DIY Project High Performance Audio PC with high quality wiring

[Gavin1977]

On 3/16/2020 at 7:34 PM, Triplefun said:

see

 

 

and 

 

https://www.techspot.com/review/1940-amd-ryzen-9-3950x/

 

 

Package Power Tracking seems like a great way to ensure we can remain with power limits of our linear power supplies.

 

Any Intel equivalent for @StreamFidelity's 9900k?

[StreamFidelity]

56 minutes ago, Gavin1977 said:

Any Intel equivalent for @StreamFidelity's 9900k?

 

On ASUS mainboards there are settings for the maximum power:

 

- I have the power consumption at 120W with max. 160W limited

 

Other possible settings support this:

 

- Set all cores to a CPU fixed frequency, for me 4.1GHz has proven itself.
- The CPU i9-9900K can up to max. 100 ° C operated. Way to high. I have a max. Temperature set at 95 ° C.
- Possibly undervolting with BLCK Aware Adaptive Voltage.

 

Look my BIOS settings.

[Nenon]

@StreamFidelity - I've had a few people asking me which DC cables make the biggest difference. 

 

I think you have 5 main cables here:

1. HDPlex input

2. ATX cable

3. EPS cable

4. JCAT USB cable

5. JCAT NIC cable

 

If you have a chance, can you give us your subjective opinion which cable is most important? For example:

- If I can get only get one premium cable, which one would it be?

- If I can get two cables, which ones would you pick? 

- If I can get three cables? 

- Which cable would you leave in stock form if I could get four cables?

 

In my system, the biggest difference makes the cable that powers the USB card, followed by the EPS cable (not going through the HDPlex). That's confirmed by listening tests. But I have not compared the ATX cable and the HDPlex cable, and it's hard to rank the impact of those two. 

 

Given the title of this thread and the focus on high quality wiring, I think it makes sense to try to answer some of these questions. Your friend who makes the cables would also benefit from that as it would probably be a frequently asked question. 

 

[StreamFidelity]

23 minutes ago, Nenon said:

If you have chance, can you give us your subjective opinion which cable is most important?

 

That's a good idea. 👍I think I can report later this week.

[StreamFidelity]

Test Preparation!

 

To prepare for the hearing test with Bernd I have prepared the standard computer cabling and standard DC cables, which will be compared to fis Audio cables.

 

PC / ATX Cable

 

This affects the computer wiring inside. Left to right:
1. DC input 20V
Female DC (7.4 / 5.0) --- Molex 6P
2. ATX 24 PIN
Molex 24P --- Molex 24P
3. CPU EPS 8 PIN
Molex 8P --- Molex 8P

 

DC Cable

 

These are all connected to Keces P8. Left to right:
4. DC output 20V
Male DC (2.5x5.5mm) --- Male DC (7.4x5.0mm)
5. DC Output JCAT USB 5V
USB Type-A --- Male DC (2.1x5.5mm)
6. DC Output JCAT NET 5V
USB Type-A --- Male DC (2.1x5.5mm)

 

 

It is then connected as follows:

 

 

[Marcin_gps]

In my experience, high quality DC cables are as important as a linear PSU for the PC. 

[ASRMichael]

@StreamFidelity Hi, do you know if your MB supports ECC ram like ASrock boards? 
ASRock 

Supports ECC UDIMM memory modules (operate in non-ECC mode)
 

I can’t find anything on Asus website 

[WilliamWykeham]

Review Part 1: Hardware 

I used the exact same parts as @StreamFidelity, with the exception of (1) the cheaper wi-fi, Hero motherboard, (2) I was not able to find RAM at the frequency he listed, so purchased 3000hz Corsair Dominator RAM instead, and (3) power cables from Ghent Audio.  This build would have been impossible for me to do myself without thorough instrucitons like StreamFidelity’s. 

