Lynx AES16 still best option?

[Lorenzo]

I am currently looking into solutions for feeding my dCS Debussy via AES instead of USB, as USB accepts sample rates of "only" 96/24.

 

Is the Lynx AES 16 currently the best way (for its price) to doing this?

The RME AES-32 is a bit more expensive, is it worth it?

 

Looking forward to your answers

Cheers

Lorenzo

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Lorenzo - I've used the Lynx / Debussy combination quite a bit. I highly recommend it for 176.4 and 192 sample rates.

 

[vortecjr]

I did a quick search on the specs of that dac and just want to note that the dac does not have clock I/O beyond 96KHz. Just in case you were planning on using that feature for the limited supply of higher res content available beyond 96KHz.

 

Jesus R

www.sonore.us

 

[manisandher]

Hi Jesus,

 

My current and previous DACs could 'only' output max clocks of 88.2KHZ and 96KHz. But most AES interfaces with w/c I/O should be able to work fine at 176.4KHz and 192KHz SRs with these clock rates. You may have to tell the interface that the clock rate is half the SR somewhere in the SW.

 

Certainly, both the RME AES-32 and Weiss AFI1 work exactly as I describe above. I've never used a Lynx, but assume it works also.

 

Mani.

 

[manisandher]

"The RME AES-32 is a bit more expensive, is it worth it?"

 

I don't know anyone who's actually compared the Lynx to the RME. I have a Weiss AFI1, which I prefer to the RME - but it's quite a bit more expensive.

 

Another option you may want to explore is the Marian Trace D4, though I have no first hand experience of it. Perhaps you're just better off sticking with the Lynx.

 

Mani

 

[vortecjr]

I'm pretty sure the Lynx cards do not support 2x and 4x settings on the clock I/O. There was talk about a firmware update, but I can't tell you if it was ever implemented. Not sure about the RME as I have not used it.

 

Jesus R

www.sonore.us

 

[manisandher]

I own both the RME AES-32 and the Weiss AFI1. Both work @4x sample rates when they're outputting 2x clock rates.

 

The RME does everything automatically - the only thing you have to specify is whether you want 2fs and 4fs to work in single-, dual- or, in the case of 4fs, quad-wire configuration.

 

The Weiss has a couple of dip switches on the back to switch to dual-wire mode (for 4fs only) and to accept half w/c rates.

 

I'm sure anyone who uses a Lynx and slaves it to their DAC will be able to tell you whether it accepts half w/c rates.

 

HTH.

 

Mani.

 

[vortecjr]

what you describe sounds like the card/weiss is sending the clock to the dac and as such the capability is in the dac to play properly at whatever clock rate is sent. That is one side of the equation and I was thinking of the other side where the dac sends the clock to the card:) Again, I'm pretty sure the Lynx (not sure about your gear) needs to see the correct clock input.

 

Jesus R

www.sonore.us

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

The Debussy only has word clock input and uses dual wire for 176.4 and 192 sample rates. Thus word clock in at 96 can auto double to 192.

 

[Lorenzo]

@all

 

Thank you for your comments!

 

@Chris

 

I think Jesus meant that the Lynx, when given e.g. 48kHz word clock input, can only output signals with 48kHz. Can you confirm this?

 

This point is really relevant for me, as I use an U-Clock as master clock, and would like to sync both the Debussy and the Lynx to it. (The U-Clock can only output 44.1 and 48kHz signals.) The Debussy doubles or quadruples the word clock signal without problems just as you said (manual p. 15), but I found no mention of a similar function in the Lynx manual, but see section 7.4.

 

 

 

[Audio_ELF]

Yes you have it Lorenzo...

 

the dCS U-Clock outputs only 44.1 or 48kHz and relies on the incoming device to multiply that the the relevant sample rate (i.e. 44.1 2x for 88.2 and 4x for 176.4 and similar for 48kHz).

 

My understanding is the RME cards can cater for this, the Lynx card cannot.

 

Eloise

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Eloise is correct. The dCS devices output a base clock rate. RME cards can multiply this rate whereas Lynx cards current can't. There has been talk of a Lynx software change to allow this but I haven't seen it yet.

 

[Lorenzo]

Great, thank you all for pointing this out, I'll go with the RME then…

 

[manisandher]

"Mani what you describe sounds like the card/weiss is sending the clock to the dac and as such the capability is in the dac to play properly at whatever clock rate is sent. That is one side of the equation and I was thinking of the other side where the dac sends the clock to the card:) Again, I'm pretty sure the Lynx (not sure about your gear) needs to see the correct clock input."

 

No, in my situation the DAC is sending the clock to the card/Weiss - i.e. the card/interface is being slaved to the DAC.

 

Over the years, with a number of different DACs (with w/c IO) and cards/interfaces, I'm convinced that when using a synchronous connection, slaving the card/interface to the DAC is the way to do it. I.e. use the DAC's clock, which itself sits as close to the DAC chips as possible.

 

Of course, this would only really make sense if the DAC clock is at least as good as the clock in the card/interface or external clocking device (such as the U-clock) if one is being used.

 

Having said this, the RME doesn't seem so bothered whether it's being slaved or acting as master - the sound is pretty much the same. The Weiss however is much better when being slaved. It seems to me that the Weiss is more revealing than the RME and more sensitive to such changes.

 

Mani.

 

[manisandher]

Lorenzo, if you have any questions when you get the RME, feel free to ask.

 

The TotalMix software is very flexible, but not easy to get your head around. The Digicheck software is very cool (only works on a PC though) and allows you to check all sorts of things, as well as record at up to 24/192.

 

Just a final word on w/c IO. On the RME card, there is a 75 Ohm termination for the w/c input. If you are passing a w/c out of the RME, then this should not be engaged. But it should be engaged if the RME is the last device in the w/c chain.

 

Mani.