[audio_1]

Yesterday I was listening to my setup, it's summer and the temp is nice and warm. A few hours into my tunes I pick up tt2's remote to add some xphd, pushed the button and Mscaler changed from usb to optical ?

I thought that I must be sitting on mscalers remote, nope, it was beside me and upside down and facing the wrong direction. I upturned the remote, just to make sure no buttons were being pushed, all good. I then use TT2's remote to see if that was the cause, I pushed xphd and yet again mscaler changed from usb to optical out, the green one, cant recall if thats opt 1 or 2.

I reset mscaler back to usb and I tried it for a third time, pushing and holding xphd on tt 2's remote and yet again it went from usb to opt on mscaler.

By this time I was What! so I reset mscaler back to usb and tried it again, nothing, just a change of xphd on tt2, which is the correct action.

I tried again and again and nothing untoward happened, now this wasn't a fluke, it happened 3 times one after the other and only when i pushed and held the xphd button on the remote.

It stopped doing it, I went and touched mscaler and tt2 to see if it was heat related, both were hot, the hottest that I've ever known them to be, I didnt get a proper temp as my temp gun was downstairs and my lazy powers were too strong and won the "will I go get my temp gun" debate. But suffice to say that they were hot. Not damaging hot, it was probably still within it's heat threshold by a good margin, or it would of shut down.

It's never happened before, so I will put it down to being hot, maybe it's a good idea if I unstack them ?

I'm not moaning about it, as if anything, it was just a glitch, and I have used my setup probably more than anyone else with the same setup, as i listen to it everyday for hours now that Jeremy Kyle has been banned from TV

Steve Steve Steve Steve Steve!

Unstack them and mount them on feet to allow airflow around them. I have my Dave and Blu 2 mounted on Finite Elemente Ceraballs. The Blu 2 operates at about 36°C and the Dave at about 31°C.

 

[rkt31]

Cd quality when upscaled to 24bit and 16x becomes 24times the data which every cd will be in the range of 14 to 15gb wav file. Even if someone convert it to FLAC it will still be 10 GB . So a one TB drive will store only 100cds or so. M scaler is totally worth it's price. If any pc upscaling was even slightest close to m scaler capability, it would have been already popular. M scaler is not just any upscaling algorithm, it's only one of it's kind which takes so many things into account and it took many years of research to reach here. Kudos to mr rob watts. Once you listen it, there is no going back to anything you have listened. Imho if someone doesn't want to spend on tt2 or Dave, m scaler with qutest into a good integrated amp is the end game for money which beats many much more many times expensive high end set ups.

 

[dac64]

Difficult question to answer objectively. Some people hear no meaningful difference with ferrites on the BNC cables, others (like me) hear a very impactful difference. If you don't hear an impactful difference with ferrites on your BNC cables, the OPTO•DX probably isn't going to move the needle for you.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

I replaced the stock PS with poweradd on the Qutest, the differences was small.

However, I replaced the stock BNC cables with https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Amphenol-RF/095-850-187M100?qs=/ha2pyFaduhFZHAl4yy7aIC8biVgqQe229Pm8BfLvivKpDpuqjOnHWzsNn01uhPdJYjUmRS7mDVXCnX8cSbnd5O2BOTwlGh5oHK0WMAhhjY=

The differences was big, instruments sounded more real and concreted. Probably my system is suffering from RFi.

I will try the poweradd again with the new BNC cables, and move the digital gears further away from the analogues.

 

[ray-dude]

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

I replaced the stock PS with poweradd on the Qutest, the differences was small.

However, I replaced the stock BNC cables with https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Amphenol-RF/095-850-187M100?qs=/ha2pyFaduhFZHAl4yy7aIC8biVgqQe229Pm8BfLvivKpDpuqjOnHWzsNn01uhPdJYjUmRS7mDVXCnX8cSbnd5O2BOTwlGh5oHK0WMAhhjY=

The differences was big, instruments sounded more real and concreted. Probably my system is suffering from RFi.

