[TheAttorney]

This cable debacle is the reason I sold my mscaler. It seemed mandatory that to achieve the implied sonic performance promised that up to half of the purchase price of the mscaler would be required for after market cables.

You can't escape that easily . Cables also affect every non-Chord component I've ever tried. You can choose to ignore it, but "cable debacles" are always there whether you like it or not. We just happen to be talking a lot about them on this thread.

True probably not worth bothering w/ an LPS on the M but DAVE is responsive to power cables from my experience.

Well, I agree with your second point. But if you've ever tried a top quality LPS on an HMS then you wouldn't have made your first point. Even the DC cable after the LPS can make a considerable difference, which is one area that could further improve even @Triode User's no-expense-spared DC4.

 

[Triode User]

True probably not worth bothering w/ an LPS on the M but DAVE is responsive to power cables from my experience.

Well, I agree with your second point. But if you've ever tried a top quality LPS on an HMS then you wouldn't have made your first point. Even the DC cable after the LPS can make a considerable difference, which is one area that could further improve even @Triode User's no-expense-spared DC4.

@TheAttorney I have sidestepped the issue of power cables to the Dave by replacing the Dave internal power supply with a 'no-expense-spared DC4' similar to the one I use with the Mscaler. Do you have any suggestions for DC cables? I am using a Gotham Cables 11301 at the moment.

 

[naynay]

This cable debacle is the reason I sold my mscaler. It seemed mandatory that to achieve the implied sonic performance promised that up to half of the purchase price of the mscaler would be required for after market cables.

Not if you make your own using top BNC connectors and shielded pure silver cable with a high % silver solder i think 9.5% currently available pretty easy to do at not much cost if you shop around for parts.

 

[TheAttorney]

@TheAttorney Do you have any suggestions for DC cables? I am using a Gotham Cables 11301 at the moment.

In a few weeks, I'm aiming to publish the results of a variety of tweaks I've been trying, so I won't steal my own thunder at this point.
In the meantime, I'll later PM you with the DC cable details. It's a DIY-only job, but somehow I have this feeling that you're no stranger to making your own cables .
And I expect you to be very impressed by what it can achieve.

In return, maybe you could PM me the details of reworking DAVE to accept an external DC power supply.
I'm not necessarily going to immediately rush to invalidate whatever's left of my warranty, but I'm very curious anyway.

 

[Triode User]

In a few weeks, I'm aiming to publish the results of a variety of tweaks I've been trying, so I won't steal my own thunder at this point.
In the meantime, I'll later PM you with the DC cable details. It's a DIY-only job, but somehow I have this feeling that you're no stranger to making your own cables .
And I expect you to be very impressed by what it can achieve.

In return, maybe you could PM me the details of reworking DAVE to accept an external DC power supply.
I'm not necessarily going to immediately rush to invalidate whatever's left of my warranty, but I'm very curious anyway.

Its a deal. PM on its way.

 

[koven]

Well, I agree with your second point. But if you've ever tried a top quality LPS on an HMS then you wouldn't have made your first point. Even the DC cable after the LPS can make a considerable difference, which is one area that could further improve even @Triode User's no-expense-spared DC4.

You're right I have not since Rob advised against and was afraid to void warranty. I can believe it though, LPS is almost always better than SMPS, I've certainly benefited on other devices from an aftermarket LPS.

 

[naynay]

My Blue Jeans Cable BNC’s were under $40 for the pair and I’m quite happy with them.

Crimp BNC Connectors?

 

[TheAttorney]

LPS is almost always better than SMPS, I've certainly benefited on other devices from an aftermarket LPS.

I'm not against SMPS per se - They can be smaller, lighter and more effcient. A good SMPS can be better than some LPS. And I'm sure the Chord ones have been expertly and carefully designed to minimise the usual downsides of SMPS technology. But there are so many variables here, that I let my ear decide what sounds better - irrespective of cost or technology.

I remember getting the first super-cap based power supply by Uptone (the super caps kept charged by a simple, but carefully chosen SMPS). In theory, this should be the perfect power supply: a sort of nerver-connected-to-the-mains battery that never runs out. And it was indeed very good and slightly better than my carefully chosen LPS of around the price. But then later I got the Paul Hynes SR7, and this hulking giant LPS trounced both of them, despite only needing to drive a tiny, low power digital component.

 

[Mediahound]

Crimp BNC Connectors?

