The true experimental tweak thread

[mozes]

Waw, this clock looks like a beast, a serious piece of kit. Very expensive to try without being sure of its performance edge vs the cheap ones like the D-Link

Yes, I have seen it! It is interesting ofcourse, but I would actually prefer a ISO Regen myself. Hoping their clock will be something special. With my own personal good experience with a switch I might consider the Aqvox Switch-8 for regeneration of the ethernet path best audiophile Switch, high end switch - AQVOX Audio Devices

[mozes]

You can check this one as well JCAT – reference computer audio accessories | JPLAY

[h=1]TCXO 10/100/1000 Audio Grade Ethernet Switch[/h]

Waw, this clock looks like a beast, a serious piece of kit. Very expensive to try without being sure of its performance edge vs the cheap ones like the D-Link

[mozes]

I have seen it and it was one of the reason why I looked at a D-Link switch in the first place. I might end up with Jcat's D-Link version in the end if I am not willing to take a USD398.- gamble with the Aqvox.

 

BTW. Did you re-evaluate the D-Link DSG-105 with input 1/output 5?

 

I will be doing this test later today as I was working on changing the setup of the system to accommodate a shorter dc cable between the LPS-1 and RUR. I am also testing now a 1foot vs 3 foot BJC Cat6A cable

I will be reporting soon on my findings with the tests I am working in

 

 

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[mozes]

Yeah, now I'm torn, after reading romaz's experiments with the SOtM sCLK-EX, it seems to be amazing. Better than the clocks chosen by Alex and John in the ISO-Regen? We won't know until someone tries it.

 

Just FYI - SOtM takes a dim view of Intona like devices, claiming that GI comes at the cost of jitter. In my own system, I know the Intona improves SQ significantly over the RUR by itself, so my experience says otherwise. As usual, I'm sure it's system-dependent.

 

In my system intona added the biggest performance boost followed by RUR

 

 

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[mozes]

I have seen it and it was one of the reason why I looked at a D-Link switch in the first place. I might end up with Jcat's D-Link version in the end if I am not willing to take a USD398.- gamble with the Aqvox.

 

BTW. Did you re-evaluate the D-Link DSG-105 with input 1/output 5?

@Cornan

My next mission is to find an audio tweak or gadget that you are not aware of

 

 

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[mozes]

Have you heard Cecilia McLoren Salvant sing "Something's Coming" on Tidal? Spine tingling!

 

No but will check it

 

Thx for sharing

 

 

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[mozes]

Today I managed to do a few tests and here is an update with my findings:

First, I replaced the 1m DC cable with a cheapo ebay DC 2.5mm hard adapter between LPS-1 and RUR and the sound definitely improved, mainly more clarity and depth. The trick is that this setup forced me to squeeze tight the adapter at an angle where the curious link was also under too much pressure and I was afraid that I might break the USB connector or damage the DC input of the RUR or LPS-1 or both.

The solution is that I out my soldering skills for the first time into practice and built a short 10cm DC cable using two spare Oyaide gold plated DC2.5mm (I knew I will start my own soldering at some point so I had some goodies ready). The result is the cable in the picture next to the cheap adapter and to my ears this sounds better by a tiny margin. Part of the improvement might be attributed to relaxed connections (USB and DC cables) and better alignment of the LPS-1 on vibrapods and cones in addition to the superior quality of the Oyaide gold connectors.

 

Second, I tested 1 foot vs 3 foot BJC Cat6a between my wireless bridge and the RLI-1 isolator which is plugged top my Nimitra, didn't take more than 10sec, 1foot is the clear winner

 

Third, I tested what @Cornan suggested to use Port 1 and Port 5 of the D-Link switch powered by a battery. The result surprised me a bit. I liked what I heard, the soundstage expanded and vocals gained more weight and dimensionality. I switched back to the bridge and unplugged the router, the vocals seem a bit thinner and sound stage is thinner but there is more transparency. I liked both sounds so it was a matter of taste, maybe I preferred the D-Link just a notch more but because of the complexity of wires and two batteries I removed it as the gains are not 100% on all fronts.

 

Learnings: A switch does have an impact on sound but it is not straightforward, It sounds better with a battery as opposed to LPS-1 and @Cornan brilliant idea of using the furthest port works!

You may gain some aspects but you might lose some, but It seems that the wins outweigh the sacrifices (in my case transparency)

Now, the switch is surely going back to Amazon, if a $35 switch can do this, then what will a high end switch with better isolation and clock do? That will be my next gadget to try. Most probably I will order the AQVOX audiophile switch that Cornan just mentioned in one of his posts (They have 28 day return policy)

[mozes]

I just used an normal power bank this one https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01EWURMRM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

BTW, the LPS-1 gave more details and transparency (a bit too bright to my taste as well), but I preferred the battery as it is more organic, kind of warmer/more lush

 

I'm just amazed he thought that maximizing port distance would make a difference. Amazing!