I will try the poweradd again with the new BNC cables, and move the digital gears further away from the analogues.

Remember that there are multiple potential sources of digital noise into your DAC. The PowerAdd battery helps insulate the system from noise from your electrical system, but noise can still get into your DaC from the BNC connections.

If you’re hearing a benefit from different BNC cables, I suspect most of what you’re hearing is filtering out noise generated in the Hugo mScaler itself. To test this, get some of the ferrites I link to in my Blu2 review. If you hear a difference as you add them one at a time, you’re hearing the 2-2.5GHz range being filtered on your BNCs (I ended up with 20ish ferrites on each cable) these are relatively inexpensive experiments to do to se what impact it has for you

Nick’s WAVE cables took this approach to end game (he did an awesome job selecting and tuning the ferrites that have a maximum benefit). Dan took a different approach and is using optical isolation to protect the BNC input to the DAC.

To your note, if you have a WiFi router near your DAC (they typically broadcast at 2.4GHz), moving that away from your DAC should also be audible.

 

[TheAttorney]

For me, if stock BNC cables are a 10, my Ferrited Cable of Shame is 12-13, and the stock OPTO•DX with SMPS is 14-15. A quality power supply on the ODX takes it to 15-16.
Your environment and your equipment and your ears will be sure to be very different than mine. For me, the ODX is the best option available for dual BNC RF hygiene

For me, if stock BNC cables are a 10, my Ferrited/JSSG360 stock cables are 12-13, then the Blaxius^2D cables are 20, in an extremely subjective and unscientific comparison.
Others have raved over other non-ferrited BNC cables (Wireworld Platinum springs to mind). Plenty more at audiobacon.

As always YMMV, but my point is that your review isn't complete until you compare the OPTO-DX against one of those raved-over cables, because I think that a ferrited stock cable is setting the bar too low as a reference point (WAVE would probably be better if you want a ferrite-based comparison, but I have no experience of them).

Apart from that minor quibble, it was a superbly comprehensive and informative review - one of the best I've ever come across

 

[ray-dude]

For me, if stock BNC cables are a 10, my Ferrited/JSSG360 stock cables are 12-13, then the Blaxius^2D cables are 20, in an extremely subjective and unscientific comparison.
Others have raved over other non-ferrited BNC cables (Wireworld Platinum springs to mind). Plenty more at audiobacon.

As always YMMV, but my point is that your review isn't complete until you compare the OPTO-DX against one of those raved-over cables, because I think that a ferrited stock cable is setting the bar too low as a reference point (WAVE would probably be better if you want a ferrite-based comparison, but I have no experience of them).

Apart from that minor quibble, it was a superbly comprehensive and informative review - one of the best I've ever come across

I would love an opportunity to hear the Blaxius^2’s! I’ve heard great things about them from folks whose ears I trust, and I love my Lush^2 USB cable and I've learned a tremendous amount from fiddling with different shielding configurations on USB. If someone near SoCal wants to bring over a set of Blaxius^2 cables, I’ll provide the wine If Peter has a demo set touring around the US, I’d be delighted to spend some time with them.

Alas, I no longer had the WAVE cables in house to do a direct comparison. I needed to go by memory and from notes comparing to my DIY ferrited cable. While I recall the WAVE cable being a smaller step up from my DIY cable, the OPTO DX was a significant step up (esp with better power)

I do agree with your sentiment about the stock cables being too low a baseline, but it is a common baseline. I respect those that do not hear a difference with digital hygiene on BNC cables, but the improvement I hear is material enough that I think everyone should at least have a listen to see if a better solution works for them.

 

[Triode User]

I would love an opportunity to hear the Blaxius^2’s! I’ve heard great things about them from folks whose ears I trust. If someone near SoCal wants to bring over a set, I’ll provide the wine If Peter has a demo set touring around the US, I’d be delighted to spend some time with them.
Alas, I no longer had the WAVE cables in house to do a direct comparison. I needed to go by memory and from notes comparing to my DIY ferrited cable. While I recall the WAVE cable being a smaller step up from my DIY cable, the OPTO DX was a significant step up (esp with better power)
I do agree with your sentiment about the stock cables being too low a baseline, but it is a common baseline. I respect those that do not hear a difference with digital hygiene on BNC cables, but the improvement I hear is material enough that I think everyone should at least have a listen to see if a better solution works for them.