 

The HDPlex case is very high quality, and a good value.  There are no plastic parts anywhere that I can recall and the construction feels built to last.  I appreciated that the case comes with many extra screws, so you will not be in a difficult situation if you happen to misplace a few.  The attention to quality extends down to the screws - you will not be at risk of stripping any of them.  However, there is some low-hanging fruit for HDPlex around improvements to the manual, which through precise, is extremely difficult to follow, particularly for a first-time computer builder. 

 

Installing the CPU was somewhat more confusing than I had expected; luckily I had some tech help from my family. After completing the case assembly I pulled out the stock power cables, and discovered that they were all too short.  This was disappointing.  Why ship the case with cables, even if temporary ones that will be replaced, that are shorter than longer?   

 

So I ordered on Ghent Audio.  For those building with a full size Asus Hero ATX motherboard, the cables I purchased are these sizes:

 

8pin cable – 0.5m

24pin cable – 0.3m

DC cable to molex 6pin – 1.0m.  If using a Keces, be careful to order 5.5/2.5 type; I accidently purchased 5.5/2.1 and now have to use an adapter.  Although Ghent’s website warns about waits up to 70 days, I was happy to find that the cables had been shipped to me after only a few weeks. 

 

The 24-pin power cable appeared almost too short at first, but I was ultimately able to get it seated, and now think it is ideal since the cable has much less flexibility than the stock cables, and longer cables might be problematic with the case lid.  The 8 pin cable from Ghent extended too far to the side, prohibiting correct installation of the case’s side panel.  I simply twisted off the latch on molex connector with pliers and it fit. 

 

 

I ran into trouble with the back panel.  The first issue is that I could not attach the plate which holds the AC outlet with the indicated screws (see image in prior post).  Luckily I am using the external Keces power supply and plate attachment was not essential. The more important issue is that I ran into difficulty with seating my ethernet PCIe card, finding insufficient clearage at the bottom of the case for both the network card and the back panel.  So I have done my best, but I’m unable to tell if the network card is installed correctly, since I am awaiting a power cable from Ghent. 

 

I made a few other beginner mistakes like not pushing the RAM in with sufficient force, but when I eventually got everything working, the motherboard lit up in various colors, as did the RAM, impressing me initially but later appearing slightly gaudy. All in all, not too challenging.  I could probably do this now in 1/5 the time, and it was a fun project.  

 

 

My initial cooling results did not match StreamFidelity's, so I went back and redid the heat sink, applying more pressure this time (the manual warns against over tightening) and using a bit more thermal paste where the copper block contacts the cpu.  Perhaps more importantly, I applied much more paste directly to the grooves in the copper heatsink, and to the grooves in the aluminum cap, instead of tediously thinning this out as I had during my first attempt.  I also cleaned off all the thermal paste on the case, and left this bare, contra manual instructions.  The temperature reading for the CPU through the motherboard is now in the upper 50s C for a 44.1/16 file, poly-sinc-ext2, ASDM7EC, DSD 256, so approximately that of StreamFidelity's build.  Temperatures can push just above 80 C when upsampling to DSD 1024.  

 

 

[StreamFidelity]

On 4/29/2020 at 6:39 PM, ASRMichael said:

I can’t find anything on Asus website 

 

Unfortunately I cannot answer this question either. The CPU i9-9900K doesn't support ECC.

[StreamFidelity]

Sound Report : Test PC/ATX Cable and DC Cable

 

Please be careful. This report is getting a little longer. 😄

 

Test requirements

 

When performing a test, it is always important to describe the requirements and the test procedure. The claim was clearly not a scientific one. No blind test was carried out either. Bernd and I describe a subjective listening impression. The fis Audio PC can sound completely different in another room with another system. We heard with the following devices:

 

 

First I did the hearing test alone and took notes. The next day Bernd did the same hearing test without knowing my notes.

 

We heard a small selection of well-known music.

 

 

All tracks were sent by Roon (in the Control PC) in native resolution to the HQPlayer (in the fis Audio PC) via Ethernet. In HQPlayer the conversion to DSD 256x48 was carried out with the extremely precise ASDM7EC modulator. Poly-sinc-ext2 was selected as the filter and poly-sinc-mqa-lp for HiRes. The room correction (convolution) was activated.

