The true experimental tweak thread

[Cornan]

34 minutes ago, mozes said:

Glad you are getting good results with the CA, I have one sitting in the box for more than a year now collecting the dust, so maybe I can find a use for it somewhere sometime

 

For sure. If you want to bring the CA to life get a OTG, ethernet adapter, network switch, cat 6a UTP cables, wireless adapter and battery power for it all! ?

 

Next up will be my starquad DC terminal block connected to my Gophert floating psu, powering all four devices! ? Just waiting for the parts as usual! ?

[mozes]

39 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

For sure. If you want to bring the CA to life get a OTG, ethernet adapter, network switch, cat 6a UTP cables, wireless adapter and battery power for it all! ?

 

Next up will be my starquad DC terminal block connected to my Gophert floating psu, powering all four devices! ? Just waiting for the parts as usual! ?

Lol let it sleep for now

[Cornan]

37 minutes ago, Cornan said:

Next up will be my starquad DC terminal block connected to my Gophert floating psu, powering all four devices! ? Just waiting for the parts as usual! ?

 

Well, not quite! I just got a notice that the TP-Link TL-WR902AC will arrive tomorrow http://www.tp-link.com/us/products/details/cat-5506_TL-WR902AC.html, so I will change out my AC mains powered D-Link DAP-1620 to the battery powered TP-Link pocket router in client-mode before the starquad adventure! ?

[Cornan]

3 minutes ago, mozes said:

Lol let it sleep for now

 

No time to loose! I want to get this low budget setup finalised before my next adventure starts with MQA! ?

 

[Cornan]

BTW. I did try to connect the ChromeCast Audio via OTG power splitter,  USB ethernet adapter (TP-Link UE-300) and wireless adapter (Asus N-53). It did´nt work! Chromecast still works, but via its biult-in wireless receiver...so it is a no go!

Might be a strong reason why I could´nt find any proof if it would work or not!

Anyway, my experiment just might save someone else from trying. It do NOT work!

[Cornan]

What? I just did something that never have occured to me before. I just downloaded BubbleUPnP Server on my Nexus 7 tablet. Voila, I've suddenly got a OpenHome connection to my ChromeCast Audio and can use BubbleDS Next instead of BubbleUPnP. It is too late to listen to my setup since it is speaker based, but I will check it out the first thing I do when I open my eyes tomorrow morning. I'm definately expecting yet another sq boost. Since I'm very satisfied with the sq already I am expecting to be thrilled in the morning! ?

[Cornan]

Interesting morning session! ?

BubbleDS Next did'nt improve the sound at all! Instead it closed in the sound compared to BubbleUPnP. Curious why I downloaded Kazoo to my iPhone SE. Connected via the BubbleUPnP server on my Android tablet it sounded better than BubbleDS Next. This concluded that my Nexus 7 Android tablet is simply too limited running both the Bubble server and BubbleDS Next on the same device. If I want to explore this path I will need something else like a Raspberry Pi3 or better to run the BubbleUPnP server on. A pity...but lesson learned! ?

[mozes]

8 hours ago, Cornan said:

Interesting morning session! ?

BubbleDS Next did'nt improve the sound at all! Instead it closed in the sound compared to BubbleUPnP. Curious why I downloaded Kazoo to my iPhone SE. Connected via the BubbleUPnP server on my Android tablet it sounded better than BubbleDS Next. This concluded that my Nexus 7 Android tablet is simply too limited running both the Bubble server and BubbleDS Next on the same device. If I want to explore this path I will need something else like a Raspberry Pi3 or better to run the BubbleUPnP server on. A pity...but lesson learned! ?

Are you sure that running both programs on one device is the issue here?

[Cornan]

46 minutes ago, mozes said:

Are you sure that running both programs on one device is the issue here?

 

I would lie if I said I know it for sure ?. 

However, based on that Kazoo, that normally does'nt sound as good as BubbleDS Next with OpenHome IMO, sounds better with Bubble server on a separate device I cannot come to another answer to that question right now! ? I will evaluate it again though! ?

[Cornan]

Looky looky what arrived today! ?

 

 

I've got enough RJ45 grounders for both of my setups, but I started out with my low budget setup. I had to make slight adjustments to the plugs for them to fit and finished off too late to have a listen. My youngest are asleep so I cannot listen to my speaker setup now, but it is ready for my next morning session! You can call this a teaser if you want! ? More about sq tomorrow! ?

