[stuartmc]

Anyway guys, check out this video. It seems that adding a copper shielding to the power cord connector helps with reducing stray magnetics


 

Very interesting. I use Yamamura sleeves on all my power cords and they do the same thing as the copper in this video.

 

[rb2013]

  Anyway guys, check out this video. It seems that adding a copper shielding to the power cord connector helps with reducing stray magnetics
 
 

Cool!  I built small Faraday cages with metal boxes covered with 3M RFI/EMI shielding for all my digital connectors

 

[hgpsemaj]

 
Now you tell me!

  Kidding...good to know.  The pins are the same it's not much to swap - but certainly nice to get it that way.

Wish he would offer a Crystek clock upgrade - that's not so easy.
 
 

 
 
For your information:
 
Factory installation of Crystek is available at no extra cost. Provided you forward your own Crystek to the factory, and they would also deduct the cost of the standard clock from the invoice.
 
Well.......it's a bit late, but informative, innit?

 

[akim4g]

I recieved my gustard u12 few days ago. Use it with essence one. 44.1-96 works perfect, 192khz doesnt work. I also tried to use essence st spdif out, and 192khz works fine.
Then I play 192khz music, there is "192" on gustards screen, but no sound(
Tried coax/optical- no matter.

"Essence ST - coax - essence one" 192khz works fine
"PC - USB - essence one 192khz works fine"
"PC - USB - Gustard u12 - coax - essence one" 192khz no sound.

Is it possible, that essence one and gustard u12 is not compatible? Or gustard is broken?

 

[Wynnytsky]

I hope all you guys are happy for making me very late for work today
 
 
Quote:

  the new gustard x20 looks to offer 'more' of the x12 goodness... i'm kinda in the same boat atm, re i2s dac.

wow, where have I been.  That's the first I heard of the X20
 

  I also tried the USB regen and didn't see any improvement to be outright honest. Maybe my system is already ideally setup. I'm using very good cables and powering everything from pure sinewave from a ps audio ps300 a/c regenerator w/multiwave2 (big improvement).
 
Check out audio-gd and you'll be surprised how much you get for you're money. Don't be fooled by the poor english translations. The quality of the product is insanely good and well built. They have a 10year warranty too. 

I'm using all the IFI stuff (minus the tube buffer) for usb regen, and I'm plenty happy.  I also use a PS3 for A/C regen, though I found I could listen longer with multiwave off.  Still it's always a pleasure to do "regression testing" after any serious change to the audio chain.
 
 

 
With you on the R2R thing.
 
Wynnytsky you could also checkout the Master 7.1 uses the R2R PCM1704 - 8 of them and has the hdmi input you're looking for.  $2295 plus shipping.

 
I've always thought that Kingwa would continue to improve his 9018 implementations until they bested his vintage chips, but now it's my time to give R2R a try.  This year I've heard the magic of a passive TVC (transformer volume control, but in my case it was Dave Slagle's autoformer).  If I get the Master 7 this winter then I'll use it with an integrated tube amp and maybe next year I'll get a passive pre for my main rig.  But perhaps the preamp section of the Master 11 is something to be desired?
 
What puzzles me is that the Master 11 claims to be a Master 7 + 9
    Master 7:    15kg $2225
    Master 9:    16kg $1550
    Master 11:  15kg $1950
And yet, the weights and prices don't reflect that
 
Also when I compare the input power and DAC output impedance...
    Master 7:    48watt, 10ohm
    Master 11:  45watt, 1ohm
...it's strange that the unit with the preamp consumes less power.
And wouldn't the lower output impedance be more attractive?
 
I plan to never put cans on my head.
Which way to go:  RB's M7 or Bimmer's M11?
(I believe the "7.1" designation applies to the Reference model, which is actually cheaper than the master)

 

[rb2013]

Hydra Z on the way!  Alex on the MX-U8 thread did a comparison to his fully tricked out MX-U8 and they tied each other.
 
 

 
 
Crystek clocks!

 
 
 
 
I bought a 16,000 mAh Li ion battery to power the unit -should have plenty of juice and are very cheap (and can always use to back up my phone), if the sound pans out, I will but another and have one always on the charge.
 
Capacity 16000mAh
Color: Silver
Battery Type: 18650
Input: 5V 2A
Output: 5V 2.1A*2  MAX 3.6A
 
I will get a cable to connect the power from the battery and will also try this Forza FAW Copper Series split cable I just received.  Seperate data and power USB leads.
http://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=46
 
 
Now I'll be able to do a head to head shootout with the Gustard U12 (upgraded caps), Melodious MX-U8 (upgraded caps), Audio Breeze (upgraded caps), Hydra Z with wall wart or Li ion power.  Fun!!
 

Hydra Z - USB audio playback bridge and clock generator

The previous model of Hydra, the X+, has built its reputation based on excellent sound quality. From our perspective, it is time to move on, and offer a new interface, that we named usb audio playback bridge.