 

We carried out the cable test in the same order:

 

1. Test fis audio cable computer and DC completely
2. Test standard cable computer and DC completely
3. Exchange of individual cables
3.1 ATX 24 PIN (Molex 24P --- Molex 24P)
3.2 CPU EPS 8 PIN (Molex 8P --- Molex 8P)
3.3 DC Input 20V (Female DC (7.4 / 5.0) --- Molex 6P and DC Output 20V Male DC (2.5x5.5mm) --- Male DC (7.4x5.0mm))
We could only carry out this test with two cables, since the fis Audio DC cable is continuous:
DC Output 20V Male DC (2.5x5.5mm) --- Molex 6
3.4 DC Output JCAT USB EX 5V (USB Type-A --- Male DC (2.1x5.5mm))
3.5 DC Output JCAT NET FEMTO 5V (USB Type-A --- Male DC (2.1x5.5mm))

4. Test fis audio cable computer and DC complete with 2 Keces P8 (20V / 8A & 12V / 8A)

This is the ultimate expansion stage, with a separate power supply for the CPU.

 

Test execution

 

And now we finally get to the listening results. I would like to say in advance that I am a layperson compared to Bernd. Bernd is a sound engineer and therefore knows what to look out for. Our auditory impressions largely coincided independently of one another! I give the key words listed separately.

 

1. Test fis audio cable computer and DC completely

Me: defined deep bass, lots of spatial information (3D), 0.00% sharpening, great transients, lots of fine information

Bernd: Flawless, the sound is great, very good tonality, in this room it was the best one so far.

 

2. Test standard cable computer and DC completely

Ich: Bass thickened, imprecise, no spatiality, sharpening

Bernd: slow fat bass, no precision, hard sound on the piano

 

Interim conclusion

 

In this clarity we didn't expect the difference between standard and fis audio cabling. We completely agreed that we didn't want to listen to music with the standard cables. We estimate SQ (Sound Quality) increase with high-quality cables at a high +30% to + 40%!

 

Now we were very interested in which cables represent an essential sound brake. The Audio PC was again completely equipped with fis audio cable and then replaced individually with the standard cable.

 

3.1 ATX 24 PIN

I: sharpen

Bernd: there is a clear lack of musicality and speed, little space

 

3.2 CPU EPS 8 PIN

Me: less space, unsightly transients

Bernd: massive loss of dynamics, piano has hardness, less space, queasy bass

 

3.3 DC input 20V

Me: digital hardness, less space, less timbres

Bernd: very strong loss of dynamics, crooked sound, space ok but limited

 

3.4 DC output JCAT USB EX 5V

Me: digital hardness, sharpening, less space

Bernd: significantly less space, piano blaring, annoying, speed and audibility ok

 

3.5 DC output JCAT NET FEMTO 5V

Me: slight deterioration in sound

Bernd: a touch of space and dynamism is lost

 

Interim conclusion

 

While Bernd and I were again clearly apart in terms of the sound effects, there were different assessments regarding the degree of sound effects. I saw the strongest sonic effects equally with the following cables:

- 3.3 DC input 20V and
- 3.4 DC Output JCAT USB EX 5V

Then in descending order:

- 3.2 CPU EPS 8 PIN,
- 3.1 ATX 24 PIN
- 3.5 DC output JCAT NET FEMTO 5V

With the last cable Bernd and I noticed the least impact. Here I would like to point out the special feature of our setup. We transmitted the data to the DAC via USB. In systems with data transmission via Ethernet to the DAC, this can lead to a completely different classification.

 

Now to Bernd's order. He heard the biggest impact:

- 3.1 ATX 24 PIN

Closely followed by:
- 3.3 DC input 20V and
- 3.2 CPU EPS 8 PIN.

