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USB audio cracked... finally!


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Hi

 

I've got about 60 hrs on the Lush now and am considering its use as the last USB cable between the Amber Regen and my MSB Analogue DAC.  Upstream of the Amber Regen, I've an Intona Industrial, Curious and Nordost cable (I've described my USB chain earlier in this thread).

 

On two separate evenings I had different audiophile friends over and asked them to compare the 0.7 m Lush with the Curious Regen link.  They did not know which cable was which.

 

The first friend preferred the Lush, the second preferred the Curious cable.  Oddly enough the reason for their the preference was the same.  They both felt the Curious had more resolution, one fellow preferred this and one fellow thought the extra resolution would ultimately be fatiguing.  Both said they could live with either cable. 

 

I did my own comparison this morning (the only one that really counts) and felt that indeed the Curious cable was more resolving.  It was as if the Lush had a less transparent/(Black?) background, hard to explain, its as if I could see further into the 3D soundstage with the Curious Link.  I can see that if used to analogue sound the Lush might be appealing. My decision in my system, for what its worth, is to keep the Curious Link in place.

 

When Alex delivers my ISO-Regen to me (in the fullness of time), I'll reevaluate, but until then I'm happy with the Curious Link.

 

I did try changing up the order of the cable insertion between friend 1 and friend 2.  However the number of trials was very limited, just 3 songs played at most 3 times with each cable.  But on each of the 3 songs my friends reached the same conclusion (although the conclusions were different).

 

Of course my own personal comparison was sighted and I already expected the Curious cable to be more resolving after hearing from my buddies and of course hearing for myself from the sidelines on the two previous evenings..  

 

Regards

Barry

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50 minutes ago, Ralf11 said:

 

 

stop posting when drunk

Please, please proper terminology here.

 

PWI  short for posting while inebriated. 

 

So just come back later and post, excuse me I was PWI. 

 

Oh, and don't throw any stones in glass houses. o.O

And always keep in mind: Cognitive biases, like seeing optical illusions are a sign of a normally functioning brain. We all have them, it’s nothing to be ashamed about, but it is something that affects our objective evaluation of reality. 

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On 18/08/2017 at 7:00 AM, esldude said:

Please, please proper terminology here.

 

PWI  short for posting while inebriated. 

 

So just come back later and post, excuse me I was PWI. 

 

Oh, and don't throw any stones in glass houses. o.O

 

What's so unpleasant about being drunk?

 

Ask a glass of water!

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For those who, after a while, revisit their old cable and think "oh wow" (on some sort of resolution), in my own experience this is perfectly normal. Listen to that for a week or so. Now go back to the Lush. That will be the decisive moment. For myself, only after that swap back to the Lush, I was definitely sold.

Lush^3-e      Lush^2      Blaxius^2.5      Ethernet^3     HDMI^2     XLR^2

XXHighEnd (developer)

Phasure NOS1 24/768 Async USB DAC (manufacturer)

Phasure Mach III Audio PC with Linear PSU (manufacturer)

Orelino & Orelo MKII Speakers (designer/supplier)

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On 8/18/2017 at 0:00 AM, esldude said:

Please, please proper terminology here.

 

PWI  short for posting while inebriated. 

 

So just come back later and post, excuse me I was PWI. 

 

Oh, and don't throw any stones in glass houses. o.O

 

And, in my particular case PWC, short for posting while crazy.

 

I can't come back to say, excuse me I was PWC, because I always am :P

 

But you can throw away all the stones you want, but be careful with my catapult 9_9

 

Roch

 

PS/ I don't drink liquor due to health problems (family health) :D

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3 hours ago, PeterSt said:

For those who, after a while, revisit their old cable and think "oh wow" (on some sort of resolution), in my own experience this is perfectly normal. Listen to that for a week or so. Now go back to the Lush. That will be the decisive moment. For myself, only after that swap back to the Lush, I was definitely sold.