Ray, as you know from our messages, I am fascinated and hugely impressed by your investigations especially bearing in mind all the permutations you have considered so far. I hope you didn't need too many pit stops to replenish your fermented grape juice drinks? Just for clarity, I think you tried the WAVE Stream but the Storm is something of a step beyond with an even darker sound. Keep up the good work.

 

[ray-dude]

Ray, as you know from our messages, I am fascinated and hugely impressed by your investigations especially bearing in mind all the permutations you have considered so far. I hope you didn't need too many pit stops to replenish your fermented grape juice drinks? Just for clarity, I think you tried the WAVE Stream but the Storm is something of a step beyond with an even darker sound. Keep up the good work.

Thank you Nick, yes I was only able to audition the Streams (teach me to post before my morning coffee!)

For the broader group, I have tremendous respect and appreciation for the work and leadership Nick has demonstrated with his WAVE project. From the collective DIY rag-tag beginnings in the early Blu2 days, he systematically went through what had to be an enormous number of configurations, and dialed in what I consider the end game configuration for a filtering-based DX solution (there is no need for additional ferrite experimentation and tweaking...Nick got it right). The build quality and accessibility of the WAVE cables have done a tremendous amount to bring this digital hygiene stuff out of the basement, and expose folks to how much more goodness is available in their digital chains.

Whether folks go down the filtering route (Nick with his WAVE cables) or optical isolation route (Dan with his OPTO•DX stack) or if there is some equivalent magic in the shielding route (Peter with his Blaxius^2 cables), there is nothing but goodness to be had (once you hear it, hard to go back...try them out and see what works best for your ears and your system). We're in a golden age of digital audio, and hearing and experiencing things that folks have not been able to hear and experience before. Amazing amazing stuff, and I'm grateful to be able to experience these magical musical moments in this way.

 

[lcasadonte]

Sounds like my next step is to educate myself on "capture cards". Thanks for your inputs.

I believe the industry leader for cards is lynx and they have software that would work with it. Audacity is the leading freeware and would also probably work. Depending on equipment you may be able to go digital into the card. There are other programs that will split up and name your files based on "cue" files which you would need to create (some software may create te cue file for you). Some software can see the gaps and provided the name of the input do the rest. The biggest issue is going to be the down conversion (assuming dave can output full res which I don't think it will do). It does have dual bnc out. A card like this https://www.lynxstudio.com/products/aes16e/ might work but then cuts you off at 192. There may be other cards. The aurora is their new product. Its still capped at 192. Dante tech would probably work for you as well. Basically you would be starting at 768 and trying to down convert to 192. It may sound better to do analog out of the dave and into the audio interface and record to 192 and see how that works for you. I do a lot with protocol conversions (especially using free software) if you wind up having questions.

 

[kennyb123]

For me, if stock BNC cables are a 10, my Ferrited/JSSG360 stock cables are 12-13, then the Blaxius^2D cables are 20, in an extremely subjective and unscientific comparison.
Others have raved over other non-ferrited BNC cables (Wireworld Platinum springs to mind). Plenty more at audiobacon.

And in my case, the Shunyata Alpha BNC offered a tremendous upgrade over the stock BNC. I don't see that Shunyata is doing any filtering with their S/PDIF cables - and yet I hear nothing that suggests they should be . Their claim is simply that "that the precision with which a digital cable is constructed has a significant impact on its performance". In other words, the benefits come from passing the signal with the least harm done. This leads me to wonder if there's more to it than just blocking RF.

 

[llamaluv]

I have a pair of Neotech NEVD-2001 BNC cables on the way from Take Five Audio (link). I have to confess I'm not always the most discerning when it comes the changes of this kind, but hopefully something positive will come out of it. Will report back with findings if so.

