[UsoppNoKami]

Since I first posted this earlier today, I ordered a 0.3 meter WireWorld Chroma 7 HDMI cable. I want to see if the OFC copper tames the rough edge of vocals and brass without affecting the openness, soundstage and clarity of the DH Labs OCC silver cable I am using now.

I have given the 0.3m chroma 7 a good go over the past week. I think it's a good cable, but I could recall certain details being more audible with my 0.3m Starlight 7. Nevertheless, no harshness with the Chroma 7 and it's pretty affordable, so I would recommend it.

I have a 0.3m BJC FE cable to try now too for fun.

 

[yukio1965]

Have a good day everyone
My system is composed of a MacMini (late 2009, Intel Core Due 2.26 ghz, 8gb of RAM and 250 gb SSD hard disk) on which the Audirvana player is installed which uses the file library installed on an external hard drive from 4TB. The USB output of the Mac Mini is connected via USB to an AudioGD DI20 interface. The interface comes out in I2S with 0,5m HDMI Apollo V2 cable and enters the AudioGD Master 7 dac (2016 my, non singularity) which is bridged inside on IPS1-IPS0-ATT1-ATT0. The rest of the audio chain is composed of a Primaluna Prologue 3 tube preamplifier, a Lyngdorf SDAI2175 class D power amplifier and a pair of Scansonic MB2.5B speakers.
Since I use the DI20 interface, it happens to me that when the power is turned on, the right channel is reversed with the left one and that to restore the right channel I have to turn off the interface and turn it on again.
Has this small problem ever occurred to you too?
I specify that I do not use DSD files because the Master 7 does not work with this format.
For this reason I set up Audirvana in such a way that it would downgrade DSD to PCM for the DSD files present on my hard disk.
Let me know your experience on the subject and any advice on resolving the problem
Thank you
Alessandro

 

[Baird GoW]

So it's been a few years since I upgraded my system. My friend who I use to talk audio with died so I stayed away for a bit. I'm running a audiogd ref 10.32 via usb32. I plan to upgrade to R27 and get the DI-20HE. I cant afford both at the moment. Should I get the DI-20HE to use with my ref 10.32. Or upgrade to the R27 first. Thanks for opinions.

 

[jimmychan]

I would upgrade to R27 first, as this will have a larger improvement on SQ.

 

[Baird GoW]

Even if I would still be using USB?

I would upgrade to R27 first, as this will have a larger improvement on SQ.

 

[motberg]

Even if I would still be using USB?

Audio-GD's current on-board USB is excellent with the USB related options (2 and 3 below)
Below upgrade options had included in the Full upgrade version:
1, Upgrade Femtosecond Accusilicon *2 Femtosecond clocks,
2, Upgrade Crystek *2 on USB interface,
3, Upgrade USB interface with isolator and separate PSU,

 

[rsbrsvp]

I have burnt in my DI-20HE, R-7HE. and HE-9 pretty well now. Using the Blue Jeans cable that Fred recommended between the DI-20HE and the R-7HE, and a pure silver USB cable from my Mac Mini to the DI-20HE,- I can safely say that I have NEVER heard transparency and detail at this level with all of my headphones; nothing even close. It is so far ahead of anything else I ever heard in terms of transparency; just totally un-coloured pure music.

No upsampling on the R-7HE; it is a downgrade. NOS is the purest....

Thanks to those in this thread who encouraged me to purchase this equipment...

 

[jimmychan]

The DI-20HE is so good that I have purchased two of them. It beats all the DDC that I had before.

 

[Wynnytsky]

Since I use the DI20 interface, it happens to me that when the power is turned on, the right channel is reversed with the left one and that to restore the right channel I have to turn off the interface and turn it on again.
Has this small problem ever occurred to you too?

Yikes I never heard any usb interface swap channels on reboot. Would be helpful if you could recreate the issue with another DAC or interface. You could live with the issue by leaving the DI20 on 24/7. Did you figure out how to reverse i2s channels via front panel buttons?

 

[Wynnytsky]

@Monsterzero @Zachik

On first listen I heard my r2r7 (i2s in, xlr out) vs Amber3 (bnc in, rca out). The Amber's freq response was flatter across the spectrum (which was easily accomplished by the DS dacs I've owned) while the r2r7 highlighted the mids and had a thunderous decay [especially on bass drums]. This wasn't embarrassing for the orig r2r7, but then I tried the Amber's USB input and it was a staggering improvement. Next I'd learn the same was true for the Frips Terminator. Until now the only other DAC I encountered [who's USB input couldn't be bettered] was my friend's W4S 10th anniversary. And it's not just the DI20HE -- my friends LPS powered Matrix XSPDIF2 makes a welcome improvement over his older Lampi Atlantic's USB input, yet it totally held back the Amber3.