 

 

 

What battery did you use, that sounded better than an LPS-1? Sorry - I haven't been following the details very closely.

[mozes]

I have the switch packed in my car ready to go, but I am sure it will be better. I just ordered the AQVOX switch will experiment grounding with this beast of a switch

 

My soldering skills are still not great, If you see the mess I made with soldering the wire to the connectors you feel sorry for these pretty Oyaide connectors. I didn't have any clamps or stand to hold things so it was very hard. I am getting soon a proper soldering kit with a stand, clamps and mundorf supreme solder and I will be doing my own stuff with DC wires and doing a lot of tests!

 

My next project is to build a grounding box like your Entreq as these are very expensive in Canada, so I will need some guidance from you

 

I love this thread as you don't have to think of whether your post is relevant or not!

 

Thanks a lot for sharing moussaobeid! 

If you got the time for it just hook up a wire (any wire) between the GND switch to a available wall outlet ground receptacle before you send it back. It will not be as good as an external grounding box of course but it might gain enough in transparency over direct Ethernet connection. I am over the moon here after that last tweak.

This is a tweak that can be transferred to the Aqvox as well! 

 

Nice soldering skills BTW! I did try to solder a DIY DC cable with Oyiade plugs and Furutech Alpha-8, but failed miserably! I need to get myself better soldering gears before I attempt that degree of fiddely soldering projects again.

[mozes]

BTW, I listened to one track late last night from Tidal and I felt I am missing something without the switch

 

I have the switch packed in my car ready to go, but I am sure it will be better. I just ordered the AQVOX switch will experiment grounding with this beast of a switch

 

My soldering skills are still not great, If you see the mess I made with soldering the wire to the connectors you feel sorry for these pretty Oyaide connectors. I didn't have any clamps or stand to hold things so it was very hard. I am getting soon a proper soldering kit with a stand, clamps and mundorf supreme solder and I will be doing my own stuff with DC wires and doing a lot of tests!

 

My next project is to build a grounding box like your Entreq as these are very expensive in Canada, so I will need some guidance from you

 

I love this thread as you don't have to think of whether your post is relevant or not!

[mozes]

Luckily you will not miss it for long!

 

Can't wait

 

 

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[mozes]

You will figure it out I am sure

 

 

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[mozes]

Cornan, regarding grounding boxes, I intend to take it one step at a time. Start with one small box and then gather some learning and proceed accordingly. In one of your previous posts you mentioned this grounding box Aucharm Audio Grounding Box with Crocodile lip Ground Wire | eBay

Do you think it's a good unit as a starting point? for the price, it maybe a good option instead of me building everything from scratch, If I buy the material, it may cost me more than the price of this box without factoring in time spent in research and sourcing material, building the box, ...

 

If I get this device, where do you think I should start my experiments, I attached my system diagram now for convenience.

 

I am open to any suggestions as I am a complete newbie to grounding

 

[mozes]

I asked BKprecicion about a PSU for my router with galvanic isolation. This is what they recommend https://www.bkprecision.com/products/power-supplies/1627A-0-to-30v-0-to-3a-digital-display-dc-power-supply.html

 

They didn't mention anything about galvanic isolation. The email I got suggests that the person who answered me doesn't know what galvanic isolation is. So I sent them back a link to the Voltcraft FPS-1134 and I mentioned to them that this unit offers galvanic isolation to its DC output to give them an idea of what I am talking about. Lets wait and see their feedback

[mozes]

Building a DIY grounding box is not cheap if you want to do it with tourmaline stones and pure copper or silver as Entreq and Acoustic Revive do. The possibility that the DIY version will not be as effective is quite high.

That Aucharm Audio grounding box looks well constructed and should do its job fairly well. It will be cheaper in the end than if build it yourself, although you will loose the fun of DIY!

 

I would start by adding it to the coming Aqvox network switch GND. You can also experiment with it on the Naim and Nimitra via chassi ground or IC ground. If you have a spare socket in your ac mains you can connect it to the safety ground pin.

It will not be effective in paths with galvanic isolation. It will be of best use were shielding is still present and not isolated. Use only one box per grounded unit even if the manufacturer tells you it's possible to ground several devices. There is a possibility of creating ground loops with two devices connected. Ground digital devices separate to analogue.

 

I hope that helps for a starter! [emoji4]

 

Thanks @Cornan

I ordered it and will experiment with one device at a time starting with the AQVOX switch when I get it.

 

When you say connect it to a spare socket safety ground pin, you mean the Aucharm grounding box, right?

 

 

 

 

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[mozes]

If you already have ordered the B&K Precision isolation transformer this will ensure galvanic isolation of the router. No need for a galvanicly isolated PSU in that path. Try the router with the supplied SMPS. You will be surprised how the B&K will transform (pun intended) the sound! [emoji4]

However, finding a better linear PSU will likely make it even better, but since you have a isolation transformer with floating secondary you do not need to find a galvanicly isolated PSU and therefore it should be fairly easy to find something suitable.

