[801evan]

It helps to unplug. Having it off isn't good enough. Yea I'm doing quad stage conditioning. My IC and HP cable are shielded because they MAY be the cause of that. I used to hear it before but not anymore. I think another big factor was taking out the hdplex. As per Watt's claims, those transformers can be a source of interference depending on implementation.

Lol. Imagine I'm trying to rent an apartment on the same floor just for headfi. Not even for loudspeakers. I'm also looking at best EMI ratings of smartphones and it's a Samsung Note. That's too big for my partner to use.

 

[Toonartist]

Solo Dave is where the magic is anyway, I'm not sure about PGGB ( I know it's the current flavor of the month), but HQPlayer really doesn't compare to the M-scaler. And believe me, I've bought the M-scaler almost against my will and been trying to get rid of it ever since, but it's just much better than HQplayer. I only do streaming so i don't care about PGGB for now.

HQPlayer connected directly doesn't compare at all. I had an MScaler for 18 months and tried HQPlayer a couple of times connected via USB.

It wasn't until I placed it on it's own server isolated by a fibre optic network and used an OpticalRendu as a HQP NAA (+ Uptone JS-2) that it really started to shine. To finish the system off I used a TQ Silver diamond USB from the oR into a SRC.DX and dual Oyaide FTVS-510 75 Ohm Pure Silver BNC cables into the TT2.

After a month or two I sold the MScaler as PGGB & Streamed HQP content sounded better in my system.

The problem with HQP is it's not plug and play. You need to spend a bit of time and money to make it work well. Most people just install it on a laptop, plug a USB from the laptop to the DAC. That to my ears sound terrible. The electrical noise will be very bad. Just think about the problems MScaler has requiring Wave cables etc to tame it... a USB cable will be far worse.

For most people MScaler is the better option... just purely down to ease of installing it etc but HQP can easily compete if you spend the time with it. Also, I can stream HQP to many endpoints in the house over fibre... I don't have to move anything around!

 

[Toonartist]

What bnc cables are you using with the SRC-DX? I'm running SOtM BNCs from my M-scaler to DAVE, and I really like them. They make good digital cables. I also use their Ethernet cable. I didn't get their USB cable, because I thought it might be too much filtering.

I was using Mark Grant BNC cables that worked really well but when I made a pair of BNCs from Oyaide FTVS-510 I was very surprised at the improvement. This has a very thick solid silver conductor compared to most cables I've used in the past when making BNCs. Worth the extra money.

 

[801evan]

I was using Mark Grant BNC cables that worked really well but when I made a pair of BNCs from Oyaide FTVS-510 I was very surprised at the improvement. This has a very thick solid silver conductor compared to most cables I've used in the past when making BNCs. Worth the extra money.

Crazy how square waves can use the help of thicker gauge right?

 

[Toonartist]

Crazy how square waves can use the help of thicker gauge right?

I'd looked at Oyaide FTVS-510 cable many times and just dismissed it after trying the Furutech silver cable and didn't like how it sounded. It did surprise me the difference it made, very tight bass with excellent detail... great layering with deeper staging and very smooth highs. The construction is crazy with all the different foil wraps and gauge of wire. I bought a load more of it and currently replacing all other BNCs. The Dual BNC into a 3.5mm for the Hugo 2 is a fiddly one!

 

[alxw0w]

By contrast the May easiliy degenerated into a wall of sound with busy music or crescendos. I also found the Dave had the ability to make music where the May was reproducing individual sounds but they never seemed to come together as music.

Exactly, my feelings. I just couldnt put it into the words.

 

[adrianm]

It wasn't until I placed it on it's own server isolated by a fibre optic network and used an OpticalRendu as a HQP NAA (+ Uptone JS-2) that it really started to shine. To finish the system off I used a TQ Silver diamond USB from the oR into a SRC.DX and dual Oyaide FTVS-510 75 Ohm Pure Silver BNC cables into the TT2.

Well i was using my gaming pc as Roon Core + HQp core and streaming to the Mind2, connected via optical to the M-scaler running on battery, with the same BNC cables you're using. Compared that to USB out of said gaming pc...the RF is clearly worse, but i haven't found a scenario where i prefer any HQp settings to..no HQp. Even when travelling with Dave, i would rather to listen to it solo via usb out of a pc/laptop than any HQp.
There is a lot of convenience to HQP, and a ton of options, but to me, it just feels like a bunch of half assed options that you can play with until you find something you like. Quantity, not quality.

 

[naynay]

I'd looked at Oyaide FTVS-510 cable many times and just dismissed it after trying the Furutech silver cable and didn't like how it sounded. It did surprise me the difference it made, very tight bass with excellent detail... great layering with deeper staging and very smooth highs. The construction is crazy with all the different foil wraps and gauge of wire. I bought a load more of it and currently replacing all other BNCs. The Dual BNC into a 3.5mm for the Hugo 2 is a fiddly one!

Same cable used in the highly priced ferrite cables you can buy, it's what I used for my DIY ferrite cables I made which you can see in one of my posts.

