[watermad]

Feeding Blu Mk2 Clean Roon Data

I home demoed an Auralic Aries G1 connecting to my QNAP TS-473 running Roon server feeding my Blu to as a replacement for my Logitech Squeezebox.

Depending on perspective fortunately I heard no discernible improvement in sound quality, which was surprising as I heard a definite difference when I connected to my old Squeezebox, more body and musicality, or was that distortion. I expereienced something similar when I first upgraded to the Chord DAVE, and ran it in DAC mode through my Music First Audio Magnetic passive preamplifier.

For background I have extensive isolation of my system, ferrites on the dual BNC DAVE/Blu Mk2 connection, all plugged intot he Shunyata Research Denali 6000.

Has anyone tried the iFi iUSB3, https://ifi-audio.com/products/micro-iusb3-0/ infront of the Blu, as I can imagine all sorts of electromagnetic junk being pumped out of NAS and polluting the feed to the Blu?

 

[ecwl]

Feeding Blu Mk2 Clean Roon Data

I home demoed an Auralic Aries G1 connecting to my QNAP TS-473 running Roon server feeding my Blu to as a replacement for my Logitech Squeezebox.

Depending on perspective fortunately I heard no discernible improvement in sound quality

Sorry. I'm a bit confused about your connections and what you're referring to that showed "no discernible improvement". You mean G1 vs Squeezebox showed no discernible improvements? Or do you mean G1 to DAVE vs G1 to Blu2+DAVE showed no discernible improvements? And are you sure G1 is playing bit-perfect or whether you might have accidentally upsampled in G1? And are you playing regular PCM files (usually 44kHz 16-bit)?

 

[watermad]

G1 to Blu showed no improvement over direct to Blu.

I was playing regular CD quality files with no DSP in either Roon or the G1 to my knowledge.

 

[watermad]

G1 to Blu showed no improvement over direct to Blu.

I was playing regular CD quality files with no DSP in either Roon or the G1 to my knowledge.

 

[saudio7]

Feeding Blu Mk2 Clean Roon Data

I home demoed an Auralic Aries G1 connecting to my QNAP TS-473 running Roon server feeding my Blu to as a replacement for my Logitech Squeezebox.

Depending on perspective fortunately I heard no discernible improvement in sound quality, which was surprising as I heard a definite difference when I connected to my old Squeezebox, more body and musicality, or was that distortion. I expereienced something similar when I first upgraded to the Chord DAVE, and ran it in DAC mode through my Music First Audio Magnetic passive preamplifier.

For background I have extensive isolation of my system, ferrites on the dual BNC DAVE/Blu Mk2 connection, all plugged intot he Shunyata Research Denali 6000.

Has anyone tried the iFi iUSB3, https://ifi-audio.com/products/micro-iusb3-0/ infront of the Blu, as I can imagine all sorts of electromagnetic junk being pumped out of NAS and polluting the feed to the Blu?

Yes, when you connect iFi after G1 it will be little bit better, then direct connection to Blu. On G1 you don’t have galvanic isolation.

 

[jacc]

I am using an ipurifier 3 just before blu. Sounds more smooth and a bit darker to me. I think jitter is not an issue for Dave but RF definitely is, where the ifi is nice tweak which won't break a bank. However, I must say the noise along the bnc connection is a separate issue...

 

[Pentagonal]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but a BNC Coax optical bridge was just announced that specifically states it supports Chord's DX! This could be next level with regard to taming RF interference between the M Scaler / Blu MkII and Chord DAC! (I posted this on the Hugo M Scaler thread too but it applies here too.)

"Audiophiles have sought to minimize noise transmission using cleaner sources, ferrite laden coax cables or myriad other tweaks. These solutions are partial or, at best, only attenuate the problem to subjectively match the noise floor. For those with the most resolving systems and highest appreciation of musical transparency, the optical galvanic isolation of OPTO•DX is objectively superior."

https://audiobacon.net/2019/06/28/audiowise-inc-introduces-opto•dx-optical-isolation-bridge/
https://audiowise-canada.myshopify.com/

HeadFi review with M Scaler and Blu: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/audiowise-opto•dx-optical-isolation-bridge-for-dual-spdif.23757/

 

[iDesign]

Has anyone tried the iFi iUSB3, https://ifi-audio.com/products/micro-iusb3-0/ infront of the Blu, as I can imagine all sorts of electromagnetic junk being pumped out of NAS and polluting the feed to the Blu?

