[jacal01]

Quote:

  But it seems to me that, even with i2S, there is still great benefit to galvanic isolation and reclocking along the way to the DAC..

 
Why do you feel the need to reclock?  The whole idea with I2S signal transmission is that it retains the source clock and thereby avoiding jitter. 

 

[mojolo]

  I'm trying to operate my Master 7 through a Windows machine which does not see it. I guess it is a matter of drivers but I'm confused from the audio-gd web page concerning drivers:
on the one hand it seems that drivers are needed only through usb, and I'm driving it through hdmi using the di-2014. On the other hand there is a plurality of drivers for Master 7 built till mid 2014 and nothing for later build.
So I think I have two questions:
which is the appropriate usb driver for a 2015 Master 7?
Which is the appropriate driver when using the di-2014 interface?
Thanks

Assuming your setup is: PC -> --USB--> DI-2014 --i2s (HDMI)--> Master 7
 
You only need the USB driver for the DI-2014. The PC will not see the M7 at all so you don't need a driver for it.  Here's the page with the USB drivers for di-2014: http://www.audio-gd.com/pro/dac/USB32/USB32EN_2.htm
 
However, if you go PC -> --USB--> Master 7, you would then need the USB driver for the Master 7.

 

[mojolo]

  DAC, Ian's FIFO GB is on right now! So hop on it! My order currently on hold due to lack of funds hoping to pull the trigger soon

@aive I see from your sig that you're now running Ian FIFO II to the M7:
 

Ian FIFO II (SPDIF to I2S to PCM) > Audio-GD Master 7 (DSP removed)

 
Are you the same individual that was selling his M7 digital input board on another forum (in order to replace it entirely with Ian FIFO II feeding the M7 dac section)? Curious how this setup is working for you? @motberg enquired about something similar a page or two back. This is very interesting as the weakest parts of the M7 and M11 seem to be the USB input and DSP.

 

[Articnoise]

 

 

Are you using Master 7 again, I thought you liked the Yggdrasil (much) more?

 

[DACLadder]

   

Are you using Master 7 again, I thought you liked the Yggdrasil (much) more?

I like both and recently swapped back to the M7 to give it a fresh listen after using the Yggy exclusively for 6 months.  They both have their strengths and weaknesses.   The M7 has a little more bass authority/drive which works well in my system.  The Yggy is clearer in the vocals.  But I really do enjoy both.  One minor dig for the Yggy are the mute relays clicking on sampling rate changes.  Cuts off the intros to songs, very annoying, and drives me crazy with random jukebox play.  The M7/ Gustard U12 is seamless in this regard.      

 

[Articnoise]

 
I like both and recently swapped back to the M7 to give it a fresh listen after using the Yggy exclusively for 6 months.  They both have their strengths and weaknesses.   The M7 has a little more bass authority/drive which works well in my system.  The Yggy is clearer in the vocals.  But I really do enjoy both.  One minor dig for the Yggy are the mute relays clicking on sampling rate changes.  Cuts off the intros to songs, very annoying, and drives me crazy with random jukebox play.  The M7/ Gustard U12 is seamless in this regard.      

 

Ok! I have also a mute relay that cuts off the intros to songs on sampling rate changes with my DAC 

 

Any luck with getting the Offramp 5 to play on W10?

 

[xrobbo]

  Assuming your setup is: PC -> --USB--> DI-2014 --i2s (HDMI)--> Master 7
 
You only need the USB driver for the DI-2014. The PC will not see the M7 at all so you don't need a driver for it.  Here's the page with the USB drivers for di-2014: http://www.audio-gd.com/pro/dac/USB32/USB32EN_2.htm
 
However, if you go PC -> --USB--> Master 7, you would then need the USB driver for the Master 7.

Thanks, it works just fine!

 

[DACLadder]

  Any luck with getting the Offramp 5 to play on W10?

No luck.   Same computer hardware worked OK with Windows 8.1 but not after upgrading to Windows 10.  With Foobar 2000 I can play one song then the USB link crashes.  Jriver MC I get no output. 

 

[aive]

@aive
 I see from your sig that you're now running Ian FIFO II to the M7:


Are you the same individual that was selling his M7 digital input board on another forum (in order to replace it entirely with Ian FIFO II feeding the M7 dac section)? Curious how this setup is working for you? @motberg
 enquired about something similar a page or two back. This is very interesting as the weakest parts of the M7 and M11 seem to be the USB input and DSP.

Nah I wasn't the one selling my DSP board. Mine is just sitting in a box at the moment.

In terms of setup it made a significant improvement to the tightness of the sound - really cleaned things up and sounded less muddy. The DSP board really is a bottle neck in the M7.

I should go back and listen though as I've replaced the M7 with an AYAII DAC (TDA1541 chip) in my setup, still driven by the FIFO.

 

[motberg]

Hi, sorry for the extra question, but what is your source?
I think I linked previously to someone who was using the Ian kit from a Raspberry: Raspberry>FIFO>isolator>clock(x2)>PCM/i2S>DAC
So I am wondering if there is some way to bypass USB altogether from a desktop style server. But I need about 1.5M cable run between the server and DAC.
Thanks...

 

[motberg]

I wonder if SQ would suffer if the M7 DSP settings were able to be changed by the user without opening the lid...
I had a previous Audio-GD DAC that had this type of adjustment..
Right now I am constantly surprised how much different this warm setting is vs. the stock 8X OS setting:
BYPASS (JUMPER ON)
DITH       (JUMPER OFF)
IPS1      (JUMPER OFF)
ATT0      (JUMPER ON)
ATT1     (JUMPER ON)     
IPS0      (JUMPER ON)
PLLEN   (JUMPER OFF)
 
I have not yet tried the PLLEN change - the above sounds just so perfect, I want to get used to it before trying anything new.

 

[aive]

I measured significant issues with left/right channel phase shift in NOS mode and gave up with it.

My source is laptop via optical (192khz upsample) for noise isolation. I tried USB via a galvanic isolator but prefer optical.

 

[Clemmaster]

How did you interface Ian's FIFO II board? Does it bypass the original DSP, which would make it a NOS Master-7?
 
I'm interested in this FIFO board. Don't really know where to get it and whatnot. Just read about it today!

 

[xrobbo]

  How did you interface Ian's FIFO II board? Does it bypass the original DSP, which would make it a NOS Master-7?
 
I'm interested in this FIFO board. Don't really know where to get it and whatnot. Just read about it today!

Me too. Using the DI 2014 interface bypasses the usb port. But how to bypass the DSP is still obscure to me.
Maybe simply taking off the appropriate jumper?
or is this FIFO board meant to remplace the DSP?

 

[aive]

How did you interface Ian's FIFO II board? Does it bypass the original DSP, which would make it a NOS Master-7?

I'm interested in this FIFO board. Don't really know where to get it and whatnot. Just read about it today!

The M7 is well designed in that it's modular. The DSP board feeds a PCM signal to each of the output boards (left and right).

In terms of the FIFO you basically need an input board, i2s reclock board and an I2S to PCM board to interface with the M7 output boards.

I use the same setup to feed PCM to my newer AYAII DAC.