FORGETTING the Digital to Analog conversion part, what is BEST Digital source?

[mourip]

18 hours ago, barrows said:

...So, if you wan to get an Ethernet DAC, and have decided to spend much more money, and can live without DSD or sample rates above 192 PCM, get the Klimax and be happy.

 

...Or go the Dante route and for under $1K get a Focusrite RN3 ethernet to SPDIF converter. It does limit you to 24/192 but handles RedBook so well that I doubt you will miss DSD. It does require a computer running their Dante Virtual Soundcard. In my system it easily surpassed a very well tweaked USB chain. If you want to get wild and crazy you can use fiber optic ethernet converters to really isolate the RN3 from your PC.

[mourip]

3 hours ago, Bunpei said:

 

Hi, Alex!

 

I appreciated your comment on SDTrans384.

Yes. Our SDTrans384 project has its origin in "Micro SD Card Transport" appeared in diyAudio Forum and it used to be a really "minimalist approach".

(The first and the second pictures.)

 

I am a system engineer who once developed software for an industrial measurement instrument with ADC/DAC devices. My initial idea was a DMA(Direct Memory Access) between a peripheral device and a memory.

Therefore, a DAC chip and a memory card consist minimum components.

 

However, the current status is shown in the third picture. At the end of several escalations, my player system, a combination of SDTrans384 (SD memory card transport) and ES9038PRO Dual Mono DAC board connected with LVDS/HDMI connector & cable, weighs more than 30 kg and located on two storied 60cm x 90cm wood boards. Approximately 95% of the total weight is of power supply circuits. Many selected components, such as NDK DuCULoN OCXO, CDE film capacitors, Evans Hybrid capacitors, Finemet-core transformers, Infineon SiC rectifiers and so on are used.

 

It is quite deviated from the initial "minimalist approach", actually.

I am satisfied with SQ of the system, though. I love a SD memory card player and have no plan to use a USB-based system so far.

 

Very cool. Nice to see some innovation here. We need a bit of fresh thinking and a bit less arguing over old topics.

 

[mourip]

I went back to copper between my server and Rednet ethernet to AES converter. Still use fiber to get to my LAN but my music is on my server. I did not find that optical made a change for the audio stream.

[mourip]

13 hours ago, *progear said:

Looking at the consumer audio market it does not come as much of a surprise to me that USB seems to be predominant in computer audio.  Even some dedicated streamers would go that path, so why should anyone doubt that there is anything beyond USB? Quite a number of pro solutions can be ruled out for consumer use for a number of reasons, I guess most of them well discussed on this forum.

Then again, a LAN port comes as standard with just about any computer on the market, thus audio over IP may one day gain in popularity among audiophiles, I think.

And this is why: a couple of months ago a Dante module for the Lynx Hilo arrived at the studio. The Hilo so far had been fed via USB, not so much because we believed in USB superiority over Thunderbolt, but because we wanted the DAC to work with any computer customers could possibly bring along. With the Dante module installed, the Hilo sounded an awful lot better. This made us even more interested in Dante, so we ordered some inexpensive boards from Swiss Micromedia. See here: https://www.micromedia.ch/?portfolio=dante-aoip-stereo-maker-boards

From my experience so far I can recommend Dante as the way to go for ambitious audiophiles. It certainly is not as easy to set up as some usb chain; one does not need to be an IT expert, either, but knowledge of how to set up TC/IP and the choice of PC hardware comes in handy. With Dante switching samplerates is manual and with the Micromedia boards there is a limit at 24/96, but these inexpensive DIO boards blow the best USB converters I know out of the water, including the likes of Mutec and Singxer.

The Micromedia boards are certainly a good starting point, there is more advanced gear out there, e. g. from Lynx or Merging.

Therefore I think the best digital source for audiophiles at this point is a Mac (preference) or a PC with a quality LAN port running Dante Virtual Soundcard.

 

I have been using a Focusrite Rednet D16 followed by a Mutec 3+ USB, used for reclocking, for nearly two years. This is the best audio I have ever had. My DAC is a Schiit Audio Yggdrasil using AES cables between units. Previously I had a well tweaked USB chain. In my system AOIP far exceeds it in terms of a quiet background and natural non-fatiguing presentation. A few months ago I added a Mutec REF10 master clock. I think that audiophiles are missing out by dismissing Pro gear out of hand. I also feel that the Pro folks are missing out by no taking tricks from the Audiophile playbook. Why not take the best of both...

 

Granted I am limited to 24/192 but I had several Saber DACs that did DSD previously and now find that well done Redbook can easily be just as enjoyable and you have a gigantic pool of material to choose from.

[mourip]

I put in my order for the Yggy analog boards upgrade on January 16th. I stated at 58 in the upgrade queue and now am at 14 where I have been stalled for 3 weeks. On another forum someone said that the boards are back ordered. The good news is that with the queue process I still have my Yggy to enjoy until my number comes up. It really is a great unit even in its original form. I am upgrading the Yggy in my speaker system. I have a second one in my headphone rig with the upgraded USB board. To my ears the new version 5 USB board does not sound as good as the Mutec +3 USB converter I am using as a reclocker with AES out.

 

When I get some time later today I will read that really in depth write-up and report back...

[mourip]

5 hours ago, exdmd said:

 

Are you updating your Yggy to A2? How do you feel about the comparison at S/PDIF Battle: Mutec, Singxer, Lynx, Rednet, Eitr, Et Al?

 

I read through the article. Color and cost aside I certainly agree with the description of the Rednet3 which is a less costly version of my D16. I put a second Intel PCIe ethernet card in my server and use that solely for the connection to the D16. I use my on-board NIC for LAN connection.

 

Here is a longish write-up I did comparing the different combinations and permutation with my D16, M3USB, and REF10.

I have since removed the SMPS power supplies in the M3USB and the D16 and replaced them with 3045 regulator boards located internally and fed from external LPS.

 

It seems so hard(impossible) to compare ones own system with someone else's in terms of outcome but my current combination has basically stopped my front end upgrade desires. Not cheap but remarkable to me.

 

In looking for my Mutec REF10 review post I noted that *progear was the one who got the Mutec ball rolling here. Thanks!