Dethonray Clarinet - Portable DAC/Amp Discussion + Impression thread

[FalseProphet]

Got it today. Ootb, I prefer the Serenade FW as the standard Rhapsody. Subtle difference, but the mellower tone of the Serenade pairs wonderfully with the 300Max.

How is Clarinet with DX300, is it justifiable enough difference with high end DAP? Recently got DX260 it sounds a bit too neutral to me and doesn't match well with some of my brighter IEM's. Wondering if difference with Clarinet will be big.

 

[FalseProphet]

I had a listen to the Clarinet today, attached to an iBasso DX320, via both USB and coaxial.

I am not a fan of AKM dacs in general. More often than not, it lacks resolution, too silky smooth, lack bass extensions. It tends to sounds very artificial to my ears.

On USB. The clarinet sounded silky smooth, nice wide stage, and musical. The tuning was IMHO better than some AKM that cost 5x of this little fella.

When I switched to coaxial. The Clarinet became a different beast. It sounded more resolving, to the point the BC on the IEM kick in hard. I was getting textures everywhere.

If you are getting the Clarinet. You need to go coaxial to get maximum mileage.

What are your impressions with DX320 combo? Is it justifiable enough difference? How does it stack against DX320 alone?

 

[Pranto Dev]

Yes, the coaxial or optical inputs are digital supplying the DAC in the Clarinet with the digital data from the source that the Clarinets DAC will convert to analog.

Coaxial with portable gear often gets confused with analog line in/out because with small gear the coaxial output and inputs are generally 3.5mm and many coaxial 3.5mm to 3.5mm digital cables can look essentially the same as a 3.5mm to 3.5mm analog line out/in cable. They are, however, in no way interchangeable.

The coaxial cable uses only two wires and the DAC end needs only a TS mono plug but sometimes only two terminals of a TRS stereo plug are used. The source end, assuming a DAP, will be at the whim of the DAP brand and many use either three pole TRS or four pole TRRS plug even though only two of the terminals are actually connected to anything.

Of course on bigger gear or devices like the USB to coaxial above will use a single RCA connection, typically yellow to differentiate it from the red/black of analog line in/out RCA.

Can you recommend 3.5 to 3.5 coaxial cable. I am having real hard time to find one.
I have shanling M1 plus which has 3.5 digital output coaxial spdif. Thank you

 

[BS5711]

Can you recommend 3.5 to 3.5 coaxial cable. I am having real hard time to find one.
I have shanling M1 plus which has 3.5 digital output coaxial spdif. Thank you

I am not aware of the wiring arrangement (often referred to as "pin out" by many) for the M1 end and could not find anything online that indicated that.

If you had the wiring arrangement it would be easy to have a suitable cable custom made, it i just two 3.5mm plugs and two wires. Technically it should be 75 ohms but I understand at such short lengths that is not important.

The Clarinet end would logically be the normal two pole despite that many cables use three pole, only two are used, I imagine they use three pole due to easy availability.

I did find this one on AliExpress, it mentions Shanling M2 and M5, I can't imagine that Shanling would change the wiring requirements for different players. It is very short which might not suit you, perhaps if you contacted that store they could make a longer one for you.

With a working cable in hand you could easily determine the wiring arrangement to have a cable made. Alternatively you could get in touch with Shanling to determine what the wiring arrangement is, perhaps ask on the M1 thread here.

Does the M1 come with a coaxial adapter by chance, that would let you assess the wiring arrangement.

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32971398688.html

Sorry I don't have anything more definitive but I hope that helps.

 

[Pranto Dev]

I am not aware of the wiring arrangement (often referred to as "pin out" by many) for the M1 end and could not find anything online that indicated that.

If you had the wiring arrangement it would be easy to have a suitable cable custom made, it i just two 3.5mm plugs and two wires. Technically it should be 75 ohms but I understand at such short lengths that is not important.

The Clarinet end would logically be the normal two pole despite that many cables use three pole, only two are used, I imagine they use three pole due to easy availability.

I did find this one on AliExpress, it mentions Shanling M2 and M5, I can't imagine that Shanling would change the wiring requirements for different players. It is very short which might not suit you, perhaps if you contacted that store they could make a longer one for you.

With a working cable in hand you could easily determine the wiring arrangement to have a cable made. Alternatively you could get in touch with Shanling to determine what the wiring arrangement is, perhaps ask on the M1 thread here.

Does the M1 come with a coaxial adapter by chance, that would let you assess the wiring arrangement.

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32971398688.html

Sorry I don't have anything more definitive but I hope that helps.

Thanks a lot
Have a good day

 

[gylyf]

Can you recommend 3.5 to 3.5 coaxial cable. I am having real hard time to find one.
I have shanling M1 plus which has 3.5 digital output coaxial spdif. Thank you

I don’t have an M1+, but I do have an M1S and its coaxial out uses TRRS.

