DDC - Digital USB interfaces - Xmos or Amanero Combo384 based - Raspberry Pi - HifiBerry DAC+ Pro - reviews, comparison, modifications and USB-Audio in general

[abartels]

   
I did built-in my rpi-dac+pro into my MonsterDac, used spare backpanel of enclosure to accomplish this. Have to fix some minor issues this evening and will post listening impression later this evening!
 

 
Regards,
 
Alex

 
I did incorporate RPI+DAC+Pro in my MonsterDAC, shielded AK4495SEQ and RPI+DAC+Pro with EMI/RFI absorbing material and shielded all with copperfoil (connected to ground).
 
This was the cherry on the cake 

 
Again it sounds more realistic!
 
Next step is to exchange LME49720HA with a top, discrete build, opamp!
 
 
Will keep you guys posted!
 
 
Cheers  

 
Alex

 

[conquerator2]

No R2R or based on similar design = no buy

 

[prot]

An excellent DDC comparison review (berkeley & audiophilleo). IMHO, the first one that deserves to be called a review (as opposed to the usual anecdotes about someone's ears)
http://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/high-performance-pc-server-interfaces-async-usb.8/#post-10

Each one of those measurement graphs is worth a lot more than a thousand posts.

 

[prot]

An F1 against network/dante comparison
http://www.head-fi.org/t/647917/dangerous-music-source-dac/200_50#post_12591982

So .. network is better .. rpi+i2s is better .. none of the new usb 'wonders' beats a 10year old puc2. Quite a mistery why so many people still keep pursuing those usb ddc-s. There's a new 'usb wonder device' every week and none is good. And if you count the extra money and time spent on all sorts of cleaners/regens/cables/etc, this Usb thing might just be the worst that ever hapened to audio...

 

[abartels]

An excellent DDC comparison review (berkeley & audiophilleo). IMHO, the first one that deserves to be called a review (as opposed to the usual anecdotes about someone's ears)
http://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/high-performance-pc-server-interfaces-async-usb.8/#post-10

Each one of those measurement graphs is worth a lot more than a thousand posts.

100% Agree!  Very good comparison!!
 
Btw, don't bother about the HDMI, it's HDMI Audio which doesn't have anything in common with I2S over HDMI.....

 

[abartels]

An F1 against network/dante comparison
http://www.head-fi.org/t/647917/dangerous-music-source-dac/200_50#post_12591982

So .. network is better .. rpi+i2s is better .. none of the new usb 'wonders' beats a 10year old puc2. Quite a mistery why so many people still keep pursuing those usb ddc-s. There's a new 'usb wonder device' every week and none is good. And if you count the extra money and time spent on all sorts of cleaners/regens/cables/etc, this Usb thing might just be the worst that ever hapened to audio...

 
Very nice find!!!

 

[prot]

100% Agree!  Very good comparison!!

Btw, don't bother about the HDMI, it's HDMI Audio which doesn't have anything in common with I2S over HDMI.....

Well I do bother about hdmi . The receiver+hdmi input is my main setup and I'll have to see if there are any measurements for my marantz.
And btw did lots of experiments with room correction dsp lately. Highly recommended. If there ever was a night&day that's it!

 

[mhamel]

   
Very nice find!!!

 
I couldn't be happier with the Dante / RedNet solution. Straightforward, no extra tweaks needed, no USB hassles.
 
From the F-1 thread, Muziqboy has also given the RedNet solution a shot and has had similar results to mine: http://www.head-fi.org/t/803111/xmos-xu208-usb-bridges-the-latest-gen-has-arrived/1830#post_12606908
 
   -Mike

 

[abartels]

No R2R or based on similar design = no buy

 
Ever heard a GOOD implemented DS like mine?

 

[abartels]

 

100% Agree!  Very good comparison!!

Btw, don't bother about the HDMI, it's HDMI Audio which doesn't have anything in common with I2S over HDMI.....

Well I do bother about hdmi

. The receiver+hdmi input is my main setup and I'll have to see if there are any measurements for my marantz.
And btw did lots of experiments with room correction dsp lately. Highly recommended. If there ever was a night&day that's it!

 
 
What kind of room correction software are you using?

 

[abartels]

 

   
I did built-in my rpi-dac+pro into my MonsterDac, used spare backpanel of enclosure to accomplish this. Have to fix some minor issues this evening and will post listening impression later this evening!
 

 
Regards,
 
Alex

 
I did incorporate RPI+DAC+Pro in my MonsterDAC, shielded AK4495SEQ and RPI+DAC+Pro with EMI/RFI absorbing material and shielded all with copperfoil (connected to ground).
 
This was the cherry on the cake 

 
Again it sounds more realistic!
 
Next step is to exchange LME49720HA with a top, discrete build, opamp!
 
 
Will keep you guys posted!
 
 
Cheers  

 
Alex

 
Good news guys!!!!!
 
I'm in contact with Burson Audio and will review their products in my MonsterDAC!!!
 
 
At first I will start reviewing the very new Hybrid (partly discrete) opamp V5i which should compete with the best of the best opamps available and should bring my MonsterDAC to another level!
I also will review this Hybrid opamp with my two low cost dac's, just to see how they can perform with a top opamp in them. Will test both Dual and Single versions.
 
http://www.bursonaudio.com/products/supreme-sound-opamp-v5i/
 
At a later stage I even will review the super V5 discrete opamp which again should bring my MonsterDAC to another level 

 
http://www.bursonaudio.com/products/supreme-sound-opamp-v5/
 
Btw, yesterday I had a "Jam session" with a friend of mine (probably the neighbours jammed too..... 

