[Redflamingolingo]

My dealer called back on Friday and said the repair center determined that the issue with my TT2 was PSU related. Will have it back sometime this week and I will see. I hope the issue is fixed.

This 6 week wait has sucked, but it at least allowed me to rediscover the H2.

Sounds like faulty PSUs for TT2 are making their way to M Scalers, too. The PSU for each looks identical. I'm wondering if they are.

 

[Gadget67]

Sounds like faulty PSUs for TT2 are making their way to M Scalers, too. The PSU for each looks identical. I'm wondering if they are.

They are interchangeable, I believe...I think @ra990 has swapped them around.

 

[JM1979]

It sure does! Bingo!

Swapping new unit's power supply into the used M Scaler gives the weird sound qualities again. So it must be a faulty power supply with the new unit. Nice.

You all are the best. Thanks for putting up with my rants over the M Scaler the last several days.

It would have been a shame for you to have all those Chord DACs laying around and not have gotten to hear them properly with a mScaler.

 

[ra990]

Try this! https://www.amazon.com/Portable-RAVPower-70200mAh-Generator-Emergency/dp/B085PYYX2B

DC out works perfectly with MS and TT2.

 

[Bergeon20]

Redflamingolingo, here’s a link to the exact model that you’d need for your M scaler. But there are other, and some say better, options for audiophile quality linear power supply’s. https://upscaleaudio.com/products/sbooster-botw-p-p-mkii-power-supply?variant=22207470436412

For SBooster users, do you have the Ultra add-on for use with the MScaler and TT2?

 

[The Jester]

Finally! Also this does not bode well for Chord. A lot of the TT2 issues lately are because of the included power supply and now this... glad I'm running both on batteries.

If you could help,
what size/capacity batteries are you using and what’s the run time you get out of the TT2 and MScaler,
Thinking of running a parallel pair so I can run off one while charging the other, a couple of switches and relays could handle the changeover without disturbing the 12v output ...
any Noticeable improvements apart from cutting any RFI circuit ?
been doing some more thinking on this one, especially after following some links to mega $$ linear PSU’s,
checked on Rob Watts blog and the MScaler uses around 1A @ 12V and very little when it goes into power saving mode, up to 18 A/H SLA batteries are cheap enough but shouldn’t be run down below 60% for the best lifespan, given that a runtime target of 8 hours would be reasonable but would require manual switching, more elegant would be a pair of DPDT relays with a storage Cap on the output to keep the voltage stable at the switching point, next bit is more involved and would require electronic voltage monitoring to trigger the relays when the battery in use drops below a certain voltage, once that’s solved it would automatically switch the output to one battery and the charger to the other, using two relays, one for positive and one for earth would isolate the battery in use from the one on charge ...
if I can get that far in the design phase then pop it in a pretty case, put a badge on the front “No noise audiophile power supply” and charge mega $$ for it ... Lol

 

[bpcans]

For SBooster users, do you have the Ultra add-on for use with the MScaler and TT2?

Bergeon20, the Sbooster Ultra add-on is not compatible with the Chord HMS and TT2. Here is the Sbooster compatibility chart. https://www.sbooster.com/images/bestanduploaden/Compatibility list BOTW P&P ECO.pdf

 

[Bard Rich]

This might look a bit extreme, but I decided to use 4 IsoAcoustic Orea Series Graphite Audio Equipment Isolators between my HMS and TT2 to let the two units have more room for heat dissipation. It’s just a short term fix until my SolidSteel Hi-Fi Rack arrives this week, then I’ll be able to properly separate all of my components. Both the HMS and TT2 give off a noticeable amount of heat while turned on, and together they’re worth more then the truck I drive everyday.

8pcs isoAcoustic Orea Graphite?

 

[bpcans]

8pcs isoAcoustic Orea Graphite?

Yep Bard Rich, 4 on the bottom and 4 in between. I’m going to pick up my hi-fi rack today, so they’ll all get spaced out on the shelves.

 

[118900]

Yep Bard Rich, 4 on the bottom and 4 in between. I’m going to pick up my hi-fi rack today, so they’ll all get spaced out on the shelves.

Consider that the ones at the bottom will have to bear the weight of both components

 

[x RELIC x]

OK. The M Scaler is going back. It robs from the DAVE in my set up. I'm not crazy. After hours of listening, it is SO clear that the M Scaler upscales the sound in a plastic way for me. Susvara hears it and doesn't let it get away with it. I don't know.

If I were running TT2 and powering Susvara with internal amp, maybe that would be fine with M Scaler. But with my setup, the M Scaler robs the sound when paired with DAVE and even the TT2.

Sinnerman is the revealing track that makes all the truth bold and known for me. Nina's vocals. The harsh claps. The drums. The bass. The piano. The vocals are most noticeably sacrificed. It doesn't hit and pierce like it should. M Scaler veils it. Makes the track sound like it is wrapped in plastic wrap.

DAVE KILLS IT. Solo. And makes the track shine in a way I've never heard before.

It actually makes all tracks shine, and the negative effects of the M Scaler aren't always heard, and there are benefits for sure on low res tracks. But those are marginal most of the time. I don't think this is worth it and will be selling one if anyone wants to buy.

I realize this post is a few days old but I‘ve been enjoying your testing. One thing you may consider is that you’ve never been bypassing the internal ‘amp’ of the TT2, or any Chord DAC for that matter including DAVE. Rob designs his gear differently from conventional DAC/amps so you could consider the headphone, RCA, or XLR outputs on the TT2 to be the same as the analogue output of other conventional DACs before they get to their amp section. All the outputs are all connected internally.

In other words, DAC mode is nothing more than a fixed digital volume output and no hardware is bypassed in DAC mode. Rob can get away with this because of his Pulse Array DAC design.

As for the DAVE, I’ve owned one for some time and your comparisons to the TT2 have been helpful for me to read given that I’ve always been curious to hear the TT2! Still want the Mscaler though!

 

[Redflamingolingo]

I realize this post is a few days old but I‘ve been enjoying your testing. One thing you may consider is that you’ve never been bypassing the internal ‘amp’ of the TT2, or any Chord DAC for that matter including DAVE. Rob designs his gear differently from conventional DAC/amps so you could consider the headphone, RCA, or XLR outputs on the TT2 to be the same as the analogue output of other conventional DACs before they get to their amp section. All the outputs are all connected internally.

In other words, DAC mode is nothing more than a fixed digital volume output and no hardware is bypassed in DAC mode. Rob can get away with this because of his Pulse Array DAC design.

As for the DAVE, I’ve owned one for some time and your comparisons to the TT2 have been helpful for me to read given that I’ve always been curious to hear the TT2! Still want the Mscaler though!

The M Scaler is truly amazing. My new unit has a faulty power supply.

I received a used unit, and it is incredible.

 

[Icenine2]

What?

 

[The Jester]

No difference after running the new PSU overnight ?

 

[bpcans]

The M Scaler is truly amazing. My new unit has a faulty power supply.

A received a used unit, and it is incredible.

Redflamingolingo, I’m so happy that the time you’ve spent figuring things out has been fruitful. Thanks for putting in the long hours because I’ve enjoyed following your journey. Now you’ll need to get yourself some really good BNC cables. And I can’t begin to tell you how much better the M Scaler sounds when connected to a good linear power supply either.