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

[auricgoldfinger]

6 hours ago, seeteeyou said:

FYI - that 10% off deal is constantly available on a weekly basis from Wednesday to Friday, let's take a look at a few tips and tricks for importing S100 from Japan directly.

 

First of all, there will be no warranty outside Japan at all but personally I believe that S100 won't go south within 12 months simply because it's made in Japan to begin with. Though we could spend about 2,600 bucks for purchasing two units of S100 rather than getting only one for £1,999 in UK.

 

Pretty much like the difference between Victor and JVC, they're known as Melco internationally and DELA domestically. Hence we've gotta look for DELA S100 instead of Melco S100.

 

Currently there are 3 sellers listed on Rakuten and all of them should be backordered, they're always showing the full retail price and here are the direct links to order them

 

https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/en/special/order/confirm/https%3A%2F%2Fitem.rakuten.co.jp%2Fratoc%2Fs100%2F/N_1/

https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/en/special/order/confirm/https%3A%2F%2Fitem.rakuten.co.jp%2Faudiounion%2Fdelas100%2F/N_1/

https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/en/special/order/confirm/https%3A%2F%2Fitem.rakuten.co.jp%2Fyamada-denki%2F4218914012%2F/N_1/

 

Default currency is NOT Japanese Yen under most circumstances and therefore the currency conversion rate might be somewhat "less than desirable" if you will. Definitely change it to Japanese Yen (upper-right corner of any pages) right away after you've logged on / created a brand new account. Finally the currency conversion will be done by your own credit card company and most likely that's gonna be a better deal.

 

S100 is already double boxed by default and the entire package should weigh almost 5kg, here's the link to Shipping Fee Calculator

 

https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/en/estimate

 

Shopping Proxy Service companies could very well be swamped these days. Almost everyone is trying to get their hands on surgical masks etc. for obvious reasons and the sheer volume of orders might keep their staff VERY busy. If you're living close to China like I do, it's a challenging year for the air cargo industry since the number of flights to specific regions should be greatly reduced. Novel Coronavirus in Asia, mysterious disease in Nigeria, Yaravirus in Brazil, there's no telling how long it's gonna take before things are getting better.

 

Thankfully S100 ain't made in China and the production itself shouldn't be affected, though more and more confirmed cases were popping up over there

 

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/02/12/national/science-health/40-new-coronavirus-cases-cruise-ship-quarantined-japan/

 

BTW, here's an upcoming Ethernet cable (100Mbps only with 2 pairs of Gore wires) if you're also interested in getting something from Japan

 

http://asoyaji.blogspot.com/2020/02/lan.html

 

Have you looked under the hood of your S100 to understand the quality of clock being used?  I'm wondering if you're considering the clock upgrade from Fidelity Audio you mentioned earlier.

[auricgoldfinger]

47 minutes ago, seeteeyou said:

 

Both Buffalo BS-GS2016/A and Melco S100 seemed to look pretty much the same when we're comparing the PCB inside each unit, unfortunately the clock itself couldn't be seen without removing the heat sink as shown in the second link

 

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

http://my-hiend.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/DSC_5221mm.jpg

 

If that heat sink were actually removed, we couldn't really put it back on without messing with the thermal paste and therefore I'd rather stay from that.

 

I'm expecting that both Melco N100 and S100 would share a very similar type of clock from NDK since that should be a good fit under the heat sink of S100, either picture linked below is showing that 24MHz NDK clock for NEC / Renasys µPD720201 where "X17" could be found

 

http://my-hiend.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/melco_n100_002.jpg

http://my-hiend.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/melco_n100_006.jpg

 

I also have D10 and it's the big brother of D100 as shown in the following picture, 24MHz for NEC / Renasys µPD720210 on the left and 30MHz for µPD720231 on the right respectively

 

http://my-hiend.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/DSC_5221mm.jpg

 

They might have scratched the surface of the clock and there's no way to identify the model. However, NZ2520SD looked like a potential candidate to me

 

https://www.ndk.com/en/products/search/clock/index.html

https://www.ndk.com/en/products/search/clock/1190904_1433.html

 

Nowhere close to the performance of megabuck OCXO products like NDK DuCULoN or even MSB Galaxy, though it's still a pretty darn good deal for such an affordable option

 

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/lks-audio-mh-da003.745032/page-20#post-12775721

https://www.arrow.com/en/products/nz2520sd-25.000000m-nsa3449e/ndk

 

It might be somewhat challenging to put Fidelity Audio C5 inside S100 because of that heat sink mentioned above, it's also requiring its own PSU and therefore I'd rather leave S100 as is.