The least impact was:
- 3.5 DC output JCAT NET FEMTO 5V

And the cable
- 3.4 DC Output JCAT USB EX 5V
said Bernd, that runs outside of the competition. Anyone who buys such a high-quality card and then saves on the power supply is wasting a lot of SQ!

 

4. Test fis audio cable computer and DC complete with 2 Keces P8 (20V / 8A & 12V / 8A)

 

We removed for this wiring
- 3.2 CPU EPS 8 PIN
and added a second fis audio cable instead
- DC Output 12V Male DC (2.5x5.5mm) --- Molex 8 PIN

 

The circuit diagram shows the connections.

 

 

Me: a little more of everything, more space

Bernd: more space, more dynamics, more pulse speed, more resolution, very good voice.

 

Interim conclusion

 

We were both very excited. Bernd even more than me. I estimated the SQ increase at + 10% to + 20%, Bernd even at + 20% to 30%! Maybe I have already got used to the good sound, since I have only been listening to two Keces P8 for days. It was completely new for Bernd.

 

Summary of all tests:

 

It shows again how important a good power supply is. The electricity has to be transported by cable. The effects of good quality cables in an Audio PC are greater than we previously suspected. Bernd and I rated the cables as particularly relevant in terms of SQ

 

- DC input 20V and
- CPU EPS 8 PIN
 

With the cable

- ATX 24 PIN

 

our opinions differed somewhat in the prioritization, but not in the sound effects as such. There are 24 wires with different voltages for the mainboard, which require high quality.

 

Anyone who uses a high-quality JCAT USB CARD XE in the Audio PC should definitely choose the best cabling

- DC Output JCAT USB EX 5V

 

for the external power supply.

 

A direct power supply to the CPU, bypassing the DC / ATX converter, again brings a significant increase in SQ.

 

Everything as usual without guarantee. 😉

 

[Downtheline]

3 hours ago, StreamFidelity said:

We removed for this wiring
- 3.2 CPU EPS 8 PIN
and added a second fis audio cable instead
- DC Output 12V Male DC (2.5x5.5mm) --- Molex 8 PIN

Excellent post as usual!! thank you for the detailed explanations.

 

I have a quick question, how many amps did the EPS  12v use?

 

[austinpop]

5 hours ago, StreamFidelity said:

Sound Report : Test PC/ATX Cable and DC Cable

 

Please be careful. This report is getting a little longer. 😄

 

Test requirements

 

When performing a test, it is always important to describe the requirements and the test procedure. The claim was clearly not a scientific one. No blind test was carried out either. Bernd and I describe a subjective listening impression. The fis Audio PC can sound completely different in another room with another system. We heard with the following devices:

 

 

First I did the hearing test alone and took notes. The next day Bernd did the same hearing test without knowing my notes.

 

We heard a small selection of well-known music.

 

 

All tracks were sent by Roon (in the Control PC) in native resolution to the HQPlayer (in the fis Audio PC) via Ethernet. In HQPlayer the conversion to DSD 256x48 was carried out with the extremely precise ASDM7EC modulator. Poly-sinc-ext2 was selected as the filter and poly-sinc-mqa-lp for HiRes. The room correction (convolution) was activated.

 

We carried out the cable test in the same order:

 

1. Test fis audio cable computer and DC completely
2. Test standard cable computer and DC completely
3. Exchange of individual cables
3.1 ATX 24 PIN (Molex 24P --- Molex 24P)
3.2 CPU EPS 8 PIN (Molex 8P --- Molex 8P)
3.3 DC Input 20V (Female DC (7.4 / 5.0) --- Molex 6P and DC Output 20V Male DC (2.5x5.5mm) --- Male DC (7.4x5.0mm))
We could only carry out this test with two cables, since the fis Audio DC cable is continuous:
DC Output 20V Male DC (2.5x5.5mm) --- Molex 6
3.4 DC Output JCAT USB EX 5V (USB Type-A --- Male DC (2.1x5.5mm))
3.5 DC Output JCAT NET FEMTO 5V (USB Type-A --- Male DC (2.1x5.5mm))

4. Test fis audio cable computer and DC complete with 2 Keces P8 (20V / 8A & 12V / 8A)

This is the ultimate expansion stage, with a separate power supply for the CPU.

