[DACLadder]

  Anyone? When I install the USB driver of Audio GD it shows "USB Spdif" when selecting in Foobar. Is this just a name, "Spdif"? It looks strange as it is asynch USB and not "spdif interface".
 

In the USB32 threads I noticed someone having similar confusion loading the latest firmware.  It is probably just a character string blindly pulled from the firmware descriptor for this USB interface.   The next revision will hopefully have it corrected.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/638252/audio-gd-usb-32-firmware-drivers-and-feedback-thread/450#post_11361540

 

[evillamer]

Does your master 7 top cover vibrate/resonate with loud bass music?

Also it seems that the entire HE series is removed from audiogd website.

 

[bowtung]

  In the USB32 threads I noticed someone having similar confusion loading the latest firmware.  It is probably just a character string blindly pulled from the firmware descriptor for this USB interface.   The next revision will hopefully have it corrected.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/638252/audio-gd-usb-32-firmware-drivers-and-feedback-thread/450#post_11361540

I have the same thing after updating the firmware and software.
Btw, has someone experienced problems with the usb interface.
The drivers are driving me nuts this past 2 months. For 1 year or so,  it was working perfectly with my mac.
Then, I bought a windows computer, and it seemed to work fine, but started showing cracking sound and hissing sound sometimes. I usually restart my computer and it works fine. I swapped to another cheaper usb cable and its seemed to have cured the problem.
 
However, last week, I started hearing hissing and cracking sound again. I usually restart my computer a few times, and eventually it will work.
 
Ughhhh

 

[Articnoise]

I have now listen to the HQPlayer for a couple of weeks and it sounds fantastic.

The HQPlayer is not cheap, nonetheless it sounds much better than all other audio player I have tried like Jriver, JPlay and Foobar. Sure it’s not going to elevate the SQ as much as adding an Offramp 5 instead of the AGD USB32 or a JCAT USB board in a stock PC, however it can make quite an improvement especially if one already have this things before, to me anyway. I would say that out of all my upgrades and tweaks to get the most out of the Master 7 the HDMI board and the HQPlayer have probably given me the most bang for the buck.

To my ears the HQPlayer makes all other player sound kind of muffled and grainy in comparison. It has an excellent tonality with uber clear and refined treble, a deep, fast and really well controlled bass and a midrange that is as clear as a day. The overall sound is super clear, dynamic and with an openness and soundstage I never heard in my headphones before. The sound is not soft, extra warm or forgiving and will let bright and less well recordings sound a bit lean and bright. Actually it has one potential down side, it has not as full sound as the Jriver and the treble can come out as a bit too much sometime and with some gears.  

I have tried many of the numerous different filters algorithms and noise-shaping/dither selections as well as playing with different sample rate. To me it sounds the best then stick to the native sample rate, no filters and no extra noise-shaping/dither at all.

I know my impressions will sound like over exaggeration on a soft wear that I’m not even using as it is intended to be used, to upsample to Hi-res or DSD, but what can I say. Ok, sorry for my hyperbole but this player truly delivers the type of sound I been looking for and is kind of righting the minor wrongs of the Master 7 so to speak, IMO of course.

 

[ciphercomplete]

Does HQ Player have a remote app yet, if not its DOA for me.  My music server runs without a monitor, mouse etc.

 

[Clemmaster]

  I have the same thing after updating the firmware and software.
Btw, has someone experienced problems with the usb interface.
The drivers are driving me nuts this past 2 months. For 1 year or so,  it was working perfectly with my mac.
Then, I bought a windows computer, and it seemed to work fine, but started showing cracking sound and hissing sound sometimes. I usually restart my computer and it works fine. I swapped to another cheaper usb cable and its seemed to have cured the problem.
 
However, last week, I started hearing hissing and cracking sound again. I usually restart my computer a few times, and eventually it will work.
 
Ughhhh

 
I think the question is: who has not? 

 

[bowtung]

   
I think the question is: who has not? 

.......................=  。=

 

[DACLadder]

For those that do what are you running for a USB cable?  Would really like to extend the USB cable in my setup from 2 to 3 meters.   Have been using Wireworld Ultraviolet USB cable since I started computer audio over 2 years ago and does a decent job.  Just wondering if there is anything else I could try with the Off Ramp 5 that doesn't require closing a swiss bank account to afford the purchase. 

 

[riffer]

  For those that do what are you running for a USB cable?  Would really like to extend the USB cable in my setup from 2 to 3 meters.   Have been using Wireworld Ultraviolet USB cable since I started computer audio over 2 years ago and does a decent job.  Just wondering if there is anything else I could try with the Off Ramp 5 that doesn't require closing a swiss bank account to afford the purchase. 

Don't laugh - but Monoprice makes nice USB cables.  I replaced the Furutech Formula2-AB with one when I moved my Master 7 farther away from my Squeezebox Touch, and I haven't felt a need to change it.  I also use one from my HTPC to the Master 7.  If you want to go higher end, Audioquest has a cable for every price point.  And the Furutech are quite good.

 

[evillamer]

Belkin gold usb off Amazon is amazing value and performance. Even Purrin use them

 

[Clemmaster]

I second the Belkin Gold.
 
In the more fancy category, the TotalDAC USB cable would get my recommendation (2m).

 

[aljordan]

I third the Belkin Gold.  I use it into the Berkeley USB converter and think it sounds very good. 

 

[JAGS]

Looks promising. Some other options are:
- Auralics (USB out)
- Pink Faun (i2s out)
- Soundaware Pro ( i2s or usb out)

 
Alright...update on using USB on Master-7 direct input: My conclusion is it really matters what source is being used!! I installed a MAC + JRiver and the USB performance is a lot better compared to my old Windows Laptop USB source!! It still would be interested to know what you gain more from a DI 2014 but my conclusion is if your source is good you will have good performance from the Master-7 using USB input.

 

[frizzup]

Hi Jags,
 
 "gain more from a DI 2014" ?
 
What you gain is interconnect between USB input to Di-2014 and HDMI/I2S input to M7 (with the Audio-GD input module installed to replace its stock RJ45 input). IMHO .......HDMI/I2S is a superior input in the M7 than its USB32, BNC/SPDIF, AES/XLR, or RCA.
 
frizzup

 

[lieberung]

I tried switching between 16 bit 44.1Khz and 24 192Khz but not as high as 32 bit 384Khz even though that is an option in the list. I'll try that tonight. I tried switching between 16 and 24 bit integer and floating, and 32 bit an a 24 bit packet in jriver but none of this had any effect on the distortion/crackling. I havent tried linux (dont have a pc with linux running atm).
Also tried 2 different hdmi cables, 1 m and one 30 cm. No difference.

I returned the Hydra since I couldnt get it to work with the hdmi module. A week after I stumbled across a second hand OR5, got it upgraded by Empirical Audio with all bells and whistles and got it today along with a dynamo psu. Wow, this really elevated the M7. Very easy to detect difference