Popular Post Gavin1977 Posted June 23, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted June 23, 2021 Being from the UK I was hesitant to buy from Audiowise in Canada with so few reviews around. In fact I cancelled my first order because I felt uneasy about the benefits. Anyway this all changed when I managed to pick up a used Opto-USB on eBay (so very little risk to me and easy to sell on) and then I also found out that www.wavehighfidelity.com are stocking the SRC-DX in the UK so I could give that a try. So, basis of this feedback is my own opinion - I own the Opto-USB and loaned the SRC-DX with the Wave Storm cables. I have no vested interests. Opto USB The most noticeable impact of Opto USB is that it really clears up the upper registers. I’ve never really been one to focus on the benefits of good treble…being 44 I can’t hear over 16kHz. But the effect of ‘cleaning up’ the treble from unwanted noise via the use of optical isolation is very much noticeable. There is a slightly better portrayal of depth, better decay, better clarity and ‘air’. These are all things that I would associate with optical isolation. This was compared against using a Sablon 2020 USB directly from my motherboards USB ports and also from a JCAT USB XE - the effect was similar in both. The same Sablon 2020 USB cable was also used as the final leg from the Opto USB to the DAC. Why didn’t Audiowise directly terminate in USB Type B? I have no idea, as it just adds one more connection and the need to purchase a USB cable. I think they should modify the design. Perceived negative effects of having the Opto USB in place? Perhaps very slight time smearing due to the conversion process. But you wouldn't notice unless doing very strict back to back comparisons. That's about it. I think this is a very good addition to a music server for the price - also allows you to potentially locate your music server several metres away. It also works well with lesser music sources, but don't expect it to make your laptop sound like a dedicated and optimised music server, it won't. Then I tried the SRC-DX into my Hugo TT2. SRC-DX I'm not one to go into product details - you can find that off the web. But what benefit does converting USB into dual bnc have? Well the answer is straight forward - spades of additional texture that is otherwise lost when feeding Chord DAC via USB. The impact is quite profound and certainly greater than the welcome, but somewhat marginal, gains of the Opto-USB. You might find this interesting...What would I prioritise first for Chord DAC owners an MScaler or SRC-DX? SRC-DX has the larger impact in my opinion, it is a no brainer for Chord DAC owners. p.s. get some good quality BNC cables like Wave Storm or Sablon to yield full benefit. Earlier experiments with the chord qutest I wanted to try the SRC-DX because I had undertaken some earlier experiments with the Chord Qutest. The Qutest sounds decent for a £1000 DAC, but not uber high end in stock form. What I found is that with multiple layers of cleaning the qutest can sound really very, very good. So good that I took the momentous decision to sell my T+A DAC8 DSD. So first config: JCAT USB XE (Powered by Teddy Pardo) -> Sablon USB -> qutest. Nothing really amazing to write home about, sounds very good, but I wouldn't part with the T+A based on this as it is a step behind. My final configuration was: JCAT USB XE (Powered by Teddy Pardo, 5v @ 3A - qutest set to 2v output so as not to overload) 1st USB port: Sablon USB -> Matrix Audio x-spdif 2 -> Altas Mavros Optical -> qutest 2nd USB port: 5v power to the qutest via micro-usb cable This configuration is really stunning. The sound opens up, noise floor drops and there's a lot more snap - but it all has to be top class gear otherwise the magic is lost (the only compromise that can be made is the toslink cable - a cheaper glass one would probably be fine). But think about it, you've got a top class linear power supply, then feeding the JCAT which has a further set of LT3045 linear regulators - so effectively the x-spdif 2 and the qutest are now receiving double regulated power which everyone talks about in such high regard. The x-spdif 2 then has further filtering inside it and it also has good internal reclocking. The optical cable removes any emi/rf from getting into the DAC. These are the same tricks as people are doing with multiple