Schiit EITR

[Charente]

@Lebouwsky Excellent news ! I agree, the UpTone USPCB is certainly an affordable and worthwhile tweak ... and judged by respected commentators to be better than many higher end (cost) cables. It could be challenging to fit in certain setups tho', I can imagine, but seems you managed it !

 

I tried the switch and it simply disconnected the EITR ... apparently some small milliamps of vbus power are still required for handshaking (only) purposes

[Lebouwsky]

Ok thanks @Charente, then I don’t have to try that. It is said the regen doesn’t need it, so will try.

[Abtr]

On ‎19‎-‎10‎-‎2017 at 12:38 PM, Charente said:

Since getting the Balanced Power Supply (BPS), I have been experimenting with placement of the SMPS's I have as part of my setup. This was originally spurred on by @Abtr 's comment quite a few pages ago, which motivated me to try a BPS in the first place. The initial results I got from the BPS were very notable and welcome and I wrote up my views on that at the time.

 

I currently have 3 SMPS ... for the WD NAS, Netgear Switch and UpTone LPS-1. Through trial and error, I found that the iFi iPower (powering the LPS-1) was a key culprit in polluting  the AC supply to everything else. So, this has been relegated to a mains socket on its own, outside of the BPS. Equally, the other 2 SMPS were also guilty to some extent but I didn't want them sharing the socket that the iPower was using. So, I connected the other two SMPS to the battery side of an APC 900Pro UPS (used for the iMac in the same room). 

 

The rest of the gear chain (MacMini, EITR, GMB and MJ2) shares a strip connected to the BPS in glorious isolation.

 

Listening to some of my reference test albums, the improvement that the EITR delivers has been enhanced further to a significant degree by this power setup. The clarity of the instruments and soundstage depth & ambient quality is startlingly good. One particular album that had me sit up was 'Revisiting Grapelli' by Matias Levy, a wonderful alternative jazz performance with some amazing violin, cello and bass. The depth of detail of the effects played (and deliberately misplayed) on the strings was palpable. I'm not usually given to superlatives but this is truly superb and a great test of what the EITR/GMB pairing is capable of.

 

I don't know if my power setup makes sense from an EE point of view, but just using my ears and listening to music I now feel I have the optimal set up for ALL my audio gear, with what I have available.

 

The BPS, being system independent (together with a considered placement of any SMPS's) has become my favourite tweak ... a close run thing with the EITR for this crown.

 

Where do I go next ? I'm not sure there is much more I want to do with the main system. I did consider an audio optimised AQVOX switch but they are quite a price for an unknown, possibly small, SQ return in my system. Perhaps even a Schiit Gadget ? However, I think I'll focus on the headphones first ... something a bit more neutral than the HD650 ... perhaps the new Mr. Speakers Aeon Open ?

 

Hi Charente. I like your taste in music! May I suggest: The April Maze, album: Recycled Soul.

 

It's funny that I get the SQ that you describe by connecting the USB output of my MacMini via an Intona USB isolator to the USB input of my Modi Multibit DAC. No Gen 5 Eitr or any other USB processing device is in the chain. And I found that clean, isolated 5V USB power injected at the DAC by an Uptone LPS-1 improves SQ.

 

Any of my attempts to include the Eitr in the USB audio path significantly reduced clarity, soundstage and dynamics, as relative to 'direct USB'. So I wonder how your results with the Eitr can be opposite to mine. Possibly your balanced (XLR) setup causes the difference but I don't quite see how. Other differences between our systems are the Intona, and I placed the MacMini *before* the BPS, and I use 'floating' balanced AC power with a DC-blocker..

[OldBigEars]

1 hour ago, Abtr said:

 

Hi Charente. I like your taste in music! May I suggest: The April Maze, album: Recycled Soul.

 

It's funny that I get the SQ that you describe by connecting the USB output of my MacMini via an Intona USB isolator to the USB input of my Modi Multibit DAC. No Gen 5 Eitr or any other USB processing device is in the chain. And I found that clean, isolated 5V USB power injected at the DAC by an Uptone LPS-1 improves SQ.

