[Wynnytsky]

@smodtactical
that's funny cause when I wanted to send qingwa a video [of how well things worked out] I used google chrome's translation support to navigate through China's version of youtube. Account creation and every login required a code that was texted to my cell phone - oh boy.

so, while the di20he briefly worked, can you rank these 3 configs?
1) dac USB input
2) dac AES input, from dX-USB
3) dac AES input, from DI20HE

 

[smodtactical]

@smodtactical
that's funny cause when I wanted to send qingwa a video [of how well things worked out] I used google chrome's translation support to navigate through China's version of youtube. Account creation and every login required a code that was texted to my cell phone - oh boy.

so, while the di20he briefly worked, can you rank these 3 configs?
1) dac USB input
2) dac AES input, from dX-USB
3) dac AES input, from DI20HE

The DI20HE clearly sounded the best. But not really in the mood to talk performance while I still have this problem.

When the unit is cold in the morning, i restarted 2-3 times and it still doesn't work. After it warms up for hours then when I restarted it works but the sound
still cuts out every 4-5 minutes for about 1-2 seconds. Kingwa remarked it only takes 'one minute to restart the machine'. But the problem is its not like it always reliably works with a restart, sometimes it doesn't. Why can't this be engineered to work more fluidly? Without all these bugs and glitches. The whole reason I sold my SOTM is I wanted a machine that worked really well and reliably. Ill be opening my u1 mini tomorrow, hopefully thats better.

Anyway now Kingwa is asking for teamviewer control of my pc. I set that up then sent an email that we can do teamviewer maybe in 1.5 hours. Its already midnight here.

This whole situation is ultra frustrating. I never imagined I would get such a bad experience with audio gd since my he9 has always been perfect basically.

 

[motberg]

@smodtactical
that's funny cause when I wanted to send qingwa a video [of how well things worked out] I used google chrome's translation support to navigate through China's version of youtube. Account creation and every login required a code that was texted to my cell phone - oh boy.
..........................

WIMI works great in China... not sure if they have a free version though..

 

[Jandu]

For FredA, or those of us who use the RPi for transport:

A prototype from Kingwa, however, according to what was released on the forum(chinese), it is unlikely going to make it to the market, due to the difficulties in supporting the SBC hard/software.

A group buy from Audio GD's forum, in Chinese, using GoogleTranslate and dollar conversion from a rough exchange rate. Cost of shipping is extra.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raspberry regenerative power supply group purchase inquiry.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See the forum discussion and some customers send emails, WeChat and other things about the raspberry regenerative power supply.
Now send a group buy message to see how everyone responds?
Raspberry regeneration power supply without raspberry.
If the customer needs us to purchase the raspberry board and directly solder the wire to the raspberry, the price is settled according to the actual purchase price, and the PI4B-2G price is 335 yuan(USD $48). PI4B-4G price is 470 yuan(USD $67), including memory card, heat sink, card reader. This part of the accessories need warranty, you need to contact a SBC seller. Or the customer purchased it and sent us to install the direct welding power supply line (limited to Raspberry 4B).

Chassis size: similar to DI20HE.
Technical support: Provide a limited technical support installation document. No additional technical support.
Power output current 2A. (Using 50W output transformer, enough power for Raspberry plus a 128G U disk)

Group purchase customers must be users who purchase two or more Audio GD audio products. Non-AGD users may not understand the timbre characteristics of the product, and may not like this style when purchasing.
It is recommended to use DI-20HE with USB connection.

Group purchase price: 3990 yuan(USD $570).
Delivery time: about 1-2 months (mainly for chassis)

Interested customers please follow the registration below, the deadline is June 21st. More than 20 units are started.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The pictures is same as what I have shown earlier.

If you are interested, please forward your interest and/or question to Audio GD. However, whatever you have learned, if you may share it here, it would be great as well.

 

[smodtactical]

Ok I2s out seems to be working decently. The sound cut out so far hasn't happened in about 40 minutes of playing. Doing u1 mini -> di20HE and it sounds truly incredible!

 

[smodtactical]

Main issue I have now with I2s out. Is that every 5-10 mins I get this 1 second where the volume seems to get slightly imbalanced (left channel a bit louder and maybe tone a bit off, then followed by a very slight pop kinda sound then it goes back to normal). Anyone have something like that?

 

[PeterCraig]

Main issue I have now with I2s out. Is that every 5-10 mins I get this 1 second where the volume seems to get slightly imbalanced (left channel a bit louder and maybe tone a bit off, then followed by a very slight pop kinda sound then it goes back to normal). Anyone have something like that?

Sounds like you got a defective one. Don't pull your hair out (like I always do); you already have Kingwa's attention and he will sort it out.

The only thing I could suggest is trying a different source PC just to be sure. But it doesn't sound like an issue with the source.