Revisiting the subject of USB: I recently purchased the Chord Company Signature ARAY USB cable and immediately perceived a reduction in harshness when compared to my AudioQuest Diamond and Clarity Cable Natural USB cables. I have owned many low end and high-end USB cables and devices and never observed any audible difference in the sound. While I can only speculate on the theoretical/technical reasons for the improvement in sound (perhaps gold-plated connectors or silver-plated copper vs. pure silver conductors?), it underscores how transparent but also how sensitive the Blu Mk II's USB input is.

 

[Triode User]

Revisiting the subject of USB: I recently purchased the Chord Cable Company Signature ARAY USB cable and immediately perceived a reduction in harshness when compared to my AudioQuest Diamond and Clarity Cable Natural USB cables. I have owned many low end and high-end USB cables and devices and never observed any audible difference in the sound. While I can only speculate on the theoretical/technical reasons for the improvement in sound (perhaps silver-plated copper vs. pure silver?), it underscores how transparent but also how sensitive the Blu Mk II's USB input is.

Interesting.

There is also this thread which discusses the Chord Cable Company Sarum T digital Super Aray usb cable. The Signature aray cable is also mentioned.

www.head-fi.org/threads/the-chord-company-sarum-t-digital-super-aray-usb-cable.884705/

 

[jonstatt]

Revisiting the subject of USB: I recently purchased the Chord Cable Company Signature ARAY USB cable and immediately perceived a reduction in harshness when compared to my AudioQuest Diamond and Clarity Cable Natural USB cables. I have owned many low end and high-end USB cables and devices and never observed any audible difference in the sound. While I can only speculate on the theoretical/technical reasons for the improvement in sound (perhaps silver-plated copper vs. pure silver?), it underscores how transparent but also how sensitive the Blu Mk II's USB input is.

I think it highlights how overly sensitive the Blu is to RF which isn't really a good thing. However if you have the right BNC cables with ferrites then the USB cable becomes irrelevant.

 

[tunes]

I think it highlights how overly sensitive the Blu is to RF which isn't really a good thing. However if you have the right BNC cables with ferrites then the USB cable becomes irrelevant.

Have you compared USB to optical where RF should be even less of an issue??

 

[Triode User]

Have you compared USB to optical where RF should be even less of an issue??

The Blu2 only has usb input.

This does not inconvenience or concern me me because my Innuos server only has usb output.

When I have asked Innuos about this they have said that it is more complicated than just thinking that optical is always better than usb and that the conversion from optical to an electrical form of digital signal can itself generate RF noise (which they have measured) and which is then within the device.

 

[iDesign]

Interesting.

There is also this thread which discusses the Chord Cable Company Sarum T digital Super Aray usb cable. The Signature aray cable is also mentioned.

www.head-fi.org/threads/the-chord-company-sarum-t-digital-super-aray-usb-cable.884705/

Yes, I read this thread sometime ago. Prior to owning the DAVE, I had a 1 meter Chord Company Sarum Super ARAY cable (not the updated “T” version) but sold it because it was too short. I decided not to purchase a USB cable from the Sarum T or ChordMusic lines because 2 meter cables must be custom made, are white in color, and Chord Company Cables are extremely expensive in the United States. As for the posts about RF, it likely has nothing to do with the difference. Let’s assume for a moment the AudioQuest Diamond cable which has their DBS and NDS technologies actually reduces RF as they claim— I found it to be the worst and harshest of three cables. It is the only cable of the three that had a pure silver construction and I can only speculate that may explain the small audible differences. It’s also important for me to state these differences are very subtle.

 

[JaZZ]

When I have asked Innuos about this they have said that it is more complicated than just thinking that optical is always better than usb and that the conversion from optical to an electrical form of digital signal can itself generate RF noise (which they have measured) and which is then within the device.

That's an interesting statement. I wonder how it should be interpreted, since the Toslink connection is extremely bandwidth limited, hence there's no way for radio frequencies to travel through a glass-fibre cable.

 

[Triode User]

That's an interesting statement. I wonder how it should be interpreted, since the Toslink connection is extremely bandwidth limited, hence there's no way for radio frequencies to travel through a glass-fibre cable.

I was perhaps not clear enough in the way I said it. The noise does not travel down the Toslink (optical) cable but can be created within the receiving equipment by the circuitry which converts the optical signal back into an electrical digital signal. I was told their are other issues which lead them to prefer USB over optical for ultimate performance. Innuos have therefore concentrated on designing servers with USB outputs with low levels of noise rather than using optical. Whilst their lower level servers do have a choice of outputs their top range ones (including the Statement) have USB only.

Some might say "well they would say that wouldn't they" but Innuos were adamant that they had decided to go the USB only route after comparing measurements with the optical option so this is not just a seat of the pants guesswork thing. It would be a trivial thing for them to include an optical output on all servers (after all they do it with their lower level ones) so it must be a deliberate decision rather than something else.