 

[801evan]

Well i was using my gaming pc as Roon Core + HQp core and streaming to the Mind2, connected via optical to the M-scaler running on battery, with the same BNC cables you're using. Compared that to USB out of said gaming pc...the RF is clearly worse, but i haven't found a scenario where i prefer any HQp settings to..no HQp. Even when travelling with Dave, i would rather to listen to it solo via usb out of a pc/laptop than any HQp.
There is a lot of convenience to HQP, and a ton of options, but to me, it just feels like a bunch of half assed options that you can play with until you find something you like. Quantity, not quality.

Are you able to find a 15v powerbank? I've done 12v vs 15v on the Hypsos and 15v was better. I battled (modded) hypsos (18v out) + dxpwr 3a (15v out) vs IFI elite 15v (modded with silver occ cables) and Elite was ahead.

 

[Toonartist]

Well i was using my gaming pc as Roon Core + HQp core and streaming to the Mind2, connected via optical to the M-scaler running on battery, with the same BNC cables you're using. Compared that to USB out of said gaming pc...the RF is clearly worse, but i haven't found a scenario where i prefer any HQp settings to..no HQp. Even when travelling with Dave, i would rather to listen to it solo via usb out of a pc/laptop than any HQp.
There is a lot of convenience to HQP, and a ton of options, but to me, it just feels like a bunch of half assed options that you can play with until you find something you like. Quantity, not quality.

I have the Roon Nucleus, Mac mini M1 for HQP and these connect to the network via fibre optics. The fibre to the streamer (oR).

There is more than one way to skin a rabbit as they say. While the MScaler is the simplest to set up, its not the only show in town. I tend to be a very picky when it comes to audio, spent many months tweaking before I settled on my current setup.

If they ever get to the point that an MScaler stops RF from getting to the DAC without the addition of batteries & Wave cables etc to control that bit glare I was forever trying to get rid of then I'll be back in a heart beat. I'd love to see them add an SFP cage to the DAC / MScaler so fibre could be used as a connection between MScaler and DACs... if it's possible. Isolate all the processing noise. Ethernet at the least so you have the option for FMCs.

 

[Toonartist]

Are you able to find a 15v powerbank? I've done 12v vs 15v on the Hypsos and 15v was better. I battled (modded) hypsos (18v out) + dxpwr 3a (15v out) vs IFI elite 15v (modded with silver occ cables) and Elite was ahead.

I used to use a 50k mAH Kriosdonia to power the MScaler at 12v. It was very effective but of course you have to charge it... and I listen to my system while working so I'd get through it in one day or less.

Now, on the Pi4 with Allo Digione that I use for the Hugo2... it lasts for days on end.

 

[Triode User]

I have the Roon Nucleus, Mac mini M1 for HQP and these connect to the network via fibre optics. The fibre to the streamer (oR).

There is more than one way to skin a rabbit as they say. While the MScaler is the simplest to set up, its not the only show in town. I tend to be a very picky when it comes to audio, spent many months tweaking before I settled on my current setup.

If they ever get to the point that an MScaler stops RF from getting to the DAC without the addition of batteries & Wave cables etc to control that bit glare I was forever trying to get rid of then I'll be back in a heart beat. I'd love to see them add an SFP cage to the DAC / MScaler so fibre could be used as a connection between MScaler and DACs... if it's possible. Isolate all the processing noise. Ethernet at the least so you have the option for FMCs.

The problem is that no matter what endgame system one has there will inevitably be tweaks that can make it better still. For instance last night I spent several hours trying different USB cables going into the SRC.DX. Yep they all sounded different. The SRC.DX also sounds better when fed by a PhoenixUSB. My fibre ethernet was improved upon by adding the PhoenixNET as the final connection to the streamer. The only good advice is to stop somewhere on the journey, relax and just listen to the music. It will almost certainly sound great.

I am often reminded of the misquoted but still applicable saying that, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

 

[adrianm]

There is more than one way to skin a rabbit as they say. While the MScaler is the simplest to set up, its not the only show in town. I tend to be a very picky when it comes to audio, spent many months tweaking before I settled on my current setup.

If they ever get to the point that an MScaler stops RF from getting to the DAC without the addition of batteries & Wave cables etc to control that bit glare I was forever trying to get rid of then I'll be back in a heart beat. I'd love to see them add an SFP cage to the DAC / MScaler so fibre could be used as a connection between MScaler and DACs... if it's possible. Isolate all the processing noise. Ethernet at the least so you have the option for FMCs.

That's why i hate the M-scaler as well, but RF aside, I just found that the filter used the the M-scaler is just much better than all of those offered by HQP. The only consistently good thing I've found with it is the LNS15 noise shaper. Some of the filters added lot of separation, but completely destroyed everything else, others are just...tradeoffs with no balance.. Give me an M-scaler without a ton of RF, or the WTA algorithm in HQplayer and I'd switch in a heartbeat as well.
What settings did you end up settling on?

 

[naynay]

I think with all this power enhancing with the Dave no sooner Dave 2 is released there will be a lot of used Dave's for sale that have been opened tampered with.

 

[Ragnar-BY]

I was wondering if anyone here owns both or has otherwise A/B-ed the Dave (only the Dave no Mscaler) with the Holo May?

I A/B-ed May with mDAVE both in full upscaling and in passthrough mode. All in all DAVE feels more precise, but less involving (less energetic). DAVE paints more complex and holographic soundstage, May have more natural and pleasant timbre. I switched to May after comparing these two.