 

OTOH, HFS1155 from JS PC Audio could be another avenue since it's so easy to replace the clock

 

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/sotm-snh-10g-network-switches-x2-the-new-king-of-usb-network-gadget-setup.27758/page-21#post-625621

 

Dimensions of C5 are 100mm × 55mm versus 230mm × 180mm for HFS1155, that Connor Winfield accepts either 5V or 3.3V but C5 needs at least 6.5V to operate

 

http://www.conwin.com/datasheets/cx/cx259.pdf

https://www.fidelityaudio.co.uk/c5-signature-low-jitter-clock-4461-p.asp

 

Of course there's also this 25MHz clock that costs as much as S100 itself

 

https://www.pinkfaun.com/shop/clock/67-ultra-ocxo.html

https://www.pinkfaun.com/shop/sheets/PinkFaunUltra25MHz.pdf

 

However good sounding S100 would seem to be, there's still a lingering question for me. All audiophile switches still have low power CPUs while some supervisor modules from Cisco are much more powerful

 

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/switches/nexus-7000-series-switches/models-comparison.html

 

Since music servers with Xeon / Core i9 / Ryzen would tend to perform so much matter when compared to similar options with Pentium / Celeron / Atom, just wondering if a network bridge with Asus WS C621E SAGE + dual Xeon Scalable + Apacer wide temperature RDIMM + modified JCAT NET Card FEMTO were gonna totally smoke all switches out there

 

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-set-and-manage-network-bridge-connection-windows-10

 

That's a lot to chew on!  Thanks for taking the time to put all of that information together and for sharing your thoughts.

 

[auricgoldfinger]

8 hours ago, Nenon said:

 

More about this great finding from @seeteeyou. I got one of these switches and powered it with a LPS. Haven't done any listening tests yet. As already mentioned the Buffalo switch looks identical to the Melco. The layout of the board is exactly the same. Every visible component is exactly the same (i.e. the Melco does not seem to have any special/upgraded "audio-grade" parts). None of that is surprising since Buffalo and Melco are related. 

 

It's super easy to remove the SMPS and install a 12V DC connector. Then you can power the Buffalo switch with a better power supply than the Melco. Of course the Melco switch is in a much nicer chassis, which I am sure is beneficial. The only question that remains open is have they actually replaced the clock or not? It is strange that I could not find any mention of a clock from Melco or any reviewers. I am starting to wonder if they have even done that. 

 

Here is how the Buffalo switch looks like with the heatsink removed.

 

I wish I had a Melco switch to peak under the heatsink. It's super easy to remove but there is thermal paste between the chip and the heatsink. I am glad I removed it, because the thermal paste was of pretty bad quality and not applied properly. I put some fresh Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut thermal paste on mine. 

 

 

 

I asked Melco about the clock and they will not answer questions about it. 

[auricgoldfinger]

10 minutes ago, Gavin1977 said:

Very interesting that after adding the Etherregen I found that the txUSBUltra no longer had much appreciable benefit, it certainly wasn't detrimental to the sound, but perhaps it could be stated that the sound stage / reverb perhaps collapsed a little.  I sold my txUSBultra.  Perhaps this is just a simple case of it being better to provide a clean source to a server to start with, rather than trying to clean up any issues further down the chain.  Etherregen is a very good product.  Anyone else tried this combination?

 

What were you using to power the tX-USBultra before you sold it?

[auricgoldfinger]

1 hour ago, Nenon said:

But I have a second Melco(*) switch (more on that in some future posts). So would adding a second Melco switch be even better?

Cable modem --(copper)--> Ubiquity router --(copper)--> Melco switch --> Melco(*) switch --(fiber)--> (A)etherREGEN(B) --(copper)--> JCAT NIC on the server.

