Apex Glacier amp/dac review and appreciation thread

[turokrocks]

Quote:

I got a hold of a friends Samsung Galaxy S3 and, after installing Power Amp, I was able to play an 88.2/24 .flac sample through the Glacier's DAC.
It was strange though that the phone didn't recognize it until after I switched the On The Go (OTG) adapter cable to plug into the GS3 and the supplied cable to the Glacier. It just didn't work the other way around.

It's an eForCity adapter cable and the GS3 actually recognized it without connecting the other end to the amp, but it had no idea the self winding cable was there; even connected to the Glacier!

I obviously, am much closer to knowing nothing, than knowing everything.

 
 
I am confused...

.
 
 
1- "It was strange though that the phone didn't recognize it" = what is it? you mean the song, all my HD tracks (96/24) work with power amp on my Note 2, without  a DAC/amp, as it is down converted to 44.1/16 by Poweramp.

 

2-"other way around"= how?

 

[Todd]

Hi,
 
You are correct that the printing on the front and or rear panels should not come off at all. Please email me (todd@ttvjaudio.com) and we will replace the panels. They are silk screened and it appears that the company who did it did not do the job as we expected it. Do not worry, we will make this good for all Glacier owners should it happen to theirs.
 
Todd

 

[Rexgabriel]

Quote:

 
 
I am confused...

.
 
 
1- "It was strange though that the phone didn't recognize it" = what is it? you mean the song, all my HD tracks (96/24) work with power amp on my Note 2, without  a DAC/amp, as it is down converted to 44.1/16 by Poweramp.

 

2-"other way around"= how?

I'm sorry I wasn't very clear.
The GS3 did NOT recognize the Glacier connected in this order: GS3=>self winding cable=>OTG adapter=>Glacier
 
The GS3 RECOGNIZED the Glacier when connected in this order: GS3=>OTG adapter=>self winding cable=>Glacier
 
 
The "other way around" was just me repeating myself about the first attempt (GS3=>self winding cable=>OTG adapter=>Glacier) NOT working.
 
 
 
Unrelated to GS3/Glacier compatibility is that the GS3 also recognizes the OTG adapter as a connected cable without the Glacier being connected, which is means there is a circuit in the cable itself.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Quote:

I'm sorry I wasn't very clear.
The GS3 did NOT recognize the Glacier connected in this order: GS3=>self winding cable=>OTG adapter=>Glacier
 
The GS3 RECOGNIZED the Glacier when connected in this order: GS3=>OTG adapter=>self winding cable=>Glacier
 
 
The "other way around" was just me repeating myself about the first attempt (GS3=>self winding cable=>OTG adapter=>Glacier) NOT working.
 
 
 
Unrelated to GS3/Glacier compatibility is that the GS3 also recognizes the OTG adapter as a connected cable without the Glacier being connected, which is means there is a circuit in the cable itself.

 
Of course it didn't work without the OTG cable in the S3. The OTG cable has a different pin configuration that puts the S3 in host mode. You wouldn't need an OTG cable at all if that weren't the case.

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

 
Of course it didn't work without the OTG cable in the S3. The OTG cable has a different pin configuration that puts the S3 in host mode. You wouldn't need an OTG cable at all if that weren't the case.

I got this cable some days ago, it should work with the Apex and S3/Note 2, right?
 

 
 
http://venturecraft.jp/gadget_jp/category.php?category_id=6

 

[turokrocks]

I took a macro photo for comparison sake:
 

 

[midnightwalker]

Quote:

I took a macro photo for comparison sake:
 
 

 
That gonna be great if we can take advance of the 24bits DAC to replace idevices DAC

 

[NZtechfreak]

Quote:

I got this cable some days ago, it should work with the Apex and S3/Note 2, right?

 
That was made specifically for the Galaxy S3 (or at least that is my understanding), and so should be a USB OTG cable. You can test it - on inserting the host end into the S3/Note 2 it should give a notification confirming recognition of a host cable (I forget the exact wording).

EDIT: Can see your macro shots, looks like a 5-pin host connector alright. As I said though you can confirm this too.

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

 
That was made specifically for the Galaxy S3 (or at least that is my understanding), and so should be a USB OTG cable. You can test it - on inserting the host end into the S3/Note 2 it should give a notification confirming recognition of a host cable (I forget the exact wording).

 
 
you are right...nothing!!!
 
so I spent the money for nothing!!! I wanted to have a simple cable to the Glacier instead of having the OTG cable and another cable connected....
 
It would have made a nice portable, with a simple cable.....

 

[turokrocks]

@NZtechfreak  , 
 
so did this cable work for you?

 

[NZtechfreak]

Quote:

@NZtechfreak  , 
 
so did this cable work for you?

 
Still waiting for it to arrive, will be sometime next week I think (possibly longer since shipping was free and it might be some attrociously slow shipping method).

 

[turokrocks]

just tested the OTG cable and connected my Note2 to my blackberry which mounted as USB drive and I was able to browse the contents of the Blackberry memory.
 
Did the same with the acquired cable...still nothing...so its useless....take care....this cable will not work with the Glacier or other dac/amps...
 
Now my only hope is your cable....

 

[NZtechfreak]

Quote:

just tested the OTG cable and connected my Note2 to my blackberry which mounted as USB drive and I was able to browse the contents of the Blackberry memory.
 
Did the same with the acquired cable...still nothing...so its useless....take care....this cable will not work with the Glacier or other dac/amps...
 
Now my only hope is your cable....

 
Oh, that is a real shame - surprising since it I thought it was purpose made for connecting the DAC to the S3?
 
Someone should provide that feedback directly to Venture-Craft I guess, so that they can look into it...

 

[davemath2001]

Hello everyone, I'm pretty new here. I have been lurking but seldom posted in the forums.
 
Looking at the VentureCraft cable pictured a few posts above I noticed that on the packaging it reads micro USB to micro USB and makes no mention of OTG, therefore I think it is not OTG.
 
 
I found this page:
 
http://tech2.in.com/how-to/accessories/how-to-make-your-own-usb-otg-cable-for-an-android-smartphone/319982
 
 
It explains how to transform any regular USB cable to OTG. Apparently just by soldering the connections of connectors 4 and 5:
 
http://im.tech2.in.com/gallery/2012/jun/difference_circuit_271738111300.jpg
 
 
This might be a possible solution to the nice Venturecraft cable, but it involves cutting, soldering and gluing.
 
Does anyone know for sure whether the VentureCraft cable is indeed OTG?

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

Hello everyone, I'm pretty new here. I have been lurking but seldom posted in the forums.
 
Looking at the VentureCraft cable pictured a few posts above I noticed that on the packaging it reads micro USB to micro USB and makes no mention of OTG, therefore I think it is not OTG.
 
 
I found this page:
 
http://tech2.in.com/how-to/accessories/how-to-make-your-own-usb-otg-cable-for-an-android-smartphone/319982
 
 
It explains how to transform any regular USB cable to OTG. Apparently just by soldering the connections of connectors 4 and 5:
 
http://im.tech2.in.com/gallery/2012/jun/difference_circuit_271738111300.jpg
 
 
This might be a possible solution to the nice Venturecraft cable, but it involves cutting, soldering and gluing.
 
Does anyone know for sure whether the VentureCraft cable is indeed OTG?

Thanks for the headups.
 
Now which one to which should I join?
 
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