Stello U3: async USB to coax & AES/EBU transport <Impressions updated> - Page 5

yeah, I'm also having all sorts of thoughts about what to improve and how...but if your primary use is speakers, you will gain far more by putting that money into DRC and foamy bass traps and so. It also boils down to what S/PDIF receiver your DAC uses?

I've also read raving feedback about that USB cable you just mentioned, but their sales pitch is the usual blabla WW has been using since forever, and my $4 Lacie Flatcable also has discrete power and data lines

Personally, I'm looking into feeding isolated I2S to the DP-1, but isolation adds distortion and jitter...whatever via coax, USB or I2S: http://hifiduino.wordpress.com/2011/11/24/which-digital-isolators-for-i2s-or-not/

I've read on the rock-grotto forum that isolated I2S sounded more laid back than non-isolated off the very same board, so I'm afraid that it could veil the trebles like ADuM4160 does. And strangely the Stello U2 had a I2S output, but not the U3...but I guess it wasn't isolated anyway.

I also read many ppl stating that pulse transformers over coax would add jitter and color the sound, which makes sense as nothing's free in this world.

The PSU input on your Olimex dongle goes through a switching-mode regulator, so there is little point in using anything advanced. Olimex told me that I should tap any serious PSU directly onto the USB output power pins.

To get back to this $350 USB cable supposedly sounding OHMAGAD-IT'S-LIKE-THEY'RE-SINGING-IN-MY-ROOM, it might very well be the case...but it's like those $50 gold plated fuses, even if they sound "better" someone is obviously getting ripped off badly. You can rest assured that they get those USB cables for less than $5 in Shenzhen and those fuses for 50 cents or so. I've spoken w/ cable believers who told me that the actual cost didn't matter and that they were paying for R&D, giving me the totally off-topic example that when you buy a piece of art you don't ask how much its actual cost was.

There are some hi-speed USB2 isolators, but they use optical isolation so it will be a jitter feast, haha.

How about trying that LaCie flat cable? I'm listening to it on the DP-1 as I'm typing this, the SQ/SS depth and width are

If you wanna try a fancy USB cable, I'd try this one: http://www.head-fi.org/t/500466/nuforce-shipping-high-performance-usb-and-3-5mm-cables-in-2-weeks/15#post_6801885

Now listen to this(read it with a foreign accent to make it more credible): "Multiple Litz conductors arranged in a star-configuration"

BTW, the U3 in the DP-1 is also USB powered because it installs perfectly even if the DP-1 isn't connected to the mains. The Firestone Bravo doesn't, and neither does the Asus Essence One, proving that both their USB interfaces aren't draining the computer 5V.

well, buy some DIY USB connectors, use 2x2 discrete solid copper cables for data and power, wrap them into ESR paper while you're at it, get the power cable through an Olimex + top notch PSU et voilà? or try a reclocker such as the Firestone Bravo + its own Supplier PSU?

I also noticed an improvement when using the TeraX2 PSU on the Olimex, but specs don't lie and there is indeed a switching-mode regulator in the power path so it will impact the SQ to an extent.

I use this cable:

you can see that there's 8mm between the power and data lines:

I read someone on another forum who cut this cable in two for science sake's and indeed one side of the flat cable takes care of data and the other of power, the same topology WW has been hyping since forever. It's an Ultraviolet $4 knock off and it sounds exquisite to my ears...try it, you might like it too

Originally Posted by BrainFood 

Shame they only do it in 1.2 metre size.  My 160D sits further away.  

The longer the cable, the higher the jitter and the more prone to interferences it'll get

And at this level of excellence, the infamous synergy matter comes into play because there isn't a single transport or S/PDIF receiver that does everything right. Impedance mismatches, output voltage, clock recovery of the receiving chip, the way it's output/reclocked to the DAC chip, etc etc. I don't think you can say "XX is better, bar none.", you can only say "I've tried XX YY and ZZ, and on this very DAC I personally prefered XX".