Audio-gd Digital Interface - Page 43

i may have missed it (possibilty after 40+ pages!), was there a comparo between this and the firestone bravo?

Did anyone test the coax IN to see if it sounds better er. different than a soundcards coax?

How about Linux USB?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audio Bling 

x2

 

Indeed, I would like to see Kingwa build a world-beater. But I think there is some competition out there. Anyone have some experience of the Legato?

He said in a mail to me that the REF3 / DI are the best he can build right now using USB... I think we´ll need to wait for a better USB chip to come along. I doubt Wavelengh will remain the only async player in the game for a long time. Imo, it´s just a question of time before someone makes a new USB receiver chip with built-in HiFace style firmware. After that Kingwa can use that and apply his analog circuit magic :)
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by vrln 

 

He said in a mail to me that the REF3 / DI are the best he can build right now using USB... I think we´ll need to wait for a better USB chip to come along. I doubt Wavelengh will remain the only async player in the game for a long time. Imo, it´s just a question of time before someone makes a new USB receiver chip with built-in HiFace style firmware. After that Kingwa can use that and apply his analog circuit magic :)
 

That would be one awesome DAC.
 

Wow, the Audiophilleo1 looks pretty trick, but the price is a little much heh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong 

The DI doesn't work directly out of my MacBook Pro's USB ports, which is annoying.  I wanted to find out if the USB ports in my hub resulted in a difference to the built-in ones. 

Why doesn't it work from the MacBook's ports?
 

USG

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorlac 

Wow, the Audiophilleo1 looks pretty trick, but the price is a little much heh.

They make a model 2 without the fancy features for $495, which is the cost of a Halide Bridge.  Nice of them to publish performance specs at least. Manufacturers indeed need to do this with digital gear more often.

I did end up trying the DI on the Cambridge 840C.  I tried comparing optical input to USB (using USB power) via the DI.  I have to say, the 840C has the best quality optical input I've encountered on a DAC so far.  I had trouble hearing any difference.  I had a feeling the music was slightly more musical with the DI, but after a lot of effort, it's below the threshold that I'd consider myself reliable.

I'm thinking that the DI will be a good addition to a mid-range DAC or to a high-end DAC that was designed to be used with a quality transport but the owner wants to use it with a computer as a transport.  The Northstar M192 MK1 I used to own would be a perfect candidate for the DI, for example, as it was ideally designed to work with its matching transport.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vrln 

 

He said in a mail to me that the REF3 / DI are the best he can build right now using USB... I think we´ll need to wait for a better USB chip to come along. I doubt Wavelengh will remain the only async player in the game for a long time. Imo, it´s just a question of time before someone makes a new USB receiver chip with built-in HiFace style firmware. After that Kingwa can use that and apply his analog circuit magic :)
 

I speculate that the DI's price/performance may be ideal for most people considering the DI, ref 3, and cd7 all use the same DSP3 technology. Sorry for being so blunt, but a computer can have a LOT of noise, very different amounts in different computers and laptops. If you want a very clean transport, you must look into improving the computer itself, because you can only go so far upgrading the reclocker. I'm not saying people are wrong to want to spend $1000 on a reclocker, but there's a lot of free and almost free ways to minimize the effect of the computer on the audio that ought to be taken if you're trying to make a computer+reclocker compete with a good cd player.

They should give buyers the option to put usb input on the cd7 though :), assuming it is cheap to do.

The DI works on my MacBook Pro's USB with no problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by haloxt 

[..]

Sorry for being so blunt, but a computer can have a LOT of noise, very different amounts in different computers and laptops. If you want a very clean transport, you must look into improving the computer itself, [..] but there's a lot of free and almost free ways to minimize the effect of the computer on the audio that ought to be taken if you're trying to make a computer+reclocker compete with a good cd player.

[..]

haloxt: stop freakin me out; it’s like we share the same brain!

True; true; and true..

I don’t want to go into the detail of what I have done to “tidy up” my computer transport but it has been significant. And, it has paid dividends. Sometimes I plug my trusty laptop in (as a comparo transport) and can’t believe how awful it sounds. Do people use those things and get anything that resembles music coming out? Ughh..

For folk who want to do something to improve their transport then have a look here (http://cicsmemoryplayer.com/). One does not need to take on all the recommendations but can choose what they feel comfortable to implement. At the least, it highlights some of the issues of what makes a computer a good/bad transport. If I was to recommend just a few “tweaks” that worked for me, I would suggest:

• Implement minlogon

• Power HDDs separately to mobo

• Undervolt/underclock mobo/CPU (which apart from reducing RFI allows the mobo/CPU to run fanless)

• Power P4 (CPU power) with even a cheapie linear 12V supply

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audio Bling 

 

haloxt: stop freakin me out; it’s like we share the same brain!

 

True; true; and true..

 

I don’t want to go into the detail of what I have done to “tidy up” my computer transport but it has been significant. And, it has paid dividends. Sometimes I plug my trusty laptop in (as a comparo transport) and can’t believe how awful it sounds. Do people use those things and get anything that resembles music coming out? Ughh..

 

For folk who want to do something to improve their transport then have a look here (http://cicsmemoryplayer.com/). One does not need to take on all the recommendations but can choose what they feel comfortable to implement. At the least, it highlights some of the issues of what makes a computer a good/bad transport. If I was to recommend just a few “tweaks” that worked for me, I would suggest:

 

• Implement minlogon

 

• Power HDDs separately to mobo

 

• Undervolt/underclock mobo/CPU (which apart from reducing RFI allows the mobo/CPU to run fanless)

 

• Power P4 (CPU power) with even a cheapie linear 12V supply

Nice recommendations,will test them.

Audio Bling, I was thinking more along the lines of changing the psu to a low ripple one, using external power supplies for some components or get a soundcard with spdif... some tweaks can be too risky to do for people who have never tweaked computer hardware. I would never ever try to make my computer fanless :p.

Quote:

Originally Posted by haloxt 

Audio Bling, I was thinking more along the lines of changing the psu to a low ripple one, using external power supplies for some components or get a soundcard with spdif... some tweaks can be too risky to do for people who have never tweaked computer hardware. I would never ever try to make my computer fanless :p.

Again, we agree! Yes, you are correct: some mods are not for the feint hearted. Your tweaks are very do-able. 
 

I wonder if anyone has compared it to the Halide yet? That one is the top of my candidates mainly because of how practical and convenient the damn thing is.

digger945, if he still has his when the loaner Ref 7 arrives at his place should be able to.  Might be a bit of a wait though.