[LarsMan]

Hmm,?? This recurring talk about "blacker background", is something that surprises me a bit.

The only improvement I personally want is more resolution and transparency and a notably LOWER noise floor.
Simply less digital hiss intruding.

A black background reminds me too much of low res digital no man´s land.

A well made recording of acoustic music should imo,ideally reveal and make the acoustics of the venue more audible and better defined.
A real music performance or recording venue is NEVER "black" or completely silent.
There is ALWAYS some venue ambience, air and space, audible in a real acoustic enviroment like a concert hall.

Ok, in the Amplified instruments genres where performers often do not hear each other playing, more than via headphones, we can talk about black backgrund ,dead acoustic.
But to me ,it is not desirable!
If by "blacker background" you actually mean LOWER noise floor I get it.

My own most recent experiences of notably lower noise floor than even via Mscaler are the few testfiles of large scale symphonic music PPGB´d I have so far.
With those apart from an increase in resolution of low level detail I can also hear more of the acoustic footprint of the venue.
And the diffence is audible to me via USB direct from my humble Qutest both via headphones and speakers.
Cheers CC

You're listening to the ambience, air, and space that the producer wants you to hear. The best reproduction you can get cannot exceed what the producer/mixer/masterer puts on there to begin with. Plus, any venue can have infinite ways to hear music, depending on where you are listening from. If I'm halfway back, I'm hearing something different from you if you're in the front row. Same goes for mic'ing. So there is no objective sound of an acoustic instrument in a venue.

 

[lumdicks]

So I just received the mScaler and upon connecting it I'm having a few issues.

PC > mScaler > Silver Dragon BNC > Hugo TT2 > Woo Audio WA33 > Susvara

The output on the Hugo TT2 keeps changing between 176 and 192 during a song. Each time it changes the sound drops. This happens about once every 10 seconds. Also, there is quite a lot of static in in the sound now. And even if those things weren't happening, the sound is very flat - it sounds worse than before the purchase of the mScaler.

Any advice?

mScaler lights are Input white and OP SR white.

Thanks for any help. This has been a very frustrating setup so far.

Most likely the BNC connection issue. Did you try using the stock BNC? Besides, are you connecting your TT2 and M Scaler via DBNC?

 

[krt230]

Lots of questions to pin this down. PC - windows? OSX? Other? Playback software? Tried the stock cables with the same result?

first take is the cables aren’t attached correctly. When playing back what color is the DX OP light?

PC / windows playing Audirvana (tried with Qobuz as well). Same result with stock cables. DX OP is red.

 

[genefruit]

PC / windows playing Audirvana (tried with Qobuz as well). Same result with stock cables. DX OP is red.

Make sure HMS output bnc1 is going to input bnc1 on the TT2. If they’re flipped, I think it causes this issue. Cycle through the OP SR settings as well and see if the condition changes on the TT2

 

[krt230]

Most likely the BNC connection issue. Did you try using the stock BNC? Besides, are you connecting your TT2 and M Scaler via DBNC?

I did try the stock, had the same issue. I'm connecting using DBNC Dragon Silver.

 

[lumdicks]

I did try the stock, had the same issue. I'm connecting using DBNC Dragon Silver.

Make sure that you are correctly connecting the BNC 1 and BNC 2 of your TT2 to the respective BNCs of M Scaler. M Scaler has 3 BNCs out in total and I have encountered similar issue with incorrect wiring.

 

[krt230]

Make sure that you are correctly connecting the BNC 1 and BNC 2 of your TT2 to the respective BNCs of M Scaler. M Scaler has 3 BNCs out in total and I have encountered similar issue with incorrect wiring.

Confirmed correct setup. Tried optical too. Still static.

Also, the TT2 says it's only scaling up to 176.4 - is this correct? I thought it would scale to 768 using DBNC. Appreciate all the help!

 

[lumdicks]

Confirmed correct setup. Tried optical too. Still static.

Also, the TT2 says it's only scaling up to 176.4 - is this correct? I thought it would scale to 768 using DBNC. Appreciate all the help!

Did TT2 show a connection with DBNC or BNC1?

 

[krt230]

Did TT2 show a connection with DBNC or BNC1?

DBNC

 

[Icenine2]

So I just received the mScaler and upon connecting it I'm having a few issues.

PC > mScaler > Silver Dragon BNC > Hugo TT2 > Woo Audio WA33 > Susvara

The output on the Hugo TT2 keeps changing between 176 and 192 during a song. Each time it changes the sound drops. This happens about once every 10 seconds. Also, there is quite a lot of static in in the sound now. And even if those things weren't happening, the sound is very flat - it sounds worse than before the purchase of the mScaler.

