[jarnopp]

Bixpower arriving tomorrow to try on mscaler. If there is no change it can probably be a backup for a cpap.

Let us know what you think. Yep, can always be used as a portable backup for charging devices.

 

[AussiePaul]

That's exactly what noise floor modulation does - it sharpens things up, giving an etched quality and making it sound brighter. But instrument separation and more importantly focus is degraded.



That's not possible it's not how optical works. Any source PSU noise would induce a tiny amount of extra jitter on the receiver OP - and this will have no bearing on sound quality due to the actions of the DPLL.



Correct.



The issue here is RF noise currents flowing - if you stop current from flowing there is no problem, as it is current flowing into the DAC ground plane that then creates voltage differentials within the ground plane, and that is the mechanism for noise floor modulation to occur in the analogue electronics. For current to flow there must be a loop; in mains powered its mains>PSU>M Scaler>DAC>mains. With battery operation and optical on the M scaler there absolutely is no loop for current to flow - so the problem is completely eliminated.

I am using a galvanicaly

That's exactly what noise floor modulation does - it sharpens things up, giving an etched quality and making it sound brighter. But instrument separation and more importantly focus is degraded.



That's not possible it's not how optical works. Any source PSU noise would induce a tiny amount of extra jitter on the receiver OP - and this will have no bearing on sound quality due to the actions of the DPLL.



Correct.



The issue here is RF noise currents flowing - if you stop current from flowing there is no problem, as it is current flowing into the DAC ground plane that then creates voltage differentials within the ground plane, and that is the mechanism for noise floor modulation to occur in the analogue electronics. For current to flow there must be a loop; in mains powered its mains>PSU>M Scaler>DAC>mains. With battery operation and optical on the M scaler there absolutely is no loop for current to flow - so the problem is completely eliminated.

I am using a streamer with galvanic isolation connected to my MScaler via BNC. I am proposing to use a 12V battery to power the MScaler and a LPS to power my TT2. Will I have succeeded in reducing RF current flow into the TT2 so that no further RF reducing strategies are necessary?

 

[SteveHulk]

I am using a galvanicaly

I am using a streamer with galvanic isolation connected to my MScaler via BNC. I am proposing to use a 12V battery to power the MScaler and a LPS to power my TT2. Will I have succeeded in reducing RF current flow into the TT2 so that no further RF reducing strategies are necessary?

A critical path for rf noise to travel between the mscaler and the tt2 is via the audio ground connection in the bnc cables connecting the two.

So, unfortunately, no.

It is necessary additionally either to treat the bnc cables with ferrites which hugely increase the high-frequency impedance of the cables thus shutting down the rf transmission, or implement an optical link between the mscaler and tt2 as done by eg @Reactcore

 

[walterboss]

Given what I heard from the May I think I know why

Could you elaborate on this, please? Haven't heard any dissenting opinion on May...at all really! Interested to hear.

 

[Rob Watts]

I am using a galvanicaly

I am using a streamer with galvanic isolation connected to my MScaler via BNC. I am proposing to use a 12V battery to power the MScaler and a LPS to power my TT2. Will I have succeeded in reducing RF current flow into the TT2 so that no further RF reducing strategies are necessary?

I can't be sure about that as galvanic isolation is not perfect as there is a capacitance across the isolation. This capacitance means that at GHz frequencies you have no isolation, and current can flow from the source>Hugo M scaler>TT2>mains> and back to the source. If you use optical from the source, then there is no link at all, so RF current can't flow into TT2's ground plane.

Using LPS on TT2 would be a downgrade - it will superficially sound better with an impression of transparency - the sound will become more etched and sharper - this is due to LPS having no RF mains filters at all. The supplied PSU is fitted with several RF filters. On my listening tests when disconnecting the PSU on TT2 - it will last for 10 seconds - I could hear no change in sound quality at all.

My recommendation would be to try another isolated battery on TT2, and see if there is a change in sound quality. If there isn't then anything you do to the TT2 PSU will definitely be a downgrade.

 

[Triode User]

Can you elaborate on why you sold the Holo May and then went with the DAVE? Given what I heard from the May I think I know why, but would love to hear your impressions.

I compared the Holo May to a Qutest, a TT2 and a Dave. As an example of what I heard and why I sold the Holo May, when I played Mars from Holsts Planets Suite with the Chord DACs I could hear all the individual instruments in the Crescendo parts and also delight in the shear scale of the music. With the Holo May in those parts of the music it just became a ‘wall of sound’ with everything smeared together. The biggest difference was obviously when the Dave was compared to the Holo May but it was the same story with the Qutest and the TT2 although to a lesser extent.

That is just one example of what I heard but that in itself was sufficient.

