[poocaso]

  Reading about Jitterbug and Schiit Wyrd got me thinking.  Which is better? DAC 19 with optical or USB with Wyrd?
I always assumed coaxial and optical was better because of the USB noise interference but with Wyrd or Jitterbug got me thinking. 

In addition to the Jitterbug and Schiit Wyrd, have you also considered the UpTone USB REGEN?

 

[Maconi]

There's also the iFi Micro iUSB 3. I'm not sure which of the products are the best (obviously the iFi claims the most features and is the most expensive, but that could just be marketing).

 

[uelover]

I am using the Uptone Regen with the DAC19 (Amanero 384 USB version). There is a slight difference in sound.
 
If somebody were to remove/insert the Uptone Regen without my knowledge, I may fail to notice it.

 

[HiAudio]

Hello my friends, long time no show

 of me.
 
Just received my balanced cable for HD 800 made by Norne audio. Here is what I feel the most obvious:
 
Using Amanero USB from windows 8.1, music sounds good and feels good and volume is much higher than using optical or Coaxial from the same PC;
 
Using Coaxial or Optical, the volume is lower at same volume scale on the HDVA 600. Also some songs may sound harsh on the treble (e.g. Michael Jackson's Thriller. excellent recording indeed).

 

[jdpark]

I;m going to 

 
But has anyone tried a really great transport with the digital input? I was reading some reviews on What Hifi of a new dedicated transport by Cambridge Audio for 300 pounds and I was wondering if this was something that would actually be superior to my computer set up with Win. 10, jplay + fidelizer pro via Chord USB SilverPlus to Amanero 384. The sound I'm getting is great, by the way. Much better than when I hook my old 1990s Denon CD player up to the digital input. The sound with the Denon is very smooth, but lacks the precision of the laptop.  
 
From everything I have read, the optical reading technology when implemented well is superior to almost any kind of file rendering technology, but I don't have the funds to experiment with such a set up at the moment, and plus I still have a number of albums only in my digital collection, which I would have to burn onto CD (and loose some hi-rez). 

 

[Youth]

I don't trust anything that is written on What Hifi. 

 

[jdpark]

I agree with that, and suspect that their reviewers are all nearly deaf given that they tend to rave about headphones that either have no treble (shure iems) or those that have way too much like Grados or Akg k812.

But still, and I know it's a dead horse to most of the computer hifi crowd, there's something to be said about high end cd transport technology that always makes me wonder... And I'm optimistic enough to think that if a dac like this can be sold for under a grand maybe a digital transport can be conjured up for half that ...maybe?

This is because I'm increasingly aware of all the factors involved in computer sources... Down to the motherboard and operating system you use.

 

[Stillhart]

When I was at the Schiit Show a few months back, Mike Moffat brought a CD player with him.  It was nothing special, no crazy Theta Data or anything like that.  All the new GMB's were running from Surface tablets and sounded great.  But he plugged in his CD player via coax to demo the difference for us.  He played the same track, one from a CD and the other from a FLAC file ripped from that very CD.  The difference was clearly audible.  (On a side note, this originated because Mike prefers coax and Jason prefers USB so they brought both for laughs.)
 
Now, I do think that part of this is Schiit's USB implementation, which is know to be... not the best on the market.  Whether a Regen would have fixed this or whether a CD player on a DAC-19 would be equally different, I can't say.  I just thought that was an interesting anecdote.  
 
It's definitely possible for a CD player to sound better than a FLAC over USB.  What causes it, I can't say.

 

[jdpark]

I asked this question to a computer programmer and audiophile kind of guy who sells a program to make your computer turn into a better transport, so take it with a grain of salt.... But he argued that while there are still a lot of factors involved in one computer to the next (and everything else in the chain before the DAC, etc....), probably audible differences between a serious computer system and a dedicated CD transport are going to only take place with the real high end stuff costing thousands. There, they do a lot of things to manage vibrations, magnetic fields, power supplies, etc., which can add up to a serious improvement. 
 
I tend to be skeptical of that answer, again, because I see how well audio-gd stuff manages to do things in the DAC realm that used to be considered only possible among DACs that cost many, many thousands. Now for a range of $800-3000, you can get DACs from Audio-gd, Schiit, or Chord that I suspect rival DACs that were many times that amount just a few years ago (and even now are on the market). 
 
Anyway, I'm happy with my set-up, but it's always interesting to chat about the potential upgrades in the future... I think that vetting out the crap in the computer process is essential to getting the most out of the Amanero/Dac-19, and highly recommend jplay (100 euros) + fidelizer pro ($70) + Windows 10 (free) if anyone is crazy about audio nuances. When I force my computer into hibernate with nothing but audio playing, and the core set to prioritize only a very minimal audio interface, it is amazing what kind of timing, soundstage, and imaging I can sqeeze out of the Dac-19.

 

[Bombik]

Stillhart, thats exactly what I am thinking for last two days. I am playing/testing CDs via Teac DVD ROM -> Foobar -> Amanero, DAC 19 ... comparing to high quality FLAC rips. 
 
And it somehow sound better from CD. Resolution, separation, tracks are more transparent and simpler, more exact tones, deeper bass.. It is hard to describe. Maybe it is only different sound which I enjoy more? Or power of psychoacoustic? Who knows.. .
 
BTW try it it is very interesting change at least..

 

[bballas]

In Shenzhen (Huaquiangbei)have a big audio mall(meridian,mcintosh,focal,sonus f.,and more)there never use computer as a  transport.

 

[bazelio]

  In Shenzhen (Huaquiangbei)have a big audio mall(meridian,mcintosh,focal,sonus f.,and more)there never use computer as a  transport.

 
How would they ever sell CD transports or overpriced music servers if they displayed computers as transports in the mall?

 

[bballas]

How about xeon based top music server?It cheap?

 

[bazelio]

  How about xeon based top music server?It cheap?

 
I suppose this one is serviceable: http://www.lampizator.eu/Fikus/KOMPUTER_-_MUSIC_SERVER.html
 
Much cheaper to DIY these.  5900 Euro??!?  *shudder*

 

[jdpark]

   
How would they ever sell CD transports or overpriced music servers if they displayed computers as transports in the mall?

Although I'm plenty cynical about that stuff too, but I'm really enjoying having an old Denon CD player plugged into the optical (#2) right now. Although the soundstage is less precise and the imaging is a bit less sharp than my USB (#1) input, the overall musicality of the sound is really nice. I wanted to go back and check my computer to see if it was really better several times, but I just couldn't stop listening to the music. 
 
If you have a semi-decent CD player around and a half-decent optical cable, it's worth a try. The Amanero usb is still superior in terms of accuracy and detail when I use Jplay and Fidelizer, but I'm really tempted to get a serious CD transport to see how far one can push the DAC-19 in terms of overall musical engagement.