Any advice?

mScaler lights are Input white and OP SR white.

Thanks for any help. This has been a very frustrating setup so far.

Change the input to Pink which is auto. Just to check. Also shut down and turn on again checking for Gremlins. What are you using for playback software? Are the settings the same as when you just used Hugo TT2? Last make sure your Driver is up to date.

 

[Icenine2]

Like Genefruit said. Make sure your BNC is on correctly. Those are really a tight fit when on correctly

 

[Icenine2]

Power cables are in all the way?

 

[Jawed]

DBNC

The final thing to try before sending something back as faulty:

1. disconnect both BNC cables from M Scaler
2. disconnect one BNC cable from TT2
3. connect the remaining TT2 BNC cable to the "single output" socket on M Scaler - this is the socket next to the pair of DBNC connections
4. set the "video" button to "off"
5. make sure the "input" button is either white for USB or pink for auto
6. make sure the "OP SR" button is set to red
7. play a CD rip from your PC (44.1KHz)
8. make sure TT2 input selection is set for the BNC connection you used on the back of TT2
9. tell us what result you got at step 8
10. move the BNC cable from one input of the TT2 to the other BNC input on TT2
11. make sure TT2 input selection is set for the new BNC connection on the back of TT2
12. tell us what result you got at step 11
13. disconnect the BNC cable from both M Scaler and TT2
14. use the other BNC cable to make the connection between M Scaler and TT2, using the same socket on both M Scaler and TT2 as in step 11
15. tell us the result of step 14
16. move the BNC cable from the current input on TT2 to the other input on TT2
17. make sure the TT2 input selection is set for the newly made connection on the back of TT2
18. tell us the result of step 17
19. disconnect the BNC cable from both M Scaler and TT2 (you must do this!)
20. connect the M Scaler and TT2 using an optical cable, making sure that the cable firmly clicks into position on both units
21. set TT2 input for the optical connection that you've used
22. tell us the result of step 21
23. move the optical cable to the other M Scaler output and to the other TT2 input and set TT2 to this input
24. tell us the result of step 23
25. if your PC has an optical output, use the optical connection from PC to M Scaler. Ideally you have 2 optical cables to perform this step, otherwise use a single BNC cable to connect M Scaler and TT2
26. tell us the result of step 25
27. if your PC has an optical output, use the optical connection from PC to TT2 and set TT2 for the optical input for PC. Make sure there are no BNC cables connected to TT2
28. tell us the result of step 27

There's lots of tests here and none of these tests involve up-scaling the audio sample rate. We need to know whether your system is able to "pass through" CD quality from your PC to TT2 via M Scaler. If all of these tests (except for 28) fail, then the problem is with M Scaler. Test 28 should not fail!

It seems very likely that the M Scaler is faulty, but if any of these test results (excluding 28) are "works OK" then there could be a setup problem relating to power connections or the placement of M Scaler. If you provide us with all of the test results it will make the nature of your problem clearer for us to understand.

The other thing I've done with these tests is to attempt to prove that the fault is not within TT2. Since there are two BNC inputs and two optical inputs on TT2, I've provided many tests to potentially identify a problem with a TT2 input (any of BNC or optical could be faulty). I'm guessing you have only ever used USB and because M Scaler doesn't have a USB output there is still a question mark over the four inputs on TT2 that you've never used before.

[EDIT: fixed step 24 - in case anyone else tries to use these steps]

 

[krt230]

The final thing to try before sending something back as faulty:

1. disconnect both BNC cables from M Scaler
2. disconnect one BNC cable from TT2
3. connect the remaining TT2 BNC cable to the "single output" socket on M Scaler - this is the socket next to the pair of DBNC connections
4. set the "video" button to "off"
5. make sure the "input" button is either white for USB or pink for auto
6. make sure the "OP SR" button is set to red
7. play a CD rip from your PC (44.1KHz)
8. make sure TT2 input selection is set for the BNC connection you used on the back of TT2
9. tell us what result you got at step 8
10. move the BNC cable from one input of the TT2 to the other BNC input on TT2
11. make sure TT2 input selection is set for the new BNC connection on the back of TT2
12. tell us what result you got at step 11
13. disconnect the BNC cable from both M Scaler and TT2
14. use the other BNC cable to make the connection between M Scaler and TT2, using the same socket on both M Scaler and TT2 as in step 11
15. tell us the result of step 14
16. move the BNC cable from the current input on TT2 to the other input on TT2
17. make sure the TT2 input selection is set for the newly made connection on the back of TT2
18. tell us the result of step 17
19. disconnect the BNC cable from both M Scaler and TT2 (you must do this!)
20. connect the M Scaler and TT2 using an optical cable, making sure that the cable firmly clicks into position on both units
21. set TT2 input for the optical connection that you've used
22. tell us the result of step 21
23. move the optical cable to the other M Scaler output and to the other TT2 input and set TT2 to this input
24. tell us the result of step 22
25. if your PC has an optical output, use the optical connection from PC to M Scaler. Ideally you have 2 optical cables to perform this step, otherwise use a single BNC cable to connect M Scaler and TT2
26. tell us the result of step 25
27. if your PC has an optical output, use the optical connection from PC to TT2 and set TT2 for the optical input for PC. Make sure there are no BNC cables connected to TT2
28. tell us the result of step 27

