Quote:
There is a lot of noise data and measurements on the ODAC on the designers blog.
The first version of the ODAC, despite following the reference design, only had about 98 dB DNR.
On the fourth version this went down to over 111dB.
There are many obvious advantages to USB power but it often degrades performance due to noise. To get around this, the ODAC uses split digital and analog power supplies each with their own filtering and regulator. The analog supply has additional filtering and the critical reference voltages, and negative supply for the DAC chip, are further optimized.
Also his transpanecy guidelines states that all noise components should be below -110db and the total sum should be below -100dBFS.
Also read where the lab guys state that anything below 100DNR in the real world relates to being transparent...and anything beyond this is well....
Anything beyond -110dB is well past the point of diminishing returns...
But for us spec guys ...great.
Take some time over there..lots of good info in his blogs under the ODAC, updates and details..
Alex
Very interesting, thanks. Thanx to mikeaj and Currawong as well.
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The following sounds so convincing to a non-expert like me.
AUDIOQUEST - FOREST USB MINI CABLE
Price:
$29.00
[size=medium]
Surprising Performance, Affordable Price[/size]
[size=small]
Chuck Those Generic USB Cables and Step Up To Forest USB![/size]
Priced only a few dollars more than generic USB cables,
Audioquest Forest is a substantial improvement.
Forest offers a far smoother & richer tonal balance, much greater resolution and a clearer sonic picture. The secret is in
Audioquest's unyielding commitment to quality; every aspect of
Forest's construction from the type of connectors used to the direction of the conductors has been scrutinized, auditioned, revised and perfected to create a cable that offers outstanding performance for a fraction of the cost of most audiophile designs.
"The AudioQuest Forest is very affordable by standalone cable standards, and it offers all-round improvements over bundled cables.
Detail levels are markedly improved, there's greater precision and punch, and a general upgrade in musical expressiveness."
--
What HiFi?
Metallurgy
Forest uses
high-quality Long Grain Copper solid-core conductors. Long Grain Copper has far fewer imperfections than OFC copper for lower distortion and greater conductivity.
LGC copper conductors are used in many Audioquest analog cables, providing a far smoother, richer and more dynamic sound than the terrible materials used in generic USB cables. LGC's lower distortion characteristics allow
Forest to deliver greater resolution and musical energy with a noticeably lower noise floor.
Forest is a
directional cable, AQ listens to every primary signal conductor used
in Forest to determine proper conductor orientation,
this simple test yields a surprising improvement to sonic performance.
Digital Audio over USB
There are significant, audible differences between USB cables. We're not sure how this is possible, since USB is purported to be a purely digital interface, however, the sonic differences are repeatable and consistent from system to system. A better USB cable makes a better digital audio cable, period.
Termination
All
Audioquest Indulgence series USB Cables are terminated by
Wave Solder, a very high-precision soldering method originally developed for surface-mount applications in the computer industry.
Wave Soldering is fast, efficient and has no human interaction,
eliminating all conventional solder problems, creating a strong, reliable and electrically consistent connection.
Wave Soldering is just one feature that makes Indulgence Series USB cables a far better choice than conventional USB Cables
From
http://www.musicdirect.com/p-58290-audioquest-forest-usb-mini-cable.aspx
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So, what do you think about the
Forest directional cables???
Should I follow their advice and
chuck
the USB cable (with a bottle neck) which came with the
ODAC from the JDS Labs???
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P.S.
Edited to add this:
AudioQuest - Forest - Mini USB Cable ($29)
Listed in
The Absolute Sound 2012 High-End Audio Buyer's Guide
High-Performance Entry-Level USB Cable
Forest is the high-performance entry level cable in AudioQuest's 'Indulgence Series' of USB cables. Boasting solid Long-Grain Copper (LGC) conductors, Forest delivers low jitter, low distortion audio for superior performance. Enjoy Forest USB cables with PCs, DACs, and other digital gear, and experience how good digital music can sound.
AudioQuest Forest USB cable was honored by being included in
The Absolute Sound 2012 High-End Audio Buyer's Guide. According to the magazine, "For those on a tight budget, Forest is a large upgrade over a generic USB cable that was never designed for audio. Compared to standard USB cables,
Forest offers a larger and more dimensional soundstage, more liquid and lifelike timbres, and greater transparency."
....
...
The Next Evolution of USB Cable Performance
...
There are huge differences in the sound of USB cables. As part of AudioQuest's re-examination of USB cable design, specific attention was paid to maximizing the sonic performance of USB. AQ's Indulgence USB series pushes USB sonic performance to new levels. While test equipment is excellent at tracking control errors or ensuring data pass through, no computer can compete with the human ear when it comes to perceiving the subtle but crucial audio errors and distortion that can reduce the enjoyment of your music and video files via USB.
The Engineering and Construction Edge
AudioQuest begins with Long-Grain Copper (LGC) and adds increasing amounts of silver-plate culminating in Diamond USB, whose conductors are made using solid Perfect-Surface Silver (PSS). Solid Polyethylene insulation ensures stable conductor geometry while minimizing insulation induced phase distortion. On the two top USB cables, Coffee and Diamond, AudioQuest's patented Dielectric-Bias System (DBS) polarizes the insulation,
providing a drop in the perceived noise floor and an increase in dynamic contrast.
From
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AQMUSBFOR%20.75