[buonassi]

They are powering their receiver from the external USB source! Seems weird to me. First, the DAC shows up in Windows device manager when it is turned off and unplugged from the power source. Second, device manager reports that the DAC requires 100mA. If, magically, the DAC starts using internal power when powered on, then Windows would have kicked it out and re-enumerated as a different device that requires 0mA. That doesn't happen.

FWIW, my mac mini shows the 100ma requirement as well under "system report" USB section. Just in case anyone was wondering if this was isolated to windows.

 

[cbl117]

M2U is not a sub-par DAC by any means! I listen to music with lots of instrumentation and cymbals (progressive rock mainly) - lots of fast notes being played and overlaid crashes and splashes with more high frequency decay going on. Maybe that's where I was able to hear the smoothness of mimby kicking in some more? Who knows, really.

Could be. I was listening to mainly jazz when I did the comparison, I believe. Could be the headphones too. I was using HD650, which probably benefitted from the extra top end energy of the M2U 4490.

 

[Kermeli]

thanks for opinion guys. Maybe i just skip the mimby this time and buy a Bimby later on. I could get the mimby for 200€ tho which i could almost all cover if i sell my m2u.

 

[ColtMrFire]

Looking for impressions of the Singxer F-1 USB to COAX converter for use with the Mimby. USB on the Mimby was noticeably inferior to me compared to Coax, so I am wondering if solutions like the above would fix this issue and sound on par with most decent Coax sources like CD players.

To be more specific, I wonder if it is better to use straight USB but with a decrapifyer like the Uptone Regen to clean up the signal, or to use the Singxer F-1 and bypass the Mimby's USB input altogether and use it's Coax input. I am not sure if it is the Mimby's USB implementation that is the problem, or if the problem is the crappy, noisy PCs that are commonly subpar audio devices.

 

[buonassi]

Looking for impressions of the Singxer F-1 USB to COAX converter for use with the Mimby. USB on the Mimby was noticeably inferior to me compared to Coax, so I am wondering if solutions like the above would fix this issue and sound on par with most decent Coax sources like CD players.

To be more specific, I wonder if it is better to use straight USB but with a decrapifyer like the Uptone Regen to clean up the signal, or to use the Singxer F-1 and bypass the Mimby's USB input altogether and use it's Coax input. I am not sure if it is the Mimby's USB implementation that is the problem, or if the problem is the crappy, noisy PCs that are commonly subpar audio devices.

I wish I could answer your question, but am intrigued by your experience and have a question for you. I certainly haven't heard any noise using my Mac Mini, with or without dither added to the signal chain - even with another peripheral like an external HDD connected. Then again, just because I haven't perceived any USB noise doesn't mean it's not there despite priding myself on having decent ears. Is this USB related noise something that I could pick out if I didn't know what a very pure (completely black background) chain sounded like? Meaning, is it pretty obvious noise or is it one of those subtleties I'd never know was there unless I A/B/X something very carefully?

 

[winders]

Looking for impressions of the Singxer F-1 USB to COAX converter for use with the Mimby. USB on the Mimby was noticeably inferior to me compared to Coax, so I am wondering if solutions like the above would fix this issue and sound on par with most decent Coax sources like CD players.

To be more specific, I wonder if it is better to use straight USB but with a decrapifyer like the Uptone Regen to clean up the signal, or to use the Singxer F-1 and bypass the Mimby's USB input altogether and use it's Coax input. I am not sure if it is the Mimby's USB implementation that is the problem, or if the problem is the crappy, noisy PCs that are commonly subpar audio devices.

No, using something like a Singxer F-1 to feed SPDIF to a Mimby is better than using USB even with a decrapifier. But, the Singxer F-1 costs almost as much as the Mimby. You would be better off investing that money in a better DAC like a Gumby. I would take a Gumby fed by straight USB over a Mimby fed by a Singxer F-1 (SPDIF).