 

[musickid]

Im using the exact same amphenol RF bnc's from Mouser that dac64 has highlighted in his link. It's hard to believe but compared to the stock there is a clear step forward. My music is sharper, more controlled and as a result more engaging.

 

[Triode User]

And in my case, the Shunyata Alpha BNC offered a tremendous upgrade over the stock BNC. I don't see that Shunyata is doing any filtering with their S/PDIF cables - and yet I hear nothing that suggests they should be . Their claim is simply that "that the precision with which a digital cable is constructed has a significant impact on its performance". In other words, the benefits come from passing the signal with the least harm done. This leads me to wonder if there's more to it than just blocking RF.

If you ever get to hear dual BNC cables that block RF or an optical system on the dual BNC that does the same then your ears will probably tell you that RF is the big deal compared to everything else in the transmission of the digital signal between the Mscaler and the DAC. For cables, ferrites are an easy way to filter RF or the optical system is another way. If a cables doesn’t claim to filter RF then it probably won’t because I’m sure they would want to advertise that feature.

Im using the exact same amphenol RF bnc's from Mouser that Ray has highlighted in his link. It's hard to believe but compared to the stock there is a clear step forward. My music is sharper, more controlled and as a result more engaging.

A mention of 'sharper' music is a warning bell to the presence of RF noise. Just as an aside and worth thinking about is that traditionally 75 ohm cables are designed to transmit RF frequencies with the least possible RF loss. That is their job. They are normally used over longer distances and traditionally better for these cables means they have the highest RF transmission because that is what they are designed to do. Just look at their specs, they often quote RF loss over a length of 100ft and the best available cables lose only about 1.5dB at 2.4GHz over that length. With the Mscaler we are only dealing with maybe 1m or 2m length cables and so transmission loss is not an issue for any competent cable in order for it to transmit the digital signal. Indeed in a perverse way we need to replicate what would normally be thought of as a very poor performing cable with very poor RF transmission! This is the price we pay for having mobile phones, routers and LED lights etc in our homes!

 

[seeteeyou]

Yet another option:

https://www.headphoneauditions.nl/product/s-i-n-audio-bnc-goliath/
https://www.facebook.com/HeadphoneAuditions.nl/posts/428360747945235
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1576008759358483/permalink/2066782523614435/

You will not believe the effect of those! I also didn't, but it really is at least comparable to the effect of adding the Mscaler to the DAVE in my humble opinion and everybody I demo'ed it to.

 

[apmusson]

Heads up. After @ray-dude published his latest write up (great BTW) I decided to experiment with RFI filtering AC multiplugs.

I had Tacima Power Conditioning multiplug (£29 on Amazon) into which I plug in my Mscaler (original SMPS), Hugo 2 (Sbooster BOTW 5v powered) and my Roon Endpoint (SMPS, NUC & Audiolinux). My thinking was that the RFI multiplug would filter RFI in my mains and each device would be getting low interference RFI power. I no longer think that is wholly correct. Moving the NUC SMPS to a different unfiltered mains socket seemed to improve (relax, darken) the sound making me think that the multiplug just provides a barrier at the front door socket and not separately between each socket on the multiplug...

After doing some research on the Tacima RFI multiplug I saw comments that it had allowed other purchasers to drastically improve their powerline speeds by removing interference from their mains supply. With this in mind I purchased a couple more of the RFI filtering multiplugs and they arrived this morning. I put one in front of my TV / Xbox / sat receiver, router, AV amp (+ others) and another upstairs in front of my PC, LCD screen, External HD, External CD drive and speakers. Total cost £59.00.

Initial thoughts (Heads Up - anything else requires much longer listening) - immediate improvement (darker, silent background, better transients). Could be the turn it off, turn it on factor. Could be placebo effect. But without changing the HIFI end of my kit and just filtering (cheaply) out the most likely RFI inducing candidates from my AC there is a noticeable sound change (improvement IMO). I'll live with it for a while.

Ade