[amb]

If you're running Windows Vista, you may experience poor USB audio behavior. Some people seem not to be affected while others have trouble. My HP Pavilion dv7 laptop with Vista64 Home Premium SP2 has problems with USB audio, but the same machine dual booted to Linux works great, so it's not a hardware problem. I don't know if Windows 7 would fix this. The whole audio architecture in Vista and later seems to be problematic.

Windows XP works fine, and of course, so does modern releases of Linux and Mac OS X.

 

[Anima87]

I'm using two drives that i swap - one is with XP, and one is with the new Windows 7. Never been a fan on Vista tbh.

I've got some more research to do, but i think i'm gonna go with the Gamma 1 full (A) option, and then maybe expand to the ++-verision. It's an old laptop, so maybe it's time to see what the markets brings next year..

amb, have you guys sent out some units for review? - I can't find any reviews on google. I can do with building experiences, but i always read a review of the stuff i buy on the internet before buying..

Have a nice evening, and thanks to all of you for your help,

 

[amb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anima87 /img/forum/go_quote.gif amb, have you guys sent out some units for review? - I can't find any reviews on google. I can do with building experiences, but i always read a review of the stuff i buy on the internet before buying..

No, I've not ever done anything like that with my projects. The only time people get to hear them before they build or buy is at meets or other audio events. There are some reviews written in this thread (and others), look for them.

 

[m1abrams]

Subjective reviews are well subjective and only meaningful to the reviewer and maybe to someone who values that reviewers opinions. However in the audio space there are few reviewers that I trust to provide a meaningful subjective review.
As for technical reviews AMB provides very nice technical review of his products.

 

[sergery]

Amb has built and provided some nice info on the unit with and without the ASRC. Has anyone else had a chance to listen to both? Alternatively can someone give a review or some impressions of the non-ASRC version? Just wondering how much of an improvement it offers in actual listening, not just filter response (that is a clear win).

cheers

serge

 

[4season]

I listened to mine without ASRC for about a week (coax input only, hooked up to my NAD CD player) and it wasn't bad at all. Smoother and more euphonic, I thought. Even when used in the "B" filter setting, with frequency response down at 14 khz, I found it pleasant, and when listening to my brand-new 5 CD set of early Django Reinhardt 78s (JSP Records JSP901), it was no hardship at all

I've heard very expensive setups which had far less high frequency response.

But the attacks also seemed soggier than I'd consider ideal.

ASRC seems to really tighten and brighten things up. More accurate, but perhaps not as "lush".

 

[sergery]

Thanks for the added input - I forgot you just commented on this:rolleyes

Quote:

ASRC seems to really tighten and brighten things up. More accurate, but perhaps not as "lush".

So it is a fairly audible benefit to your ears? Assuming tight and bright is good at the expense of lush.

the other post

 

[4season]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sergery /img/forum/go_quote.gif So it is a fairly audible benefit to your ears? Assuming tight and bright is good at the expense of lush.

Yes, I think so, but it drove me to remove the two small film bypass capacitors at the outputs (C19, C25), and so far I think it sounds better without 'em.

 

[sergery]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4season /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, I think so, but it drove me to remove the two small film bypass capacitors at the outputs (C19, C25), and so far I think it sounds better without 'em.

Interesting, I have been wondering about the differences in sound with the different cap configurations as well. Could I coerce you to go into further detail? It will help me plan my build, I am sure others are curious as well. Of course I may just have to try both ways.

thanks

 

[4season]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sergery /img/forum/go_quote.gif Interesting, I have been wondering about the differences in sound with the different cap configurations as well. Could I coerce you to go into further detail? It will help me plan my build, I am sure others are curious as well. Of course I may just have to try both ways. thanks

For what it's worth, I'm using an AD8656 opamp driving line outputs via 22uf non polarized Nichicon Muse caps: The OPA2365 was out of stock at the time.

I thought the stock setup of 22uf electrolytic bypassed with 1uf film cap seemed to have plenty of air and top-end sparkle, but maybe not as much lower-frequency weight as I might like. I felt that removing the film cap reduced some of the high frequency energy, giving me a tonal balance that was more to my liking. 20 years ago, I spent way too much time fussing with bypass capacitors, but today's "audio grade" electrolytics sound pretty good to me without any add-ons.

 

[Shahrose]

I think I asked this before but didn't get any replies, but, should there theoretically be a SQ difference between the two different types of inputs (S/PDIF vs USB) in the y2? More specifically, is it possible that USB is inferior than the others? I ask because earlier I saw this finding mentioned by one of the DIY'ers in the y1 thread.

 

[grenert]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4season /img/forum/go_quote.gif I thought the stock setup of 22uf electrolytic bypassed with 1uf film cap seemed to have plenty of air and top-end sparkle, but maybe not as much lower-frequency weight as I might like. I felt that removing the film cap reduced some of the high frequency energy, giving me a tonal balance that was more to my liking. 20 years ago, I spent way too much time fussing with bypass capacitors, but today's "audio grade" electrolytics sound pretty good to me without any add-ons.

On the Gamma-1, which uses the same output cap system, I tried 22uF Silmics alone and with a small 0.01uF MKP1837 metallized polypropylene. The film bypasses produced a high frequency graininess that I did not like, so I pulled them out. The Silmics on their own are very nice. I may try some larger bypasses... or I may not.

 

[amb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shahrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think I asked this before but didn't get any replies, but, should there theoretically be a SQ difference between the two different types of inputs (S/PDIF vs USB) in the y2? More specifically, is it possible that USB is inferior than the others? I ask because earlier I saw this finding mentioned by one of the DIY'ers in the y1 thread.

Aside from different maximum resolution and sample rate limitations. if everything is working perfectly then there shouldn't be any audible difference between the two as long as you stay within the limits of each. In reality, though, some versions of Windows (e.g., Vista) don't work well with USB, so you may get better performance via S/PDIF.

On the other hand, depending on your source device's S/PDIF port implementation, it may or may not be bit-perfect. This is especially true of some computer sound cards. So you may be better off with USB.

In short, there is no universal answer to this question. It depends on the specifics of your setup.

 

[4season]

For no particular reason, here are photos of my completed Gamma 2!

 

[MisterX]

Nice to see that you have it all sorted out.