[kingoftown1]

Or go wild and get a Plixir, Farad or Hypsos
Either way, get a good DC cable. Hard to beat these ghent gothams for the price: https://www.ghentaudio.com/part/dc-gac4.html

 

[dougms3]

Or go wild and get a Plixir, Farad or Hypsos
Either way, get a good DC cable. Hard to beat these ghent gothams for the price: https://www.ghentaudio.com/part/dc-gac4.html

The ghent cables have a ridiculous amount of shielding but I'm going to say this cable might be better for a cheaper price.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...20XYgVU&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US

 

[iFi audio]

I'm currently waiting on an external power supply for it, but I'm already impressed!

If I may ask, what PSU have you ordered for it?

 

[ShortBtwnHdset]

I bought this one.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/353532995691

 

[ShortBtwnHdset]

If I may ask, what PSU have you ordered for it?

I just looked at your site for the 1st time, didn't know Ya'll made these! Oh, well, might test one out in future. Unfortunately, this one's already paid for. and shipped.

 

[OCC7N]

I just looked at your site for the 1st time, didn't know Ya'll made these! Oh, well, might test one out in future. Unfortunately, this one's already paid for. and shipped.

I use the JCAT USB XE with a iFi Elite and sometimes with iFi iPower X. The X does a really great job imo.

 

[iFi audio]

I use the JCAT USB XE with a iFi Elite and sometimes with iFi iPower X. The X does a really great job imo.

Thank you!

I just looked at your site for the 1st time, didn't know Ya'll made these! Oh, well, might test one out in future. Unfortunately, this one's already paid for. and shipped.

Sure thing, I hope that the PSU you just got will serve you well. Thanks!

 

[ToddRaymond]

Hey, @OCC7N, pardon the pestering here, but I'm hoping you could chime in with your impressions.

I'm looking to move up the Audio-gd DAC ladder, as it were, soon. If funds weren't somewhat limited, I would just immediately purchase: JCAT USB XE card, R-7HE, DI-20HE, and HE-9 mk2. Realistically, I'll have to "settle" for an R-27 RE.

I would like to get both the XE card, and the DI-20HE – especially considering the DI-20HE may be discontinued soon, with the FPGA chip costs skyrocketing. (Mind you, I could always find a second hand DI-20 later... or hope either an eventual successor from Audio-gd or another product from another company would fill that gap.)
I am toying with getting an R7 for now though. I recall someone at one point saying that Kingwa had said that the latest USB inputs were about on par with the non-HE DI-20.

Where I'm going with all of this: Have you experimented much with using your R8HE directly connected to the JCAT card, without the DI-20HE in between?
If the XE card alone brings all sorts of magic, I may put more money into the best possible DAC, and then piece-by-piece add: XE, then some kind of digital-to-digital device (w/ clock input), an OCK-2 clock, and so on. (EDIT: oh, and of course, a good dedicated headphone amp, like the HE-9 LE that you have.)

 

[dougms3]

Hey, @OCC7N, pardon the pestering here, but I'm hoping you could chime in with your impressions.

I'm looking to move up the Audio-gd DAC ladder, as it were, soon. If funds weren't somewhat limited, I would just immediately purchase: JCAT USB XE card, R-7HE, DI-20HE, and HE-9 mk2. Realistically, I'll have to "settle" for an R-27 RE.

I would like to get both the XE card, and the DI-20HE – especially considering the DI-20HE may be discontinued soon, with the FPGA chip costs skyrocketing. (Mind you, I could always find a second hand DI-20 later... or hope either an eventual successor from Audio-gd or another product from another company would fill that gap.)
I am toying with getting an R7 for now though. I recall someone at one point saying that Kingwa had said that the latest USB inputs were about on par with the non-HE DI-20.

Where I'm going with all of this: Have you experimented much with using your R8HE directly connected to the JCAT card, without the DI-20HE in between?
If the XE card alone brings all sorts of magic, I may put more money into the best possible DAC, and then piece-by-piece add: XE, then some kind of digital-to-digital device (w/ clock input), an OCK-2 clock, and so on. (EDIT: oh, and of course, a good dedicated headphone amp, like the HE-9 LE that you have.)

I have a slightly lesser but similar setup to OCC7N, I have the non xe jcat usb card, di20he and an R8mk2.

I had the jcat card for about 6 months before the di20he and bought the r8mk2 about 4 months later.

They all improve the sound quite a bit, its difficult to remember exactly what each component contributed.

If I had to order them in terms of improvement in the sound, I'd order in this way.

1. R8mk2
2. ACSS connection to master 19 amp
3. OCK2 master clock
4. Di20HE
5. jcat card

There is also an added improvement if you connect an LPS power supply to the jcat card.

 

[OCC7N]

Hey, @OCC7N, pardon the pestering here, but I'm hoping you could chime in with your impressions.

I'm looking to move up the Audio-gd DAC ladder, as it were, soon. If funds weren't somewhat limited, I would just immediately purchase: JCAT USB XE card, R-7HE, DI-20HE, and HE-9 mk2. Realistically, I'll have to "settle" for an R-27 RE.

I would like to get both the XE card, and the DI-20HE – especially considering the DI-20HE may be discontinued soon, with the FPGA chip costs skyrocketing. (Mind you, I could always find a second hand DI-20 later... or hope either an eventual successor from Audio-gd or another product from another company would fill that gap.)
I am toying with getting an R7 for now though. I recall someone at one point saying that Kingwa had said that the latest USB inputs were about on par with the non-HE DI-20.

