mscaler dramatically improves h2 in every way. i use to run them as i moved up the chain. mh2 beats solo tt2 imho. there are photos if you go back to 2018.
Hugo M Scaler by Chord Electronics - The Official Thread
- Thread starter ChordElectronics
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Reactcore
Headphoneus Supremus
I felt the same adding it to Qutest in the past..
The step up from stock is massive, H2 has the same code and tapcount
@musickid and @Reactcore I think the difference between M Scaled TT2 and M Scaled Hugo 2/Qutest is based on a difference between those dacs. In case of TT2 the difference sometimes can be hard to hear - some people even do not hear it - while it is a lot easier to spot it with H2 and Qutest. At least this is my experience.
There are many links in the chain, one of them can become the weak link bottleneck.
Stock Meze cables compared to upgraded ones, that for example is enough to be such a weak link. Netfilters, interconnects, SMPS's, streamer/streaming quality... one weak link obscures the strengths of all the other stronger links or efforts done to those. It's the hunt to the weakest link that pays of most.
Stock Meze cables compared to upgraded ones, that for example is enough to be such a weak link. Netfilters, interconnects, SMPS's, streamer/streaming quality... one weak link obscures the strengths of all the other stronger links or efforts done to those. It's the hunt to the weakest link that pays of most.
Practical example: Streaming mp3's at 320kbps + stock Meze cables on empyrean, then MS is imho of no use. On the contrary I prefer non oversampling actually. MS would be a waste of money, a wrong bet.
Streaming CD quality on upgrade cables, yes now I like what MS brings on the table.
I think to have no other weak links in my audio chain, else it would prolly nullify any difference in the above comparison.
I'm pretty convinced the 2 cables measure the same if done so, turns me into a goldeneared audiofool I know yet care less.
Streaming CD quality on upgrade cables, yes now I like what MS brings on the table.
I think to have no other weak links in my audio chain, else it would prolly nullify any difference in the above comparison.
I'm pretty convinced the 2 cables measure the same if done so, turns me into a goldeneared audiofool I know yet care less.
I believe the key is "native". mp3 is degraded beyond the reconstruct capability of the HMS.
Progisus
Headphoneus Supremus
With the advice of @Rob Watts I have changed the input to the mscaler from bnc to optical. BNC was using usb to src-dx and dual coax while optical is a short usb cable to Douk U2 and supplied optical cable to opt 2 input. (I like blue colour rather than green of opt 1). I believe I have a pretty noise free system with optical ethernet and dual Storm bnc’s. As the Duok was only $60CAD it was worth the try. As changing back and forth quickly is difficult all I can say is they are at least equal with maybe a slightly darker background with optical. I used dual bnc input to allow playback of 16fs PGGB files as optical only goes to 192K. I have a separate streamer (Antipodes EX) that allows this by usb to the TT2 so I am going to use optical for now.
@Progisus, is the short USB cable any cable from the shelf? Thanks!
Progisus
Headphoneus Supremus
Just one from Amazon. I have tested it to 768k 32b so 192k should be no problem. It is about 6” long.
Thanks for the prompt reply! I've been searching for such quality gadget for sometime! And thanks again for the sharing, and Rob too!
Triode User
Member of the Trade: WAVE High Fidelity
Great that you have been able to try both. I compared the optical, usb and bnc outputs from my antipodes k50 connected to the mscaler so no need for any optical converter. As it happens I preferred the usb output taken through a phoenixUSB and then converted to bnc with an src.dx (and by some margin). I tried to like the optical but with extended listening it lost out (I do not favour changing back and forth quickly for reliable final comparison although it is ok to pick up big differences if there are any). The ‘darkness’ of the background was the same with all outputs to my ears.
With your optical Ethernet I assume you convert it back to copper at some point. I found the device that does that to be quite important and some totally negate the advantages of optical by creating their own noise.
Are you getting 192 fine with douk. I get 44-96 on roon fine with qobuz but silence on 192? This with kabeldirekt optical cable which easily does 192.
In my setup the Douk stalls out on 96 when using the optical output. Can't get it higher to work fine.
Using the SPDIF RCA then I can get up to 192 without probs, but also not higher.
This is advertised at Douk:
With micro USB input and TOSLINK optical / coaxial output(can output at the same time), supporting 44.1K-192KHz/16-24 Bit sampling rate and DSD64(DOP), better signal process brings higher sound quality and HiFi listening experience.
So only partly true in my experience, but many toslink dacs don't read optical input higher than 96 anyway, like the Chord Mojo2.
In attachment the Douk - Mojo2 in action at 192kbps, as indicated by the bleu light.
The cable is this one from amazon.
I love that little douk gem to bits!!! For this price a little musical wonder.
My bigger setup enjoys a Singxer SU6 as DDC.
Edit: PS: I use Roon + HQplayer as upsampler --> Douk --> DAC
Using the SPDIF RCA then I can get up to 192 without probs, but also not higher.
This is advertised at Douk:
With micro USB input and TOSLINK optical / coaxial output(can output at the same time), supporting 44.1K-192KHz/16-24 Bit sampling rate and DSD64(DOP), better signal process brings higher sound quality and HiFi listening experience.
So only partly true in my experience, but many toslink dacs don't read optical input higher than 96 anyway, like the Chord Mojo2.
In attachment the Douk - Mojo2 in action at 192kbps, as indicated by the bleu light.
The cable is this one from amazon.
I love that little douk gem to bits!!! For this price a little musical wonder.
My bigger setup enjoys a Singxer SU6 as DDC.
Edit: PS: I use Roon + HQplayer as upsampler --> Douk --> DAC
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So basically your saying there is nothing wrong with my unit the douk only does up to 96 optical out?? Even though they claim 192? many thanks mk
Yep I have the same here about the toslink. I have 2 Douks actually, all the same.
You should get 192 with RCA though.
It's not abnormal to max 96 in toslink:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/24-bit-192khz-via-toslink.956426/#post-16216563
Wikipedia even suggests even 48 here.
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