 

[ColtMrFire]

I wish I could answer your question, but am intrigued by your experience and have a question for you. I certainly haven't heard any noise using my Mac Mini, with or without dither added to the signal chain - even with another peripheral like an external HDD connected. Then again, just because I haven't perceived any USB noise doesn't mean it's not there despite priding myself on having decent ears. Is this USB related noise something that I could pick out if I didn't know what a very pure (completely black background) chain sounded like? Meaning, is it pretty obvious noise or is it one of those subtleties I'd never know was there unless I A/B/X something very carefully?

I previously had the Regen hooked into the Mimby via USB, so it did a good job cleaning up the signal, sounded very improved. But when I hooked up one of my old Sony DVD/CD players via Coax, the difference was dramatic, far greater than USB with the Regen. This led me to believe USB is just inherently a crappy source for audio, which is why I was interested in the Singxer.

 

[ColtMrFire]

I would take a Gumby fed by straight USB over a Mimby fed by a Singxer F-1 (SPDIF).

Interesting. Have you actually made the comparison, or is that just a guess?

 

[winders]

Interesting. Have you actually made the comparison, or is that just a guess?

I have made the comparison using my DACs......

 

[leeperry]

I have made the comparison using my DACs......

Could you please confirm that Bimby & Gumby also have their USB chip bus-powered please? Because Mimby drastically benefits from a clean USB PSU so if they both have their USB chip self-powered from their main PSU then it's not a fair comparison at all, mostly a somewhat sneaky way to make Mimby sound worse on purpose.

 

[winders]

Could you please confirm that Bimby & Gumby also have their USB chip bus-powered please? Because Mimby drastically benefits from a clean USB PSU so if they both have their USB chip self-powered from their main PSU then it's not a fair comparison at all, mostly a somewhat sneaky way to make Mimby sound worse on purpose.

In System Profiler, both Mimby and Yggy have "100" in the "Current Required (mA)" field. Interestingly, the Singxer F-1, which is Vbus powered for sure, has "0" in the "Current Required (mA)" field. All these figures are with audio playing thought the devices listed.

 

[Spiral Out]

I run my Mimby from a Raspberry PI with a Hifiberry Digi + Pro card via coax. Sounds excellent and is an significant improvement compared to USB. The price is roughly the same as the F-1, I think it was close to $200 for the whole setup including an Ifi power supply and a case for the Pi.

 

[leeperry]

In System Profiler, both Mimby and Yggy have "100" in the "Current Required (mA)" field. Interestingly, the Singxer F-1, which is Vbus powered for sure, has "0" in the "Current Required (mA)" field. All these figures are with audio playing thought the devices listed.

Yeah, those figures don't prove anything. If you unplug them from the mains and keep USB connected, do they still show up? The best test of course is with a USB cable that had its +5V pin broken or taped.

 

[alpovs]

In System Profiler, both Mimby and Yggy have "100" in the "Current Required (mA)" field. Interestingly, the Singxer F-1, which is Vbus powered for sure, has "0" in the "Current Required (mA)" field. All these figures are with audio playing thought the devices listed.

Yeah, those figures don't prove anything. If you unplug them from the mains and keep USB connected, do they still show up? The best test of course is with a USB cable that had its +5V pin broken or taped.

These are the figures the electronics inside is programmed to report to the computer (or a hub). They are not actual values. The Singxer F-1 is a Chinese device. So... it just doesn't report it right.

leeperry's suggestion is the best. When I turn off my Mimby and unplug the power cord Windows still shows it as connected like I never turned it off.

 

[winders]

Yeah, those figures don't prove anything. If you unplug them from the mains and keep USB connected, do they still show up? The best test of course is with a USB cable that had its +5V pin broken or taped.

That doesn't tell you anything either. The DAC could require seeing +5 on the Vbus pin but not use it in actual operation.

If you guys care so much, why not ask Schiit Audio.....