 

Test execution

 

And now we finally get to the listening results. I would like to say in advance that I am a layperson compared to Bernd. Bernd is a sound engineer and therefore knows what to look out for. Our auditory impressions largely coincided independently of one another! I give the key words listed separately.

 

1. Test fis audio cable computer and DC completely

Me: defined deep bass, lots of spatial information (3D), 0.00% sharpening, great transients, lots of fine information

Bernd: Flawless, the sound is great, very good tonality, in this room it was the best one so far.

 

2. Test standard cable computer and DC completely

Ich: Bass thickened, imprecise, no spatiality, sharpening

Bernd: slow fat bass, no precision, hard sound on the piano

 

Interim conclusion

 

In this clarity we didn't expect the difference between standard and fis audio cabling. We completely agreed that we didn't want to listen to music with the standard cables. We estimate SQ (Sound Quality) increase with high-quality cables at a high +30% to + 40%!

 

Now we were very interested in which cables represent an essential sound brake. The Audio PC was again completely equipped with fis audio cable and then replaced individually with the standard cable.

 

3.1 ATX 24 PIN

I: sharpen

Bernd: there is a clear lack of musicality and speed, little space

 

3.2 CPU EPS 8 PIN

Me: less space, unsightly transients

Bernd: massive loss of dynamics, piano has hardness, less space, queasy bass

 

3.3 DC input 20V

Me: digital hardness, less space, less timbres

Bernd: very strong loss of dynamics, crooked sound, space ok but limited

 

3.4 DC output JCAT USB EX 5V

Me: digital hardness, sharpening, less space

Bernd: significantly less space, piano blaring, annoying, speed and audibility ok

 

3.5 DC output JCAT NET FEMTO 5V

Me: slight deterioration in sound

Bernd: a touch of space and dynamism is lost

 

Interim conclusion

 

While Bernd and I were again clearly apart in terms of the sound effects, there were different assessments regarding the degree of sound effects. I saw the strongest sonic effects equally with the following cables:

- 3.3 DC input 20V and
- 3.4 DC Output JCAT USB EX 5V

Then in descending order:

- 3.2 CPU EPS 8 PIN,
- 3.1 ATX 24 PIN
- 3.5 DC output JCAT NET FEMTO 5V

With the last cable Bernd and I noticed the least impact. Here I would like to point out the special feature of our setup. We transmitted the data to the DAC via USB. In systems with data transmission via Ethernet to the DAC, this can lead to a completely different classification.

 

Now to Bernd's order. He heard the biggest impact:

- 3.1 ATX 24 PIN

Closely followed by:
- 3.3 DC input 20V and
- 3.2 CPU EPS 8 PIN.

The least impact was:
- 3.5 DC output JCAT NET FEMTO 5V

And the cable
- 3.4 DC Output JCAT USB EX 5V
said Bernd, that runs outside of the competition. Anyone who buys such a high-quality card and then saves on the power supply is wasting a lot of SQ!

 

4. Test fis audio cable computer and DC complete with 2 Keces P8 (20V / 8A & 12V / 8A)

 

We removed for this wiring
- 3.2 CPU EPS 8 PIN
and added a second fis audio cable instead
- DC Output 12V Male DC (2.5x5.5mm) --- Molex 8 PIN

 

The circuit diagram shows the connections.

 

 

Me: a little more of everything, more space

Bernd: more space, more dynamics, more pulse speed, more resolution, very good voice.

 

Interim conclusion

 

We were both very excited. Bernd even more than me. I estimated the SQ increase at + 10% to + 20%, Bernd even at + 20% to 30%! Maybe I have already got used to the good sound, since I have only been listening to two Keces P8 for days. It was completely new for Bernd.

