[Letmebefrank]

Off-topic for Ghosthouse: Pictures of Aga and Ringo from a few weeks ago. They've grown noticeably since these were taken.

Aga, who has TON of personality....she is a real character, let me tell you. Aga was named after the Czech female pro tennis player, Agnieska (Aga) Radwanska, because she has a similar character and physique.

Ringo, the sleek, muscular, black leopard...he goes around like Sean Connery in a tuxedo saying, "Bond...James Bond."

Your Aga looks like a smaller version of my Lola, who will be 18 this year.

She lives with my parents in Detroit so I don't get to see her as much as I'd like to.

 

[Puma Cat]

Your Aga looks like a smaller version of my Lola, who will be 18 this year.

She lives with my parents in Detroit so I don't get to see her as much as I'd like to.

Oh, my gosh, look at that! They really do look alike! Aga will probably look very much like Lola when she grows up.

 

[Ghosthouse]

@Puma Cat
@Letmebefrank

Thanks for sharing the photos of your kits. Great names, by the way. Ringo is quite a handsome beast.

Here's our crew. Not the best images, but all I had at hand for the moment.

The first: Mocha (Oriental Short Hair - Chestnut tabby markings) and Cinder (backyard rescue). She just started showing up on the property. Over a few weeks went from yard, to garage, to in-the- house...mission accomplished.

The second: Pippin (L), Mocha (C) and Merry (R) (P&M Color Point Shorthair litter mates - Chocolate and/or Seal Lynx markings, I believe). P&M aka The Twins, aka Plague & Pestilence esp. when they were kittens. Mocha is related to them. Forget the exact genealogy...call him their "cousin".

Pointy features, huge ears (especially Mocha when he was just a kitten) - more Bat than Cat. Not everyone's cup of tea.

Puma - Still unclear how you are controlling the mRendu and displaying Roon. Guessing you have a keyboard and screen linked up (wirelessly?) to the Mac Mini.

 

[dmhenley]

Roon - https://roonlabs.com/howroonworks.html
is a music player, at it's most basic. It allows you to control both your own digital library and Tidal, if you use it. And, like an online music resource too. Incredibly cool for digging into music, when combined with Tidal streaming service. This is how I run it today. I've got the Roon server app installed on one dedicated win10 pc, that sits on a shelf, and is wirelessly connected to my network. I can control Roon with one of several devices - another pc, a tablet or my phone. Any Roon ready device (like the microRendu) on the network will work with the software, so potentially you could control music in as many 'zones' as you have systems with a Roon ready device. At this time, I can switch between my primary system in my office, and our living room system - all within the Roon app. So, you've a core app- my pc with Roon server installed. Remotes, or control apps - like my tablet and phone. And output devices, like the mR. Roon streams music to the mR, which is now tethered to my new Eitr which feeds the Yggdrasil. If I want to move to the living room I can switch zones within the app and listen there. Hope this helps.

 

[Ghosthouse]

@dmhenley
Yup that helps. I am a little familiar with Roon. Seen it in use running from a laptop. Just wasn't sure how Puma Cat was doing it, given him having moved the Mac away.

FWIW - I'm running an Aries Mini (ripped CD files in ALAC from a 2TB hard drive or Tidal, Spotify, Internet Radio et all) via USB out to V-Link 192. Connection is by way of a split USB cable (Douk Mall on eBay) w/separate power & signal leads (5V Enercell powers the V-Link). V-Link connects via BlackCat Silverstar 75! digital coax to Gungnir BNC.

Aries has their own software: Lightning DS app that I have on my iPhone. Can also run it via iPad. It wasn't "Roon Ready" when it first issued. That might be changing.

I am tempted to try an Eitr as replacement for the V-Link and see whether I hear an improvement over current SQ which, honestly, I really have NO complaints about...but you know how it is: always thinking about the next step.

Thanks for your input. From reading your comments, if I ever got unhappy with the Lightning DS app and the AriesMini did not become a Roon endpoint, microRendu seems to offer another way to get there (i.e., to get to Roon).

 

[dmhenley]

I'm surprised by the improvement the Eitr has made.
I expected it to improve SQ, of course, but not to this degree. Need more time, I've had just a couple hours with it in the system.

Perhaps it's revealing more of the true potential of the Yggdrasil, which is already fantastic. In particular, the timing strikes me...it's like gravity was restored to the stage. Channel separation and stage depth are enhanced. Solidity of tone! I'm a tone junky. Dynamics, texture, tone and presence - I suppose those would be my hifi attributes list of priorities.

Still too new to say - but it's definitely made a significant change.