network switches. In the above case we're getting double regulation and double clocking. How does it sound - noticeably more lifelike and dynamic than the T+A and with more detail retrieval. I also prefer it over the Mola Mola and definately over the DAVE in stock form (however I've now heard the DAVE with the DC4 and the SRC-DX which is currently the best DAC I have heard - significantly above the TT2 and way better than the DAVE in stock form). With the SRC-DX I don't need all of this periphery that the qutest needed to shine. What next DAVE with SR4 is out of my budget, but I will be trying a Holo Audio May. If I decided to stick with the TT2 then I'll definitely purchase the SRC-DX - its actually better than the chain I describe above to optimise the qutest, but with even better texture and tone. Everyone should seriously consider using BNC and avoiding USB input on Chord DACs. With regards to qutest vs TT2 - I moved over to the TT2 because the preamp in it is so darn good, my active preamp I was using just smeared the detail out slightly. So the best preamp is the one in the DAC in this case. The TT2 also retrieves more detail that the qutest (and I prefer not to use the MScaler, PGGB sounds more natural to me for those interested in upscaling). An optimised qutest can come very close to the TT2, but nowhere near SR4+DAVE. That's my ramble - please forgive me if there are typos and lack of polish... I don't have the time to write up like I used too. NanoSword, skatbelt, blueninjasix and 8 others 2 4 5 Link to comment
Popular Post Gavin1977 Posted June 24, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 24, 2021 7 hours ago, taipan254 said: Thanks for the great write up @Gavin1977! Have you tried the SRC-DX with regular USB outputs vs. the JCAT? Just curious to see if they are "like-for-like" or if unoptimized USB is worse (and by how much) vs. the JCAT. Thanks again. To be honest there isn’t much of a difference between the JCAT USB XE outputs and the USB outputs on my motherboard (Asus Maximus XI Apex) - this is surprising but it is probably the best MB in its class. All my other prior computers were not that great in terms of USB quality - grey and hazy being the word. Like network modifications, SRC-DX will take on some of the character of the preceding chain, but moving away from using the Chords internal USB receiver has the same proportional benefit in each case. Running Opto-USB into SRC-DX also has the same cumulative effect, but the SRC-DX is the one to go for first. EagleKent, Fourlegs and taipan254 2 1 Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted June 26, 2021 Author Share Posted June 26, 2021 8 hours ago, Middy said: Hi Gavin, Nick linked your article and gives me hope it might be right in my simple chain. No DSD or upscaling. Just bypassing the internal USB on the Qutest. Until my aerospace job has a bit more security I've cut right back. I am only of using a friend's free Spotify Prem and pimped a Win 10 Nuc for as low latency hacks I could do.. Pro audio tips no power savings on usb bus Ethernet.. opened the cores, FSB, bios ect... QuickCPU prog to. Open the cores... Nothing fancy but I sold some bits nearly gets me there for the SRC DX... Why I've been lurking not much to add on AS just enjoying others journeys😉👍 I watched the DX and the opto get released with great interest and Raydude go for the opto links.. I didn't think a non upsampling Low data rate would be worth getting the DX for my Qutest... No power pc HQP or upscaler.. Wasn't sure what extra benefit dual BNC gives, what my little USB chain can add.. isoregen lps1 IFI bits.. Nick tried it and liked on his old Qutest. But he's has those beautiful cables.. I said I may, as I am so on the fence he'd have me for trespassing.... An indecisive rambling post Gavin... sorry mate.. Marginal gain refinement in my case? Or a worthy boost well worth a punt..? I don't want to waste my little Audio savings or waste anyone's time or good will... But thank for your impressions and nice to see you post, thank you 👍 For a bargain basement set up In your opinion and no pressure.. either way do it? Lol Take care Dave 😉 No worries. SRC-DX provides the same noteworthy benefits to either straight PCM (single bnc cable) or Upsampled (dual bnc). If you want to get a taste of what it does try comparing the qutest or other chord DAC on USB vs optical. The