Where I'm going with all of this: Have you experimented much with using your R8HE directly connected to the JCAT card, without the DI-20HE in between?
If the XE card alone brings all sorts of magic, I may put more money into the best possible DAC, and then piece-by-piece add: XE, then some kind of digital-to-digital device (w/ clock input), an OCK-2 clock, and so on. (EDIT: oh, and of course, a good dedicated headphone amp, like the HE-9 LE that you have.)

In the start of my burnin process(about 200-300hours) I actually made a post here saying that even motherboards today that was audio oriented was as good as the JCAT USB XE and it should not cost this much.I deleted that post

However one day I heard the differences instantly after changing ports from jcat card and the audio usb ports. More open longer “edges” like it expanded the frequencies out more. More open sound.

This change I heard with RME DAC FS, back a couple of months. Now I want to purchase the network card, but funds are empty

I have iFi Elite connected to it. 5meter usb cables to DI20HE.

I bought the card with the USB ENHANCER, which I connected on the same ports/inputs/hub on the mb like:

The port inbetween the ethernet port, and the RME usb cable.

——
I have TT2 and DI20he connected to the jcat.

—-

Well now that the DI20HE has the super isolation, I should try it on the motherboard, because I have not.

I think JCAT upgrades the experience for a gaming pc, server or what ever the purpose, mixing with usb dac.

PRO
If you use your computer more for audio/gaming rather than using a dedicated audio streamer/box - go for it!

CON
I would not purchase jcat to build a dedicated audio streamer. The alternatives are better I think.

——-

My GAMING/DAW specs:

CPU is AMD then 3700X. Now a week ago 5700x
MB: ASUS TUF X570 GAMING PLUS
RAM: standard CORSAIR RAM 2x16GB
GPU: RTX 2070super

2x SAMSUNG 980 PRO nvme on the motherboard.

1TB 870 EVO 2.5”

——
I bought a Netgate 2100 router which I also starting to thing upgraded the sound quality for me. To this router I have my NAS/Synology/DLNA connected, where I VLAN the usage of each port. My gaming pc and NAS is ofcourse on the same VLAN

 

[OCC7N]

Realistically, I'll have to "settle" for an R-27 RE.

I dont know why, but somehow I always wanted that. Even after purchasing my setup.

If I knew the R27 series was so powerful before I bought the TT2 and HE9LE in a rush, I would be having one R27 instead of my system today. Im sure!

I can not imagine that be any lessor in sound, when it has acss internally between dac and amp. That must be better than any cable, and “extra” connection/port.

 

[leeperry]

In the start of my burn-in process(about 200-300 hours), I actually made a post here saying that even motherboards today that are audio-oriented were as good as the JCAT USB XE, hence it should not cost this much. I deleted that post

However, one day I heard the differences instantly after changing ports from JCAT card and audio usb ports. More open longer “edges” like it expanded the frequencies out more. More open sound.

Oh, this would certainly explain your change of attitude that suddenly went from "you're all just a bunch of shills, m'kay" to your current upgraditis endless starvation

Fact is that yes, JCAT isn't cheap but it sells because it sounds great, same story with their PSU's as last percents never come cheap but once you've heard them all together you'll end up doomed and there'll be no going back

For the record I see that Gigabyte apparently gave up completely on their "Noise-less USB DAC-UP port" that was meant to connect to a DAC, but it apparently only dropped voltage ripple, no improved clocking.

 

[ToddRaymond]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, @OCC7N and @dougms3!

 

[OCC7N]

Oh, this would certainly explain your change of attitude that suddenly went from "you're all just a bunch of shills, m'kay" to your current upgraditis endless starvation

Fact is that yes, JCAT isn't cheap but it sells because it sounds great, same story with their PSU's as last percents never come cheap but once you've heard them all together you'll end up doomed and there'll be no going back

For the record I see that Gigabyte apparently gave up completely on their "Noise-less USB DAC-UP port" that was meant to connect to a DAC, but it apparently only dropped voltage ripple, no improved clocking.

Trying hard to understand what you mean. But I eat everything I said against JCAT. I realised this after atleast 1000hours of burnin.

@ToddRaymond its hard to explain sound in general, but with JCAT its airy in the good way, it takes out the 80s analogish punch, the too thick saturation, softens it and makes it more visual/textured/deeper3D. It does not hit hard in the way, old records do = monoish, punchy. Its like placing the music on a different stage. Im starting to think its the perfect match for DI20HE(even though it has super isolation)

____
Im on my Susvara thinking how is this possible. I might have hit the bullseye with this setup. Everytime I listen to AGD vs TT2 or RME, I want to move physically. RME and TT2 is not lively in the same way. It feels like I gotta prepare everytime I put AGD setup/Susvara on.

 

[leeperry]

its hard to explain sound in general, but with JCAT its airy in the good way, it takes out the 80s analogish punch, the too thick saturation, softens it and makes it more visual/textured/deeper3D. It does not hit hard in the way, old records to = monoish, punchy

They call it "digitis" and yes, the cure is better clocking & lower PSU ripple. Funnily enough it all ends up being an endless pit and there's always something improving matters, dare trying a mega-shielded OCC power cord with rhodium-plated pure copper plugs to your ATX PSU if you haven't already, you would be surprised

And I recently couldn't pass this board for 10 bucks used, at least it's plenty burned in eh, shall try it on a bored day then: https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32960931187.html