[AnyDave]

6 years on, I'm still totally enamored with this set up

I haven't had my set for 6 years, but it is indeed wonderful.

 

[CaptainFantastic]

6 years on, I'm still totally enamored with this set up

Looks great too. Is that a Butcher Block?

It will be interesting to see all the marketing for the Q Scaler. From the first sense at Munich, it seems like Rob is already piling it on about the shortcomings of the M Scaler and its RFI problems. Maybe he shouldn't have designed it with all those problems at that price point.

 

[Mediahound]

Looks great too. Is that a Butcher Block?

Yep! I'm just using it to get the set-up off the metal cabinet surface and also with vibration dampening feet under it.

 

[jjazzy]

Looks great too. Is that a Butcher Block?

It will be interesting to see all the marketing for the Q Scaler. From the first sense at Munich, it seems like Rob is already piling it on about the shortcomings of the M Scaler and its RFI problems. Maybe he shouldn't have designed it with all those problems at that price point.

I love what my Mscaler does for my dacs and TT2, but isn't it what they always do when they make something new . If it wasn't a better product why bother hahaha. But I get what you mean

 

[CaptainFantastic]

Yep! I'm just using it to get the set-up off the metal cabinet surface and also with vibration dampening feet under it.

Yeah, it looks amazing. What wood is that?

 

[macfan]

@Mediahound - Thanks for the photo of your stack as it clearly shows the "smuggy" appearance at times of the volume ball. I thought I had a defect but nice to see I am not the only one. Not sure if this is a design or a mistake.

So I am one week in and really enjoying my new TT2. A few questions for those of you who have had it for a while.

1. Be it the TT2 or M-Scaler which USB cable are you using. I know Rob has mentioned just using the one that came with the unit but I am sure those of us with audiophile nervosa have ventured out to other options. Anything you have found to be a good option

Also anyone have any experience with the Matrix Audio Element S streamer? They claim they are now Roon Ready / Roon Certified.

 

[CaptainFantastic]

I think he advises using optical over USB, if you can. And for that you have many options that will make you feel better than using the puny optical cable that comes with the unit. For example - www.lifatec.com/toslink2.html has been recommended by quite a few people, but there are many options at a lower price point.

 

[TopQuark]

I had a Zen Stream driving my HMS/TT2. I found a significant improvement when I replaced it with 2Go/2Yu. I have an Holo Red coming in next month to check out.

Looking forward to this. If only Chord comes up with a streamer to the TT2/HMS stack, that will be perfect.

 

[Mediahound]

@Mediahound - Thanks for the photo of your stack as it clearly shows the "smuggy" appearance at times of the volume ball. I thought I had a defect but nice to see I am not the only one. Not sure if this is a design or a mistake.

That cleans right up almost good as new with a bit of isopropyl alcohol.

 

[avnidvyi]

I think he advises using optical over USB, if you can. And for that you have many options that will make you feel better than using the puny optical cable that comes with the unit. For example - www.lifatec.com/toslink2.html has been recommended by quite a few people, but there are many options at a lower price point.

i saw he was talking about this, but in my use, I finally chose the opposite, I always feel a bit less punchy and flat when I use optic cable.
I'm still searching for the right cable for optics. i tried some premium ones from local, but the outcome is not good as I expected.
i will try to get one of those lifatec cables.

 

[Patswalker]

i saw he was talking about this, but in my use, I finally chose the opposite, I always feel a bit less punchy and flat when I use optic cable.
I'm still searching for the right cable for optics. i tried some premium ones from local, but the outcome is not good as I expected.
i will try to get one of those lifatec cables.

Same. I use optical when it’s connected to my DDC for ease. But when it’s connected to my computer I use usb and love it. The idea I have see. Rob Watts talk about is that he says he uses optical because jitter cannot be transmitted in optical the way it can in other digital signals. I have a very good usb scrubber so even if I use usb direct from the computer it’s clean usb and it’s lovely.

Personally no matter what digital connections I use it’s amazing. Some sound better than others but they all sound incredible. The TT2 does not have any connections that are actual garbage. To me at least. I connected my cd player via coax the other day and it was great! Not as great as my super clean usb or optical, but this is the TT2, it was amazing.

 

[jjazzy]

Same. I use optical when it’s connected to my DDC for ease. But when it’s connected to my computer I use usb and love it. The idea I have see. Rob Watts talk about is that he says he uses optical because jitter cannot be transmitted in optical the way it can in other digital signals. I have a very good usb scrubber so even if I use usb direct from the computer it’s clean usb and it’s lovely.

Personally no matter what digital connections I use it’s amazing. Some sound better than others but they all sound incredible. The TT2 does not have any connections that are actual garbage. To me at least. I connected my cd player via coax the other day and it was great! Not as great as my super clean usb or optical, but this is the TT2, it was amazing.

I also noticed something else with optical, I noticed it on more than one occasion, if you switch tracks a lot when listening and testing, with optical the tt2 can sometimes skip half a second of the beginning of the song during initializing, which never happened to me with usb.

(This happened with a lumin u2, versolo
A8 and hifirose rs150)

I tried optical because of Robs comments, but I never noticed that with usb or coax connection.

 

[Patswalker]

I also noticed something else with optical, I noticed it on more than one occasion, if you switch tracks a lot when listening and testing, with optical the tt2 can sometimes skip half a second of the beginning of the song during initializing, which never happened to me with usb.

(This happened with a lumin u2, versolo
A8 and hifirose rs150)

I tried optical because of Robs comments, but I never noticed that with usb or coax connection.

When I am connected from my Macmini to the Matrix SPDIF3 then optical to my TT2 the sounds is choppy like its a poor digital connection, like it's clipping. Only time it does that. Only in that situation. I rarely listen like that anyway so it's not a big problem but funny little digital things.

 

[Karnicopia]

I also think streamers make a huge difference but a great way to get really good sound reasonably is the Pi2AES and I do the battery power and power the PC and audio board using different batteries and then I used optical to keep things isolated. I did notice a significant improvement powering the boards separately so even if you aren’t going the battery route I would power them separately.

I think the 2go2yu sound better but it isn’t drastic and I could still be happy with that Pi2AES and plan to use it for a secondary setup. Also I don’t wire the streamer to a network switch I found network switches to kill the sound because they introduced a ton of noise so I just stream wirelessly to the Pi2AES. Maybe there is a good way to do it wired to the network I tried a lot of different ways and streaming wirelessly just gave me what I wanted without a lot of fuss.

 

[jjazzy]

I also think streamers make a huge difference but a great way to get really good sound reasonably is the Pi2AES and I do the battery power and power the PC and audio board using different batteries and then I used optical to keep things isolated. I did notice a significant improvement powering the boards separately so even if you aren’t going the battery route I would power them separately.

I think the 2go2yu sound better but it isn’t drastic and I could still be happy with that Pi2AES and plan to use it for a secondary setup. Also I don’t wire the streamer to a network switch I found network switches to kill the sound because they introduced a ton of noise so I just stream wirelessly to the Pi2AES. Maybe there is a good way to do it wired to the network I tried a lot of different ways and streaming wirelessly just gave me what I wanted without a lot of fuss.

Yes that is true regarding network, a lot of switches introduce electrical noise crap. Network Routers with build in network ports even more!

It is not the tcp/ip protocol, because that is a package orientated protocol. If you miss a package you’ll know right a way.

You have those special audiophile switches for crazy money (you might as well get a normal netgear switch and power it battery or with a sbooster lps (it is mostly cheaper)

A strong stable wifi is most of the time a
better option. Comparable to going optical, you remove the possible noise.