[xs1137]

@jacabuneb, I have the same problem with my Concern HD. USB works fine but the SPDIF input doesn't function correctly. I recently had it diagnosed by a former engineer at Resonessence Labs who has been doing repairs, Frank Szabo, and he recommended replacing the ESS chip, which he offered to do. I am sorry to report I just learned he passed away several days ago from a stroke. In the few conversations I had with him, he was a very nice and helpful gentleman. Is anyone aware of someone else doing repair work on Resonessence Labs products?

 

[lambdastorm]

@jacabuneb, I have the same problem with my Concern HD. USB works fine but the SPDIF input doesn't function correctly. I recently had it diagnosed by a former engineer at Resonessence Labs who has been doing repairs, Frank Szabo, and he recommended replacing the ESS chip, which he offered to do. I am sorry to report I just learned he passed away several days ago from a stroke. In the few conversations I had with him, he was a very nice and helpful gentleman. Is anyone aware of someone else doing repair work on Resonessence Labs products?

Frank passed away? Damn. I talked to him a month ago and he walked me thru the steps to repair my veritas. He seems very helpful and friendly. I was eventually able to get in touch with a local EE and had him replace the USB receiver chip and ESS chip on my veritas, which brought it back to life.

 

[jacabuneb]

Sad news, interesting that Frank thought the fix would be replacement of the ESS dac chip. I don't use mine much and have since count an inexpensive Schiit dac to serve my needs so not real pressure to fix this Concero feature. However, would be nice to have fully functional if the dac is socketed and fairly easy to swap out. If it's surface mount, replacement might be a daunting task.

 

[tvr2500m]

Herus DSD DXD down! I hadn't used it in a while. It was plugged into an RPi 4B RoPieee XL Roon Bridge along with a Meridian Explorer2 (kinda cool and useful, Roon sees these as two separately accessible zones). I decided to plug into the Herus and got nothing but a loud constant tone in the left headphone driver only. Attempting some music, nothing, just the loud constant tone with nothing coming out of the right headphone driver. I had just been listening with the Explorer2 attached to the same RPi 4B.

???!!! Any possible assistance out there to sort this out? I REALLY like the little Herus. I also have a Concero HP DSD DXD (which is still working fine). I wasn't sure where to post this about the Herus. I looked around Head-Fi for a Herus discussion thread and this one is the closest thing I found.

Any able to make a recommendation of who I might contact to repair the Herus? Anyone from Resonessence who might help?

 

[amigastar]

Hello there,

i have a question. I have currently a Resonessence Concero hooked up to my PC. I also have an Aqvox audio power supply and an Ifi Purifier2. In which order should i hook them up to my dac. Currently i have Ifi Purifier2 into my Dac then Aqvox power supply into the Purifier2 and then USB cable into the Aqvox power supply.
Is this the right order or should i leave the Purifier2 out of it?

 

[xs1137]

Frank passed away? Damn. I talked to him a month ago and he walked me thru the steps to repair my veritas. He seems very helpful and friendly. I was eventually able to get in touch with a local EE and had him replace the USB receiver chip and ESS chip on my veritas, which brought it back to life.

So it sounds like any qualified EE should be able to replace the ESS chip? I thought repair might require prior knowledge of the Concero.

 

[capetownwatches]

Hello there,

i have a question. I have currently a Resonessence Concero hooked up to my PC. I also have an Aqvox audio power supply and an Ifi Purifier2. In which order should i hook them up to my dac. Currently i have Ifi Purifier2 into my Dac then Aqvox power supply into the Purifier2 and then USB cable into the Aqvox power supply.
Is this the right order or should i leave the Purifier2 out of it?

I see no need for the iFi device and the Aqvox, good as it is, shouldn't make make an audible difference to the Concero using bus power. Just my opinion though, having tried my own Concero in a few very revealing rigs with and without various add ons. It's a brilliant DAC all on its own. Rather use the money towards upgrading the Concero itself to a higher tier DAC?

 

[amigastar]

I see no need for the iFi device and the Aqvox, good as it is, shouldn't make make an audible difference to the Concero using bus power. Just my opinion though, having tried my own Concero in a few very revealing rigs with and without various add ons. It's a brilliant DAC all on its own. Rather use the money towards upgrading the Concero itself to a higher tier DAC?

Ok, i see, thanks for the tip.

 

[capetownwatches]

Ok, i see, thanks for the tip.

Try the different permutations and trust your own ears. I'd be interested to hear your impressions.

 

[amigastar]

Try the different permutations and trust your own ears. I'd be interested to hear your impressions.

As much as i would do impressions i'm not very good at it.
For example the Concero with Ifi Purifier2 has a slight deeper soundstage too me. But I could be wrong.

 

[capetownwatches]

As much as i would do impressions i'm not very good at it.
For example the Concero with Ifi Purifier2 has a slight deeper soundstage too me. But I could be wrong.

Give it a few days and listen to well known music. Then remove the iFi device and try and tell if you miss it being there...
Sighted impressions are really difficult to confirm. Differences, if there are any, are incredibly small.

 

[iFi audio]

Give it a few days and listen to well known music. Then remove the iFi device and try and tell if you miss it being there...

That's a solid tip and what I would do as well, yep

Differences, if there are any, are incredibly small.

As far as USB improvers go, results vary and depend on a DAC and transport for it. Some devices are quite impervious to any such additives, but some benefit greatly from their input.

 

[capetownwatches]

As far as USB improvers go, results vary and depend on a DAC and transport for it. Some devices are quite impervious to any such additives, but some benefit greatly from their input.

Agreed. The Concero is a really well engineered little box though and, in my experience, does not benefit from additives. Apart from a high quality USB cable that is.
I found that adding a Wireworld Ultra Violet made a small but audible difference to definition.

 

[iFi audio]

Agreed. The Concero is a really well engineered little box though and, in my experience, does not benefit from additives. Apart from a high quality USB cable that is.
I found that adding a Wireworld Ultra Violet made a small but audible difference to definition.

I understand. Still, if it's susceptible to i.e. USB cables, additives such as galvanic isolators should work. Unless of course a USB input of this DAC already is galvanically isolated?

 

[capetownwatches]

I understand. Still, if it's susceptible to i.e. USB cables, additives such as galvanic isolators should work. Unless of course a USB input of this DAC already is galvanically isolated?

I think it has more to do with the fact that the cable I was using prior was junk...
At that point in my development I was cable agnostic.

Some reviews mention that the port is galvanically isolated but I don't recall seeing this on their now defunct website or in the specs.
I think I do recall John Grandberg coming to the conclusion that it was not, but that it performed as if it were.