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Best Audiophile USB Card ?


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  • 2 weeks later...
45 minutes ago, Marcin_gps said:

And JCAT set on the same USB host controller 8 years ago 😎


not the same USB host controller. Taiko, Core Audio and OAudio is using Renasus whereas JCAT is using ASMedia, if I am not mistaken.

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50 minutes ago, OAudio said:

 

Hi Dev,

 

Haha you have some thing there. The Taiko, Core Audio (very nice looking design) and my card have all settled on the same USB host controller chipset and the "house" colour scheme for high end USB cards of black and gold :-). 

 

The card pictured was built in January this year after 5 months of very intensive development work, but pulls heavily on earlier ideas I had and projects going back a number of years. There was a lot I wanted to packed into the card so its actually had to be larger than the other designs I think and uses a full size PCIE blade. It has been in a 2u case but it was defiantly a tight squeeze. 

 

My aim is that the components I am producing will by used in the in the server I am working on. I am targeting a very high level of sound quality performance so having the flexibility to change individual components where I need to specifically to suit this application is important rather than producing components for general use.

 

     


It’s very interesting that some of you guys have chosen the c621 based motherboard for a reason. Could you share more details or links on your server ? As you would probably know, there is a Taiko DIY project offerings, including chassis, dc-ATX, etc currently in flux. I don’t mind DIY but what I understand it’s not gonna be cheap and hence I am not sure if I want to delve my hands into it at this point. If a commercial offering is closer to a price point, it might just be an excellent offering. Any idea at what approx price range is your server and when available commercially ? 

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11 minutes ago, Marcin_gps said:

JCAT USB Card and JCAT USB Card FEMTO use Renesas

 

JCAT USB XE use Asmedia


thanks for the clarification. Interesting that you went the reverse route than Taiko and others. Did the ASMedia sounded better than the Renesas is your testing or was there a different reason ?

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  • 3 weeks later...
3 hours ago, Topk said:

1) JS2: lively, exciting, lots of realism, a sensation of being there, powerful, great tone, a sense of rightness, warm. Full of life. Need to have the right power cable and DC cables - particularly the DC cables can break the sound - since the JS2 is very reactive. In my system, I like the JS2 a lot but only with the right combination of DC cables.

 

I agree that DC cables can make or break the sound. I have a JS2 sitting around but I haven't tried powering the JCAT XE with it yet. I am curious what DC cable worked for you ?

 

 

3 hours ago, Topk said:

Works very very well with pink faun and Jcat Femto. Slightly underpowered in my opinion for Jcat XE.

 

Not sure I understand. JS2 slightly underpowered for JCAT XE ? That psu can crank 12v@7A continuous.  

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The JCAT XE requires 5V/1.5A. The Optimo is maxed out at 3A and JS2 is guaranteed at 5A continuos at any output setting. I can take that they will sound different, maybe the Optimo will sound better with JCAT XE but don't think it will be underpowered with JS2. Something isn't adding up here....

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  • 1 year later...
1 hour ago, Gavin1977 said:


I am not sure if I understand correctly - the PF USB card with UltraOCXO is €1600. The JCAT USB XE is €800 and another €800-900 for the upgrade. So it comes to the same price ? Maybe I am missing something.
 

But @Superdadalso brings up some good points on the phase noise performance which is the most critical parameter to how it will sound.

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