 

[Pranto Dev]

I don’t have an M1+, but I do have an M1S and its coaxial out uses TRRS.

Can you give me picture of your setup? Or link to the cable you use ?
Thank You

 

[DingDongMonster]

Can you recommend 3.5 to 3.5 coaxial cable. I am having real hard time to find one.
I have shanling M1 plus which has 3.5 digital output coaxial spdif. Thank you

Any 3.5 to 3.5 interconnect will do for coaxial. For optical. It's also 3.5 to 3.5. Most optical cables come as 3.5 to normal. You can use an adapter. About a dollar or 2 on Aliexpress.

 

[DingDongMonster]

I don't want to cross post this. For context. Someone on the DX340 thread said it sounded horrible. I was like what? No way! So I sat down and gave his test tracks a listen. It does indeed sound horrifyingly bad. I had to switch monitors because it was making me nauseous. After testing everything I had on hand. It turns out the clarinet was the best pairing for the genre. Does anyone know of a DAP that sounds close or like the clarinet on coaxial?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dx3...ith-more-details-to-come.974099/post-18527532

 

[BS5711]

Any 3.5 to 3.5 interconnect will do for coaxial ………..

That is not correct.

FiiO use 3.5mm TRRS four pole plug but only the lower two poles are used. You can’t replicate that with any a TS or TRS plug because both connectors in the DAP will short across the same lower sleeve (S) terminal on the plug.

I believe other brands use a different wiring arrangement for the output but I don’t know what that is in the case of Shanling. It may be the same as FiiO or it could be something different. Cables I saw had Shanling and FiiO options which may potentially suggest they are different.

For completeness of response I just tried a standard 3.5mm to 3.5mm analog cable between my FiiO M11 Plus and Chord Mojo in the coaxial input and it most certainly doesn’t work.

I just saw a reference to an iBasso coaxial adapter and it was a TS 3.5mm to RCA. That suggests that iBasso used and perhaps still use a TS mono plug for coaxial which would work with a standard 3.5mm TRS to 3.5mm TRS cable assuming the negative and positive are in correct polarity and the dimensions and tolerances don’t result in connector in the devices touching part of the plugs where they shouldn’t.

I imagine that explains why it worked for @DingDongMonster but I believe that is the exception not the rule.

I don’t have an M1+, but I do have an M1S and its coaxial out uses TRRS.

Shanling may use a TRRS but all terminals cannot be used since there are only two wires in a coaxial connection.

Depending on the manufacturer of the cable they may well use a TRRS plug but without knowing or testing the wiring configuration there is know way to tell what two terminals are used.

---

Full size coaxial with normal RCA plugs is dead simple.

The receiving input of portable devices like the Clarinet and all devices I have (Mojo, Gryphon, Diablo) accept a standard 3.5mm coaxial input using a two pole TS plug or a TS two pole adapter on a full size RCA cable,

The sending device, usually a DAP in portable gear, is where the confusion comes and many people miss the subtle complexity because it looks so simple and despite having only two wires various companies use TRS or TRRS plugs with only two terminals used.

 

[DingDongMonster]

Sorry missed out on the Shanling part.

URGH: Edit. For iBasso. You can use any number of poles. Tip is the signal, the bottom one is the ground, and the middle ones are ignored.

Will try to confirm the Shanling one tonight.

URGH

 

[BS5711]

I assumed that is why a standard 3.5mm cable worked for you, I figured it was the iBasso you were using as a source.

 

[FalseProphet]

I don't want to cross post this. For context. Someone on the DX340 thread said it sounded horrible. I was like what? No way! So I sat down and gave his test tracks a listen. It does indeed sound horrifyingly bad. I had to switch monitors because it was making me nauseous. After testing everything I had on hand. It turns out the clarinet was the best pairing for the genre. Does anyone know of a DAP that sounds close or like the clarinet on coaxial?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dx3...ith-more-details-to-come.974099/post-18527532

Thanks, how is Clarinet's technicalities compared to DX340? I got DTR1+ DAP as well wondering if it is going to be an improvement over it. Anyone got one of Dethonray's DAP's to compare?

 

[Pranto Dev]

Sorry missed out on the Shanling part.

URGH: Edit. For iBasso. You can use any number of poles. Tip is the signal, the bottom one is the ground, and the middle ones are ignored.

Will try to confirm the Shanling one tonight.

URGH

Thank You @DingDongMonster . Waiting for your reply

 

[gylyf]

Can you give me picture of your setup? Or link to the cable you use ?
Thank You

This is the cable I use to transmit coax output from my M1S to my Mojo2 and D16. Bottom (TRRS) goes into the Shanling, top into the DAC.

Found here:

https://hisago-denzai.com/products/onso-coxc_01_3232

I'm not sure if they're still making it, however.