[TheAttorney]

  The signal chain is quiet simple. Home computer as Roon core via NAS > microRendu > JCat USB-cable > Dave > HD800 (with SD mod).

 
To follow on from a parallel thread, the signal chain must be a bit more complicated than that, because there simply has to be a router in between computer and mR.
 
If that isn't the case, then I'm interested to know how you achieved it.

 

[shuttlepod]

Hmmm. You guys are killing me with your talk of microRendu. I need to become a Luddite and not go online to Head-Fi and Computer Audiophile forums.

To replicate my current music renderer/server capabilities and UI, I would need to pay for microRendu (US$690), Roon (US$500), HQPlayer (Cdn$190) and spend the time to set everything up on my main desktop PC. Very tempting. Maybe I need to download Roon to play around with it on my desktop and headphone/Mojo rig to try things out before making the leap. And to think I just spent $20 to upgrade JRiver...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Giving Roon a try would be a good first step. Maybe it won't be the cat's meow for you. Then again . . .

 

[yellowblue]

   
To follow on from a parallel thread, the signal chain must be a bit more complicated than that, because there simply has to be a router in between computer and mR.
 
If that isn't the case, then I'm interested to know how you achieved it.

Yes, a router is needed. Didn´t name that because I thought this was clear when I wrote "NAS".

 

[Beolab]

A ship came loded with some Transparent Ref 5 XLR cables today, tuned and impedance matched for the DAVE / new SimAudio Moon 600i Amp and drive it Bypass from the pre-amp to not lose any transparency.

I have both the XLR and the RCA connected btw the dave and amp, is that any drawbacks for overheating with them connected at the same time for the DAVE @Rob Watts ?

First impressions of the Transparent Ref 5 cable is you lose some transparency and clarity resolution going balanced with DAVE as already stated from Rob because of the extra OP amps in the signal path , but the sound is more composed, and have more meat to the bone and feel heavier and more smooth than single ended.

The diffrence are fairly subtle, but there is a slight diffrence in the presentation and the singel ended sound a little thin and slightly sharper and jagged, but the XLRś is a bit too heavely bassy sounding but in the same time very smooth and nice.

Will also try out with a set of Kimber KS-1036 XLRś in the next step, so the hunt for the best sound in the world from a Headphones continues










QBD76HDSD special edition for the livingroom :

 

[Rob Watts]

I have both the XLR and the RCA connected btw the dave and amp, is that any drawbacks for overheating with them connected at the same time for the DAVE @Rob Watts ?
 

 
I guess if you were to do a careful AB test you would hear a small difference, but the size of the difference would be small, and not musically important. If there was a difference it would only be due to extra earthing, for sure Dave won't mind the tiny extra loading.
 
Rob

 

[Beolab]

Thanks Rob for you quick answer in the middle of the night

I find the single ended to be superior over XLR because of the extra OP ampś i can hear the transparency / resolution loss, but the sound gets calmer and smoother with more meat to the tone, but not for reference listening, just for HighEnd signature listening purpose , so i think the Ref 5ś go back and i switch for a Ref 5 RCA instead maybe, or the Kimber.

 

[holeout]

Agree on RCAs being a touch more transparent over XLRs, but difference is subtle. I did my initial 500 hours of listening with RCA and when I first switched to balance out I did noticed a very slight congestion and brightness in the upper mids. The situation improved after 100 hours mark and faded after 200 hours which suggest the extra opamps do need some time to settle. I'm using Gryphon pre/power amps which circuitry is optimized for balanced connections and in my setup going with XLRs resulted in better body and dynamic contrast with a bigger and more 3D sound stage.,  For my 2 channel setup, I'm settling on XLRs. It's best to test out both outputs over time and hear how the rest of your system respond and pick your preference. 

 

[Beolab]

Agree on RCAs being a touch more transparent over XLRs, but difference is subtle. I did my initial 500 hours of listening with RCA and when I first switched to balance out I did noticed a very slight congestion and brightness in the upper mids. The situation improved after 100 hours mark and faded after 200 hours which suggest the extra opamps do need some time to settle. I'm using Gryphon pre/power amps which circuitry is optimized for balanced connections and in my setup going with XLRs resulted in better body and dynamic contrast with a bigger and more 3D sound stage.,  For my 2 channel setup, I'm settling on XLRs. It's best to test out both outputs over time and hear how the rest of your system respond and pick your preference. 

Its hard to compare because of the 20db diffrence in volume 12 v XLR vs 6 v RCA on the DAVE .

But i feel the 7000€ Transparent are slight fuller and richer but losing in the upper end to my RCA Chord Indigo Array , so i will loan the Kimber KS-1136 and Nordost Odin XLR or RCA dito and see what happens.

Having the TP Ref 5 on burn in now at home and we will see what happens tonight after 24 houers. They did have about 100 h on then when i picked then up yesterday according to the Transparent dealer .

