[Jandu]

Got the DI24HE this morning. Up and running it is.

....

When you have a chance, can you try this and let us know if there is an improvement on the SQ.

Use the 10 Mhz out from DI24He and feed it to your c19 digital turntable, in other words, both the DI24He and your c19 source would be using the same clock and let me know if it improves the sound without connecting your DAC to the clock.

Thanks

 

[rsbrsvp]

4.076 and 3.933

Yes- these two are my favorite as well- and I use these two. 3.933 is a bit thinner but more detailed. 4.076 has heft- tonal color. THis is in my system. The firmware options make a BIG difference if you have a transparent system.

 

[rsbrsvp]

Which firmware do you prefere for the DI20HE? I have never tried changing them. I bought mine in 2022 so I assume I have the latest.

I do change between 3.933 and 4.076 once in a while.... Very easy to do... But I would not be as happy with the other options and if the 24 has one option and I dont like it- I'm stuck. So waiting for firmware options...

 

[OCC7N]

I do change between 3.933 and 4.076 once in a while.... Very easy to do... But I would not be as happy with the other options and if the 24 has one option and I dont like it- I'm stuck. So waiting for firmware options...

What DAC?

 

[FredA]

When you have a chance, can you try this and let us know if there is an improvement on the SQ.

Use the 10 Mhz out from DI24He and feed it to your c19 digital turntable, in other words, both the DI24He and your c19 source would be using the same clock and let me know if it improves the sound without connecting your DAC to the clock.

Thanks

As it is, they both use the same clock out signal out of the Afterdark. And the c19 can only be run with an ext clock (the ext clock version, that is). Other users with sotm streamer report that clocking the streamer to make it synched with the rest makes a significant difference. If both the DI and streamer operate in synch, less messaging is required between them (usb connection) and less noise is generated. So i am not sure what i can do here. I guess I could switch the streamer between the internal synthetizer and external clock source. This would give an indication as to what synching brings.

 

[rsbrsvp]

What DAC?

Hibiki SDS signature DAC.

Which by the way has a wordclock- and I use the Hibiki external OXCO clock to sync the DAC and the DI-20HE. Many say syncing the source and dac on the same clock is more important than how low the phase noise is. It is the key to proper timing. I- however have poor understanding of technical issues... I go by my ears...

 

[FredA]

Yes- these two are my favorite as well- and I use these two. 3.933 is a bit thinner but more detailed. 4.076 has heft- tonal color. THis is in my system. The firmware options make a BIG difference if you have a transparent system.

You still can use the serial mode if you want warmer. Haven't tried this yet.

But there were many fw flavors for the di20 because Kingwa tried many different recipes to implement the required processing. He has reached an excellent level with the mentioned fws. I doubt Kingwa will produce this many fws in the future. A version with an spdif input will be produced, that i know.

Anyway, it is too early to be drawing conclusions. For now, the tonality has changed, that is for sure. The mid is less expressive on certain tracks. But again, staging is still not there, so changes are to be expected with tonality, at least this is my guess. What compensates now is that Prat is better. The unit needs 2 weeks or so.

Just switched to Serial mode. Very reminiscent of di20he with 4.076.

 

[rsbrsvp]

Awaiting more impressions- but I realize the responsible way is to burn in and tweak for around two weeks minimum before concluding.

 

[Jandu]

As it is, they both use the same clock out signal out of the Afterdark. And the c19 can only be run with an ext clock (the ext clock version, that is). Other users with sotm streamer report that clocking the streamer to make it synched with the rest makes a significant difference. If both the DI and streamer operate in synch, less messaging is required between them (usb connection) and less noise is generated. So i am not sure what i can do here. I guess I could switch the streamer between the internal synthetizer and external clock source. This would give an indication as to what synching brings.

Can you also compare the afterdark clock against the internal 10Mhz clock from the DI24He? This way, we would have the 1, no clock sync, 2, using the DI24He clock to sync and 3, using an Afterdark clock sync.

Thanks a lot for your helps.

 

[FredA]

Can you also compare the afterdark clock against the internal 10Mhz clock from the DI24He? This way, we would have the 1, no clock sync, 2, using the DI24He clock to sync and 3, using an Afterdark clock sync.

Thanks a lot for your helps.

I will wait for 2 weeks before I do.

If get you riight
1. Di24 on afterdark and streamer on di24 generator (no synch)
2. Di24 on internal and streamer on di24 gen, which means no synch (di24 uses the Accusilicons)
3. DI24 on Afterdark and streamer on Afterdark via di24 (synched)
4. Both di24 and streamer on Afterdark (synched)

Synching with the internal is maybe possible if i output the di24 clock gen to its own clock input and i select external input and internal ouput. It is the only way. I do not like to use a loop like this. Especially if I select external as di24 output by mistake. Normally, it wont play but it means a closed loop with no actual source.

 

[Jandu]

I will wait for 2 weeks before I do.

If get you riight
1. Di24 on afterdark and streamer on di24 generator (no synch)
2. Di24 on internal and streamer on di24 gen, which means no synch (di24 uses the Accusilicons)
3. DI24 on Afterdark and streamer on Afterdark via di24 (synched)
4. Both di24 and streamer on Afterdark (synched)

Synching with the internal is maybe possible if.....