thing the SRC-DX does beyond this is add more texture, and it’s very noticeable. Now I didn’t have a range of BNC cables to play with, just the wave storm, so I can’t tell you how much of the impact was cable vs SRC-DX (so that is a point I should have made clear in the article). Either way, for chord DACs I think it’s great. Middy 1 Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted June 26, 2021 Author Share Posted June 26, 2021 7 hours ago, davide256 said: Couldn’t sort out from the above… did you use the SRC DX/ dual BNC with the Qutest and if so what were your thoughts? I actually didn’t have time with the qutest, just the TT2 and the DAVE. However based on my prior experiments with the qutest I can tell you with a large degree of certainty that it’s going to have the same effect. davide256 1 Link to comment
Popular Post Gavin1977 Posted June 27, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 27, 2021 Phoenix to SRC-DX would be pretty epic. As you can see from my post I use JCAT USB Xe powered by Teddy Pardo. This is just a little behind the Phoenix (which I have had in my system before) I believe that if I powered the USB Xe with a Sean jacobs rail it’d get pretty close. So yes, the better your USB source the better the SRC-DX. Using BNC removes EMI/RF pollution from the USB chipset within Chord DAC. Also spdif is processed directly on the fpga chip - so Rob has complete control over the logic. Potentially lower latency as well (something that always works well in digital audio). They must have know something when they designed the MScaler to be dual bnc… otherwise you’d just daisychain USB wouldn’t you? edwardsean, EagleKent and Middy 2 1 Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted June 27, 2021 Author Share Posted June 27, 2021 1 hour ago, BlueDL said: Hi Middy, Is the logic there to feed the Qutest with an optical cable? I tried something similar using a Matrix X-SPDIF2 into my TT2, half expecting to hear ‘RF busting benefits’ from it. But there was little if any difference versus going USB direct into TT2, and that was using a QED Reference glass optical cable too (which is great value given its spec). No idea how the Qutest’s USB input fairs against it’s optical input or compares to the TT2 implementation (no experience of Qutest), so others may be able to advise or ‘chime in’ here. X-spdif 2 sounds good because I’m sending it double regulated power from a JCAT USB Xe - feeding it anything lower and it loses the magic. Pink Faun Spdif bridge with ultraclock is the best, but serious money for a few percent uplift over the above. Now that I’ve discovered opto-USB and SRC-DX that is the better route. X-spdif 2 has lots of use scenarios through. Middy 1 Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted June 28, 2021 Author Share Posted June 28, 2021 I’ve used Oyaide before and like their stuff, but haven’t personally tried their bnc cables. I’ve only ever used high end cables, the one I used in earnest is the Sablon BNC - I could not tell it apart from an optical cable. Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted June 30, 2021 Author Share Posted June 30, 2021 42 minutes ago, Middy said: A Chord Qutest lurkers tale. SRC DX Everything matters..does it? I watched the SRC DX and optos come out and thought yer ok, another toy. Maybe another Nth degree small improvement. Ray Dudes great review on head fi was for the Optos and all the optional extras... power lps's and if wanted RFI EMI shielded boxes to maximise the SQ delta ect.. Out of my league and no chance of an Chord upscaler anyway.. in my case its the Starter Chord Qutest... Finally backed up in reference to using Dave's Amanero USB implementation and the Uber TAIKO extreme thread on WB's forum. Its holding the Dave back.. Even the with PBBG or HQP, with a good powerful PC and more apacer 'RAM' than a super tanker full of male sheep.. explored here on AS. The SRC DX is for the high-end upscaling guys only and good on them, for pushing the envelope and their enjoyment in this hobby.