There's lots of tests here and none of these tests involve up-scaling the audio sample rate. We need to know whether your system is able to "pass through" CD quality from your PC to TT2 via M Scaler. If all of these tests (except for 28) fail, then the problem is with M Scaler. Test 28 should not fail!

It seems very likely that the M Scaler is faulty, but if any of these test results (excluding 28) are "works OK" then there could be a setup problem relating to power connections or the placement of M Scaler. If you provide us with all of the test results it will make the nature of your problem clearer for us to understand.

The other thing I've done with these tests is to attempt to prove that the fault is not within TT2. Since there are two BNC inputs and two optical inputs on TT2, I've provided many tests to potentially identify a problem with a TT2 input (any of BNC or optical could be faulty). I'm guessing you have only ever used USB and because M Scaler doesn't have a USB output there is still a question mark over the four inputs on TT2 that you've never used before.

The final thing to try before sending something back as faulty:

1. disconnect both BNC cables from M Scaler
2. disconnect one BNC cable from TT2
3. connect the remaining TT2 BNC cable to the "single output" socket on M Scaler - this is the socket next to the pair of DBNC connections
4. set the "video" button to "off"
5. make sure the "input" button is either white for USB or pink for auto
6. make sure the "OP SR" button is set to red
7. play a CD rip from your PC (44.1KHz)
8. make sure TT2 input selection is set for the BNC connection you used on the back of TT2
9. tell us what result you got at step 8
10. move the BNC cable from one input of the TT2 to the other BNC input on TT2
11. make sure TT2 input selection is set for the new BNC connection on the back of TT2
12. tell us what result you got at step 11
13. disconnect the BNC cable from both M Scaler and TT2
14. use the other BNC cable to make the connection between M Scaler and TT2, using the same socket on both M Scaler and TT2 as in step 11
15. tell us the result of step 14
16. move the BNC cable from the current input on TT2 to the other input on TT2
17. make sure the TT2 input selection is set for the newly made connection on the back of TT2
18. tell us the result of step 17
19. disconnect the BNC cable from both M Scaler and TT2 (you must do this!)
20. connect the M Scaler and TT2 using an optical cable, making sure that the cable firmly clicks into position on both units
21. set TT2 input for the optical connection that you've used
22. tell us the result of step 21
23. move the optical cable to the other M Scaler output and to the other TT2 input and set TT2 to this input
24. tell us the result of step 22
25. if your PC has an optical output, use the optical connection from PC to M Scaler. Ideally you have 2 optical cables to perform this step, otherwise use a single BNC cable to connect M Scaler and TT2
26. tell us the result of step 25
27. if your PC has an optical output, use the optical connection from PC to TT2 and set TT2 for the optical input for PC. Make sure there are no BNC cables connected to TT2
28. tell us the result of step 27

There's lots of tests here and none of these tests involve up-scaling the audio sample rate. We need to know whether your system is able to "pass through" CD quality from your PC to TT2 via M Scaler. If all of these tests (except for 28) fail, then the problem is with M Scaler. Test 28 should not fail!

It seems very likely that the M Scaler is faulty, but if any of these test results (excluding 28) are "works OK" then there could be a setup problem relating to power connections or the placement of M Scaler. If you provide us with all of the test results it will make the nature of your problem clearer for us to understand.

The other thing I've done with these tests is to attempt to prove that the fault is not within TT2. Since there are two BNC inputs and two optical inputs on TT2, I've provided many tests to potentially identify a problem with a TT2 input (any of BNC or optical could be faulty). I'm guessing you have only ever used USB and because M Scaler doesn't have a USB output there is still a question mark over the four inputs on TT2 that you've never used before.

In step 6, when I set OP SR to red the music stops playing. The TT2 displays "x IP" once red is selected. It only plays music when OP SR is set to blue or white.

I hear static in all listening situations as described above.

 

[krt230]

Jawed - thanks for taking the time to write out step by step a diagnosis process. Really amazing.