 

What happens if you put the Melco after the etherREGEN?

[auricgoldfinger]

Just now, RickyV said:

Or Melco first and go optical to ER, that’s what I am thinking.

 

@austinpop and I use SOtM via optical to ER.  In the ER review, he preferred the Melco to the other two switches (when cost is not a factor), so why not try it last in the chain?  Only Uptone says the ER must be last.  I haven't seen anyone test that assertion.

[auricgoldfinger]

1 hour ago, Gavin1977 said:

Anyone else powered their DSL router using a linear power supply?  I am also wondering what effect it might have if it's so far downstream...  

 

You might want to check out this thread:  https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/cable-modems.30094/

[auricgoldfinger]

9 minutes ago, Johnseye said:

 

Chris, I hope all is well and you're enjoying beautiful Oregon.  Right now I'm using a Poweradd Pro battery to power my router directly.  The nice thing about this battery is it has a controlled variable voltage output and based on what I've read at 4.5 amps.  Excellent output.

 

 

Thanks for the response.

 

Do you know how these device stand up in terms of SQ against a LPS-1.2, sPS-500 or even an SR-4?  I can do these tests myself in time, but wondering if anyone's done it yet.

 

I think Rajiv made these comparisons somewhere in this thread.

[auricgoldfinger]

5 hours ago, matthias said:

This guy from the Wigwam is in the hifi trade and might have some other interests.

 

He is the proprietor Wave High Fidelity who sells ferrited digital cables for the M-Scaler.  AFAIK he has no affiliation with Sean Jacobs other than being a friend and paying customer.

[auricgoldfinger]

4 minutes ago, taipan254 said:

 

Sorry, maybe I'm amazon illterate - how much does this battery cost??? It is not available. 

 

https://www.realgrapheneusa.com/pro

[auricgoldfinger]

8 minutes ago, Dev said:

JCAT Reference LAN Gold

 

I have been using the JCAT Reference for two week, so hopefully it is well broken in by now. Here is my subjective opinion:

 

A bit of background on my setup - I have the ER, powered by PH SR4, for over a month now. Its connected to Ubiquity fiber which further connects to my wifi router. One port on A side is connected to NAS (home brew running AudioLinux) powered by Mojo-audio Illuminati3. The B side is connected to NUCi7 running Euphony. So far I have been using cheap $10 Mono price CAT8 to connect. The JCAT Signature at 1000 EUR is too rich for my blood and hence I settled in for its lesser brother the JCAT Reference LAN Gold.

 

Needless to say, the ER has brought tremendous improvement to my previous setup which was using Wifi. However, as great as ER is, there was something off that kept me unsettling. I couldn't figure out what was it, neither I could lay my fingers on until I replaced the Monoprice CAT8 with JCAT Reference LAN Gold. It was an eye-opener from the first song I played that I realized how unnatural the tones was previously. The cheap cable had a metallic tone, especially to human voices. The JCAT completely removed it - music is fuller, bigger and natural is what I felt. In other words, if you have a good enough resolving system, a $10 cable will actually sound like a $10 cable after you have replaced it with a better one. I cannot explain why a 1M cable would have such a tremendous effect - the improvements in my system were much bigger than what ER bought to the table. However, both together brings a great synergy in my setup.

 

Marcin says that the Reference is 65% of the Signature which is about twice the price. I can only speculate how Signature can only take things further up the chain.

 

The Reference Gold at 600 EUR is not cheap by any stretch but I am glad that I took the plunge. For those, like me, who are not willing to spend and justify over a 1000 bucks for an Ethernet cable, the Reference takes the prime seat but if you can swing it, my guess is you will be up for a treat.

 

Don't skimp with cheap Ethernet cables and you will be glad (as I am) that you did.

 

 

Off the main topic of your post, but I'm wondering if you've ever directly compared the SR4 to the Illuminati3.

[auricgoldfinger]

6 minutes ago, ASRMichael said:

Sad day....Clumsy is an understatement! Putting last touches to my new build & then this happened!!    
 

Snapped a capacitor off my Pink Faun Ultra USB card! 😢😢😢😢

 

The joys of DIY! NOT! 

