[mourip]

Anyone here running Windows 2012R2 with Audiophile Optimizer in Core Mode in their AOIP setup. My OS has crashed trying to switch to Core Mode and I am looking for solutions...

I got my desktop back by using Safe Mode but would be interested if anyone was working in Core Mode and if there are any "gotchas".

 

[Tand2016]

Hi

Has anyone considered or even installed a SOtM sCLK-EX clock with a Master Clock (10 MHz input) in your Rednet?

I recently bought a Mutec Ref10 and connected this to my Mutec MC3+ USB. This gave a very nice improvement in sound quality, Recently I came in dialoge with May at SOtM regarding my interest in a clocked switch and she said they could probably install a sCLK-EC in my Rednet 16 R - if there was space enough internaly. My Rednet 16 is LPS converted with a UpTone LPS-1 so the original PSs could be removed.

I have read with interest Romaz "digital" journey and this is something I like to dive into

Any feedback is much appreciated.

 

[JayNYC]

Nope.

No fix here. Attached a screenshot from VB-Audio software test and Dante Controller software. Biggest processing frame 49.36ms. At the same time Dante Controller Latency window shows 10msec peak. Some correlation. Not heard in sound, so not that big problem still.

@bexi I feel your pain. I've put dozens of hours into configuring Dante for 3 different multi-use Windows environments experimenting with many of the same strategies you are trying and experienced many of the same challenges you are having. If you follow @mourip's 'big picture' guidance he is correct in my opinion. It's really hard to resolve/dissect/strategize these issues via forums posts though. If you'd like, as crazy as it sounds, I can do a VOIP conf call with you (and @mourip if he wants to join) to talk thru potential troubleshooting/workarounds/changesinstrategy. we can move this to PM if you want to coordinate.

 

[astrostar59]

Hi Guys
I haven't been in this thread for a while, though I still use and enjoy my Rednet 3 and LPS feeding my DAC via SPDIF.

My question
Are we still ahead on this for SQ or has the MicroRendu (for example) caught up? I am thinking the SPDIF output on my Rednet 3 may be the bottle neck here. I have a new DAC incoming which has a very good USB input inc 2 x super clocks, better than SPDIF I am told. So if that proves the case, it may be the end of my Rednet 3, and will relegate it t my second system instead. Thoughts?

 

[johnjen]

For me in my system the AOIP using AES cables and a pair of Mutec3's are 'better' than both of my Gen-5 digital paths (Eitr and internal card in my Jggy).
And as I have posted before while the Gen-5 implementation took a major step up, so did my AOIP when I removed all SMPS's from the AOIP chain (and elsewhere).

I still have 2 Wyrds which sit on the shelf from my previous USB explorations.

JJ

 

[gefski]

Hi Guys
I haven't been in this thread for a while, though I still use and enjoy my Rednet 3 and LPS feeding my DAC via SPDIF.

My question
Are we still ahead on this for SQ or has the MicroRendu (for example) caught up? I am thinking the SPDIF output on my Rednet 3 may be the bottle neck here. I have a new DAC incoming which has a very good USB input inc 2 x super clocks, better than SPDIF I am told. So if that proves the case, it may be the end of my Rednet 3, and will relegate it t my second system instead. Thoughts?

Will be interested in your findings with the new dac fed via USB vs. fed via Dante.

 

[astrostar59]

Indeed. The designer of the DAC is saying USB will beat SPDIF, so will be intersting. My chain with the Rednet outputs to SPDIF which is another format, so in 'theory' sending data by USB to then go i2S in the DAC seems like one less process of conversion. My foray with USB, I ran out of patience with it after many add-on boxes and fixers inc the TotalDAC USB cable. Adding the Rednet it instantly went liquid and smooth, more analogue. I had the M2 Tech full stack, also tried an Offramp 5 and others. Steve Nugent (Offramp) is now saying USB is not as good as Ethernet no matter what you do to it. We shall see.....

In the Lampizator Golden Gate, they guys who use that seem to rate the USB on it. It is the Amanero 384 with latest XMOS clocks. The big advantage if I can go back to USB would be playing tidal high-res, not having to mess with clock rates in Dante. I'll post back my findings here in a couple of weeks. Even if the Rednet is beat or proves the same, I won't sell it as it can feed my second system which has a DAC with no USB.

 

[Iving]

Prior to the inspiration obtained in this thread, I found USB so aversive both musically and otherwise (cf. CA) that I will not go back to it. I will wait for another paradigm shift even if Thunderbolt 3. I'll still be interested in any relevant first hand experience and look forward to your reflections astro. Meantime, I have installed an Optane Drive for both o/s and music and have a RedNet PCIeR card coming. I am re-establishing my PC with both at once and, so, won't be able to report "scientifically" about the relative contribution of each. I recommend Optane anyway - see here https://www.computeraudiophile.com/...q-nirvana/?page=7&tab=comments#comment-789200 and here http://www.usaudiomart.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1172&start=2850#p8582. The only audiophile report of the RedNet PCIe(R) card I know of is here https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aud...-computer-audio.806827/page-219#post-13862319 and I look forward to adding to it.

