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

[Always.Learning]

3 hours ago, sadekkhalifa said:

Are you sure you can power both sMS-200Ultra and ULTRA D-Link switch using a single LPS-1 and Y-cable

 

We'll find out. Either way, I'll report back. I have some other options if it doesn't work, including yet another LPS-1. 

[greenleo]

3 hours ago, RickyV said:

Hi, 

idea/question is it possible to replace a crystek 575 clock with one of the sclk-ex's tabs? Then you could add the iso regen into ultra clock tab mix. Just between ground and the clk padd of the 575.

I wonder if SoTM would do so?  DIY may be.

[HeeBroG]

9 hours ago, austinpop said:

BTW - and @Superdad will probably just shake his head at this  - I couldn't resist picking up my 3rd LPS-1 when one popped up for sale here a few days ago.

 

So I am now running like this:

Any improvement over the shared Y cable setup between tX and switch?

[Marcin_gps]

On 9.06.2017 at 10:17 AM, Em2016 said:

 

Hi @Marcin_gps

 

Can you kindly share some details about this.

Is it going to be a high end switch (i.e. multiple ethernet ports) or a device with a single ethernet input and a single ethernet output?

 

And what features will it have? Linear regulators, re-clocking, signal integrity regeneration etc?

 

Cheers!

 

Sean

 

Final pre-production units arrived. Coming soon to PC near you

 

[pam1975]

Will it come with low profile bracket as well?

 

what price will you be selling it at?

[Marcin_gps]

4 minutes ago, pam1975 said:

Will it come with low profile bracket as well?

 

what price will you be selling it at?

 

Both low-profile and full-height laser cut brackets will be included. 

The price will be similar to the JCAT USB Card FEMTO. 

[guerph]

I plan on testing "bridged" connection tonight using NUC (running ROCK) to sMS-200. My current setup has NUC (powered by Sbooster) connected to a tx-USBultra (powered by W4S LPS) connected to Chord 2Qute (also powered by W4S LPS). I am quite happy with the sound at the moment. My question is whether adding the (unmodified) sMS-200 to the chain, bridged between NUC and tx-USBultra, makes sense. Or am I only complicating the chain? Is there reason to expect an improvement?

[AmusedToD]

6 minutes ago, guerph said:

I plan on testing "bridged" connection tonight using NUC (running ROCK) to sMS-200. My current setup has NUC (powered by Sbooster) connected to a tx-USBultra (powered by W4S LPS) connected to Chord 2Qute (also powered by W4S LPS). I am quite happy with the sound at the moment. My question is whether adding the (unmodified) sMS-200 to the chain, bridged between NUC and tx-USBultra, makes sense. Or am I only complicating the chain? Is there reason to expect an improvement?

I will be eagerly anticipating your impressions!!!

 

I guess you are using a USB cable from NUC to the txUSBUltra, but please try NUC to sms200 via Ethernet cable, I wonder whether ROCK has any SQ benefits over iMac running Windows 10 (no linear PSU) in such scenario.

[guerph]

5 minutes ago, AmusedToD said:

I will be eagerly anticipating your impressions!!!

 

I guess you are using a USB cable from NUC to the txUSBUltra, but please try NUC to sms200 via Ethernet cable, I wonder whether ROCK has any SQ benefits over iMac running Windows 10 (no linear PSU) in such scenario.

 

Yes, Curious short link from NUC to txUSBultra and another Curious short link to 2Qute. NUC (running ROCK) connected direct to 2Qute sounded dull. Things improved significantly with txUSBultra and again improved once I added the Sbooster to power NUC. 

[greenleo]

23 hours ago, Marcin_gps said:

 

Final pre-production units arrived. Coming soon to PC near you

 

Can it be powered externally?

[Marcin_gps]

1 hour ago, greenleo said:

Can it be powered externally?

Yes - via DC barrel jack or LP4 molex connector. 

[greenleo]

12 minutes ago, Marcin_gps said:

Yes - via DC barrel jack or LP4 molex connector. 

5.5*2.1 DC plug?

[AmusedToD]

14 hours ago, guerph said:

 

Yes, Curious short link from NUC to txUSBultra and another Curious short link to 2Qute. NUC (running ROCK) connected direct to 2Qute sounded dull. Things improved significantly with txUSBultra and again improved once I added the Sbooster to power NUC. 

 

Your setup certainly benefits from running ROCK on a dedicated machine with a linear PSU. However, I would like to know whether running ROCK on a NUC powered by linear PSU and connected via Ethernet to a Sotm sms200 sounds better than running Roon server on a noisy Windows 10 PC connected via Ethernet to a Sotm sms200. 