 

I hope it can be repaired.  Those cards are so expensive.

[auricgoldfinger]

Haven't you two had this argument enough times already?

[auricgoldfinger]

3 hours ago, str-1 said:

I need to buy two or three more dc cables for my various Pilot Pro battery packs, OPTO.DX and DXP-1A5DSC/DXP-1A5S units, and Chord M Scaler, and am wondering if I should take the opportunity to try one or two different cables from the Ghent DC-GAC4 Gotham cables that have served me well so far (I wouldn’t be surprised to be told to stick with the same cable).

 

Looking at the options Ghent has available, does anyone have experience hearing how the Ghent DC-7N16C (16awg solid-core) and/or Ghent DC-7N18C (18awg stranded-core) perform in the same device compared to the DC-GAC4?  I do of course realise that any feedback must come with the rider that this is all system dependent.

 

I will be using double-regulated DXP units between my PP5s/SR4T-19 and the OPTO.DX units, M Scaler and Netgear switch, so there will never be more than 16v passing through the dc cables and most of the time not less than 12v (possibly less if and when I upgrade to the EtherREGEN).  The DXP units limit things to 1.5A.

 

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

I think this cable is worth trying:  https://www.ghentaudio.com/part/dc-7n16c.html

 

It's pretty inflexible with the JSSG360 shielding, so order a little longer cable than you normally would.

[auricgoldfinger]

I recently added a modified Melco/Dela S100 switch to my system.  My experience follows.

 

 

Background

 

My first audiophile switch was a modified consumer-grade Linksys SE3008.  SOtM changed capacitors, replaced the switching regulator with a linear regulator, and enabled the switch to be re-clocked by the sCLK-EX board in my tX-USBultra.  Later, the sCLK-EX was re-clocked by their sCLK-OCX10 master clock.  As others have noted, the result was a nice improvement in sound quality.

 

At some point, we were told that a particular Netgear switch could shunt upstream noise to ground, so I added one before the modified SE3008.  Although I could never hear any difference, I left it in place.  Much later, I tried a Cisco Catalyst 2960.  I heard no change, so I removed it.

 

I purchased the SOTM sNH-10G audiophile switch a few months after it was released.  To be honest, I was put off by the price and was skeptical of its value.  I knew from prior experience with my tX-USBultra and sMS-200ultra that I could get much better sound quality using 20AWG solid core Neotech silver wire with JSSG 360 shielding rather than the generic 22AWG stranded silver offered as an upgrade by SOtM.  The Neotech upgrade increases openness, transparency, and detail.  Importantly, it also adds body to the sound signature.  Consequently, my sNH-10G does not suffer much from the thinness that others have noted.

 

Along the way, I acquired a Mutec REF 10 to re-clock the tX-USBultra and sNG-10G.  The REF 10 is a marked improvement over the sCLK-OCX10.

 

I purchased an EtherREGEN soon after its release to chain with the sNH-10G.  During this time, I removed the Netgear switch from my network and noticed an uptick in sound quality.  I ran this configuration for a few months before deciding to part with the EtherREGEN and try a re-clocked Melco/Dela S100 instead. 

 

The S100 modifications were made by Pink Faun.  They replaced the 25MHz oscillator on the S100 board with their Ultra OCXO clock module.  They also removed the internal power connectors and soldered those wires directly to the board.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they created a 5v input to SEPARATELY power the clock module.  In other words, the modified S100 requires two power supply rails:  a 12v rail for the switch board and a 5v rail for the clock module.

 

I would like to give credit to @seeteeyou for the idea of modifying an S100 and to @Nenon for giving me his thoughts and suggestions during my due diligence process.

