SOtM SMs200 Ultra, 4th place in my test. What am I doing wrong?

[HardrockInMiniMac]

On 21.2.2018 at 12:53 PM, Blackmorec said:

I recently installed a tx-USBUltra and sPS-500.  At installation the sound became worse than a direct connection using a simple copper Chord C USB cable.  Much worse. Many of the system's great qualities disappeared and left me with music that was quite unpleasant to listen to. At 200 hours I called my dealer to start preparing the way for returning both electronics and cables. I was running in the system by playing Internet radio 16 hours a day. A short listen every evening confirmed no progress up to ca. 237 hours, at which point somewhere during the next 16 hours everything improved quite dramatically.

Mine sounded fantastic straight out of the box.

 

[HardrockInMiniMac]

6 hours ago, Bullitt5094 said:

 

 

There is nothing in/on the box or on the Ultra enclosure indicating what voltage it is set-up for. Pretty poor they don't put that info on there IMHO.

 

On mine the info is right there underneath and it says 12V.

[HardrockInMiniMac]

Well, as I have Lyngdorf plus iFi microIUSB3.0 plus SOTM-sMS-200ultra plus sPS-500 I can tell you that no way the iFi sounds even close to the SOTM but why not putting them in a chain? 

[HardrockInMiniMac]

Hi Bullitt, 

 

that is a lot of question. It is a learning curve and the computer audiophile journey is still ongoing while for instance for Vinyl I have arrived and I am happy. So bare with me and my opinion on these topics:

 

I had the iFi first and bought the Ultra out of curiosity. In my system it is a lot better than the iFi but they do different things. I am watching out for Hans B. to test them in a chain which he announced a few days ago. SOTM themselves are selling a USB re-clocker to combine with the Ultra. That does not mean it makes sense only because it makes money for SOTM. 

 

However, I first started off with the Ultra alone. I really hate all my USB-cables (which is why I had bought the iFi a while ago) and I am not prepared 700 Dollars on a USB cable although it would not bother me. So the USB-topic remains and that is why I have integrated the iFi into the signal path again.

 

I am not going to try the Ultra with the stock PSU, I have just bought me a second sPS-500 to power my MacMini and maybe I am going to get me a third to power the network switch and the Asus media bridge, both run on battery right now. I like these boxes they fit nicely into my rack and I can have plenty of them and it does not look odd. 

 

Just go and order the SPS-500 and return it if you don't like it, which you won't do I am sure. Battery power is a lot cheaper, I got mine on amazon for 90,-€ and it works really fine, powered the iFi for days, also the Asus bridge and well, the switch forever...

 

A comment on HQP and upsampling with Lyngdorf. You might know that the 2170 converts all signals to 24/96 internally, also my turntable analog in and also the CD-in, even when it comes through a digital cable. Everything is turned into 24/96. So I can hear changes when using HQP for PCM upsampling but I agree with the Lyngdorf support saying that it really does not make a lot of sense because then the Lyngdorf processor really cannot do much anymore, a signal once upsampled cannot be optimized anymore...

 

Anyway, so only in this case, it all sounds best when streaming files the way they come. Downsampling to 24/96 also does not help, everything just the way it comes.

 

To the CD-2. I believe it is pure luxury to have it. My 10 year old Rega Apollo used to be as good as at least. But it did not fit the chain anymore being a top loader and surrounded by all this computer-audiophile stuff. Then I got me the CD-2 for reference purpose only. Whenever I believe there could be something wrong with the computer-audiophile chain and I do not have the Vinyl version, I play the original CD from which I once ripped the FLAC to compare. This helps me with root cause analysis. Other than that I have become too lazy with Roon and the advantages of computer audio, my CD-2 might have run 30 hrs in one year only. If you like to round things up, buy it. If you do not really need a CD Player you do not need this one either...

 

Chris

 

 

 

 

[HardrockInMiniMac]

Honestly, this thread is strange I wonder what is motivating Bullitt. 

 

There is a USB-cable connection from the Ultra to the DAC per default. USB. This 1m or so is ifi micro iUSB - land. You can buy a USB reclocker from SOtM but that is  same problem > same cure.

 

Between source / streamer and the "USB-bridge" - there is a LAN connection, that is SOtM ultra - land. iFi USB is not adding anything there.

 

So comparing ifi USB with SOtM ultra really makes no sense and but Bullitt says that the Ultra would never sound as good as the iFi. Well they are treating different areas of the chain. As I own them both I do understand that I could either put the ifi or the Ultra between MacMini and DAC, but one is LAN - out and the other one is USB - out. 

 

The real question to me is, does it make sense to put them in a row and/or leave USB to SOtMs USB reclocker or any other USB solution. Is there a reason to reclock a once rechecked signal again and does that help curing the sound issue with pure USB....

 

Bullitt, can you clarify please what this is all about?

 

Chris

 

 

[HardrockInMiniMac]

Bullitt, I can see that it is a little hard for you to get. No problem, I make it simpler:

 

IFI is for USB

Ultra is an endpoint for network streaming

 

To say "IFI sounds better then Ultra" makes no logical sense as IFI would follow after Ultra (when owning both) and not stand side by side. It is not either or, it is Ultra with or without IFI.

 

Chris