Ralf11 Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Please give the number of USB cables you tried out in your system, and list your DAC. Feel free to say whether you used a cable rental place, swapped with friends, or just bought several. Also if you have any galvanic isolation devices in your system (or know that your DAC includes this) please state which one, or none. Link to comment
Popular Post Ralf11 Posted August 8, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 8, 2019 ok, so we will put you down for 1 cable, no changes (?) Sonicularity and Ajax 2 Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted August 9, 2019 Author Share Posted August 9, 2019 Sandy - have you tried different USB cables? IF so, please state the #, and your DAC, etc. Thank you. Link to comment
Popular Post Ralf11 Posted August 9, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 9, 2019 23 hours ago, Ralf11 said: Please give the number of USB cables you tried out in your system, and list your DAC. Feel free to say whether you used a cable rental place, swapped with friends, or just bought several. Also if you have any galvanic isolation devices in your system (or know that your DAC includes this) please state which one, or none. Let's try to stay on topic I am interested in listening experiences (and the goal is to track down some factors (galv. isolation is one) that may be responsible for perceived differences) sandyk and 89reksal 2 Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted August 10, 2019 Author Share Posted August 10, 2019 musicguy - just to clarify - you did all the cable listening comparisons with the iso regen in the system? or were some without it? Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 1 hour ago, barrows said: ... 1. Is the Ethernet interface powered by a completely separate power supply from the rest of the DAC? 2. Is the Ethernet interface's output fully galvanically isolated from the rest of the DAC? 3. Does the Ethernet interface offer optical input? 4. How good is the clock running the Ethernet interface? 5. Does the Ethernet interface support all sample rates to 768 PCM and DSD 512 (or even higher)? 6. Is the Ethernet interface well shielded physically from the rest of the DAC circuitry? 7. What software is the Ethernet interface running and is compatible with things like HQPlayer? The above are just the tip of the icebaerg, and the obvious things which I am aware of. I am sure that John Swenson could point out many, many more (highly technical) design details which matter to the sonic performance of a really good Ethernet interface. As what we have with an Ethernet Renderer is a small computer, if one is going to put that inside a DAC, one has to be very careful to isolate the noise produced by that computer from the DAC circuitry-computer processors are by their nature sources of noise. Doing this right, inside a DAC is not simply done, or very affordable, that is why the best stand alone Renderers cost significant money. Again I am not saying it is impossible, just a bit difficult and expensive, and I do believe in the future we will see more DACs with well implemented high performance (sound quality) Ethernet interfaces. Yes, indulgence (papal ones are on sale now) 1,2,3 suggest parasitic leakage currents from the ethernet circuitry into the low level signals of the DAC The WiFI mod/demod argument isn't established as far as I'm aware Soothsayerman 1 Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 Let's stick to experiences with USB cables, mechanisms as to why they could degrade SQ, and whether a different interface may offer better SQ. Teresa 1 Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 13, 2019 Author Share Posted October 13, 2019 The Metrum Octave I DAC is a $600 unit, not that price is highly correlated with SQ... It would be interesting to know if it has an opto-isolator circuit built in. Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 15, 2019 Author Share Posted October 15, 2019 ok, now Let's re-read post #79, then get back to USB cable listening comparisons Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 18, 2019 Author Share Posted October 18, 2019 ok, does everyone agree agree that [1] the eye pattern can look fine even tho there is noise on the USB lines? and that [2] some level of noise on the USB lines could theoretically cause a decrease in SQ (whether it has been measured on the ground plane or wherever inside a DAC)? Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 I have to say that we badly need some valid testing to show that different cables do sound different, and on which DACs... sandyk 1 Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 summit, post which cables you found differences in and the DAC used Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 Blakmo - I will delete trolling posts numlog 1 Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 a complex waveform might be perceivable at lower SPLs than test tones might never tested AFAIK that's why I usually say -140 dB is fine by me (tho -110 is fine too) Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 use opto-isolators Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 29, 2019 Author Share Posted October 29, 2019 finesse might be useful in the analog stage of a DAC... but let's get back on topic! Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 anyone wishing to save their comments should copy them to a new thread - thread cleanup is imminent I may leave some of the better comments (marce) but don't depend on it Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted October 31, 2019 Author Share Posted October 31, 2019 Laws of Cognition Teresa 1 Link to comment
Popular Post Ralf11 Posted November 1, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted November 1, 2019 On 8/8/2019 at 11:56 AM, Ralf11 said: Please give the number of USB cables you tried out in your system, and list your DAC. Feel free to say whether you used a cable rental place, swapped with friends, or just bought several. Also if you have any galvanic isolation devices in your system (or know that your DAC includes this) please state which one, or none. Here is the thread topic again... Teresa and daverich4 2 Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted November 1, 2019 Author Share Posted November 1, 2019 Sandman - learn what a personal attack is. Also, either adhere to the rules for THIS thread or start your own. Don't be a lazy bum - start your own thread. ** This message will self-destruct in 10^10 seconds whether you choose to accept it or not. sandyk 1 Link to comment
Popular Post Ralf11 Posted November 2, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted November 2, 2019 actual use of a USB cable is what this particular thread is after folks.... AnotherSpin and tmtomh 1 1 Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted November 4, 2019 Author Share Posted November 4, 2019 21 minutes ago, Albrecht said: There is never a "right" or "wrong." if someone wants to build equipment that cuts the treble, - (For example NAD products), - that's their prerogative. (Some people may not want or can stand any sibilance, whether it's on the recording or not). Nothing wrong with building gear for those people, - even though it is not an accurate representation of what's on the recording... I agree with you but please stay on topic or start your own thead. Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted January 29, 2020 Author Share Posted January 29, 2020 lawyers express themselves ambiguously in the English language all the time Link to comment
Ralf11 Posted February 3, 2020 Author Share Posted February 3, 2020 and yet... the future keeps on happenin' Link to comment
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