 

[Puma Cat]

Roon - https://roonlabs.com/howroonworks.html
is a music player, at it's most basic. It allows you to control both your own digital library and Tidal, if you use it. And, like an online music resource too. Incredibly cool for digging into music, when combined with Tidal streaming service. This is how I run it today. I've got the Roon server app installed on one dedicated win10 pc, that sits on a shelf, and is wirelessly connected to my network. I can control Roon with one of several devices - another pc, a tablet or my phone. Any Roon ready device (like the microRendu) on the network will work with the software, so potentially you could control music in as many 'zones' as you have systems with a Roon ready device. At this time, I can switch between my primary system in my office, and our living room system - all within the Roon app. So, you've a core app- my pc with Roon server installed. Remotes, or control apps - like my tablet and phone. And output devices, like the mR. Roon streams music to the mR, which is now tethered to my new Eitr which feeds the Yggdrasil. If I want to move to the living room I can switch zones within the app and listen there. Hope this helps.

Excellent description. I love how Roon lets you make playlists easily, search by genre or artist, or use it in Radio mode where it finds and plays content related to your original selections. It's a pretty amazing app, if you ask me.

 

[Puma Cat]

@dmhenley
Yup that helps. I am a little familiar with Roon. Seen it in use running from a laptop. Just wasn't sure how Puma Cat was doing it, given him having moved the Mac away.

FWIW - I'm running an Aries Mini (ripped CD files in ALAC from a 2TB hard drive or Tidal, Spotify, Internet Radio et all) via USB out to V-Link 192. Connection is by way of a split USB cable (Douk Mall on eBay) w/separate power & signal leads (5V Enercell powers the V-Link). V-Link connects via BlackCat Silverstar 75! digital coax to Gungnir BNC.

Aries has their own software: Lightning DS app that I have on my iPhone. Can also run it via iPad. It wasn't "Roon Ready" when it first issued. That might be changing.

I am tempted to try an Eitr as replacement for the V-Link and see whether I hear an improvement over current SQ which, honestly, I really have NO complaints about...but you know how it is: always thinking about the next step.

Thanks for your input. From reading your comments, if I ever got unhappy with the Lightning DS app and the AriesMini did not become a Roon endpoint, microRendu seems to offer another way to get there (i.e., to get to Roon).

IIRC, your V-link is the Musical Fidelity V-link from some years ago. If I were to hazard a guess, Eitr will quite possibly blow it into the weeds, sound quality-wise. They pulled out all the stops on Eitr, most notably using transformers (!) instead of optocouplers to obtain isolation for the USB interface, a super clean linear power supply, with significant isolation from the signal path from the ground plane.

From Jason:

1. Complete isolation of the USB power supplies (self-powered "clean side" on the USB input board for clocking and latching, requires no power from the computer.)
2. Complete isolation of the USB ground (grounds are not shared)
3. A total re-work of the USB interface, based on the CM6631A
4. High precision local re-clocking after isolation based on crystal oscillators running at two separate clock multiples for 44.1kHz and 48kHz-based sampling rates.

They they did the same thing for the SPDIF output circuitry, clean linear power supply and additional ground plane isolation separate from the USB circuit. As Schiit puts it, you've got "isolation on your isolation", again from Jason:

"Eitr is a great USB-SPDIF converter, with the same kind of attention to detail you’d expect from us, from the linear, low-noise power supply to the latest SPDIF formatting chip with high-precision local crystal oscillators for both clock multiples, to transformer-coupled output. Eitr’s coaxial output is even isolated itself with its own transformer! It’s got, like, even more isolation on your isolation."

It's a significant product, and a game-changer, in my book. I'll put up a mini-review of how Eitr transformed my Modi 2 Uber...

 

[Puma Cat]

I'm surprised by the improvement the Eitr has made.
I expected it to improve SQ, of course, but not to this degree. Need more time, I've had just a couple hours with it in the system.

Perhaps it's revealing more of the true potential of the Yggdrasil, which is already fantastic. In particular, the timing strikes me...it's like gravity was restored to the stage. Channel separation and stage depth are enhanced. Solidity of tone! I'm a tone junky. Dynamics, texture, tone and presence - I suppose those would be my hifi attributes list of priorities.

Still too new to say - but it's definitely made a significant change.

Ha! Yeah, I know!

Pretty f**king amazing, huh?

Your observations sums it up very accurately. Exactly the benefits and improvements I observed both with Gungnir D/S and Modi 2 Uber. I was blown away by the magnitude of how much it improved Modi 2 Uber, which I felt was a decent, but not great DAC....its sounds like a completely different DAC (and much for the better).

And, it gets BETTER! Four or five days from now, it will sound even better. Look forward to your continuing impressions. AMAZING product, if you ask me. Just be sure to leave it on...

 

[dmhenley]

Ha! Yeah, I know!