You are way ahead of me. The items I was trying to determine:
1, no common clock, base line
2, with Di24 clock as common clock, is it possible and if so, how much improvements
3, with a much better clock, how much better than option #2

Thanks for taking the time to do it and taking the time to wait for it to burn in

 

[OCC7N]

Hibiki SDS signature DAC.

Which by the way has a wordclock- and I use the Hibiki external OXCO clock to sync the DAC and the DI-20HE. Many say syncing the source and dac on the same clock is more important than how low the phase noise is. It is the key to proper timing. I- however have poor understanding of technical issues... I go by my ears...

Nice!

Try the latest firmware again and give the DI20HE some absorber feets and ground the ACSS output by the sleeve. I use a BNC connector/cable without center-pin.

I use to think absorbers was a joke/snake oil. I can now hear there is too much absorbing elements in my system(especially under/on top of DI20HE) which clearly reflects in the hardness of the sound. It gives the elements a leaner/harder edge.

However the realism(physical sounding) is soo nice! the DI20HE took the R1N and just stretched the soundstage further in all directions. These tweaks brought out a more unforgiving DI20HE in a very good way. Compromising on the thickness by a couple %s....but gaining more "3D/Surround effect"
---
@Nayyte you need to find a used one! - trust me on this! - R1N will sound like so much more capable, that it even brings challange to Susvara. It was the missing element for Susvara.

 

[rsbrsvp]

Herbes Audio of San Antonia Texas has my business for absorber feet on all my equipment. Not snake oil. Way better than sorbathane. I agree- harder edges, cleaner, Vibration, like noise is damage to sound...

Regarding ACSS, it is very good- but HDMI is still better IMHO. Less fluff, less veil, more energetic, more linear.

 

[Nayyte]

Nice!

Try the latest firmware again and give the DI20HE some absorber feets and ground the ACSS output by the sleeve. I use a BNC connector/cable without center-pin.

I use to think absorbers was a joke/snake oil. I can now hear there is too much absorbing elements in my system(especially under/on top of DI20HE) which clearly reflects in the hardness of the sound. It gives the elements a leaner/harder edge.

However the realism(physical sounding) is soo nice! the DI20HE took the R1N and just stretched the soundstage further in all directions. These tweaks brought out a more unforgiving DI20HE in a very good way. Compromising on the thickness by a couple %s....but gaining more "3D/Surround effect"
---
@Nayyte you need to find a used one! - trust me on this! - R1N will sound like so much more capable, that it even brings challange to Susvara. It was the missing element for Susvara.

I'm sure it's great but I really can't justify spending that much on a DDC, even if I want to. I've rolled the dice on a lot of gear the past two months and almost all of it isn't to my liking. I will be spending the next month selling off some stuff and taking a small break from purchases. I really want something that doesn't require another $1.5k in gear/cables to sound "correct".

I really like the R1N, especially for orchestral and sound track music. It's honestly not like anything else I've heard and trying to listen to the same music on normal chip dac's is very disappointing now. Problem is, for all my other music, it's easy for the bass/low mids to get really bloated and fatiguing. Also the more I listen to pop/rock/rap/dance with the R1N, the more I realize it's a DAC that demands high quality masters with actual soundstage. "Mid tier" mastered music, many rock and alt pop bands from the past 30 years, can easily sound too forward and lacking depth with the R1N.

 

[OCC7N]

I'm sure it's great but I really can't justify spending that much on a DDC, even if I want to. I've rolled the dice on a lot of gear the past two months and almost all of it isn't to my liking. I will be spending the next month selling off some stuff and taking a small break from purchases. I really want something that doesn't require another $1.5k in gear/cables to sound "correct".

I really like the R1N, especially for orchestral and sound track music. It's honestly not like anything else I've heard and trying to listen to the same music on normal chip dac's is very disappointing now. Problem is, for all my other music, it's easy for the bass/low mids to get really bloated and fatiguing. Also the more I listen to pop/rock/rap/dance with the R1N, the more I realize it's a DAC that demands high quality masters with actual soundstage. "Mid tier" mastered music, many rock and alt pop bands from the past 30 years, can easily sound too forward and lacking depth with the R1N.

The R1N has some weakness, which you can not repair in amp or cable.

You will find out the importance of a PCIe Bridge and DDC, when you try it.

SPDIF-3 was the first that showed an improvement in the width of the soundstage and the black background. It literally turned the dac into almost as good as deltasigma performance in technicalities, without loosing the holographic experience.

R1N is not the usual DAC. Everything I tried before it in the chain, gave different results. It needs support, to collect the the music and help with the instrument placement. The soundstage is small, the instruments are too big…

This is where the DI20HE comes in:

1. Better instrument placement. Pinpoint them with ease in the stereo image
2. Balanced, levelled sound across the spectrum
3. Soundstage, the instruments are free to play there are a lot more room.
4. The most important is the time/rythm. Its just music, moving.

This DAC has for modules on two DA board, the same you find on the highend models(R8H3/R7H3). Get the point?