🙂👍 But those 2 BNC's connectors just keep mocking me.. sat there doing nothing... Wheres my up scaler Middy? In conclusion the SRC DX is a no brainer for me.. put simply its made the DAC sound like the DAC i hoped it would be. Not a little but a lot more. Thrilled if it was just another layer of micro detail or a bit more sound stage. This is everything just better.. details SQ bass vocals..smoothness transients...better than USB alone. whats that means to you ? I don't know, it's the audiophile trap sorry.. The price of admission is knowing for yourself...but no doubt in you can't miss its effects .. Is the chord USB that bad? Probably not but things move on. Rob always had Chord owners filling forum threads with glass Toslink arguments and giant car batteries tripping up wife's in bedrooms around the world.. Anyone want 3 Toshlinks going cheap.. Is the SRC DX that good? Our hobby is full of well made DDC's, low phase noise world clock box's and USB converters I can't compare too. I can't tell you if DSD sounds good, i am only using a single cheap 30cm BNC cable..i have its twin coming today and a simple CCTV coupling later.. I just know it works well and makes the DAC shine... or finally show Mr Watts creative designs in its best light. Will it scale up the Chord family...? Posts seem to say TT2 users and Dave owners seem too anecdotally... I am i getting a free TT2 i hope so or near!! But doesn't matter i am happy. Everything matters and never a free lunch.. ? My Qutest has an LPS1.0, A DXP-1A5DSC and a IFI DC purifier 2 hanging of it... fed by an IFi AC purifier and balanced isolation transformer... 4 expensive black and blue fuses... My euphony trial £90 ebay Celeron NUC with Apacer Ram, Mu metal and tape shielding fanless case added.. not even Roon tidal or Qobuz.. win10 and Basic fidelizer... ISOREGEN and LPS1.0 and more cleaning the stream up.. No not at all is this hobby ever a free lunch. At what ever level...😐 The point being i am positive better upstream equipment would still be of benefit using a Chord DAC in the sense scaled benefits.. streamers and PCs. I am just basking in my play list to try experiments with the USB cleaners or think about a Mid-fi cables upgrades.. There still plenty of tinkering we love there to play with.. For that extra % gains.. I am not here to convince you either way. Just give another perspective and option And I hope it helps... i am the least of us and not even that knowledgeable... This tiny box give me freedom to use my current setup and bypass the Chord USB. Everything matters should be qualified with ..Everything matters if it matters to you. The SRC DX matters in my set up and I really like what its made my DAC into... Thank you to everyone on AS and beyond for your help, I hope this pays a fraction back.. Good luck regardless Kind regards Dave Good to know that it’s working well for you. Middy 1 Link to comment
Popular Post Gavin1977 Posted July 9, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 9, 2021 14 minutes ago, edwardsean said: The psychology of audiophiles is such an interesting thing. Sometimes, your system sounds so good you can’t imagine how an upgrade will improve it. Then you upgrade and you can’t imagine going back. Yeah… the SRC-DX into Dave’s dual BNC (bypassing the USB chipset) is for real. I wasn’t unhappy with my system a week ago. And, still, the combination of PGGB and SRC-DX made quite a sizeable jump in SQ in a short span of time. For the tests I used PGGB 16fs processed files, 32bit for USB and 24bit for BNC. I first tested the optical feed out of my server straight into Dave’s USB against straight SRC-DX into Dave’s BNC. The SRC-DX>BNC path immediately emerged as better, more clear and precise. Bringing my Innuos Phoenix back into the USB chain brought a smoother, more spacious and detailed sound, but still lacked the substance and definition of the SRC-DX>BNC. On the other hand, the SRC-DX>BNC seemed a bit raw and unrefined compared to the USB chain w/Phoenix. It would be tough to choose one over the other. Adding the Phoenix into the SRC-DX>BNC chain was just so—many—good—things. Like PGGB, the resulting image was larger, more precise and focused with better separation, while generating a smoother, denser, more analog render. After using PGGB the textures/timbres could never feel malnourished, but it is like they now went to the gym. The sound was even more muscular, and also disciplined, reflexive, and lithe. I thought maybe I could lose the Phoenix if I went into Dave’s BNC, but @Gavin1977and @Fourlegs were right. Whatever the Innuos does, in terms of better power and signal regeneration, benefits SQ, it seems, regardless of input protocol. Not that you need a Phoenix, but