[Cooler]

Guys, some time ago we discussed PSUs for music PC. And i decided to stick to seasonic titanium 850w psu. But now im planning to get more equipment. I want to feed my ssd with linear psu and also i want to buy that jcat ethernet nic and feed it also with linear psu. So i was thinking to buy j2 uptone psu, which is near 1100 euro, but then recalled that there is hd-plex 400w linear psu on the market, with which i can feed all my pc, motherboard, ssd and ethernet all together, and it costs 750 euro and i also can sell seasonic for near 200 euro. What would you suggest? Maybe some other psus? I dont know what is better in my situation. I also thought to buy more Lps-1, but this nic needs 2A for proper work. 

[rickca]

12 minutes ago, Cooler said:

I also thought to buy more Lps-1, but this nic needs 2A for proper work. 

Where did you see that the JCAT NIC requires 2A?

[ElviaCaprice]

Do some searching in this thread.  PS have been thoroughly discussed.   My opinion is this is the one area not to slouch on.  Great PS's hold their value and make a big difference in SQ.  Any component add on/replacement must take into consideration the PS.  

Thus, a 5V 2A component is doa, since I wouldnt have the proper supply to feed it, like an LPS-1.  Any ATX component is doa, since there is no great PS to feed it.  I would keep the Seasonic until your ready to change out the atx mobo for a 12V mobo.  HD Plex would be a sideways movement.

[Cooler]

3 hours ago, rickca said:

Where did you see that the JCAT NIC requires 2A?

I talked to @Marcin_gps 

if nic will work on gigabit speed with two ports, it needs 2A.

 

2 hours ago, ElviaCaprice said:

Do some searching in this thread.  PS have been thoroughly discussed.   My opinion is this is the one area not to slouch on.  Great PS's hold their value and make a big difference in SQ.  Any component add on/replacement must take into consideration the PS.  

Thus, a 5V 2A component is doa, since I wouldnt have the proper supply to feed it, like an LPS-1.  Any ATX component is doa, since there is no great PS to feed it.  I would keep the Seasonic until your ready to change out the atx mobo for a 12V mobo.  HD Plex would be a sideways movement.

If i stay with seasonic, is j2 good enough, or what would you suggest? And what do you mean under "12v mobo"?

[rickca]

2 hours ago, Cooler said:

I talked to @Marcin_gps 

if nic will work on gigabit speed with two ports, it needs 2A.

Thanks, @Cooler.

[ElviaCaprice]

3 hours ago, Cooler said:

I talked to @Marcin_gps 

if nic will work on gigabit speed with two ports, it needs 2A.

 

If i stay with seasonic, is j2 good enough, or what would you suggest? And what do you mean under "12v mobo"?

A motherboard that only needs 12V input.

Looks like a JS-2 would work for SSD and LAN card.  Other choice, Paul Hynes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tom75]

Hi Guys,

 

I need some help :-/

 

I could do the bridge, looks everything fine, I can also see the SoTM-200 in Roon player but when I start playing a file it says TIDAL: A networking or connectivity problem is interfering with TIDAL playback. 

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks,

Tom

[yellowblue]

I have the same issue with Roon and my MicroRendu plus Windows 10 in bridged mode. I have reported on the CA Roon-forum. There are some people on the Roon-forum reporting the same problem. it has to do with the new 234 Roon build. I deistalled Roon and did a clean istall without upgrading to the new 234 build. 

On Roon they haven´t detect the exact problem yet but they assume that it has to do with the bridged mode.

I would like to ask if there are people on this forum which have upgraded to build 234 with their PC in bridged mode and don´t have issues.

[yellowblue]

Tom75, after reading your post again I am not sure anymore if your issue is the same as mine. Roon stops playing after 2 seconds and is skipping to the next song and saying "a music file is loading slowly" or "network or connectivity problem". But it´s not about Tidal.

[Tom75]

Hi yellowblue, thanks for the info.

I've also noticed that the network drive cannot be read by the ROON, all of the files are "Unavailable". 

[austinpop]

28 minutes ago, yellowblue said:

Tom75, after reading your post again I am not sure anymore if your issue is the same as mine. Roon stops playing after 2 seconds and is skipping to the next song and saying "a music file is loading slowly" or "network or connectivity problem". But it´s not about Tidal.

 

21 minutes ago, Tom75 said:

Hi yellowblue, thanks for the info.

I've also noticed that the network drive cannot be read by the ROON, all of the files are "Unavailable". 

 

Guys, 

 

I am running build 234 without any issues in bridged mode. The issue of "a music file loading slowly" reminds me of my original problems with bridging. My bridge was extremely slow when I used just 2 Ethernet adapters on my Windows 10 box. Not sure what OS you're on?

 

Like several others, I tried the suggested workaround of adding a wi-fi adapter to the bridge. This adapter needs to be "enabled" in Windows, but not connected to the network in any way. just its presence seems to fix some issue with Windows.

[austinpop]

Man, we really need an FAQ or wiki or stickies for monster threads like these.

 

I've pinged Chris @The Computer Audiophile on the "New CA ..." thread to inquire about this.