I would be interested in your experience though.

 

[walterboss]

I compared the Holo May to a Qutest, a TT2 and a Dave. As an example of what I heard and why I sold the Holo May, when I played Mars from Holsts Planets Suite with the Chord DACs I could hear all the individual instruments in the Crescendo parts and also delight in the shear scale of the music. With the Holo May in those parts of the music it just became a ‘wall of sound’ with everything smeared together. The biggest difference was obviously when the Dave was compared to the Holo May but it was the same story with the Qutest and the TT2 although to a lesser extent.

That is just one example of what I heard but that in itself was sufficient.

I would be interested in your experience though.

Nick, you might know this...does M Scaler have more impact with a Dave over a TT2? Or is the relative improvement the same?

 

[Vyyy]

Well i myself enjoyed Mscaler with Mojo1 with 8x, 2years before and now again with Hugo2, then 2year with TT2, and even tried for some period with Dave. I can say i always enjoyed the involvement and scaled soundstage. Wheres for sure TT2 and Dave where things transform even more.

 

[Triode User]

Nick, you might know this...does M Scaler have more impact with a Dave over a TT2? Or is the relative improvement the same?

Hmmn, well from my own listening I think Mscaler has a significant impact on the TT2 but it is just that the Dave’s superior transparency and other attributes allows the Mscaler’s full effect to be more readily appreciated with the Dave.

I know that doesn’t really answer your question I’m afraid!

 

[walterboss]

RE: M Scaler 3dB quieter than solo TT2??

I was just reading this Head-fi thread on, chiefly, Holo May vs Dave, but M Scaler plays a huge role in it. @GoldenSound starts off an early paragraph with this, which has sent my head spinning...(I've bolded the pertinent part)

So, first thing I wanted to do was of course check that the MScaler wasn't intentionally or unintentionally harming quality without any upsampling (which the cynical side of me thought that this could potentially be done to give the illusion of improvement when actually the MScaler's "bypass" mode was simply worse).
To check that, I just connected dave by USB, and also Dual-BNC to the mscaler.
I played a few tracks and swapped between USB and MScaler input, and the first thing I noticed, the MScaler was quieter. By 3dB as it turns out.
This was unexpected, but also makes sense.

Am I reading this right that when I've listened to M Scaler connected to TT2 via BNC cables, that it's 3dB quieter than listening to TT2 solo?

What about using M Scaler in bypass (so the upsampling button turns red)? Because I can barely hear a difference when I go from highest sample rate to bypass.

Does this also mean when entering bypass mode, the music is 3dB quieter than when upsampling?

I'm sure I must be getting this massively wrong.

 

[chelseafc]

Hmmn, well from my own listening I think Mscaler has a significant impact on the TT2 but it is just that the Dave’s superior transparency and other attributes allows the Mscaler’s full effect to be more readily appreciated with the Dave.

I know that doesn’t really answer your question I’m afraid!

In my experience with a full system, while M Scaler improves TT2, it completely transforms the DAVE.
I cannot speak for headphones listening though.

 

[alxw0w]

RE: M Scaler 3dB quieter than solo TT2??

I was just reading this Head-fi thread on, chiefly, Holo May vs Dave, but M Scaler plays a huge role in it. @GoldenSound starts off an early paragraph with this, which has sent my head spinning...(I've bolded the pertinent part)


Am I reading this right that when I've listened to M Scaler connected to TT2 via BNC cables, that it's 3dB quieter than listening to TT2 solo?

What about using M Scaler in bypass (so the upsampling button turns red)? Because I can barely hear a difference when I go from highest sample rate to bypass.

Does this also mean when entering bypass mode, the music is 3dB quieter than when upsampling?

I'm sure I must be getting this massively wrong.

Bypass on m scaler is also quieter about 3dB (its actually ~2.7dB). You don't have volume difference when using full upsampling or bypass mode.

 

[walterboss]

Bypass on m scaler is also quieter about 3dB (its actually ~2.7dB). You don't have volume difference when using full upsampling or bypass mode.

Forgive me, to make sure: if I have M Scaler connected to TT2 and I go from bypass to full upsampling (or any other of the upsampling levels) the volume is the same?

 

[alxw0w]

Forgive me, to make sure: if I have M Scaler connected to TT2 and I go from bypass to full upsampling (or any other of the upsampling levels) the volume is the same?

Yes

 

[Lgn3]

Really? I doubt he is an expert in power supply. The power supply of Dave is $10 off the shelf. And he says it is perfectly fine. Any modifications of Dave power supply is worse. But everyone tried other Dave power supply solutions tell him otherwise.

Perhaps it is perfectly fine in that it allows Dave to sound the way Rob deisgned it to, at least to his ears.