as we all learn, the quality of the upstream signal matters to the components you feed. With PGGB files and a high quality signal, the SRC-DX into Dave’s BNC is transformative. So, I join my voice to the chorus of praise for PGGB > SRC-DX > BNC Dave+SJ PS (DC3 in my case). Among these units, the SJ power supplies and even Phoenix are spendy. However, PGGB and SRC-DX comprise an enormously outsized value proposition. I still haven’t upgraded my computer, so I’m producing PGGB files on a MacBook Pro (Bootcamp). It took 3-4 days of solid non-stop crunching for it to convert my library. I just wiped my external drive and all that work was erased in a second. It’s now busy repopulating the drive with 24bit versions for SRC-DX>BNC. My poor little Mac. I think you’re going to be pretty busy these days until we get you a big brother. So, fellas, what are we upgrading next? Always nice to have findings confirmed by other sources - I don’t have a Phoenix at the moment, but would like to get one back in my chain again at some point. edwardsean and Middy 2 Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted July 9, 2021 Author Share Posted July 9, 2021 6 minutes ago, Middy said: Hi @edwardseanreally glad its improved your setup. I am still not sure of whats so special about the DX. Would any old DDC do the job? But sounds so much better than USB alone. My experiments are paying off on my little set up. Shielding, RAM cables, USB connectors on my pc worked but adding EMI absorber much more so.. 3M AB5030. The xilinx in my intona some ICs and USB connector shells.. a touch more SQ with 3m Custom shielded supra cable shortened...Tick... Windows debloater and scripts very nice..opening cores ect no power saving throttling for low latency... Big tick.... The main drive being EMI RFI the DX designer bases his products and engineering principles on.... The Qutest will be the last to be stripped and shielded.... i never knew about noise being reflect about the case not just noisy FPGAs and clocks transmitting RF emi.. pure luck but its working out and better SQ. Fingers crossed for the dac... Lastly i just got this... from his website. The intona ipurifier should block DC but it seems to help... subtle YMMV ECT One thing you'll need is an adapter as its a male/female in-line filter.. From a DX you need a female to female.. "DC•BLOCK Leakage Current Isolation – AudioWise" https://audiowise-canada.myshopify.com/products/gnd-zro-signal-ground-isolation https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BNC-MALE-to-MALE-COUPLER-ADAPTER-FOR-TV-CCTV-CAMERA-CABLE-JOINER-CONNECTOR-/332086047040?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0 If you asked me 2 weeks my system was ok. Eye's closed i could be tricked into believing its a good streamer TT2. Finally a real step up in sound quality not perceived mini gains or marginal at best... So happy.. Dave... DC•BLOCK, gosh it never ends - but might be good if you can use this to directly connect the SRC-DX to Chord DAC rather than using a pair of cables? I also like the idea of ultra short spdif links. SRC-DX definitely does something special - I have used x-spdif 2 before this which gave nice boost, but SRC-DX is superior. You are right that you can get the qutest to (almost) scale upto SQ of a TT2 - will be interesting how far TT2 scales above this. Middy 1 Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted July 13, 2021 Author Share Posted July 13, 2021 Some further feedback from me - Opto-USB seems to be limited to 768kHz. I was unable to pass 1411kHz through it. Just so people know. Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted July 14, 2021 Author Share Posted July 14, 2021 19 hours ago, Middy said: Is that a 24 bit 32 bit limit mentioned on the PGGB thread?. Or an optical limitation? Apologies as OP Gavin, i moved the EMI experiments off the DX RFI design and posted them into to Qutest thread. I just got excited as the SQ increased so much using the EMI Absorbing tape like a big kid... ill stick to hijacking plane's... but thank you for the SRC-DX advice... i can never go back to using the USB in.. Cheers David Hi David - no worries, I like the shared knowledge! 