Probably. And they have the best technology for that;

 

[STR-1]

I can’t vouch for how good any of these performances are, but here’s an opportunity to download some free albums from Qobuz https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/search?s=art_dis&q=qobuz-music-gifts&i=boutique

 

[karmapolice]

Hi,

Is there a reason the M Scaler is designed to upscale 44.1khz and does not upscale 96khz?

Perhaps its does and I am just asking a stupid question but was looking to run my dvd audio discs thru my oppo universal player and was interested in upscaling thru the M Scaler.

Sorry for the newbie question......

 

[Triode User]

Hi,
Is there a reason the M Scaler is designed to upscale 44.1khz and does not upscale 96khz?
Perhaps its does and I am just asking a stupid question but was looking to run my dvd audio discs thru my oppo universal player and was interested in upscaling thru the M Scaler.
Sorry for the newbie question......

The MScaler upscales 96k and indeed 192k and sounds great with those feeds.

 

[Amberlamps]

The MScaler upscales 96k and indeed 192k and sounds great with those feeds.

Yup, indeed it does.

I was using my mscaler the other day and it took the 48khz incoming video signal and upscaled it to 768khz, and I heard stuff from the shields opening theme tune that I have never heard before.

No schiit, I could hear some background instruments/sounds that were truly missing before, due to the loud thumping in yo face bass.

But I'm starting to understand what all the mscaler does, and the shield was an excellent example of it, not just with the theme tune, but the programme as a whole, with headphones on, it really did sound like 3d audio.

I'm easily confused these days, so nobody take what I say seriously, as what I heard could of just been tinnitus.

 

[ZappaMan]

Yup, indeed it does.

I was using my mscaler the other day and it took the 48khz incoming video signal and upscaled it to 768khz, and I heard stuff from the shields opening theme tune that I have never heard before.

No schiit, I could hear some background instruments/sounds that were truly missing before, due to the loud thumping in yo face bass.

But I'm starting to understand what all the mscaler does, and the shield was an excellent example of it, not just with the theme tune, but the programme as a whole, with headphones on, it really did sound like 3d audio.

I'm easily confused these days, so nobody take what I say seriously, as what I heard could of just been tinnitus.

I'm using GentooPlayer (free linux OS) specifically for music playback, only 8 processes running on it, mental. But its doing a great job in improving the 'server'\source side of things. I'm now consistently hearing tons of atmospheric detail, lots of reverb etc. I recommend GentooPlayer to anyone who can flash a usb drive and has an evening or two to spare.
But maybe our experiences are somewhat similar.

 

[hypnos1]

Having only recently discovered the extremely impressive performance of the TT2, the next logical (?!) step was to hammer the wallet once more and go for an m-scaler...(courtesy also of the current virus situation misery lol).

Anyway, being slightly concerned by the number of folks stating the almost obligatory need to have top grade digital cables, which can indeed be silly money, I myself feel much happier knowing one can make one's own fairly easily for not a lot of money. And having found superb results first for connecting my Naim UnitiCore to Hugo2, and now to the TT2, I shall of course be repeating for the 2x BNCs of m-scaler.

Although unconventional for a 75 Ohm requirement, I and a very exacting fellow DIY head-fier friend (with far better hearing than myself!) progressed from using Neotech UP-OCC silver and copper wires for interconnects/headphone cables/power cables, to applying same to digital cable. And much to both our surprise, it easily surpassed my previous use of 1.3mm solid 'ordinary' pure, soft annealed silver in place of a coax cable's copper.

But this time, instead of conventional coax cable as the carrier, I used (modified) cat 7 Ethernet cable! By removing its 4x twisted pairs from their foil shielding, one can replace with the already teflon coated Neotech cables. I personally used 2x silver and 2x copper, but a lower AWG in just one pair would probably be just as good. And I also - hating connectors with a vengeance - dispense with the plugs' pins and fashion the wires so as to act as the pins and make direct metal-to-metal contact in the socket...far more preferable IMHO!

Given the much higher frequency transmission capability of such cable, it was a pleasant surprise to discover just how well it aided performance, despite perhaps not quite being the exact SPDIF impedance requirement. No doubt the additional (thick) foil shielding around each conductor, as well as the outer braid help no end in interference suppression.

And so perhaps fellow DIY cablers (and would-be ones) might want to give this method some thought...especially as it's a relatively easy procedure, and one that I'm sure can result in a cable to rival (or exceed!) commercial ones at many times the price...

A photo of the blank cable I used first, but for the m-scaler will use cat 8 cable out of interest :



ps. The twisted pairs are easily pulled out with pliers, and then try not to pinch the cable, so avoiding compressing the foil conduits too much....GOOD LUCK!