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DDC - Digital USB interfaces - Xmos or Amanero Combo384 based - Raspberry Pi - HifiBerry DAC+ Pro - reviews, comparison, modifications and USB-Audio in general

Jun 29, 2016 at 9:16 AM Post #481 of 569
hgpsemaj said:
  Work in progress, this is all I got in hand at this moment. And, I shall keep you inform about the progress.
Click to expand...

 
Thanks!!! Much appreciated!
 
Jul 2, 2016 at 6:23 AM Post #484 of 569
youth said:
  Anyone tried Intona USB Isolater?
Click to expand...

 
You'd better consult the XMOS U208 thread, there's a lot of talk about USB optimizing devices:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/803111/xmos-xu208-usb-bridges-the-latest-gen-has-arrived
 
This thread lately is more concentrated on low-computing devices, such as Raspberry Pi, with add on HAT's which have I2S output, to feed DAC directly.
 
I am very confident that this is THE way to go. After being an owner of DualPC config (AO and Jplay) with heavily modified and optimized PC systems (hardware),
the result of using a simple RPI based I2S source is absolutely stunning. It runs circles around DualPC config's SQ. It's playing in a whole other league.
 
After intensive testing with USB as transport layer, I came to the conclusion that it is best, if wanting the highest possible SQ available, to abandon USB.
 
There are many other solutions like RedNet3 (as described in U208 thread) which can perform very good, but I still am convinced that the simplest way,
low-computing devices with isolated and reclocked I2S output to feed DAC's I2S input directly, is far better than all those other, costly, solutions.
 
It's not that strange that there are many maufacturers of high-end audio equipment which are walking the same road.
Those all are server-client based audio solutions, in which, in my case, server side is a NAS (Network Attached Storage) with lightweight Music server software
installed on it (LMS 7.9) and a RaspBerry Pi running PicorePlayer which plays music files from NAS directly into the DAC with shortest signal path possible.
 
This way you have all music files safely stored (NAS with RAID 5 configuration) and storage is expandable if needed more storage. No need of costly PC's
anymore. My NAS even has Kodi installed on it, and NAS (QNAP TS-853-A-8Gb) has HDMI output which directly can play 4K movies to my 52" TV set as well.
It's the best solution ever.
 
I use Qremote app on my phone to controll Kodi and play movies, and iPeng on my iPad and phone to control music playback (formerly squeezebox).
 
If wanting to use NAS for storage only, and installing LMS, there are many Netgear devices which can do the trick and who do cost not as much as my Qnap.
I decided to buy the Qnap because of it's 8 Bays, which gives me lot's of expansion options, and it's direct 4K HDMI output feature which runs my mediacenter pc obsolete.
 
Btw, LMS also has plugins available for music streaming services such as Deezer, Spotify and Tidal (HIFI). I use Tidal Hifi which performs fantastic, it's lossless FLAC.
The ease of use of this system, the quietness (I put the NAS, which does have fans inside, in the hall next to my living room, and connect with a long HDMI cable(15meters)
to my TV set and a CAT6 cable to a switch near my audio set), the safe storage of my 2Tb precious music collection, and last, but definitely not least, the superb
sound quality, is a real killer.
 
Btw, if not wanting to use a NAS, you just can use a simple laptop or other pc and put LMS on it. This doesn't impact SQ. I tested this intensively, compared between
i7-16Gb pc with 2x 250Gb SSD's and i3-4Gb pc with 1x 250Gb SSD and my QNAP TS-853A-8Gb. There's absolutely NO difference in SQ.
 
Link LMS:
http://downloads.slimdevices.com/nightly/?ver=7.9
 
Link PicorePlayer:
https://sites.google.com/site/picoreplayer/home
 
Link HifiBerry DAC+Pro:
https://www.hifiberry.com/dacplus/
 
Link Raspberry pi org:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/
 
 
Have fun!
 
Alex
 
Jul 2, 2016 at 8:21 PM Post #485 of 569
youth said:
  Anyone tried Intona USB Isolater?
Click to expand...


In my system I think it is indispensable for using USB. I currently have the standard version, but just took delivery of the industrial version.
 
Over at CA also available some good info, a nice recent post in the "W4S and other USB fixers (non curated)" thread - post #267.
I agree with that CA user (but I do not have a MSB Analogue DAC ;-), I have the W4S and Regen also, but I think my final USB chain will be with Intona only.
 