 

Topology

 

A simplified representation of my system excluding grounding and power is as follows (apologies for the lack of an easy-to-read flow chart):

 

NUC7i7DNKE Euphony/Roon Server > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Synology DS218j > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

Linksys WRT 1900 ACS router > Viablue EP-7 Cat 6a > SOtM sNH-10G SE

 

SOtM sNH-10G SE* > Single Mode Fiber > Modified Melco S100** > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF Ethernet > NUC7i7DNHE StylusEP > Habst USB Ultra III > tX-USBultra SE* > Synergistic Research Galileo UEF USB > Chord Hugo M-Scaler > Synergistic Research Galileo SX Digital BNC (2) > Chord DAVE > 12AWG 16-wire UniCrystal silver custom headphone cable > HE1000se headphones

 

* Re-clocked by Mutec REF 10 (Habst Digital BNC)

 

** Powered by a Farad3 12v and a JCAT Optimo Duo 5v rail.  A 100Mbps port is used to connect to the NUC7i7DNHE endpoint.

 

(Note:  A particular Finisar SFP recently has become popular for its added transparency and air.  In my system, I found the perceived improvement to be the result of a recessed midrange.  I went back and forth several times to confirm this impression.  In my system, for this particular application, the Planet Technology SFP is clearly superior.)

 

Listening Impressions

 

In a nutshell, the modified S100 has profoundly affected my listening experience.  I have implemented many changes during the past few years, upgrading sources, all types of cables, signal regeneration and re-clocking, power, grounding, and RAM.  In a few instances, a tweak or modification resulted in the perception of having acquired an upgraded version of a particular piece of gear.  Others were less dramatic but provided welcome improvements in sound quality.  None had the transformative effect of the modified S100.  Replacing my DNA Stratus headphone amp and Auralic VEGA DAC with the Chord DAVE was the most significant upgrade that I have made to my audio system.  The modified S100 is probably the second most important.

 

I am not a professional reviewer, and finding the words to properly describe what I am hearing has been challenging.  To begin, the background is very black.  Low level detail is jaw dropping.  I hear much more subtle elements in voices and instruments.  Reverberation and decay are more apparent.  The sound signature is smooth with an extended high frequency response that is not the least bit fatiguing.  Images and soundstage are more focused and coherent.  The acoustical space is more easily discerned.  Tonality, density, and resolution are outstanding.

 

I consider the sNH-10G to be my baseline switch.  Adding the ER modified the sound, primarily adding body while sacrificing some of the transparency, detail, and spatiality which are the hallmarks of the sNH-10G.  The net result was to tune my system rather than take a major step forward.  Replacing the ER with the modified S100 is an entirely different experience.  As I have attempted to describe above, the modified S100 elevates the sound quality to dramatic new heights.

 

 

[auricgoldfinger]

23 minutes ago, austinpop said:

 

It’s also interesting to read your remarks about the Finisar transceivers, as I am also finding that I like the Planet Tech ones better. To be fair, I’ve only had them in my system only a few days, so these are just preliminary.

 

It's good to know I'm not crazy (preliminarily). 

[auricgoldfinger]

1 hour ago, Marcin_gps said:

@auricgoldfinger thanks for the report. How do you like the Optimo?  

 

Regards,

Marcin

 

Hi Marcin,

 

The Optimo has certainly met my expectations for a clean sounding, quiet power supply that is well-constructed and offers good value for the money.  I can't offer a comparative assessment which many readers of this thread might appreciate because I don't have any other 5v PSU rails at the moment.

 

Best regards,

Brian

[auricgoldfinger]

1 hour ago, Nsxturbo said:

I might as well try replacing one of the Buffalo’s 25Mhz clocks with a sCLK-EX 25Mhz synthesized output fed by the REF10, since I already those two pieces in the stable. That will give us all another data point!

 

I considered that option for similar reasons, especially since I had an unused Habst clock cable on hand.  Both approaches seem equally valid.  Looking forward to an additional data point!

[auricgoldfinger]

18 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

Wow Brian, that is quite a switch set up!  Leaving aside your SOtM switch and clocking, and leaving out whatever Pink Faun charged you in labor to perform the mods, as well as custom DC and Ethernet cables, shipping, etc., it looks like the Melco, plus upgraded clock and two power supplies came to about $5,900.  Am I in the ballpark here?

At that level I am truly glad you realized the sonic gain you did! 

Cheers,

--Alex C.

