[PLGA]

Someone said KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) is the way to go, but not on digital in my experience.

I started with wi-fi streaming from my Notebook and then USB cable to my DAC.
Now there's five different digital devices before my DAC, none of them with wi-fi and/or a PC, and every one of them gave it's share of sound improvement. My system never sounded better and I've heard systems costing +100k that sounded much worse.

Todays digital rig:
Ubiquity Router
Uptone ER
SOtM SMS Ultra Neo SE
W4S USB Reclocker
DI-20
R8 DAC

 

[Wynnytsky]

A function of the external clock is to make sure that input data clock runs at exactly the same frequency as the internal clock in the DAC

Ah, so the internal TXCO/OXCO is still involved even when using external clock? If so do you think a DI20 + OXCO upgrade would outperform a DI20 + stock TXCO when using external clocks only?

@PLGA
What LPS/s do you use, and what do they power? I liked the W4S USB reclocker with the Keces P8 - really lights up the music when powering that or the computer. That W4S was the least destructive, most transparent reclocker I've used - the extra USB cable it necessitates probably had a bigger signature than my w4s itself. The passive Intona had an even lighter touch, but I think that's just galvanic isolation and it doesn't reclock. Stuff from iFi had the biggest footprint and the uptone regen was somewhere in the middle [in terms of losing detail and adding color].

My 50ohm Uptone ER arrives Tuesday.

 

[PLGA]

Ah, so the internal TXCO/OXCO is still involved even when using external clock? If so do you think a DI20 + OXCO upgrade would outperform a DI20 + stock TXCO when using external clocks only?

@PLGA
What LPS/s do you use, and what do they power? I liked the W4S USB reclocker with the Keces P8 - really lights up the music when powering that or the computer. That W4S was the least destructive, most transparent reclocker I've used - the extra USB cable it necessitates probably had a bigger signature than my w4s itself. The passive Intona had an even lighter touch, but I think that's just galvanic isolation and it doesn't reclock. Stuff from iFi had the biggest footprint and the uptone regen was somewhere in the middle [in terms of losing detail and adding color].

My 50ohm Uptone ER arrives Tuesday.

To be honest, I tried yesterday the W4S USB Reclocker RUR with the provided walwart as all of my LPS are on use and I didn't have any one left.

The USB cable I used originally between the SOtM SMS Ultra Neo SE and DI-20 was a 0.4m Evolved Curious USB cable and now is between the SOtM SMS-200 and the RUR. As I didn't have another "audiophile" cable around, I used a 0.5m chinese USB cable I had on stock to connect the RUR with the DI-20.

So, even with these not optimal walwart and USB cable, the RUR improve things considerable.

 

[sajunky]

Ah, so the internal TXCO/OXCO is still involved even when using external clock? If so do you think a DI20 + OXCO upgrade would outperform a DI20 + stock TXCO when using external clocks only?

Sorry, I don't have any personal experience with DI-20 nor an external clock setup and have yet to add a decent USB galvanic separator on my system, I know it is needed.

From the technical point of view I would rather focus on upgrading clock on your dac. A step up can bring a regenerative power supply. Upgrading clock on the DI-20 makes only sense when a DAC do not have external clock input, but I can be wrong. Why not Email Kingwa and ask this question? His response is always honest, not pushing sales like others do.

 

[Articnoise]

A master/reference clock is a precision clock that provides timing signals to synchronize slave clocks. The internal clocks are never bypassed then using an external master clock because they have different tasks and operates on totally different frequencies.

Jay has explained it in easy terms here:
https://audiobacon.net/2018/10/25/mutec-ref-10-master-clock-the-digital-audios-heartbeat/

 

[Articnoise]

To be honest, I tried yesterday the W4S USB Reclocker RUR with the provided walwart as all of my LPS are on use and I didn't have any one left.

The USB cable I used originally between the SOtM SMS Ultra Neo SE and DI-20 was a 0.4m Evolved Curious USB cable and now is between the SOtM SMS-200 and the RUR. As I didn't have another "audiophile" cable around, I used a 0.5m chinese USB cable I had on stock to connect the RUR with the DI-20.

So, even with these not optimal walwart and USB cable, the RUR improve things considerable.

To be frank, cheap switching walwarts is not to be used in a good audio system. They do more harm than good IMO.

 

[PLGA]

To be frank, cheap switching walwarts is not to be used in a good audio system. They do more harm than good IMO.

Yes, I know for sure, but yo try the RUR was the only way possible. The RUR Will get better with a LPS, so now I will buy a Y DC cable to split one output of my Swagman LPS that has some capacity left over.

 

[ProLoL]

Just tried the uptone usb regen with linear psu and uspcb, connecting my blocked 5v usb straight to the DI20 is better.

 

[Wynnytsky]

Just tried the uptone usb regen with linear psu and uspcb, connecting my blocked 5v usb straight to the DI20 is better.

what's your streamer/renderer, and is it getting LPS?

never noticed the USBCB - that would have made lots of sense when I was chaining stuff together with shorty curious cables.

 

[ProLoL]

Just using my laptop. The combo with the USBCB does relax the sound, good for harsh systems I guess. The Ifi Ipower making things sound brighter but still a relaxed PRaT. Using the usb dongle instead of the USBCB makes things brighter and a bit more energetic but connecting my pangea 0.5m straight to the DI20 has better PRaT and energy. Using different device between the DI20 and my laptop removes the wow factor for me.

 

[Wynnytsky]

Using different device between the DI20 and my laptop removes the wow factor for me

good way to put it. I would think a win10 laptop is the least blessed source for hifi, and yours still can't be bettered by a gadget. Maybe it's a horsepower thing? What's your core count - is hyper-threading enabled? Have you ever been tempted to power the laptop with a 19v LPS (ex: HDPlex, Keces P8)? On my computer the HDPlex really takes the edge off, and I'm sitting several rows back with the lights down low. The P8 is more expressive in the highs, bringing me several rows forward and leaving nothing in the shadows. My friend prefers the HDPlex and I prefer the P8.

 

[ProLoL]

My laptop is nothing special and would probably benefit from the offerings you've mentioned. The thing I love about audio gd's amanero, is once you block the 5v pin on the usb, it's internally powered by the DI20 and it's ultra clean.
Kingwa mentioned " The DI-20 had built in ultra speed isolation, for work most stable, don't connect external USB isolation , just let the USB connect to computer directly. "

For me, once the PRaT goes slightly relaxed it's over for me even if the gadget / device improved the tone, it's a matter of taste.

 

[Wynnytsky]

@ProLoL is your avatar image a TVC preamp that you own? What is it?

 

[ProLoL]

@ProLoL is your avatar image a TVC preamp that you own? What is it?

Hehe ye, that one is mine, using AM audio transformers.

 

[Wynnytsky]

@ProLoL I remember seeing a listing for this in CA for around $1000usd when I was in the market

Then I almost got scammed with a fake Music First listing before I ended up just buying a friend's tvc/avc