I hope to in the future try the Raspberry/i2S option, but the necessary isolators and reclockers are still in development, unless you are super-DIY capable.
If I was in the USA and my DAC's best inputs would be the AES or SPDIF, then I would try the RedNet stuff immediately...
 
Other possible good options for USB isolation is the StarTech USB/Ethernet extender system as described in the HF posts and the upcoming PSAudio LANRover.
 
Jul 6, 2016 at 5:05 PM Post #486 of 569
Guess who just put an RPi inside their DAC
http://www.totaldac.com/D1-integral-eng.htm
Looks like a perfect device .. however the ~€8500 price is not exactly likeable.

Especially since nowadays one can buy a soekris DAC+amp for about €1200
http://www.xtremeplace.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=223862.0
add a RPi and you get pretty much the exact same thing for *a lot* less money
 
Jul 7, 2016 at 6:11 AM Post #487 of 569
prot said:
Guess who just put an RPi inside their DAC
http://www.totaldac.com/D1-integral-eng.htm
Looks like a perfect device .. however the ~€8500 price is not exactly likeable.

Especially since nowadays one can buy a soekris DAC+amp for about €1200
http://www.xtremeplace.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=223862.0
add a RPi and you get pretty much the exact same thing for *a lot* less money
Click to expand...

 
They finally got it 
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http://www.vinshineaudio.com/ is a good start, but if you want to take the best from Soekris, you would have to feed all stages with separate psu lines, which VinshineAudio doesn't provide.....
 
Jul 10, 2016 at 6:20 AM Post #490 of 569
You do that fast, before the whole HiFi industry goes bonkers.
This is the kind of bollocks that audio magazines write nowadays with an (apparently) straight face:
"the buzz has it that [their] $15,000 moving coil phono preamplifier is a giant killer."
 
Jul 11, 2016 at 2:49 AM Post #492 of 569
prot said:
Found one of those rare pure-dsd DACs: http://www.amaremusica.pl/tube-dac-dsd/
Click to expand...

 
Nice find! It's technology is based on "The best dac is NO dac", upsampling all signals to DSD and take use of first order low pass filter only.
 
Ian Canada is working on hardware FIFO to DSD upsampling, could use one of the Acko NO DSD options, or maybe a future solution from Ian himself :)
Would be nice to see it as a HAT for RPI, it's very quiet around Ian lately though, he's at test phase now...
 
Jul 11, 2016 at 3:35 AM Post #493 of 569
Last Saturday I changed my Opamp output (LME49720HA) with discrete output.
After 1 day of burn-in time I have to say it's VERY good. This I should have implemented from day one!
This makes my MonsterDAC sing, very realistic sounding with huge tight bass fundament.
And, it's $18 only :)  Will try replacing the 4x diode with 4x LED for even better noise floor.
 
https://world.taobao.com/item/15260673023.htm?fromSite=main&spm=686.1000925.1000774.36.T9Fuk3 
 
TB1ra2YGXXXXXbCXpXXXXXXXXXX_!!0-item_pic.jpg_600x600.jpg

 
Also available in single version, which is VERY cheap too at $7,50
 
https://world.taobao.com/item/18520100858.htm?fromSite=main
 
TB1VpY5GXXXXXb1XXXXXXXXXXXX_!!0-item_pic.jpg_600x600.jpg

 
I first tried the default extension cable, which was very flimsy, and didn't sound good at all.
Finally I made an extension cable with CAT7 and put 1000uF 50V Nichicon Muse + 0.01uF MKP cap close to +/-15V.
This did the trick :)
 
Highly recommended!!!!!!!
 
Jul 12, 2016 at 7:37 PM Post #494 of 569
abartels
Those opamps look quite good, especially for the price. Might try some.

And in other news, here's another new DAC with an RPi inside
https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2016/04/19/axpona-2016-bricasti-design-dials-it-to-12/. Also has a dedicated pure-dsd decoder.

I guess it's already safe to say that RPi-inside is the new black :)

P.S.
not sure if I mentioned this one before
http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2016/05/ayre-acoustics-show-off-qx-5-twenty-digital-hub/
Also RPi-inside and probably the first DAC with the latest ess9038 chip.
 
Jul 13, 2016 at 5:40 AM Post #495 of 569
prot said:
@abartels
Those opamps look quite good, especially for the price. Might try some.