 

Hi Alex,

 

This setup is definitely over the top.  I was initially hesitant to write about it publicly, but ultimately, I felt there might be others who would be interested in something similar.  The marginal cost to me was around $4500 since I already had purchased the Farad3 12v to power the EtherREGEN.  The Optimo has dual outputs and includes two 1.2m DC cables in the price, leaving me with an unused rail at the moment.  I could have bought a less expensive single-rail PSU, but I have plans to use both Optimo outputs elsewhere down the road.  There was no need for additional cabling other than the fiber and two transceivers, but again, I had already purchased them to use with the EtherREGEN.  For someone starting from scratch, the cost could easily be $4500 to $5000, depending on which power supplies are used.

 

Best regards,

Brian

[auricgoldfinger]

58 minutes ago, beautiful music said:

Just out of curiosity did you tried to use one NUC after adding additional switches.

 

I haven't had a chance to do any experimentation other than the transceivers, but I don't anticipate trying only one NUC.  I will be moving to a one-box solution in the next few months, but it will be a custom server rather than a NUC.

 

1 hour ago, beautiful music said:

Also it will be fun if you post some photos of modified S100.

 

I had originally intended to post some photos, but I was trying to get the review out today and ran out of time.  I'll try to upload a couple in the next few days.

[auricgoldfinger]

2 minutes ago, elan120 said:

Looking forward to learn more about what the new server is like.  👍

 

The new server is essentially a replica of the first build in @Nenon's DIY thread.  The main difference is I will be using the HDPLEX 800W DC-ATX converter to power the ATX rather than separate PSU rails as he did.  I will have a 19v/10A SR7t rail powering the HDPLEX and a second 12v/12A SR7t rail directly powering the EPS.  I'm sure you are a generation or two ahead of me there.  😏

[auricgoldfinger]

Photos of the modified S100

 

 

 

 

BEFORE:

 

 

 

AFTER:

 

 

 

Modifications which are not visible in the photos are the four vibration dampers attached to the bottom of the clock board (one for each corner) and custom Pink Faun wire in the DC cable powering the clock module.  (This is the same wire used in their streamer products), 

[auricgoldfinger]

Some additional thoughts:

 

1. People have inquired about the cost.  I have confirmed with Jord that Pink Faun didn't charge me for the additional parts and labor because I was the first customer to request this particular implementation of their clock, and they didn't know if it would work. If you would like more information about pricing, contact Jord at [email protected].

2. Even though my source is only two NUCs, my system is highly optimized throughout in terms of power supplies, DC cables, power cords, interconnects, fuses, and Apacer RAM.  If you are not already powering all of the devices in your digital chain PSUs from the vendors who have a proven track record here...Paul Hynes Design, Farad, Uptone, JCAT, and DXPWR...I recommend spending your money to fully address those areas before moving forward with the S100 modification.  In particular, be sure you have top quality DC cables...they are like any other component and have a significant effect on the performance of the LPS.  People who have experimented with power cords will tell you they can also make significant changes in sound quality (less so with Uptone products).  Finally, I would consider replacing stock fuses with Synergistic Research orange fuses.  romaz uses them throughout his system.  @Nenon can also attest to the positive changes they bring to his system.  They are far and away the best fuses I have used.

 

3.  Finally, if you decide to move forward, be sure to use a high quality PSU for the clock module. The ultra OCXO really benefits from good, clean power.

[auricgoldfinger]

12 hours ago, elan120 said:

Based on the experience from the EPS supply I just completed, and now with about 250hrs of burn-in time, I highly recommend taking Sean Jacobs power supply as another viable option.

 

Thanks for the recommendation.  You know how much I value your opinion.  👍

[auricgoldfinger]

7 hours ago, matthias said:

 

Thanks for sharing.

Did you compare standard S100 vs modified S100?

Thanks again

 

Matt

 

Hi Matt,

 

I considered listening to the standard S100 before sending it to The Netherlands for modification, but I know from past experience that my audio memory is best measured in seconds for critical listening.  Since I knew multiple weeks would pass before the switch was returned, I didn't see much value in trying to make a comparison.  The best that I would be able to say is better or worse in the most general sense, but even then, I don't think it would be fair to readers to render an opinion.

 

The only way I could attempt an honest and fair comparison would be if someone could loan me their Melco or Buffalo switch.

 

Brian