 

Any of my attempts to include the Eitr in the USB audio path significantly reduced clarity, soundstage and dynamics, as relative to 'direct USB'. So I wonder how your results with the Eitr can be opposite to mine. Possibly your balanced (XLR) setup causes the difference but I don't quite see how. Other differences between our systems are the Intona, and I placed the MacMini *before* the BPS, and I use 'floating' balanced AC power with a DC-blocker..

 

Each to their own.  Before I had a microRendu, I had a MBP->W4S Recovery->Hegel HD25 set up with Curious Cables.  Replacing the Recovery with the little Schiit was probably the most significant SQ upgrade I've made to my system.   I've only ever seen preferences for the Eitr when compared with other decrapifiers like Intona.  But every system's different - that's the crazy thing about all this.  I'll try your reco for The April Maze as my music taste is also similar to Charente's

[Charente]

@Abtr Thank-you for the album suggestion ! Always interested in hearing new music, so I'll dig it up tonight.

 

I can't offer any 'sane' explanation why you might hear a better result via a Gen2 USB input versus the Gen5 USB of the EITR. I'd need to understand the issues better to consider whether its down to XLR in my system. To be honest, I'm also not sure what 'technical' disadvantage Gen2 was supposed to have that caused Schiit to update their USB inputs to Gen5 for BiFrost, Gungnir and Ygdrassil.

 

From my experience, I had previously used the USB input on GMB exclusively, including some months with the mR (+LPS-1). That was fine ... it was clean and clear and I had no cause at the time to grumble. That was until I discovered I preferred the sound when I experimented with S/PDIF. I found the sound to have more body (weight) to it whereas, by comparison via USB, it sounded 'flatter'. To my ears, the EITR gave additional clarity and therefore detail. So, I guess, the other (potentially big) difference in our system is our ears !! 

 

I have never tried an Intona, although I have heard good comments about it. I'm not sure what you meant by ... "And I found that clean, isolated 5V USB power injected at the DAC by an Uptone LPS-1 improves SQ" ... could you elaborate ?

 

However, I did try the MacMini connected to AC outside the BPS as part of my recent experiments and I found that gave me a more 'compressed' soundstage ... the instruments and vocals sounded much closer to me and the depth I had before almost vanished and that ambient airy quality was missing ... so the MacMini went back to the BPS.

 

Whilst unhappily I don't concur with you in this instance, thank-you for your thoughts however.

[Abtr]

3 hours ago, Charente said:

...

From my experience, I had previously used the USB input on GMB exclusively, including some months with the mR (+LPS-1). That was fine ... it was clean and clear and I had no cause at the time to grumble. That was until I discovered I preferred the sound when I experimented with S/PDIF. I found the sound to have more body (weight) to it whereas, by comparison via USB, it sounded 'flatter'. To my ears, the EITR gave additional clarity and therefore detail. So, I guess, the other (potentially big) difference in our system is our ears !! 

 

Hmm.. I only experienced 'flatter vs. more body' issues when there was an impedance mismatch somewhere. USB in my system really sounds better than S/PDIF with all the clarity and detail and body I want, to my ears of course.
 

Quote

I have never tried an Intona, although I have heard good comments about it. I'm not sure what you meant by ... "And I found that clean, isolated 5V USB power injected at the DAC by an Uptone LPS-1 improves SQ" ... could you elaborate ?

...

 

I mean inserting clean 5V DC into the USB connection at the DAC, Aqvox style, by an LPS-1, as shown for  the Eitr USB input in the picture below. Currently I use this at the Modi Multibit USB input..
 

[Charente]

@Abtr I can't understand why we hear USB & S/PDIF inputs as exact opposites ... bizarre to say the least ! I can't imagine that Gungnir's USB input is worse than Modi's ... probably the same, but I don't know for sure ... I may give USB direct another whirl at some stage if only to quell the seed of doubt in my mind !!

 

Ah, OK ... I see what you're doing with the clean 5v injection at the DAC ... I've never tried that so, didn't understand your original suggestion. I do have a USB adapter with a pigtail somewhere in my collection of bits, so I could try that at the same time to try and replicate your setup. 