Pretty f**king amazing, huh?

Your observations sums it up very accurately. Exactly the benefits and improvements I observed both with Gungnir D/S and Modi 2 Uber. I was blown away by the magnitude of how much it improved Modi 2 Uber, which I felt was a decent, but not great DAC....its sounds like a completely different DAC (and much for the better).

And, it gets BETTER! Four or five days from now, it will sound even better. Look forward to your continuing impressions. AMAZING product, if you ask me. Just be sure to leave it on...

Cool! Great to hear you're experience is similar. Always good to validate our subjective findings
I'm excited to getting further in.

I've been posting longer reports on my blog, and will record a lengthy post on the Eitr at some point.
Note: This is not an ad!...my blog does not generate income. I simply decided to start recording my experiences with hifi because I found others very helpful when I returned to the hobby. I will post here as well, but will have lengthier reports with photos, etc down the road. I've moved to a podcast style, with audio reports this month. More fun for me.

 

[Puma Cat]

Cool! Great to hear you're experience is similar. Always good to validate our subjective findings
I'm excited to getting further in.

I've been posting longer reports on my blog, and will record a lengthy post on the Eitr at some point.
Note: This is not an ad!...my blog does not generate income. I simply decided to start recording my experiences with hifi because I found others very helpful when I returned to the hobby. I will post here as well, but will have lengthier reports with photos, etc down the road. I've moved to a podcast style, with audio reports this month. More fun for me.

I will definitely check out your blog with interest.

Regards,
PC

 

[dmhenley]

I forgot to note that I'm using the Wireworld 7 Starlight coaxial cable with the Eitr.

 

[Puma Cat]

I forgot to note that I'm using the Wireworld 7 Starlight coaxial cable with the Eitr.

Cool. I like WW's products. I've met the founder, and he is really a great guy. Very down to earth. I was thinking of upgrading to a better Ethernet cable from my AQ Cinnamon, and I was thinking of trying the Wireworld one, along with Audioquest Vodka. My S/PDIF coax is a Shunyata Venom 75 ohm, which I bought as an open box for only $85. Impressed with it.

 

[Delirious Lab]

Waiting for my Eitr to arrive and can't wait to try it on my speaker setup, which is pretty simple:

Laptop → USB → Marantz PM-7005 integrated amp/DAC → KEF R300

The laptop is a cheapo 5-year-old ACER; the USB cable is 20 feet long, and cost less than that in Canadian dollars. You could say my audio investment is tilted downstream.

(Aside: You would be wrong. I've spent most of my audio money on... music. Can't get much more upstream than that.)

But 1) I like to be able to work on the same laptop while listening (hence the extra-long cable), and 2) you can count me firmly in the "DACS is DACS, amps is amps" camp. IMHO, as long as they do what they're meant to do well, they don't make nearly as much difference as the transducers and the source.

The source... it's the obvious weakness here. To me the setup sounds good, with only a rare glitch when the computer is doing too many tasks - but what am I missing? How clean is my signal? Eitr is said by some to clean it up so well, it doesn't matter anymore what you have upstream from it, whether it be a microRendu or a rusty laptop and a cable that your cat has chewed up...

Too much hype? For those who already own fancy bit-polishing gizmos, maybe. But for the above setup, this looks like the best bang-for-buck upgrade I can make. At least in theory.

So yes, I've got high expectations for this one.

 

[dmhenley]

Waiting for my Eitr to arrive and can't wait to try it on my speaker setup, which is pretty simple:

Laptop → USB → Marantz PM-7005 integrated amp/DAC → KEF R300

The laptop is a cheapo 5-year-old ACER; the USB cable is 20 feet long, and cost less than that in Canadian dollars. You could say my audio investment is tilted downstream.

(Aside: You would be wrong. I've spent most of my audio money on... music. Can't get much more upstream than that.)

But 1) I like to be able to work on the same laptop while listening (hence the extra-long cable), and 2) you can count me firmly in the "DACS is DACS, amps is amps" camp. IMHO, as long as they do what they're meant to do well, they don't make nearly as much difference as the transducers and the source.

The source... it's the obvious weakness here. To me the setup sounds good, with only a rare glitch when the computer is doing too many tasks - but what am I missing? How clean is my signal? Eitr is said by some to clean it up so well, it doesn't matter anymore what you have upstream from it, whether it be a microRendu or a rusty laptop and a cable that your cat has chewed up...

Too much hype? For those who already own fancy bit-polishing gizmos, maybe. But for the above setup, this looks like the best bang-for-buck upgrade I can make. At least in theory.

So yes, I've got high expectations for this one.

That's great - I'm interested to hear your impressions later.
I had a pair of R300's - very nice.