Anyway, start with the supplied SMPS into the B&K and decide the next step when you have heard IRL what it can bring to the table.

 

Thats great news, I will start with the BK isolation transformer and then look for a good value LPS later on and do some experiments

Oh I am becoming an audio researcher

 

 

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[mozes]

You are faster than lightning my friend!

 

With spare socket I mean a ac mains wall outlet. However, if you are going to install a dedicated circuit it might not be the first spot to try it on. Start with Aqvox, since it is were it works best for me (but sadly on a D-Link DSG-105).

 

Working from home today

 

 

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[mozes]

*Haha* should have known! [emoji28] A proper hardwired ethernet connection could be good though! Maybe a future experiment of mine if not John holds me back? [emoji3]

 

This type of experiment must be yours no doubt

 

 

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[mozes]

Crazy or not. I just placed the order of a second switch plus a 30cm Cat 6a U/UTP cable. Unfortunately the network cable had some delivery time. Anyway, I will post back with impressions when everything is in house!

 

Yes who knows, the world of audio is full of unpredictable outcomes

[mozes]

Quick update, my BK iso transformer was shipped yesterday, so should be here next week, will keep you posted when I receive it hook it up to my main router

[mozes]

Awesome! Mine should be here tomorrow (thanks Amazon Prime!) .... which model router are you using?

 

I am using Asus AC3100 as my main router, a really powerful one with amazing features

 

 

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[mozes]

I actually though of another fun experiment with two switches. "Balanced" (well, maybe not) signal. Ta-Dam!

There is 8 pins used for 1000Base-TX (T568B) speed. What about separating those into 4 pins+4 pins at the input/output of the switches? The tricky part would be to find out how to make those cables working properly. Intitially I would assume to use a Y-cable design with pin 1+2 & 3+6 on one leg and pin 4+5 & 7+8 on the other leg emerging to a full 8-pin plug at the RE450 & Aries Mini end.

In theory this would mean that each switch will "Regenerate" separate signals and possibly do that job more efficiant. In practise, who knows?

Anyway, I will start with the daisy-chained switches (FMC-style). In the mean time maybe someone could talk me out of the other experiment by proving it impossible in the first place?

 

Whether this works or not doesn't matter. The whole fun is coming with these out of the box ideas!

 

 

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[mozes]

@moussaobeid Does your BK 1604A hum a little? Mine is fairly audible from several feet away, but luckily it's an a different room than my audio system, it's still bothers me a little though.

 

Also i used a Kill-O-WAtt meter to test the output with both modem and router connected and the ratings are very small so i don't believe the BK should be overloaded at all. Here's the readings I got (max ratings listed):

 

VA = 53

P.F. = .7

Amps = .43 (not sure this is correct, i may have written it wrong)

Watts = 38

 

I believe the BK 1604A is rated at 150VA

 

I haven't received it yet

Will let you know when I get it

 

 

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[mozes]

I just ordered the Oehlbach Dac 40 plus a 0,15cm Chord C-Lite mini-to-toshlink cable for my secondary low budget setup. I will initially power the Oehlbach with a TP Link Vivid powerbank.

 

I will also considering to buy the Manson SPS-8041 and connect it to the Perfect Power Ultra IT to find out if a safety style SMPS will be a good choise in these circumstances. I am not all convinced that SMPS is the root of all evil as long as it is well constructed and galvanicly isolated from the ac mains!

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]33728[/ATTACH]

 

Congrats! Hard to keep up with you Cornan, always on the go and system is in a continuous state of evolution:)

 

 

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[mozes]

Quick update on my system

 

So many things are going on now,

I just installed two 20Amp dedicated lines with gauge 10 Romex wire (the electrician thought I am crazy!) and Furutech GTX-R NCF receptacles. It took almost 6 hours to fish the wire through my walls and the electricina didn't believe himself when I told him to install the new breakers away from the washing machine and dryer breakers:) He said he has been in the business for 16 yrs but never met someone obsessed like me before I took it as a complement.

Now I have the Naim gear plugged to one line and my JS-2 and VR Mini plugged to the second line.

 

I also moved my system from between the speakers into the side wall, close to where I sit.

I upgraded the Oyaide DC adpater that I did with a Furutech FA220 OCC copper Gauge 14 (vs cheapo wire gauge 22) and Mundorf supreme silver/gold solder

 

I also received the grounding box and a Vbus 2 on loan from a generous CA member.

 

Soon, I will get the BK 1604A IT and the AQVOX switch, but for now I am too busy evaluating too many upgrades.

 

For the grounding box, till I get the switch, I will try grounding the Nimitra or the DAC, what do you think @Cornan?

 

I just want to plug each gadget one at a time to evaluate its contribution.

Now I will let the romex wire, new breakers and receptacles burn in and the whole system settle for a few days before any critical listening. One quick evaluation, the system sounded incredibly transparent right after installing the new circuits (like upgrading a source or dac).Then I will start introducing the tweaks one at a time and keep you posted on my findings