)
He heard my MonsterDAC before, with the DIYINHK isolated USB XMOS interface which sounded superb to his (and my) ears.
This was the first time he heard the dac with RPI/DAC+Pro/I2S directly into dac. He stayed 2 hours longer then planned, couldn't stop listening to all his favorite tracks.
Tidal HIFI helped a lot so he could play his own music instead of my local music collection. Some tracks which weren't available at Tidal we played from Spotify.
Very glad there's support within LMS for all those streaming services 

 
He was VERY impressed, after listening to a lot of High-End sets the past 30 years, he told me yesterday he NEVER heard ANYTHING like this, even not the 50-100K$-Up riggs
 
Just like me he was amazed how original Redbook material can sound. I have a lot of High-Res music, 192K and SACD which sounds very good, but to be honest,
in most cases we preferred Redbook above High-Res. Redbook seems to be more musical, and there weren't any details we were missing in comparisson to High-Res / SACD.
It's just so marvelous sounding, it's almost unbelievable this even could get any better at all, but we all know, it CAN 

 
I'm VERY eager to test and review the Burson Audio opamp options, this will be the next big improvement

 
 
Can't wait to test them!
 
 
Just a question, should I start a new thread about Burson Audio opamps (since it is not DDC related), or should I keep it in this thread?
 
 
Cheers   

 
 
Alex

 

[hgpsemaj]

It can be a contender, can't it?
 

 

 

[prot]

   
Good news guys!!!!!
 
I'm in contact with Burson Audio and will review their products in my MonsterDAC!!!
 
 
At first I will start reviewing the very new Hybrid (partly discrete) opamp V5i which should compete with the best of the best opamps available and should bring my MonsterDAC to another level!
I also will review this Hybrid opamp with my two low cost dac's, just to see how they can perform with a top opamp in them. Will test both Dual and Single versions.
 
http://www.bursonaudio.com/products/supreme-sound-opamp-v5i/
 
At a later stage I even will review the super V5 discrete opamp which again should bring my MonsterDAC to another level 

 
http://www.bursonaudio.com/products/supreme-sound-opamp-v5/
 
Btw, yesterday I had a "Jam session" with a friend of mine (probably the neighbours jammed too..... 

)
He heard my MonsterDAC before, with the DIYINHK isolated USB XMOS interface which sounded superb to his (and my) ears.
This was the first time he heard the dac with RPI/DAC+Pro/I2S directly into dac. He stayed 2 hours longer then planned, couldn't stop listening to all his favorite tracks.
Tidal HIFI helped a lot so he could play his own music instead of my local music collection. Some tracks which weren't available at Tidal we played from Spotify.
Very glad there's support within LMS for all those streaming services 

 
He was VERY impressed, after listening to a lot of High-End sets the past 30 years, he told me yesterday he NEVER heard ANYTHING like this, even not the 50-100K$-Up riggs
 
Just like me he was amazed how original Redbook material can sound. I have a lot of High-Res music, 192K and SACD which sounds very good, but to be honest,
in most cases we preferred Redbook above High-Res. Redbook seems to be more musical, and there weren't any details we were missing in comparisson to High-Res / SACD.
It's just so marvelous sounding, it's almost unbelievable this even could get any better at all, but we all know, it CAN 

 
I'm VERY eager to test and review the Burson Audio opamp options, this will be the next big improvement

 
 
Can't wait to test them!
 
 
Just a question, should I start a new thread about Burson Audio opamps (since it is not DDC related), or should I keep it in this thread?
 
 
Cheers   

 
 
Alex

 
 
 
That's very good news ... your Monster DAC did already sound TOTL with the USB input, hard to imagine how it could get better! 
I'd say you shall start a separate MonsterDAC thread ... it's a wonderful device and surely deserves one ... or maybe just rename this one.
And I guess that Burson wants your opamp impressions here : http://www.head-fi.org/t/784790/burson-supreme-sound-audio-v5-opa-d-v5-opa-s-review
 
 
I tested three room correction kits.  It is very hard to extract any generic conclusions from my tests because those things depend *a lot* on the room and gear (both measurement and playback).  The results for my setup would be:
1. Audissey MultEQ XT32 (through a Marantz receiver): wow bass and very good soundstage. The only issue: if I wanna use an external DAC, its output will go through ADC->DSP->DAC inside the receiver.  Can't say that I hear that processing much but still, it's a lot!
2. Acourate.  Very good but the bass didn't get as clear & powerful as with Audissey.  However, I only used the trial version and a pretty average mic/preamp setup.  The software looks very profi with a million of settings and options ... should be possible to best all others with more effort and better measuring gear.
3. RoomEQ.  Very simple/easy and also pretty good in terms of SQ. And it's free if you just use the foobar plugin.
And now I do not know which one to choose

 

[prot]

@hgpsemaj ... are those audiogd opamps?

 

[hgpsemaj]

Hello Prot,
 
Those are from NewClassD / Denmark;
 
http://www.newclassd.com/index.php?page=122&hv=1