 

Summary of all tests:

 

It shows again how important a good power supply is. The electricity has to be transported by cable. The effects of good quality cables in an Audio PC are greater than we previously suspected. Bernd and I rated the cables as particularly relevant in terms of SQ

 

- DC input 20V and
- CPU EPS 8 PIN
 

With the cable

- ATX 24 PIN

 

our opinions differed somewhat in the prioritization, but not in the sound effects as such. There are 24 wires with different voltages for the mainboard, which require high quality.

 

Anyone who uses a high-quality JCAT USB CARD XE in the Audio PC should definitely choose the best cabling

- DC Output JCAT USB EX 5V

 

for the external power supply.

 

A direct power supply to the CPU, bypassing the DC / ATX converter, again brings a significant increase in SQ.

 

Everything as usual without guarantee. 😉

 

Outstanding report! Very useful.

[StreamFidelity]

2 hours ago, Downtheline said:

I have a quick question, how many amps did the EPS  12v use?

 

Thank you so much! The power consumption is as follows:

Keces P8 20V = 1.5 - 1.6A
Keces P8 12V = 2.5 - 3.5A

[rafa]

22 hours ago, StreamFidelity said:

Sound Report : Test PC/ATX Cable and DC Cable

...

 

Thanks for that. How long you run the fis cables before start comparing them with standard cables?

[StreamFidelity]

@rafa The fis audio cables were in continuous operation for a week. Bernd generally burns cables intensively before delivery.

[rafa]

53 minutes ago, StreamFidelity said:

@rafa The fis audio cables were in continuous operation for a week. Bernd generally burns cables intensively before delivery.

 

His web page doesn't say anything about pc cables.

I sent him message but before he respond, how long you were waiting for cables?

 

[StreamFidelity]

3 hours ago, rafa said:

His web page doesn't say anything about pc cables.

 

That was the point of the project: to develop high quality PC / ATX cables. I'am very pleased with how well he did it. Since the PC / ATX and DC cables are still brand new, you won't find them on his homepage.

 

I already use some cables from Bernd and I have been friends with him for some time. He lives in Berlin like me and he is an cable-obsessed. 😄

 

In order not to give the wrong impression: I don't earn anything from his cables.

[beautiful music]

12 hours ago, StreamFidelity said:

 

That was the point of the project: to develop high quality PC / ATX cables. I'am very pleased with how well he did it. Since the PC / ATX and DC cables are still brand new, you won't find them on his homepage.

 

I already use some cables from Bernd and I have been friends with him for some time. He lives in Berlin like me and he is an cable-obsessed. 😄

 

In order not to give the wrong impression: I don't earn anything from his cables.

 

Can you post Bernd website or contact email?

[WilliamWykeham]

Review Part 2: Software and Sound

 

The hardware side of this build was a breeze compared to the software.  The first frustration I faced is that I was not able to register my copy of Windows 10 Pro, requiring a call to Microsoft customer service and about an hour of my time to resolve.  In the end, the rep had to give me a new product key since the digital license didn’t work.  There are apparently two ways of registering Windows 10 that are determined based on the distribution channel through which you’ve acquired Windows.  The entire approach is madness.

 

The second frustration was around optimizing the computer.  I familiarized myself with bios and applied @StreamFidelity's settings (thanks again!), and then downloaded Audiophile Optimizer, Roon, HQPlayer.  I had downloaded AO to my computer, not to a USB stick as recommended in the manual, and ran the Advanced configuration, and then changed registry settings based on StreamFidelity’s list.  All this took quite some time, and finally I sat back ready to enjoy some sweet sounds and heard terrible stuttering, confirmed with LatencyMon.  Maybe I goofed in the Advanced AO settings, I thought, or erred in the registry.  So I ran a fresh install of Windows and downloaded everything again.  I confirmed that the computer was working - it sounded good, and ran AO in its basic setting, after which I immediately found that the latency issues had returned.  I couldn’t reverse this with the tools in AO, so did a 3rd install.  I’m engaged in correspondence with Phil and hopefully we can figure out what’s going on; I seem to be an outlier with regard to this issue.