[Abtr]

51 minutes ago, Charente said:

... I see what you're doing with the clean 5v injection at the DAC ... I've never tried that so, didn't understand your original suggestion. I do have a USB adapter with a pigtail somewhere in my collection of bits, so I could try that at the same time to try and replicate your setup. 

 

IME these adapters are difficult to find. I used one from an Aqvox USB PS.

[Charente]

I have this one ... made by Audiophonics in France ... 

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/various-adapters/usb-b-adapter-cable-for-55-21mm-female-power-supply-p-8332.html

[Abtr]

Looks great!

[mordante]

Just installed my Gen5 USB card in my Schiit Gumby. Was a bit a of fiddle to get the LEDs of the DAC back in holes of chassis but otherwise it wasn't that hard.

 

My source is a Auralic Aries LE with a Sbooster power supply. I'm not sure whether or not the Gen5 makes a sound difference.

[Abtr]

1 hour ago, mordante said:

Just installed my Gen5 USB card in my Schiit Gumby. Was a bit a of fiddle to get the LEDs of the DAC back in holes of chassis but otherwise it wasn't that hard.

 

My source is a Auralic Aries LE with a Sbooster power supply. I'm not sure whether or not the Gen5 makes a sound difference.

 

Do you compare the Gen5 USB upgrade with the coax (S/PDIF) output of the Auralic Aries or with the original (Gen2) USB receiver of the Gungnir?

 

[Charente]

A good point/question !

[mordante]

4 hours ago, Abtr said:

 

Do you compare the Gen5 USB upgrade with the coax (S/PDIF) output of the Auralic Aries or with the original (Gen2) USB receiver of the Gungnir?

 

 

I tried both, the USB and the coax output of the Arie LE. There was not a huge difference between them IMHO. I had a slight preference towards the coax, my gf preferred  the USB.

 

When I have time I well listen some more.

[Lebouwsky]

10 hours ago, mordante said:

 

I tried both, the USB and the coax output of the Arie LE. There was not a huge difference between them IMHO. I had a slight preference towards the coax, my gf preferred  the USB.

 

When I have time I well listen some more.

My Eitr took at least 24 hours of burn in (not just on, but fed by music). The difference was substantial.

[Charente]

Agree with @Lebouwsky ... a bit of 'running in' may help the Gen5 board bring out its best ... certainly the case with the EITR, ime, altho' not as much as a totally brand new GMB (altho' some say it makes no difference at all). 

 

From memory, did you feel that the Gen2 USB you had before, was better or worse than S/PDIF on the GMB ? ... or same difference as with Gen5 ?

 

[Lebouwsky]

Last weekend I discovered a nice feature of the Eitr that is worth sharing. It involves movies instead of music (blasphemy, I know). 

 

My music system is in the living room, with the speakers flanking the tv on both sides. My music server has a dual w10 installed. One is the default w10 boot is for watching tv (digital) series (Netflix) and movies (kodi tv).

 

The other boot w10 is stripped down just for the purpose of a music server, I only switch to that one when I want to listen to music. The sms200 is connected to that server in a bridged lan configuration. The Eitr is connected to the sms200. 

 

I experimented a little bit and connected the Eitr directly to the server in the tv/movie/series boot. The Eitr was connected to the dac by a Supra digital interlink. My tv (connected to the server by HDMI) was on that moment and I saw the server recoigned the Eitr immediately. The standard Windows 10 “correct connection” sound came through the speakers and the name “Eitr” showed up in the right corner. So I started kodi tv and loaded a movie. The movie soundtrack was presented to me in a way I never heard before in my system. Really really nice!!!

 

Since I enjoy watching movies/ series with good sound I’m thinking about buying a second Eitr just for this purpose. 

[EMMM]

I took delivery of a brand new Schiit Gumby (with Gen 5) last week and have been running it in since by playing music 24/7.  Today was the first day I had some time to have a critical listen and what I heard was remarkable. 