So in the r2r7's place I gave the Terminator the DI20HE's i2s output. Initially I favored the Terminator for having XLR outputs (more drive for my passive preamp), it carried notes longer, and matched the Amber's flat freq response. Though even on BNC the Amber3 showcased greater dynamics.

Overall the Terminator is set further back (a sure audiophile trait), and while notes have more decay it somehow is able to do a better job untangling busy passages.

The Amber3 is bolder, with notes reaching further into the room, occupying more of the floor with less respect for your personal space. This form of engagement reminded me of Gustard interfaces and DACs, and usually it's a combo meal with a side of treble fatigue, but that wasn't the case here. Switching back to the Terminator I got the impression that it errored on the side of caution.

The Terminators XLR outputs which were 3 clicks louder than the Amber. When we engaged Amber's high-gain output it became 3 clicks louder than the Terminator. Between doing that and removing the USB interface from both DACs, the tables then turned in favor of the Amber for me. Everyone else thought term+amber were both winners and even the Amber's owner recommended I spring for the Terminator, so I guess these are matters of personal taste.

 

[Zachik]

@Wynnytsky - thanks for the detailed comparisons!
To summarize: (please correct me if I got it wrong)
a. Source -> USB cable -> Amber 3
sounded better than:
b. Source -> USB cable -> DI-20HE -> BNC to BNC cable -> Amber 3

Is that what you're saying? Amber 3 owners should NOT add the DI-20HE to the sound chain?

 

[Monsterzero]

@Monsterzero @Zachik



On first listen I heard my r2r7 (i2s in, xlr out) vs Amber3 (bnc in, rca out). The Amber's freq response was flatter across the spectrum (which was easily accomplished by the DS dacs I've owned) while the r2r7 highlighted the mids and had a thunderous decay [especially on bass drums]. This wasn't embarrassing for the orig r2r7, but then I tried the Amber's USB input and it was a staggering improvement. Next I'd learn the same was true for the Frips Terminator. Until now the only other DAC I encountered [who's USB input couldn't be bettered] was my friend's W4S 10th anniversary. And it's not just the DI20HE -- my friends LPS powered Matrix XSPDIF2 makes a welcome improvement over his older Lampi Atlantic's USB input, yet it totally held back the Amber3.

So in the r2r7's place I gave the Terminator the DI20HE's i2s output. Initially I favored the Terminator for having XLR outputs (more drive for my passive preamp), it carried notes longer, and matched the Amber's flat freq response. Though even on BNC the Amber3 showcased greater dynamics.

Overall the Terminator is set further back (a sure audiophile trait), and while notes have more decay it somehow is able to do a better job untangling busy passages.

The Amber3 is bolder, with notes reaching further into the room, occupying more of the floor with less respect for your personal space. This form of engagement reminded me of Gustard interfaces and DACs, and usually it's a combo meal with a side of treble fatigue, but that wasn't the case here. Switching back to the Terminator I got the impression that it errored on the side of caution.

The Terminators XLR outputs which were 3 clicks louder than the Amber. When we engaged Amber's high-gain output it became 3 clicks louder than the Terminator. Between doing that and removing the USB interface from both DACs, the tables then turned in favor of the Amber for me. Everyone else thought term+amber were both winners and even the Amber's owner recommended I spring for the Terminator, so I guess these are matters of personal taste.

Thanks for checking this out and posting,but I am a bit confused. Are you reporting the Amber sounds better or worse sans theDI-20?

 

[Wynnytsky]

Thanks for checking this out and posting,but I am a bit confused. Are you reporting the Amber sounds better or worse sans theDI-20?

The Amber3's USB input easily bested coax from the Matrix x-spdif2 and Belden BNC from the DI20HE. I didn't try feeding coax from the DI20HE.

Something else I observed -- the terminator is cold to the touch while my r2r7 (non-he) get's nice and warm. Even the brass footers heat up.

 

[Monsterzero]

The Amber3's USB input easily bested coax from the Matrix x-spdif2 and Belden BNC from the DI20HE. I didn't try feeding coax from the DI20HE.

Something else I observed -- the terminator is cold to the touch while my r2r7 (non-he) get's nice and warm. Even the brass footers heat up.

Thanks! You saved @Zachik and I some cash,which is a rare occurrence in this hobby.

 

[Zachik]

The Amber3's USB input easily bested coax from the Matrix x-spdif2 and Belden BNC from the DI20HE. I didn't try feeding coax from the DI20HE.

The Amber 3 "borrows" its USB circuit design from the much more expensive models, as far as I understand.
In fact, Fred (Lampizator distributor in the US) has told me: "My music servers are heavily specialized but I haven't heard a better transport than my USB source."

Thanks! You saved @Zachik and I some cash,which is a rare occurrence in this hobby.

Yup!!