 

My JCAT USB XE hasn’t arrived yet, and I’m still waiting for a power cable for the JCAT network card which I do have, so I’m using the motherboard’s ethernet and USB ports.  Initially I was going directly into the dac with USB, using a Curious Evolved cable, and I labored over the various HQPlayer filters.  Sounded OK, I thought.  Then I started messing around with 2-box implementations, starting with my SMS-200.  Sounded OK, I thought.  I next tried my DigiOne Signature with Shanti LPS, which I had written off several months previously when I was using my 2015 MacBook Pro as a Roon Core.  With this new computer, the DigiOne Signature completely transformed my system.  I was astounded at the degree of clarity I was hearing.  Importantly for me, the DigiOne shines regardless of volume; I've learned from past experience that low-volume listening can be an excellent test of the extent to which my system is dialed in.  Much of the phenomenal sound is also likely attributable to this excellent silver digital cable from Requisite Audio that I had made.

 

So the lessons I’ve learned through this experience are as follows:

• Linear power supplies are essential.  I was 80% convinced of this before i started this project and I’m completely convinced now.  I wonder how much the SMS-200’s performance would be improved with a LPS - any event I have a DigiOne USBridge Signature on order and can use the Shanti LPS to power that for USB / coax comparisons with a LPS
• The inexpensive DigiOne Signature is a break-through item in my system.  I can’t wait to hear what the JCAT XE sounds like in comparison.
• The USB port on the Asus motherboard is really bad.  Don’t even bother.  I tried an ISO Regen - couldn’t get the galvanic isolation to work - and the ISO Regen didn’t really help in any event.  
• The ethernet port on the motherboard must be at least passible because I notice a significant improvement with this computer streaming to the DigiOne Signature compared to my MacBook Pro.
• PCM converted to DSD sounds better to me than PCM.  It just does.

 

I should have an update once the XE card and power cable for JCAT network card arrive, in a few months.  Impressions upon arrival.  BTW, my gear consists of the following:

 

Amp: Benchmark AHB2 in dual mono

Power Conditioner: PS Audio P5

Preamp: Cheap Nobsound for passive; Schiit Freya S for active.  Still not sure which I prefer after being a passive booster for some time, need to test some more

Dac: Denafrips Terminator

Balanced Cables: Benchmark cables, cheaper mid-grade Wireworld stuff; I don’t go crazy with this (yet)

Digital Cable: Requisite Audio digital silver cable.  I need to experiment to see how much of a difference is attributable to this excellent cable

Speakers: B&W 702s2 for regular listening - OK, yes, Best Buy speakers but I’m coming from headphones and didn’t have a year to go to audio shows and audition other speakers and I love these anyway.

Near-field Speakers: Ascend Sierra 2 for near-field listening.  The stereo imaging from these is mind-blowing.  These are life-time keepers.

 

 

 

[Gavin1977]

@StreamFidelity Copper, Silver and/or OCC cables, are they shielded?

[rafa]

7 hours ago, beautiful music said:

 

Can you post Bernd website or contact email?

https://www.fis-audio.de

[StreamFidelity]

2 hours ago, Gavin1977 said:

Copper, Silver and/or OCC cables, are they shielded?

 

Talking to Bernd about his material can be one-sided:

 

"Bernd, which cable are you using?"

"It is the right material!"

 

"Do you use any type of shielding?"

"It is the right shielding."

😄

 

At least I was able to find out from him that high-purity and directional copper is used. He considers UPOCC and other descriptions to be marketing shouts.

[rafa]

Most likely Neotech copper  

I used to make pc cables for myself but I am too lazy now  

[StreamFidelity]

And another message to the upsampling fans. 😃

 

With the right settings in HQPlayer, DSD 1024 plays stutter-free on the fis Audio PC. As far as I know, this was only possible with CUDA (i.e. in combination with a powerful graphics card).

 

 

[wolft]

this is not new