And in other news, here's another new DAC with an RPi inside
https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2016/04/19/axpona-2016-bricasti-design-dials-it-to-12/. Also has a dedicated pure-dsd decoder.

I guess it's already safe to say that RPi-inside is the new black
smily_headphones1.gif


P.S.
not sure if I mentioned this one before
http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2016/05/ayre-acoustics-show-off-qx-5-twenty-digital-hub/
Also RPi-inside and probably the first DAC with the latest ess9038 chip.
Click to expand...

 
Nice find! RPI (or LOW COMPUTING in general) rules 
dt880smile.png
 
 
The Ayre link (you shared it before) has a nice statement:
 
"This is a streaming DAC. One that sidesteps the conversation about third party streamers, their preferred connection protocols (USB or S/PDIF?) and associated cable choices.
 The shorter signal paths afforded by an internalised streaming board means I2S can pipe streamed audio to the D/A converter directly."
 
That exactly is how I think it should be, nothing more, nothing less.
 
Btw, nice report, also on using Spotify since it is lossy, but it all is about MUSIC, isn't it :)
I use Tidal HiFi too, and once in a while I use a friends Spotify account to stream tracks which aren't available on Tidal HiFi.
And, off course my 1.5Tb lossless music library still is used most of the time.
 
 
Discrete Class-A Mosfet outputstage still is in it's burn-in phase, but man oh man, does this thing sound good!!!!!
I'm very sure I NEVER will go back to opamps anymore. I started opamp rolling back in the late eighties, and used them for simple and cheap tasks.
At that time LT and BB were the best brands to use, much later the LME's were a very good choice.
For my pre amp, power amp and dac I used Class-A Mosfet stages, built with Ferranti Mosfets (EOL).
When deciding to build a new dac I just "forgot" how important it was to use a HQ discrete output stage, I simply did put all my effort into optimizing digital and psu lines.
 
Btw, MANY thanks for posting the Ayre link again, they mentioned the Morion (O-V-T)CXO's which are exceptionally good!!!
Maybe @b0bb can put some of those specs into his calculator!
 
http://www.morion.com.ru/eng/oscillators/
 
From their website:
 
Oven Controlled Oscillators (OCXOs & DOCXOs):Temperature Compensated Oscillators (TCXOs):Voltage Controlled and Simple Oscillators(VCXOs & XOs):
Morion, Inc. is the company, focused on the development and manufacturing of high-end and TOP level precision and ultra precision quartz oscillators with a tight combination of the parameters (including resistance to severe environmental conditions), fully capable to ensure their long term and high volume production. That is the field where Morion has gained the largest experience and where it is able to ensure the best combination of achievable parameters and delivery conditions.

Our production process and unique team of highly qualified specialist and design engineers allow Morion to adopt existing quartz oscillators' solutions for exact needs and custom requirements of wide range of applications.

For instance Morion's OCXOs ensures the following main features:
     • Frequency range: from 4 MHz to 700 MHz (including up to 120 MHz without multiplication);
     • High frequency stability vs. operating temperature range: up to ±5x10-11;
     • High long-term frequency stability: up to ±5x10-9 per year and ±5x10-8 per 10 years;
     • High short-term frequency stability (Allan Variance): up to 5x10-13 per 1...10 sec;
     • Low phase noise:
          - up to -115 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz;
          - up to -165 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz.
     • Low power consumption: up to 0.2...0.4 W;
     • Fast warm-up time: up to <30 sec;
     • Small size: 20x20x10 mm for a precision OCXO;
     • Resistance to severe environmental conditions.

Morion's quartz oscillators are widely used in different types of equipment. Application examples are following:
     • Cellular base stations (GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, WiMaX & Wibro);
     • Radio transmissions equipment;
     • On board and land-based frequency standards and synchronization facilities;
     • Time keeping, synchronization and navigation equipment (GPS-GLONASS);
     • Land-based stations of satellite communication (VSAT, etc.);
     • Test and measurement equipment;
     • Digital television equipment;
     • ATM/SDH equipment;
     • Radar stations equipment, etc.

On our web-site you can find the information about the latest Morion's products. We proceed the manufacturing of old types of the products, but in your new projects we kindly ask you to use modern Morion's solutions.
 
 
 
 
What a nice hobby we have 
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