While raising the bar even more in sound quality and keeping the existing set of features precedently available, the new Hydra Z comes with a list of improvements that we’re happy to share. Among the changes are a complete redesign of the digital board, changes in the way the Hydra is powered, new output configuration, new chassis and many other refinements – please see below.
MORE FLEXIBLE The Hydra Z can be powered in 3 (three) ways :

1. Directly from USB
2. From an external, fixed 5Vdc/0.5-1A power supply
3. From the dedicated Hydra ZPM (Z-Power Module)

Furthermore features:

1. Extended number/type of outputs
2. Adjustable I2S output clock polarity, to match all HDMI/I2S/LVDS dacs available
3. Adjustable masterclock output on I2S (512xfs or 1024xfs)
4. Firmware upgrade over usb
5. DSD native / DoP / hi-quality PCM converted (selectable)
6. DXD native (I2S out) / 192k or 176.4k (spdif, aes, bnc out)

TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENTS Hydra Z benefits from all the qualities of the X+, and even more. New clocking scheme allows shutting down one of the two main oscillators when not in use. By reducing the mutual interference between clocks, better phase noise performance can be obtained. The power supply section was moved to a different chassis for best results.

WORDCLOCK and MASTERCLOCK OUTPUT The Hydra Z can be additionally used as a wordclock or masterclock generator through its dedicated BNC output. In total there are available 6 (six) outputs, including the low-jitter wordclock/masterclock output for direct synchronizing external d/a converters. The output wordclock is the sample clock (44.1KHz - 384 KHz) or 512xfs (22.5792 MHz or 24.576 MHz). The other 5(five) are : SPDIF Coaxial, SPDIF BNC, AES/EBU, I2S, TOSLINK.

IMPROVED CHASSIS The new Hydra has a full aluminium chassis, with a 10 mm thick front panel. All connectors are conveniently placed on the back panel.

ISOLATION A 5KV isolation barrier is used to prevent any leakage of the noise from PC to your sensitive audio system. The USB isolation for audio devices is nothing but tricky. If you choose to use USB isolators, then sample rate will become limited, which is not an option. If you choose to isolate the output, you are adding significant amounts of jitter to the signal. By using a clever circuit topology, the Hydra design avoids these two bottlenecks. The isolation is placed between the ARM processor and the FPGA audio core, therefore not limiting the bandwidth. Being before the clocks, its jitter contribution becomes irrelevant.

ARM PROCESSING All USB audio transactions are made through a powerful ARM3 processor. Therefore Hydra Z supports any sample rate available (384k PCM, DSD128) while being future-proof for any extension.

FPGA TECHNOLOGY As all AUDIOBYTE digital products, the Hydra Z uses cutting edge, custom digital processing developed into a Xilinx Spartan6 field-programmable gate array. The fpga is the “heart” of the Hydra. This advanced programmable circuit is offering a bit-transparent processing and signal conditioning to all outputs. It also gives the ability of the Hydra to output raw dsd audio streams.

AUDIO GRADE CLOCKS Unlike other products which only specify "low jitter clocks", here is exactly what you will find inside : 2xCCHD-950/957 type from Crystek. These are real audio grade clocks. You can check real graphs for them here. These clocks are system masters. In order to remove any jitter induced by the FPGA circuit itself, special retiming is applied just before the Hydra Z outputs.

COMPONENTS AND LAYOUT Careful PCB layout is often neglected in the rush of getting a product quickly into the market. The Hydra Z design time took lots of work until everything came into the right place, until the shortest routing paths, the best decoupling places, the less interference and crosstalk placement for the components are found. Selected quality components (active and passive) are used for guaranteed long-time performance.

EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLY For best results you can use the Hydra Z with the dedicated Hydra ZPMpower supply.

 

[rb2013]

  I've always thought that Kingwa would continue to improve his 9018 implementations until they bested his vintage chips, but now it's my time to give R2R a try.  This year I've heard the magic of a passive TVC (transformer volume control, but in my case it was Dave Slagle's autoformer).  If I get the Master 7 this winter then I'll use it with an integrated tube amp and maybe next year I'll get a passive pre for my main rig.  But perhaps the preamp section of the Master 11 is something to be desired?
 
What puzzles me is that the Master 11 claims to be a Master 7 + 9
    Master 7:    15kg $2225
    Master 9:    16kg $1550
    Master 11:  15kg $1950
And yet, the weights and prices don't reflect that
 
Also when I compare the input power and DAC output impedance...
    Master 7:    48watt, 10ohm
    Master 11:  45watt, 1ohm
...it's strange that the unit with the preamp consumes less power.
And wouldn't the lower output impedance be more attractive?
 
I plan to never put cans on my head.
Which way to go:  RB's M7 or Bimmer's M11?
(I believe the "7.1" designation applies to the Reference model, which is actually cheaper than the master)

I believe the M7 has 8 PCM1704 DAC chips the M11 4.  So they are slightly different.
 
Do you need DSD?  If not checkout the La Scalla II
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/aqua/1.html
 
Also we're having some fun on Wildcat's R2R DAC thread - you might want to check it out.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/777597/vintage-current-r2r-dac-owners-discussion-insight-and-review-thread/90#post_11851621

 

[rb2013]

   
 
For your information:
 
Factory installation of Crystek is available at no extra cost. Provided you forward your own Crystek to the factory, and they would also deduct the cost of the standard clock from the invoice.
 