 

[TheAttorney]

But i feel the 7000€ Transparent are slight fuller and richer but losing in the upper end to my RCA Chord Indigo Array , so i will loan the Kimber KS-1136 and Nordost Odin XLR or RCA dito and see what happens.

Having owned a few Transparent Audio cables in the past (not the latest Generation 5's, which have priced themselves off my radar) - I would say that what you're hearing is the typical TA house sound irrespective of XLR or RCA.
 
As I had posted before, my TA Ref (Gen 4) RCA had that overall house sound, which was very pleasant, but was easily beaten for detail, openness and transparency by my TQ Black Diamond XLR's, from DAVE into my balanced BHSE. And I did volume match them by sound meter at one point. So I don't think you're hearing the true difference between XLR and RCA in this particular comparison.   
 
Irrespective of it's house sound, any cable priced as high as the Gen V really needs to blow you away compared to an Indigo-priced cable - in order to earn its keep.   . 

 

[Kakki]

 
Break-in - about 10 minutes.
 
Well yes that was to get your attention, and my honest answer is I do not know for sure, except that brain break-in is by far the biggest factor. In October I did an update to the code, getting ready for final production. This update had a SQ change, and it was not small.
 
I did the change on a unit that had at least 10,000 hours on it, so it was well and truly broken in. But the SQ change from the code took several months for the feeling that SQ was improving to stop, so brain break-in (getting used to the sound and I suspect the brain learning new ways to process the SQ) is very real - at least to me.
 
I actually have a brand new unit coming next week, so I can test for how much is down to hardware changes.
 
Rob

 
Rob, did you have any chance to listen to and compare the old / new Dave units?
I'm interested to know the test result and would appreciate if you would share your findings.
 
I personally never noticed brain break-in effect but that may be because we rarely have a chance to strictly compare old / new units and also such a effect may happen gradually in long term.

 

[Rob Watts]

Oh no I ran out of time. I managed to measure it last Friday and it was absolutely identical - within 0.3 dB for THD and noise at 2.5v RMS. But time ran out for me to listen to it, as I am in Asia at the moment. When I get back in July I will listen to it.
 
I must say that black looks gorgeous...
 
Rob

 

[Crgreen]

I've used balanced and SE on Dave into balanced pre-amp and have a preference for XLR connections, though give the different fixed output levels, comparisons cab be tricky. Also, I don't have the bat-like hearing of others, able to hear the effect of even the smallest component

 

[Kakki]

  Oh no I ran out of time. I managed to measure it last Friday and it was absolutely identical - within 0.3 dB for THD and noise at 2.5v RMS. But time ran out for me to listen to it, as I am in Asia at the moment. When I get back in July I will listen to it.
 
I must say that black looks gorgeous...
 
Rob

 
Rob, thank you for your update! and hope you have a safe trip. I look forward to having your test result hopefully in July.
 
For the color, I just ordered a silver Dave last week...!!
Yes, it looks definitely gorgeous in black. But I was too nervous about having scratches on the surface especially around the phone jack.
(I thought scratches are more obvious on black and silver still looks very special, in my opinion.)
 
Do you have any comment on the color selection?

 

[Beolab]

Having owned a few Transparent Audio cables in the past (not the latest Generation 5's, which have priced themselves off my radar) - I would say that what you're hearing is the typical TA house sound irrespective of XLR or RCA.

As I had posted before, my TA Ref (Gen 4) RCA had that overall house sound, which was very pleasant, but was easily beaten for detail, openness and transparency by my TQ Black Diamond XLR's, from DAVE into my balanced BHSE. And I did volume match them by sound meter at one point. So I don't think you're hearing the true difference between XLR and RCA in this particular comparison.   

Irrespective of it's house sound, any cable priced as high as the Gen V really needs to blow you away compared to an Indigo-priced cable - in order to earn its keep.   . 

The funny thing is i have to look at the amp from time to time when i switch btw the inputs if i listening to Balanced or Singel ended, so there is not so big diffrence, and not worth the price of 7000€ against the stone aged built Chord Indigo 2000€ RCAś.

I would say it is like 5% diffrence and a slight more composed sound stage, but it is very even.

 

[Beolab]

Rob, did you have any chance to listen to and compare the old / new Dave units?
I'm interested to know the test result and would appreciate if you would share your findings.

I personally never noticed brain break-in effect but that may be because we rarely have a chance to strictly compare old / new units and also such a effect may happen gradually in long term.

Hi i think im the only one who have compared a 1000 houers DAVE to a new one with 1 houers break in as i have already posted a couple of pages back, but i do not think so many did read it, because it was not any reaction at all !???!!??

But the result was with my bat hearing not a Single difference at all!!

Totally dead race btw the old DAVE and New DAVE, after a few hours / days of comparing.

So it is our brains of some of us that do the break in, not my brain, but for some.