulator-module/273013276211

 

BTW, their Chinglish translations totally cracked me up when I was checking other products.

[seeteeyou]

If booting off eMMC (without storage devices via USB / SATA / PCIe etc.) into RAM were THAT good, we could only speculate how that's gonna sound if we're going completely diskless by means of either iSCSI or PXE boot

 

http://www.ccboot.com/lan-boot.htm

 

BTW, it would be mighty interesting to compare NUC with something even simpler @ 300 bucks

 

https://up-shop.org/up-boards/97-up-squared-pentium-quad-core-8gb-memory64gb-emmc.html

 

Their latest model $289 UP Core Plus should be even simpler than its predecessor

 

https://up-shop.org/up-ai-edge/231-up-core-plus.html#/63-up_core_plus_sku-atom_x7_e3950_8gb_ram_64gb_emmc_on_board

 

$49 carrier board is coming in September

 

https://up-shop.org/up-core/202-up-core-carrier-board-high-speed.html