 

[johnjen]

I'm curious.
Why are you using the Rednet PCIe card?

JJ

 

[Iving]

I'm curious.
Why are you using the Rednet PCIe card?

JJ

super low latency
super h/w compatibility
probable SQ advantage

 

[Iving]

super low latency
super h/w compatibility
probable SQ advantage

+ just to emphasise - with Optane in PCIe Slot 1 and RedNet Card in PCIe Slot 3 everything is PCIe/CPU with no switches/PCH. With a dedicated 6-pin PCIe LPS spur it's about as "pure" a config. on the mobo as possible.

 

[astrostar59]

Prior to the inspiration obtained in this thread, I found USB so aversive both musically and otherwise (cf. CA) that I will not go back to it. I will wait for another paradigm shift even if Thunderbolt 3. I'll still be interested in any relevant first hand experience and look forward to your reflections astro. Meantime, I have installed an Optane Drive for both o/s and music and have a RedNet PCIeR card coming. I am re-establishing my PC with both at once and, so, won't be able to report "scientifically" about the relative contribution of each. I recommend Optane anyway - see here https://www.computeraudiophile.com/...q-nirvana/?page=7&tab=comments#comment-789200 and here http://www.usaudiomart.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1172&start=2850#p8582. The only audiophile report of the RedNet PCIe(R) card I know of is here https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aud...-computer-audio.806827/page-219#post-13862319 and I look forward to adding to it.

Hi Iving!
I think this can come down to the exact system specs. My current DAC has an SPDIF as input, no USB. It is an old school tube DAC NOS, though excellent sound. My spare AMR DAC has both USB and SPDIF, but the built in USB card is rubbish. So all my tests were based on my Audio Note DAC 5 which is purely SPDIF. My previous USB debacle thus had to go Mac Mini > USB out > USB to SPDIF convertor > DAC input SPDIF. The Rednet goes Mac Mini > Ethernet out > Rednet 3 > SPDIF to DAC. So the Rednet is using ethernet which could be better than USB for data transfer, but also converting to SPDIF in the Rednet and feeding with it's own clock to my DAC which then uses that clock for it's timing (jitter). Remember SPDIF HAS to follow the incoming clock. In other words my DAC 5 is old school and a bit thick, it has no internal clock and has to use the CDPs clock. At Audio Note they swear by their own CDPs that are crazy money of course, but use a Philips Pro mech which has it's own board with it, and I suspect a decent on board clock on there.

Now my new DAC has a well designed galvanically isolated USB board, with good power supply to it. It has a clock on the input, and clock on the output which is i2S format to the chip array. The clocks are super close to the digital board. So in that situation we have digital stream from my Mac Mini to the USB interface then i2S and 2 x clocks. The Rednet is 1 x clock and conversion to SPDIF, then fed to my DAC 5 with no clock. I can understand how the USB board in this new DAC 'could' be better than the Rednet. It also can do 384 with no manual adjustment for clock rates.

So IMO the Rednet could beat a USB chain but may depend on the DAC input itself and how that DAC is designed. We all know how many DACs had terrible USB inputs a few years back, almost an after sight. Those DAC used a weak USB to SPDIF internal convertor board, some with USB power! I am wondering if things have moved on a bit. My DAC is the Aries Cerat Kassandra Ref II, which I think uses the Amenero 384 board like the Lampizator Golden Gate, but need to check that to be sure.

Another reason many manufactures push USB and tend to drop interest in SPDIF is the sample rate, and it's support for DSD input rates. There is a lot of users who like the sound of PCM to DSD in HQ Player and that means they have to use USB.

I think Ethernet to i2S is the way ultimately, but what do I know?

I'll post here with my findings guys.

 

[johnjen]

It would be an interesting 'experiment to also try a secondary 'standard' ethernet port to see if there are any audible differences.

Currently I'm running at just under 1ms latency on my secondary network port, on my MacPro.
And that is thru a fiber optic isolation link between the rednet 3 and Mac.
It makes me wonder if latency this low (or lower) for such simple systems that we setup and use, would really benefit by reducing it to as close to 0 latency as is possible.

I kinda doubt it but then you never really know unless you try…

An interesting experiment indeed!

JJ

 

[Iving]

It would be an interesting 'experiment to also try a secondary 'standard' ethernet port to see if there are any audible differences.
JJ

Yep - Could do that - but I would have to install DVS and I want RC[/DC] only ...

 

[peteAllen]

... have a RedNet PCIeR card coming... and I look forward to adding to it.

Great, I hope you enjoy the sound improvement as much as I did. I did have some trouble getting it set up. The latest firmware is necessary (install from the Rednet app). It can work direct to the d16, the only catch I found is that I needed both ends connected via ethernet so that they could "see" each other. I think there was some improvement after setting it up and removing the second ethernet cable from the d16, but as I often make changes to dante, I now keep the d16 connected to ethernet