[milkdudd]

Please don't worry! My opinion is just that, not a pronouncement from on high!

I leave other forums to ram such pronouncements down our throats

Better to be the Rammer than the Ramee!

 

[Crypt Keeper]

Interesting, but how much important is cable connecting IIS port ? i am using this ,seems work decently, i would find dedicated cable.
https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B097RC7BCM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Just my 2 cents on I2S cables:

Moshou 8K Green = Gustard I2S < AV Play Solid Silver < Audiolund True Silver Series HDMI I2S/IIS/AV Cable (OCC Silver)

 

[Cuthbert 80]

@MartinWT could you please recommend a decent power cable for my U18 under £100 from the UK...if that exists?!

Cheers

 

[MartinWT]

@MartinWT could you please recommend a decent power cable for my U18 under £100 from the UK...if that exists?!

I am using much more expensive power cables, but I do have a lot of respect for the MCRU No. 9 cable, which I think is in your budget.

Ask David Brook of MCRU if he can still make you one.

 

[Cuthbert 80]

I am using much more expensive power cables, but I do have a lot of respect for the MCRU No. 9 cable, which I think is in your budget.

Ask David Brook of MCRU if he can still make you one.

Excellent, thanks a lot Martin

 

[SKR987]

I am using Gustard I2S cable from my U18 to Topping D90SE DAC. But there are drop outs frequently. Can someone help me selecting the right setting between U18 and Topping D90SE

 

[Miro102]

https://it.aliexpress.com/item/1005002433638544.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.6c187344xZzRs3&algo_pvid=39496d26-2997-4576-a671-ba4d2c859123&aem_p4p_detail=202209300734297802508318346000002800324&algo_exp_id=39496d26-2997-4576-a671-ba4d2c859123-6&pdp_ext_f={"sku_id":"12000020639593262"}&pdp_npi=2@dis!EUR!226.63!113.31!!!!!@2100bddf16645484693684706ebeee!12000020639593262!sea&curPageLogUid=3tzqpuaODLml&ad_pvid=202209300734297802508318346000002800324_7


What do you think aout this cable? Someone has tryed it?

 

[MartinWT]

It's a fake Nordost. You'd probably be better off spending the money on a Supra or Blue Jeans USB.

 

[mantraone]

I am using Gustard I2S cable from my U18 to Topping D90SE DAC. But there are drop outs frequently. Can someone help me selecting the right setting between U18 and Topping D90SE

First of all, which I2s pinout are you set on Gustard I2s (Gustard, Mode#2, Mode#3, Mode#4)?

 

[Crypt Keeper]

I've been using my U18 for a few months and very pleased with it. I intend to add purple fuses to it and my DAC. Unfortunately I missed the sale they ran recently. Perhaps I can make a deal with you guys. If anyone sees them go on sale again please let the rest of us know here. If I notice it first I'll do the same

OCTOBER 2022 Special. Until October 31st BUY two Purple fuses and get another one FREE. That's a value of $199.95 absolutely FREE. (Leave a note at the check-out or email us to let us know what the third fuse should be)

https://highend-electronics.com/products/synergistic-research-purple-quantum-fuses

VH Audio is so late on the promo ...

 

[Crypt Keeper]

https://it.aliexpress.com/item/1005002433638544.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.6c187344xZzRs3&algo_pvid=39496d26-2997-4576-a671-ba4d2c859123&aem_p4p_detail=202209300734297802508318346000002800324&algo_exp_id=39496d26-2997-4576-a671-ba4d2c859123-6&pdp_ext_f={"sku_id":"12000020639593262"}&pdp_npi=2@dis!EUR!226.63!113.31!!!!!@2100bddf16645484693684706ebeee!12000020639593262!sea&curPageLogUid=3tzqpuaODLml&ad_pvid=202209300734297802508318346000002800324_7


What do you think aout this cable? Someone has tryed it?

Yes, very good for the price (12 core 0.75 M was on sale for around $20 / different vendor )

 

[milkdudd]

I did a little experiment yesterday and I'm not sure how to interpret the the results. I listened as normal from my Android OTG (in airplane mode to shut down as much as possible running in the background) using DH labs best USB cable into my A22 dac. I have my C18 clock connected to the U18 with the gustard 50 ohm C2 cable. For now I've gone back to the blue jeans i2S cable between the U18 and A22. Now for the test part. My CD player (Onkyo C-7000R) is connected to the A22 using the aes/xlr connection with what I consider a top tier cable. I put a well recorded CD in the player and then queued up the UAPP Android app playing the flac files ripped from the same CD. It was easy to synchronize both, so once I started listening I could toggle between the i2s input and the AES input on the dac. Bottom line I could not hear any difference, and I really tried. Now you guys that know a lot more about this stuff please feel free to help me interpret these results. Does this mean C18/U18 combination is doing a remarkable job to match the sound quality of the CD player over AES digital? Should one sound better than the other? Sorry for being so long-winded but I didn't know how else to explain this

 

[Crypt Keeper]

I did a little experiment yesterday and I'm not sure how to interpret the the results. I listened as normal from my Android OTG (in airplane mode to shut down as much as possible running in the background) using DH labs best USB cable into my A22 dac. I have my C18 clock connected to the U18 with the gustard 50 ohm C2 cable. For now I've gone back to the blue jeans i2S cable between the U18 and A22. Now for the test part. My CD player (Onkyo C-7000R) is connected to the A22 using the aes/xlr connection with what I consider a top tier cable. I put a well recorded CD in the player and then queued up the UAPP Android app playing the flac files ripped from the same CD. It was easy to synchronize both, so once I started listening I could toggle between the i2s input and the AES input on the dac. Bottom line I could not hear any difference, and I really tried. Now you guys that know a lot more about this stuff please feel free to help me interpret these results. Does this mean C18/U18 combination is doing a remarkable job to match the sound quality of the CD player over AES digital? Should one sound better than the other? Sorry for being so long-winded but I didn't know how else to explain this

That’s lil’ bit confusing , but I think your streamer + DAC + Gustard U18 + Master clock should better the CD player for sure … Unless you have really..really expensive CD transport… IMHO, I2S connection is the best, but you will need really short / good I2S cable… I think , the AV play I2S should be fine, but check the pinout on U18/DAC... I had some weird mismatch between my DAC and U18 until I figured out the best setting on both … Was your AV play made for Gustard --> Gustard pinout ? As far as I remember , they have like 4 different “plans” to choose from…

 

[MartinWT]

Was the U18 set to EXT CLK so that it passes the clock through I2S to the DAC?

It could be that the A22 doesn't respond as well to I2S input, but I can tell you that the X26 Pro is considerably superior on I2S compared with AES.

 

[milkdudd]

Thanks for responding guys. It's way late in my time zone but I'm doing one more experiment and listening to it as I post this and getting very positive results. Tomorrow I'll chime in with some more findings. Thanks again