[Audioexcels]

Quote:

OK, I might be wrong: let's say my system is not transparent, my headphones are no good to reveal that and audiophilleo is ultimately flawed...
 
Just to appease my scepticism - can you please describe your system (from software player to headphones) with which you can so easily spot audiophilleo's flaws hiFace's equality and OR4/5 superiority?
 

Both my system, Steve's (Empirical Audio), even a friend of mine's, have all revealed the issues, but we all have different two channel home systems.  I have heard very high end headphone setups, and they are no were near the same level of resolution/detail/name your adjectives of a two channel home audio system.  With this in mind, the differences between these transports will definitely be heard, but it probably will not be a deal breaker if you know what I mean.  It is certainly a deal breaker when you are wanting all that a high end two channel or even a mid range two channel system can give you because you hear every little thing and those truly annoying things can and do become bothersome OR in this case, just do not fit into the system without reducing the sound of it.  When something reduces the sound rather than simply give a different sound, that's not a good thing.  I am absolutely confident that even VERY EXPENSIVE usb based computer stuff out there will struggle to keep up with the OR5 and I bet these devices will show off enough inferiority that I would place them in that same category of being flawed somewhere.  So you see, the Audiophilleo may not even be that bad and may even be up for the test against much more expensive other USB interfaces, but it's just not when going against either OR4 or OR5.

 

[bobeau]

Audioexcels,
 
I was a bit in the same boat as you before purchasing my AP2 + AQVOX, but in this case regarding the tricked out OR4 special (like $1550 or so for what was regularly $1800).  In the end, my decision simply came down to this unit would end up costing about 25-30% of my entire setup, and that is hard to swallow.  If I had the luxury of hearing them back to back my decision might have been different.  Now the OR5 wasn't out at the time and $1200 is certainly a more tempting figure.  If I had a nice home 2 channel setup I probably would have gone with the OR route without a second thought, simply based on numerous comparisons on the aussie site that there is indeed a notable increase in fidelity.
 
It seems like this is a pretty nascent field, in that last year's $1500 product may produce sound that next year's $500 is capable of, so I'm going with that moving forward.  I'm sure by next summer there will be some new hotness in the more reasonable price bracket, I'll sell my AP2 at a loss of maybe $100-200 and move onto that.  Or maybe I'll be able to pick up a used but maxxed out OR4/OR5 for something like $800 whenver the OR6 comes out.

 

[prinz]

question to audiophilleo users:
is there any change after i.e 100hrs of burn in period?  I mean: is there any gain of sound weight and body and overall musicality?
 
I know that some of you added aquvox psu or battery power. could you provide me some feedback if this PSU upgrades provided improvement in terms i mentioned above?
 
all sugestions are welcome.

 

[Edoardo]

Some of these USB/SPDIF interfaces are so expensive I'd rather build a music server with a native SPDIF out, honestly.
 
 

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

Some of these USB/SPDIF interfaces are so expensive I'd rather build a music server with a native SPDIF out, honestly.

So, a sound card. None of them are that great, and the Lynx is not any cheaper than an Audiophilleo2. Output jitter from the Lynx is also considerably worse.
 

 

[Edoardo]

I was thinking about something like the RME HDSP 9632 or the ESI Juli@, which are much cheaper. you can built a great music server around those, without the USB jitter and (morover) power supply issues! 
 
The Bryston BDP-1 indeed is built around a tweaked ESI Juli@ ...
 
Lynx jitter higher than USB out? where?

 

[BrainFood]

Quote:

A number of guys on Stereo.net.au compared the Audiophilleo to the Offramp on a few systems and reckoned the Offramp was superior. I've been pondering (reversibly) modding my Ref 7.1 to accept I2S input and getting an Offramp to use with it. I'm a bit worried about the expense being overkill though.  If I do go ahead and improve my livingroom system though I might do it and use one digital input rig with that.

 
I think those comparisons done using an Offramp with turboclock upgrade, which pushed it to around $1.5K

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

I was thinking about something like the RME HDSP 9632 or the ESI Juli@, which are much cheaper. you can built a great music server around those, without the USB jitter and (morover) power supply issues! 
 
The Bryston BDP-1 indeed is built around a tweaked ESI Juli@ ...
 
Lynx jitter higher than USB out? where?

The USB out isn't the issue as much as the accuracy of the clocks in the USB to S/Pdif converter. The Lynx clock can't touch the ones used by Audiophilleo or Empirical. I'm sure the one in the Juli@ is that much worse.

 

[Edoardo]

Ehm... source???
 
USB seem not to be a convenient choice, since you would have to deal with the 5V power supply section, energy saving crap and polling settings for optimal results... 

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

Ehm... source???
 
USB seem not to be a convenient choice, since you would have to deal with the 5V power supply section, energy saving crap and polling settings for optimal results... 

From Steve from a post at CA: "The clock in the Lynx is not as good as the standard clock in the Off-Ramp 3. 3 psec RMS jitter is the spec on the standard clock."
 
This was vs. the OR3. The  OR4/5 and the Audiophilleo both use clocks that are much tighter than 3psec. The Auraliti PK90 USB presumably takes care of most of the heavy lifting for you, and the price is extremely reasonable considering the SoTM card is $300 on its own. The Sonore server with the same card is more than twice as much. 

 

[Edoardo]

Quote:

From Steve from a post at CA: "The clock in the Lynx is not as good as the standard clock in the Off-Ramp 3. 3 psec RMS jitter is the spec on the standard clock."
 
This was vs. the OR3. The  OR4/5 and the Audiophilleo both use clocks that are much tighter than 3psec. The Auraliti PK90 USB presumably takes care of most of the heavy lifting for you, and the price is extremely reasonable considering the SoTM card is $300 on its own. The Sonore server with the same card is more than twice as much. 

OK so the plenty of professionals who have always suggested and preferred and used PCI over anything should read a forum sponsorized by SoTM and dCS who sell USB converters for a living...

 

[drez]

Cards like Juli@ can be good but they need to be modified heavily.  I too am suspect of computeraudiophile given their sponsors.  Theoretically cutting out USB should be advantageous **but** making a franken Juli@ AFAIK does not guarantee excellent results...

 

[Edoardo]

Actually the ESI Juli@ has been recognized by many as a card with a great clock and digital out
 
 
In this review here it beats 7 other cards...
 
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/magazines/2011/5/213/
 
 
 
"For this reviewer, the ESI Juli@ is the
first computer music source component “to succeed in forsaking
sonic artifacts. In fact it does more."
 
Then yes, you know, when a products is tweakable then it seems that tweaking it is the only way to make it sound decently...
 
 

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

OK so the plenty of professionals who have always suggested and preferred and used PCI over anything should read a forum sponsorized by SoTM and dCS who sell USB converters for a living...

Why don't you stop worrying about who sponsors what and actually listen for yourself? Try a Juli@ and an Audiophilleo. They have a return policy. I think if you try even the "specially modified" Juli@ that Auraliti/Bryston use and compare it to the best USB converter - the OR5, you'll fine that the Empirical destroys any PCI sound card, despite what "the professionals" say.
 

 

[drez]

Sorry can't see the article - can you paraphrase re the spdif output.
 
AFAIK there is also only a single frequency clock and the card is powered off motherboard rails, has no BNC socket as standard, I2S output requires mod.  IMO plenty of room to improve.
 
Many USB devices have improved in these areas with the sole restriction of the USB interface.  IMO its not that clear cut.