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SOtM Trifecta


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After having read many a trifecta name at CA, it's a Triple set on the sOTM home page. OK...

 

Everyone can read the specs for themselves, but here's a summary of what's included in the triple set as I couldn't remember which one does what.

 

sMS-200ultra
Ethernet input
USB 2 Output
No clock input
'use the correct power supply' (kidding, right?)

 

tX-USBUltra
USB input
2 x USB out
sCLK-EX12 board Internal Clock or external 10MHz 50 Ohm
6.5-12 V dc 2A

 

sPs-500
7Vdc, 9Vdc, 12Vdc, 19Vdc selectable output voltage
DC power output
Voltage : 7Vdc, 9Vdc, 12Vdc, 19Vdc selectable
Voltage tolerance: ±10%
Current limit: 
5A@ 7Vdc, 9Vdc, 12Vdc
3.3A@ 19Vdc
Current tolerance: ±10%
Maximum output power : 
50W@100Vac <, +50℃ > inside temperature

 

The sMS-200ultra is the renderer from Ethernet to USB. Any (?) USB DAC can be connected to this output. The renderer needs external DC power, so here's the first point for added leakage current (like added sugar, think of it the same as for food). 

Then the USB is reclocked by the tX-USBUltra or by an external 50 Ohm clock. What is it with far east, everyone who's anyone uses 75 Ohm and try and find a true 50 Ohm BNC connector, another story. Here's another source for leakage current entry.

 

To provide power for the two, use the sPs-500 and that rounds the exercise, there's enough current. The specs on the output voltage is not that great at 10%, and there needs to be a dual headed cable to power up the renderer and the USB reclocker. Unless supplied by sOTM the dual cable is a bit of headache for the average hobbyist.

 

Unless the Renderer and the USB reclocker are supplied with Uptone LPS-1, there's leakage currents in abundance. What a chain of spaghetti, and this is the pinnacle of Ethernet audio? On paper,  well, this system is a f&$%kn mess. If you think I'm criticising, then yes, just for the total lack of any stopping of leakage currents from the PSU and the two components. Without the LPS-1, this system by itself does not cut it.

 

I would put my money into a single box that has an AC input, Ethernet or USB input, USB or other signal re-clocked and galvanically isolated out. Isn't that a new Auralic offering, the VEGA 2, hey, it has a DAC as a bonus, and in the one box.  Most likely a 50 Ohm clock input, groan, here we go again.

 

Use the Renderer by all means, and feed it into a Mutec MC-3+USB with an iDefender cause the MC-3 is kinda power hungry on the USB input. Until the Vega 2 arrives.....

 

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41 minutes ago, thyname said:

 

Wow! Quite a bit of information. Totally appreciate the honesty. Truth hurts!

 

On the last paragraph, while at iFi, why not the iGalvanic 3.0?

The ifiGalvanic 3.0 is not a complete solution, it needs the Micro USB 3.0 to make it shine. So just as much spaghetti, but less than the sOTM triple set. Three USB cables and a power supply.

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5 hours ago, rickca said:

There's a major source of confusion here I'd like to clarify.

 

The trifecta that is discussed at length here on CA by @austinpop consists of

tX-USBultra

modded sMS-200 (using 2 clock points from the tX-USBultra to turn it into an sMS-200Ultra)

modded switch (using 1 clock point from the tX-USBultra)

 

So in this configuration, there is only one sCLK-EX board and it is in the tX-USBultra.  You can optionally add a master clock connector to any product that hosts an sCLK-EX.

 

Then Crux Audio co-opted the trifecta nickname on their website to describe a completely different bundle.

tX-USBultra

sMS-200Ultra

sPS-500

 

In this configuration, there are two sCLK-EX boards, one in the tX-USBultra and one in the sMS-200Ultra, so both of those units could optionally have a master clock connector.

 

Most of the references on CA to the trifecta are not talking about the Crux Audio configuration.  This is important to understand.

A big, thanks @Ricka for pointing out this distinctive difference. In either configuration though, if there's no LPS-1 or something like it, the problems of leakage currents will still apply, and at these small signal levels, that's quite critical. 

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