24 bit / 32 bit - good point. I was trying to pass 32fs 1411 and it didn’t work with Opto-USB in place. Remove it and go JCAT USB Xe direct and it works fine. I haven’t tried 16/24/32 rates so don’t know if it’s this or optical issue which creates the problem for Opto-USB, however it can’t pass 32fs 1411. Middy 1 Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted November 30, 2021 Author Share Posted November 30, 2021 Spot on - nice to have further feedback and further matching opinion Middy 1 Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted December 12, 2021 Author Share Posted December 12, 2021 4 hours ago, davide256 said: Received the SRC-DX, am pleased so far. Most of my music has been PGGB converted to 706/768 but , music is being down converted to the single coax 353/384 limit. Feels like energy that was going into a more aggressive treble end (irritating!) has shifted into a more cohesive midrange. Getting best sound so far using an AQ Eagle Eye coax with adaptors at either end (BNC to RCA at SRC-DX, RCA to mini RCA at Mojo). My other cable options sounded thinner/brighter in comparison whereas the AQ cable sounds tube like for mid range bloom. Much happier using SRC-DX at 384 out on SPDIF than I was with Denafrips Iris at 192 out on SPDIF Interesting… what DAC are you using it with? Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted January 14, 2022 Author Share Posted January 14, 2022 54 minutes ago, davide256 said: Running into something strange using the SRC-DX with a Metrum Octave I NOS DAC. The SRC-DX really helps makes the mid range and dynamics "pop" with this DAC, much better result than with a Denafrips Iris Can play 353 and 706 files fine, no down-sample limiting required. No speed indicator on the DAC so can't verify actual speed. The 384/768 files don't sync/play unless I set a software limit of 353 to force down speeding Has me wondering if the Octave has internal clock for 44.1k multiples but synthesizes clock for 48k? Just trying to figure out whats happening. Any other Metrum DAC owners out there that have used SRC-DX and if so, how did your DAC behave with 3xx/7xx files into coax? I can;t provide advice - but interested that your prefer it over the Iris.. Care to expand? barbz 1 Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted September 24, 2022 Author Share Posted September 24, 2022 On 9/15/2022 at 5:37 AM, dericchan1 said: I agreed. I have doubts if the transfer protocol is usb whether the clock of the pi makes any difference compared to a dedicated streamer. the difference is more to do with noise control of the pi USB port compared to that of a higher quality streamer which may have a dedicated cleaner USB port. I don’t use the SRC-DX, rather I connect my pi (powered by a shanti) usb out to an intona galvanic isolator before usb connection to a dac. Tested on a friend’s Aqua La Scala dac which already has built-in galvanic isolation, and we still noted a subtle but notable lower noise floor compared to directly connect a pi usb to the DAC. Compared head to head with the Aqua LinQ streamer my friend took home for audition connecting through AES to the Aqua La Scala dac, and my friend ended up returning the LinQ. Did your friend not try the i2s from the LinQ to La Scala? Would be interested to find out more because I’m considering a demo of a LinQ. By the way, I’ve now moved on from Opto-USB to Network Acoustic Muon. Very expensive, but it works wonders. Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted October 2, 2022 Author Share Posted October 2, 2022 3 hours ago, Atriya said: I agree. I just bought an OPTO-USB, and even with it, my Raspberry Pi 4 streamer sounds clearly superior to a laptop. Can anyone shed light on why? 1. If the OPTO-USB eliminates all noise using optical fiber, noise is not the differentiator. 2. And my Chord Qutest is supposed to be immune to jitter (like all Chord DACs), so jitter shouldn't be the differentiator. What then can distinguish one source from another, if noise and jitter are taken out the equation? You’ll still have noise from the optical transceiver at either end, but you have complete isolation of upstream noise. Chord quest is immune to jitter, but not noise/emi, thats why it works. Link to comment
Gavin1977 Posted October 2, 2022 Author Share Posted October 2, 2022 A laptop has lots of extra noise in it, e.g screen. You can isolate noise, but you can’t recover from its original effect. RaspberryPi is simpler, less to degrade the signal. Atriya 1 Link to comment
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