 

I agree with you Peter but sometimes personal taste and some system matching make some music lovers like extra detail.  It's not my case because I feel I have all the detail I need with the Lush with the most important thing to me, musicality.  Maybe my ear / brain system is 'biased' to analogue (but without the flaws inherent in it)?

 

Plus listener fatigue went far away...  Normally I listen to music now 6 hours per day, from 7 pm to time to go to bed.  Before the Lush 2 hours was more than enough to get tired and anxious, and I urgently need an stress free life because I'm hyperactive and music is the only thing that can relax me.

 

Roch

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A couple friends dropped by today for some listening and to hear how the Lush compared to the USPCB.  For the comparison, we played the first track from "Art Pepper meets the Rhythm Section".  I think it's fair to say that each of us thought there was a lot to like in both, though the presentations differed slightly.  The Lush had a slight edge in the reproduction of tone while the USPCB had a slight edge in the reproduction of drums and percussion.  The sax sounded a bit more like the real thing with the Lush - while drums and cymbals were presented more clearly and realistically with the USB.  I had previously mentioned hearing a bit of smearing with the Lush, particularly with cymbals.  My friends heard the difference as well but described it differently.  One thought the Lush slightly "blurred" the drums and cymbals, the other thought it "softened" the sound of them.  I should point out that my system has been optimized for the realistic reproduction of drums and cymbals, so this difference could certainly stand out more in my system than others.  

 

After the comparisons I left the Lush in place while I played DJ for them.  Sitting off to the site I was consistently impressed with what I heard with the Lush in place.  If the USPCB didn't exist, I'd be absolutely thrilled to have the Lush in my system. Ideally what I'd love to have is a USB cable that combines the strengths of both the Lush and the USPCB.  I do wonder though if some additional clocking upstream of the Lush might be just the thing needed to arrive at that balance.  The Lush was used between ISO REGEN and my DAC.for the comparisons.  

Digital:  Sonore opticalModule > Uptone EtherRegen > Shunyata Sigma Ethernet > Antipodes K30 > Shunyata Omega USB > Gustard X26pro DAC < Mutec REF10 SE120

Amp & Speakers:  Spectral DMA-150mk2 > Aerial 10T

Foundation: Stillpoints Ultra, Shunyata Denali v1 and Typhon x1 power conditioners, Shunyata Delta v2 and QSA Lanedri Gamma Revelation and Infinity power cords, QSA Lanedri Gamma Revelation XLR interconnect, Shunyata Sigma Ethernet, MIT Matrix HD 60 speaker cables, GIK bass traps, ASC Isothermal tube traps, Stillpoints Aperture panels, Quadraspire SVT rack, PGGB 256

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3 minutes ago, Doak said:

I've found that I MUCH prefer the Lush BEFORE the ISORegen with the USPCB connecting the ISORegen to the DAC.

Try it?

 

That's how I was using it for the first five or so days.  Early on I preferred it that way.  A few days back I swapped to after the IR and thought it sounded just as good.  I continued to use it that way for the comparisons simply because it made it easier to do the swaps.

 

What I referred to as smearing was evident either way.  That somewhat disqualified it for me, so I didn't invest more time in determining whether I preferred it before or after the IR.  I let my friend take it with him today and will be eager to hear his impressions.

Digital:  Sonore opticalModule > Uptone EtherRegen > Shunyata Sigma Ethernet > Antipodes K30 > Shunyata Omega USB > Gustard X26pro DAC < Mutec REF10 SE120

Amp & Speakers:  Spectral DMA-150mk2 > Aerial 10T

Foundation: Stillpoints Ultra, Shunyata Denali v1 and Typhon x1 power conditioners, Shunyata Delta v2 and QSA Lanedri Gamma Revelation and Infinity power cords, QSA Lanedri Gamma Revelation XLR interconnect, Shunyata Sigma Ethernet, MIT Matrix HD 60 speaker cables, GIK bass traps, ASC Isothermal tube traps, Stillpoints Aperture panels, Quadraspire SVT rack, PGGB 256

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@elcorso@edn4x4 thanks. DACs added.

 

Mani.