 

[UsoppNoKami]

@smodtactical - for RPI output (ALSA) , you could reflash the Amanero firmware to CPLD_1081_swapped (need windows PC to do this, 64 bit Win 10 is a pain due to Amanero serial port driver not being digitally signed)

I just did that recently for my DI-20HE as I moved from PC playback to RPI4B roon bridge with a high end linear power supply

One more thing you could do, if you have the Altera USB blaster, connect it and run the programmer, reflash the FPGA with the latest firmware

but as @PeterCraig said, if you have a defective unit, Kingwa will sort it out

good luck

 

[smodtactical]

@smodtactical - for RPI output (ALSA) , you could reflash the Amanero firmware to CPLD_1081_swapped (need windows PC to do this, 64 bit Win 10 is a pain due to Amanero serial port driver not being digitally signed)

I just did that recently for my DI-20HE as I moved from PC playback to RPI4B roon bridge with a high end linear power supply

One more thing you could do, if you have the Altera USB blaster, connect it and run the programmer, reflash the FPGA with the latest firmware

but as @PeterCraig said, if you have a defective unit, Kingwa will sort it out

good luck

Hey I actually just bypassed USB altogether by using a u1 mini in front of it and doing coax -> di20he -> I2s -> terminator. And ya I tried u1 mini by itself extensively and had no such issues.

I think Kingwa feels this is a software issue and not hardware. So i dunno. I will keep listening to it for maybe a week or two and see if the issue goes away with burn in. My guess is that instead of the sound cut out that was happening when I was doing coax out or aes out whats happening is this sound/volume shift + pop in I2s.

 

[jimmychan]

So what was the problem that caused it before, and how did you fix it?

 

[smodtactical]

So what was the problem that caused it before, and how did you fix it?

Im not sure but it seems with any other outputs like AES or coax the sound cut out every 5 minutes at lease once or twice for 1 second.

By going to i2s out instead that problem went away but now I get this sound / volume shift that has a pop at the end which happens every 5-10 mins. I think it has replaced the sound cutting out.

 

[DecentLevi]

Hey guys I'm just about to 'pull the trigger' on a good used Gustard C16 / U16 reclocker combo but someone mentioned about the DI-20 sounding better than the combo unit. Is there a consensus about this, and does that generally apply to the DI-20 standard or the DI-20HE edition? And what are the main differences (mainly sonic-wize). If it's mainly the DI-20HE having more isolation maybe the normal version is good enough since I already connect everything to a decent AC power conditioner.

From what I could tell the normal version is around $450 and the HE version is $988 if that's right.

 

[JaMo]

Hey guys I'm just about to 'pull the trigger' on a good used Gustard C16 / U16 reclocker combo but someone mentioned about the DI-20 sounding better than the combo unit. Is there a consensus about this, and does that generally apply to the DI-20 standard or the DI-20HE edition? And what are the main differences (mainly sonic-wize). If it's mainly the DI-20HE having more isolation maybe the normal version is good enough since I already connect everything to a decent AC power conditioner.

From what I could tell the normal version is around $450 and the HE version is $988 if that's right.

Hi,
The DI20HE is a significant step up from te U16. It is better in every aspect. I haven't heard the DI20 (non HE). I recommend You to go for the DI20HE and get a decent external XO. (Morion, Oscilloquartz..)
/Jan

 

[DecentLevi]

Thanks for your input guys. I'm coming from the Singxer SU-1 early first-gen DDC with my Chord Qutest and for some reason it seems to benefit SUBSTANTIALLY from a series of two other USB purifiers / decrapifiers into it (Wyrd and iFi iPurifier), but even then the sound I'm getting outta my laptop via this USB method doesn't sound quite up to par with a mid-tier standalone CD-Transport via Toslink optical to my same DAC.

I was about to go for the Gustard U16+C16 ext. clock combo until someone mentioned about the DI-20 sounding even better than than the SU-1, SU-6 and even the Gustard combo unit... if I'm not mistaken the standard DI-20 without external clock was said to sound better than the U16 combo with a clock?

I'm hoping that the standard DI-20 would benefit enough from my top Furman AC mains power conditioner (IT Ref 15i) that the difference in performance vs. the DI-20HE would be minimized... is that accurate being I already have a good power conditioner? But I'm just using a generic power cord for the time being. And about an external clock. This would also put me over budget for the moment. Would any of you say the DI-20 (90/98M version) without the external clock would sound at least as good as the Gustard combo with clock?

 

[DecentLevi]

Oh also I'm being open-minded here to try another Audio-GD product, earlier this year I had a very lackluster experience with a new R-1 R2R DAC I ordered from them, sound being inferior IMO than the Modi 2 Multibit DAC even after 3 weeks of continual burn-in. I hope their DDCs are better than their DACs.