 

 

[Cornan]

BTW. The Canare 4S6 and the TP-Link pocket AC router arrived today as well. The router in client-mode and starquad Canare for my DC banana terminal plus additional DC cables to all five 5v devices for simultaneous floating DC power. If I've got time this weekend I will start on one, the other or both. I am still missing some parts to finalise the DC connection cables, but enough to try out the terminal atleast! ?

[mozes]

4 hours ago, Cornan said:

 

I would lie if I said I know it for sure ?. 

However, based on that Kazoo, that normally does'nt sound as good as BubbleDS Next with OpenHome IMO, sounds better with Bubble server on a separate device I cannot come to another answer to that question right now! ? I will evaluate it again though! ?

Interesting!

[mozes]

45 minutes ago, Cornan said:

Looky looky what arrived today! ?

 

 

I've got enough RJ45 grounders for both of my setups, but I started out with my low budget setup. I had to make slight adjustments to the plugs for them to fit and finished off too late to have a listen. My youngest are asleep so I cannot listen to my speaker setup now, but it is ready for my next morning session! You can call this a teaser if you want! ? More about sq tomorrow! ?

 

 

Cool stuff! Waiting for your listening report 

[Cornan]

1 minute ago, mozes said:

Interesting!

 

I think so too, and want to find out why in due time. A clue is that I get constant "Action timeout" with Bubble Server+BubbleDS Next which never happen with BubbleUPnP with ChromeCast Audio. It might as well be a CCA thing...?

[Cornan]

3 minutes ago, mozes said:

Cool stuff! Waiting for your listening report 

 

Let's what sq tells me in the morning! ? Hopefully it is something worth doing to my Aqvox switch as intended! ?

 

[Cornan]

Oh yes, the RJ45 grounders worked wonder for my low budget setup! ? The overall sound landscape is more focused yet with a wider presentation. A word that comes to mind is matt black. It is like sounds is sneaking up from a matt black background plus improved bass and a very natural feel to the music. Listening to Phoria's track "Red" is almost spooky with sounds coming at you from nowhere. Great results! Now, I will 100% do the same tweak on my Aqvox switch this weekend. Rest assure! ?

[Cornan]

Bubble Server + BubbleDS Next attempt no 2 went a lot better! This time I uninstalled the Bubble server, installed it again and most importantly restarted the Android tablet. Now it is more like how I remember the change from BubbleUPnP to BubbleDS Next. Not a massive improvement but a bit enhanced low end and a natural flow. OpenHome with Tidal is surely the best option! ?

[Cornan]

This little bugger have annoyed me for 6 hours now! ?

 

 

The TP-Link TL-RW902AC have been anything but cooperative! Set to client-mode it hi-jacks my router and completely ruin my whole WiFi connection, giving me hell to get everything working again. For the first time in a very long time I'm forced to give up. I will put it in a drawer for sometime and hopefully it will behave when I'll take it out next time. I'll need a brake. My family need a brake! ?

It took me roughly 1,5 hours to get everything in the same working order after disconnecting it. I hate network problems! ?

[Cornan]

On the possible side I decided that I needed a quick walk. Ended up in a second hand store and found this.

 

 

A perfect jar for building a grounding box! ? Made out of oak out of a lost ship from 1872. Got it for roughly USD17. Now, it is not only the oak I am after. It is also that the wood goes all the way up to the lid. I will just drill a hole in the centre of the tin lid, add a banana socket connected through a V-shaped copper bar inside the box and fill it with tourmaline stones plus some quartz stones. Not something I plan to do right away, but I like projects! ?

[austinpop]

40 minutes ago, Cornan said:

This little bugger have annoyed me for 6 hours now! ?

 

 

The TP-Link TL-RW902AC have been anything but cooperative! Set to client-mode it hi-jacks my router and completely ruin my whole WiFi connection, giving me hell to get everything working again. For the first time in a very long time I'm forced to give up. I will put it in a drawer for sometime and hopefully it will behave when I'll take it out next time. I'll need a brake. My family need a brake! ?

It took me roughly 1,5 hours to get everything in the same working order after disconnecting it. I hate network problems! ?

 

I agree! Network problems are the worst.

 

I spent 24 hours of hell this week when my broadband modem stopped working due to a firmware push by my ISP.

 

I had to accept a rental router for now, which has a built-in PSU, so can't connect it to an LPS until I find a new broadband modem that works. And yeah, my family did not appreciate the lack of internet at all.

[Cornan]

6 minutes ago, austinpop said:

 

I agree! Network problems are the worst.