 

I was listening to Harry Belafonte's "Live at Carnegie Hall" and during some of the quieter passages in the recording, I began to hear low frequency bumping sounds, like people moving around.  At first I thought it was coming from the occupants of the apartment above me, but then I realized it was coming from the recording itself - it was the sound of the performers/musicians/prop managers(?) on stage that were actually moving around and in some instances, bumping the microphone against something.  Wow!  Never heard that before...and I listen to this album very often.

 

BTW, the chain I'm using is SMS200 (sBooster 12v) > USPCB > ISO Regen (LPS-1) > USPCB > Gumby. 

 

I've also been paying attention to the power supply feeding my system, and have invested in a power conditioner and some good quality mains cables.  They have all made significant improvements and are well worth recommending to people who want a quieter background by lowering the noise floor and reducing digital "glare".

[Charente]

Good news @EMMM ... The GMB is a stellar DAC and very revealing, as you describe. I'm sure you will enjoy it for some time to come. 

 

Regarding your power supply, I know I've been banging this drum before (you may have read my previous posts), but it is a worthwhile aspect to pay attention to. I don't use a power conditioner or power filters (some advise against them) but can highly recommend an Isolation/Balanced Power Transformer to achieve a good boost in SQ.... particularly for live recordings, such as you listen to ... the ambience detail is excellent.

[Charente]

On 10/28/2017 at 7:01 PM, Lebouwsky said:

Last weekend I discovered a nice feature of the Eitr that is worth sharing. It involves movies instead of music (blasphemy, I know). 

 

 

 

Great tip @Lebouwsky... I don't watch many movies, in fact I don't watch much TV either but I'm sure others will be interested to try your experiment.

[EMMM]

@Charente, thanks.  I have been following the discussion here on power isolation/transformers and have been proceeding on a parallel path.  I would consider it still to be early days for me and will no doubt experiment further when I have more time. 

[Charente]

An EITR challenger ? ... 

Chances are it will be much more expensive ... No details yet, but looks interesting.

[pas]

On ‎10‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 3:30 AM, Lebouwsky said:

Yesterday I recieved and installed 2 uspcb’s. One of them is a 90 degrees version connecting the Sotm sms200 to the regen. The other connects the regen to the Eitr. Because uspcb’s are hard usb adapters, the eitr disapeared behind the sms200 together with the regen. It has become a chain of 3 devices in line in my rack. I keep the whole digital chain on 24/7, so it’s not a problem. The 2 uspcb’s replaced a normal usb hard adapter that came with the regen and a 1 meter long Supra usb cable.

 

I expected some subtle improvement at max. But this is a real upgrade in my audio system. The overall presentation has become more solid, thicker, as my wife said. The seperation of instruments has become better, especially at higher volumes. Bass has become dryer and presented with more grip or fundament. It’s hard to describe what it does to the mids. More neutral and less colouration to the warmer spectrum comes to mind.

 

There’s a small switch on the uspcb where you can disable the usb power. Both are “on”, but will experiment next week what “off” will do.

 

Overall, for 45 euro’s a piece, this is a very nice tweak, especially if you’d take a look at what cable upgrades can cost. Most cables brought me a shift to the left or right, but hardly an upgrade.

 

These are, highly recommanded, thanks for the tip fellow enthousiasts. Have a great weekend.

 

cheers.

 

 

 

 

How are the USPCB's sounding after a couple of weeks?

[jaaptina]

I've got a microRendu with LPS-1. I'm in doubt between upgrading to ultraRendu or adding EITR to microRendu. Would the resulting SQ be on the same level? 

 

I think the usb input of my amp is of good quality because before with Aries Mini the USB and spdif inputs sounded alike. 

[Charente]

@jaaptina I asked the same question recently on one of the Sonore threads and a member there suggested he felt there was a difference, although no details of what the difference was. 

 

My own tests described earlier in this thread, suggested the EITR had the greatest impact in my chain.

 

 

Adding the mR before it brought further small but worthwhile improvement but I wasn't suggesting that people rushed out and bought one. However, since you already have an mR, my gut feel, based on what I hear, would be to go for the EITR, connected by an UpTone USPCB to the mR.