[Roasty]

Hi all, I'm thinking of trying to get a Wavelight in for an in-home audition. The dealer suggests to get the best out of the WL one should use a reclocker and go USB>reclocker>A2S
I currently do not have a reclocker or a DDC, so in everyone's subjective experience, can I get a good feel for the WL going streamer>USB>WL, and if so how close is the USB vs. the other inputs, 80%, 90%?

I'd be using a high end USB cable, FTA Callisto and my main focus is to get the deepest, most holograhic stage possible out of the WL.

EDIT: and which DDC/reclocker device is the concensus that most use and are happy with the results?

I'm using SU-6 with the WL. if u have the chance, hook up both i2s and an aes/ebu cable and just switch between the inputs on the WL. I prefer AES/EBU over i2s.

 

[sajunky]

I'm not opposed to picking up a DDC down the line, but I'm not interested in buying one just for an audition, and the one that the dealer carries is nearly $5K, and I simply can't afford that right now.

Audio GD DI-20HE is about $1k. While I didn't see any Rockna user pairing with, for that money it is worth to try.

Regarding USB source, I don't advise reclockers, but a simple ground loops redirecting device like iFi Defender usually clean enough noise just to enjoy music. If iDefender helps, there is a sign that you need DDC.

 

[Newsee]

I have joined the party, with great pleasure.

The firmware of my WL is v1.04, 01.36.
On the Rockna site there are v1.10 and v1.23 available for download.

My questions:
is there an audible sonic difference between the firmware versions?
Is it possible to go back to v1.04 somehow if I do not like the new versions?

I do like very much what I currently hear. I have bad experience with other gear in regard to sonic change after firmware upgrade. I would still like to upgrade because of the USB input.

Currently I am feeding the WL from Hiby R8 USB out with excellent result. All other USB source (Hiby RS8, LG V60, Kann Cube) gives very nosy, distorted sound. Absolutely useless. The Cube is good with optical connection, the RS8 is good with coax connection. I hope the firmware upgrade would fix the USB issues.

 

[EagleWings]

Get a decent DDC or Streamer and use AES or I2S into the WL. While the USB input on the Rockna DACs are decent, the USB out from the R8 is going to be sub optimal.

 

[Basco]

Get a decent DDC or Streamer and use AES or I2S into the WL. While the USB input on the Rockna DACs are decent, the USB out from the R8 is going to be sub optimal.

Hey thanks for the hint, how could you do that if you use a MacBook Pro as source for the Dac which only has USB-C output?

 

[Roasty]

Hey thanks for the hint, how could you do that if you use a MacBook Pro as source for the Dac which only has USB-C output?

MacBook -> usb C to usb B cable -> ddc -> i2s/aes cable -> Wavelight

or skip the ddc and go straight to the WL.

 

[Basco]

MacBook -> usb C to usb B cable -> ddc -> i2s/aes cable -> Wavelight

or skip the ddc and go straight to the WL.

Hey Roasty thanks, which brings me back to the question is a DDC superior and REALY brings a superior benefit for the WL?

I’m trying to evaluate future upgrade options.
Thanks

 

[EagleWings]

Yes, compared to going USB in from a PC or Mac, a good DDC in between the 2 devices will always be better. There may be a few exceptions where, the USB input on the DAC is so good that a DDC might not make a meaningful difference. But in the case of the Wavelight, DDC is def the better route.

 

[alekc]

Yes, compared to going USB in from a PC or Mac, a good DDC in between the 2 devices will always be better. There may be a few exceptions where, the USB input on the DAC is so good that a DDC might not make a meaningful difference. But in the case of the Wavelight, DDC is def the better route.

@EagleWings , @Roasty which brings in turn important question of how Rockna Server (when it finally will be available) will be connecting to WaveLigth and how much improvement (including upsampling) it will bring to the table.

In the meantime which DDCs are you recommending? I maybe looking eventually for one.

 

[ThanatosVI]

@EagleWinds, @Roasty which brings in turn important question of how Rockna Server (when it finally will be available) will be connecting to WaveLigth and how much improvement (including upsampling) it will bring to the table.

In the meantime which DDCs are you recommending? I maybe looking eventually for one.

The intended connection of Wavelight Server to DAC is i2S.

 

[Basco]

@EagleWinds, @Roasty which brings in turn important question of how Rockna Server (when it finally will be available) will be connecting to WaveLigth and how much improvement (including upsampling) it will bring to the table.

In the meantime which DDCs are you recommending? I maybe looking eventually for one.

Though not owning one, I heard a lot of good feedback in Feeds and blogs from the Mutec MC-3+ USB. Its made in Germany. New it will be $1.2K but you can get it used for around $500.

Would be definitely my go to DDC

 

[kostas6a3]

I have tested in WL, some time ago, the Singxer SU-6 with its own SMP power supply and with a simple I2S cable and I found no difference in SQ.
It is possible that with a linear power supply (eg Farad etc) and an audiophile I2S cable the differences will be greater, naturally increasing the cost.

 

[Basco]

I have tested in WL, some time ago, the Singxer SU-6 with its own SMP power supply and with a simple I2S cable and I found no difference in SQ.
It is possible that with a linear power supply (eg Farad etc) and an audiophile I2S cable the differences will be greater, naturally increasing the cost.

Interesting find. Thanks for your feedback. This would prove the already good internal clocking of the WL and diminishing return to spend another $$ in external DDCs then.

 

[technisummer]

I don't own a Rockna since it's severely out of my budget, but I had the pleasure of demo'ing a Wavelight at a local audio shop that happened to have one on display. I brought my Schiit stack to compare (Asgard 3 + Modius) and my HD600's. Listened to music on Tidal through HiFi settings.

What struck me as very odd was that whenever I changed the source to the Wavelight, the sound quality immediately got worse. My Modius sounds... well, fine I guess. But I didn't except the Rockna to be worse. The dynamics immediately dropped, there was no (and I do mean no) bass/subbass, details became hazy... I was really baffled. I gave the shop owner a listen and even he was perplexed. All the cables were properly connected, the drivers were installed on my laptop, even tried playing around with filters and phase inversion to see if it'd change anything - nope.

Has anyone encountered something like this before? I'm 100% sure I did something wrong along the way, but I cannot for the life of me understand what it was. What do y'all think?

 

[Roasty]

I don't own a Rockna since it's severely out of my budget, but I had the pleasure of demo'ing a Wavelight at a local audio shop that happened to have one on display. I brought my Schiit stack to compare (Asgard 3 + Modius) and my HD600's. Listened to music on Tidal through HiFi settings.

What struck me as very odd was that whenever I changed the source to the Wavelight, the sound quality immediately got worse. My Modius sounds... well, fine I guess. But I didn't except the Rockna to be worse. The dynamics immediately dropped, there was no (and I do mean no) bass/subbass, details became hazy... I was really baffled. I gave the shop owner a listen and even he was perplexed. All the cables were properly connected, the drivers were installed on my laptop, even tried playing around with filters and phase inversion to see if it'd change anything - nope.

Has anyone encountered something like this before? I'm 100% sure I did something wrong along the way, but I cannot for the life of me understand what it was. What do y'all think?

That's really odd.
xlr to amp?
What output level was the wavelight dac at? 100? did u try dropping it to 70 or 80?