 

I spent 24 hours of hell this week when my broadband modem stopped working due to a firmware push by my ISP.

 

I had to accept a rental router for now, which has a built-in PSU, so can't connect it to an LPS until I find a new broadband modem that works. And yeah, my family did not appreciate the lack of internet at all.

 

I already feel better! ? Jokes aside, I feel your pain! I have'nt put 24 hours straight on anything since the HDD on my Windows 3.1 computer decided to die a slow death.

 

I do not understand my issue though? It is like my main Netgear router do not want to be friends with the TP-Link pocket router and vice versa. The TP-Link acts like it want to be the only router around instead of being a good friend in client mode (bridge mode). I am thinking to maybe set it up as a second router, but I feel it is like asking for another 6 hours of hell! ?

 

[mozes]

2 hours ago, Cornan said:

This little bugger have annoyed me for 6 hours now! ?

 

 

The TP-Link TL-RW902AC have been anything but cooperative! Set to client-mode it hi-jacks my router and completely ruin my whole WiFi connection, giving me hell to get everything working again. For the first time in a very long time I'm forced to give up. I will put it in a drawer for sometime and hopefully it will behave when I'll take it out next time. I'll need a brake. My family need a brake! ?

It took me roughly 1,5 hours to get everything in the same working order after disconnecting it. I hate network problems! ?

Been there many times very frustrating best to leave it for another time

[JohnSwenson]

3 hours ago, Cornan said:

This little bugger have annoyed me for 6 hours now! ?

 

 

The TP-Link TL-RW902AC have been anything but cooperative! Set to client-mode it hi-jacks my router and completely ruin my whole WiFi connection, giving me hell to get everything working again. For the first time in a very long time I'm forced to give up. I will put it in a drawer for sometime and hopefully it will behave when I'll take it out next time. I'll need a brake. My family need a brake! ?

It took me roughly 1,5 hours to get everything in the same working order after disconnecting it. I hate network problems! ?

Interesting, I have a TL-RW802N, it works extremely well, I'm typing through it right now. I have mine set in hotspot mode, it is a client to the apartments wifi, and then generates its own LAN and wifi network.

 

Are you trying to use it as a wifi to wired Ethernet bridge? I haven't used that mode yet, but I could try it out that way and see how to make it work.

 

It sounds like you have the internal DHCP server turned on.

 

What I found out with mine is to make sure that you do configuration over the hard Ethernet port, half the time I tried to do configuration over wifi I would not get many of the configuration options showing up on the web page. By going hardwired I could then see all the options and get things setup correctly.

 

Let me know and I can go over this with you.

 

John S.

[Cornan]

2 hours ago, mozes said:

Been there many times very frustrating best to leave it for another time

 

Yeah, I have been there before as well many times. I usually win the battle, but this time both me and my family had it...for now! ?

[Cornan]

2 hours ago, JohnSwenson said:

Interesting, I have a TL-RW802N, it works extremely well, I'm typing through it right now. I have mine set in hotspot mode, it is a client to the apartments wifi, and then generates its own LAN and wifi network.

 

Are you trying to use it as a wifi to wired Ethernet bridge? I haven't used that mode yet, but I could try it out that way and see how to make it work.

 

It sounds like you have the internal DHCP server turned on.

 

What I found out with mine is to make sure that you do configuration over the hard Ethernet port, half the time I tried to do configuration over wifi I would not get many of the configuration options showing up on the web page. By going hardwired I could then see all the options and get things setup correctly.

 

Let me know and I can go over this with you.

 

John S.

 

Thanks a lot John! Very helpful! ?

I did all my settings using wireless. I couldn't even find my 5Ghz ethernet channel in the beginning. I changed my main router channel from 108 to 60 without luck, but when I changed it again to channel 48 it was suddenly found and all hell broke loose! ?

I am actually a big fan of TP-Links ethernet products and have a wireless extender (RE450) that have a rock solid wifi connection, never failed me and runs like clock works. 

When my family forgive me for this incident I will make a new setup attempt with a hard ethernet connection to my router and try the hotspot mode instead. I did'nt know it was possible to use LAN in that mode (and no info about it in the manual either) sothat was very useful info.

 

I am looking forward to give this 5v pocket router working so I can start to MOD my banana DC terminal for my low budget setup into a starquad solution and power ALL the DC powered devices (Chromecast audio, USB ethernet adapter, network switch, DAC and pocket router) with a floating bench supply (SMPS). The active speakers are powered through a Ultra isolation transformer.

 

/Micael