Main: SOtM sMS-200 -> Okto dac8PRO -> 6x Neurochrome 286 mono amps -> Tune Audio Anima horns + 2x Rotel RB-1590 amps -> 4 subs

Home Office: SOtM sMS-200 -> MOTU UltraLite-mk5 -> 6x Neurochrome 286 mono amps -> Impulse H2 speakers

Vinyl: Technics SP10 / London (Decca) Reference -> Trafomatic Luna -> RME ADI-2 Pro

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WP_20170819_10_06_50_Pro.thumb.jpg.cc942093c1015b4b28ed4968a4908e59.jpg

 

couldn't go further than this, and taking a picture is as dangerous as losing all of the gear which keeps you "connected".

 

trying it from the other side took us an hour of investigating us.

 

WP_20170819_11_08_53_Pro.thumb.jpg.cc1e0e61a2d8940f49ac98b270c56848.jpg

 

Special regards to Roch.

Lush^3-e      Lush^2      Blaxius^2.5      Ethernet^3     HDMI^2     XLR^2

XXHighEnd (developer)

Phasure NOS1 24/768 Async USB DAC (manufacturer)

Phasure Mach III Audio PC with Linear PSU (manufacturer)

Orelino & Orelo MKII Speakers (designer/supplier)

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35 minutes ago, PeterSt said:

WP_20170819_10_06_50_Pro.thumb.jpg.cc942093c1015b4b28ed4968a4908e59.jpg

 

couldn't go further than this, and taking a picture is as dangerous as losing all of the gear which keeps you "connected".

 

trying it from the other side took us an hour of investigating us.

 

WP_20170819_11_08_53_Pro.thumb.jpg.cc1e0e61a2d8940f49ac98b270c56848.jpg

 

Special regards to Roch.

 

Ha ha ... My younger brother was visiting there several years ago. He went with a Cuban girlfriend who lives now in our country, who wanted to visit her family's old house ... She did not know they were using it for the Cuban Central Intelligence Agency (something like KGB, Gestapo, etc.). Of course they were not allowed to come to their old home. They interviewed them for several hours and the following days they noticed that they were permanently closely watched ...

 

Please be careful, regards,

 

Roch

 

PS/ Please erase this conversation from your phone / tablet now!

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1 hour ago, barrows said:

The Lush still a little on the dark side, but much less than initially, it appears that transient edges are still a little blurred, but this is just a little.  There is definitely more warmth and body in the sound, and this is quite welcome, and gives the music a "larger" quality; no the soundstage is not actually any wider or bigger, but it is set back just a bit more.  

 

Well said.  Your observations align well with mine.

 

1 hour ago, barrows said:

I will be testing at least a couple more USB cables before Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, as I am attempting to find a couple of really good options for Sonora's Demo system there, anyone attending, please remember to come by and say hello, and perhaps listen a bit.

 

I'll be there and will definitely swing by.  I look forward to meeting you.

Digital:  Sonore opticalModule > Uptone EtherRegen > Shunyata Sigma Ethernet > Antipodes K30 > Shunyata Omega USB > Gustard X26pro DAC < Mutec REF10 SE120

Amp & Speakers:  Spectral DMA-150mk2 > Aerial 10T

Foundation: Stillpoints Ultra, Shunyata Denali v1 and Typhon x1 power conditioners, Shunyata Delta v2 and QSA Lanedri Gamma Revelation and Infinity power cords, QSA Lanedri Gamma Revelation XLR interconnect, Shunyata Sigma Ethernet, MIT Matrix HD 60 speaker cables, GIK bass traps, ASC Isothermal tube traps, Stillpoints Aperture panels, Quadraspire SVT rack, PGGB 256

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1 hour ago, barrows said:

I will be testing at least a couple more USB cables before Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, as I am attempting to find a couple of really good options for Sonora's Demo system there, anyone attending, please remember to come by and say hello, and perhaps listen a bit.

 

Very nice review.

 

I'll be at RMAF, so will make sure to stop by for a listen, and to say hello.

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