Well.......it's a bit late, but informative, innit?

Wow - very good to know! May have to order another one - fully decked out.

 

[rb2013]

  the x12 is a sweet spot for the i2s. i miss it atm (sold mine...bad idea). with a decent bridge, the i2s via hdmi is superlative. the wyred 4 sound dac 2 (used) is desirable because of its analog out plus the i2s, which they state is the best way to go re their dac. the new gustard x20 looks to offer 'more' of the x12 goodness... i'm kinda in the same boat atm, re i2s dac.

How are you liking your LITE DAC60 with the new caps?  Still missing your X12?

 
I love the smell of melting flux and solder in the morning...it's....the smell of Victory!

 
Edit - Had to get the quote right
Cheers

 

 

[DACLadder]

Be cautious using the Hydra Z HDMI I2S with Audio GD products.   There have been at least two people who tried to pair the Hydra Z with the Master 7 DAC and it would not work.  Every Hydra Z jumper combination was sampled (output signal polarity) and still no go.  In both use cases the resulting audio levels were low and distorted.   If this is contrary to your experience let us know. 

 

[rb2013]

  Be cautious using the Hydra Z HDMI I2S with Audio GD products.   There have been at least two people who tried to pair the Hydra Z with the Master 7 DAC and it would not work.  Every Hydra Z jumper combination was sampled (output signal polarity) and still no go.  In both use cases the resulting audio levels were low and distorted.   If this is contrary to your experience let us know. 

Thanks - but don;t have any Audio Gd products - my DACs are a 'baby' APL NWO (a smaller version of the $20,000 beast) and a heavily modded LITE DAC 60.
 
But thanks for the heads up!  More trouble with i2s...
 
Funny reading the 6moons review of the incredible La Scalla II DAC I saw this picture - made me laugh.  All that kit and still using the SPDIF coax for the review of a $6,000 DAC.
 
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/aqua/1.html

 

[rb2013]

One cool thing about the Hydra is a BNC connector output.  Here is the reason why - and I learned this from John Kenny.
 
They use of an RFI 20dB attenuator can great reduce jitter in the spdif cable and at the connector.
 
So the attenuator goes on the BNC plug then a BNC to RCA spdif converter then the cable.
 
Worth a try!
http://www.johnkenny.biz/home-1/mk3-hiface
http://www.americanradiosupply.com/20-db-bnc-fixed-coaxial-attenuator-50-ohm/?gclid=CjwKEAjw9dWuBRDFs9mHv-C9_FkSJADo58iMuulgsnorlH14rtwm5EC_pOd2cZXIPqKaep-x_i2iCRoCpLTw_wcB

 

[rb2013]

  Be cautious using the Hydra Z HDMI I2S with Audio GD products.   There have been at least two people who tried to pair the Hydra Z with the Master 7 DAC and it would not work.  Every Hydra Z jumper combination was sampled (output signal polarity) and still no go.  In both use cases the resulting audio levels were low and distorted.   If this is contrary to your experience let us know. 

Reading in the Hydra Z manual this was printed - could the reason for the issues with the M7 - so maybe the jumper settings were not correct:

HYDRA Z special SETTINGS* For extended compatibility with the dacs available, there are some hardware settings that can be altered via the internal jumpers. In order to reach the jumpers, top cover must be removed. Please use appropriate screwdriver (cross type) to remove the 4 top screws. After you removed the top cover, you can find on the right of the board a set of jumpers noted J21….J26. For jumper settings, see below. Make sure that you have the latest firmware uploaded in your Hydra Z. Present settings are for firmware 1.06. If you have no sound or distorted sound over the I2S output, alter J22 or J24..26 setting. J21 – enables DSD to PCM conversion on all outputs except I2S J22 – I2S output masterclock (MCLK) frequency : open 45.1584/49.152 MHz, closed 22.5792/24.576 MHz J23 – WCLK BNC output setting (back view diagram “1”): open for WCLK output ; closed for MCLK output J24 – I2S output serial data polarity (SDATA) J25 – I2S output wordclock polarity (WCLK) J26 - I2S output bitclock polarity (BCLK) 

 
Since my DACs don't have i2s inputs  - nice to see DoP DSD128 on SPDIF:

The native DSD stream is available over I2S output, while DoP is available over S/PDIF (RCA or BNC) and AES/EBU outputs. DSD over PCM (DoP) available rates are DSD64 and DSD128. 

 

[evillamer]

Another cheap tweak:
 
http://www.rtom.com/moongel.htm
 
http://www.amazon.com/RTOM-Moongel-Damper-Pads-Original/dp/B00F2PKRJW
 
This can be used to reduce motor vibration on drones, so it will also work for vibration isolation on audio gear:
 
 

 

[m0reilly]

 
How are you liking your LITE DAC60 with the new caps?  Still missing your X12?

 
The smell of melting flux and solder in the morning...is....the smell of Victory!
 
Cheers

x12...what x12???