[cdacosta]

When I came home tonight I tried to find one of my nicer digital coax cables and did not. So I built one using Belden 1695A (75 ohm coax) with Eichmann Copper Bullet RCA plugs using Cardas Quad Eutectic solder. Installed it and using the Coax sounds the best when compared to USB and Toslink. The coax has the detail, PRAT and weight of presentation as the Unison USB without any minuses and way cleaner signal from my PC. No noise anywhere near my listening level, even if I was to crank it up. Thanks for all that have chimed in. This discussion is cool since I am sure many have a similar issue.

Oh one last thing I noticed. For the Modius I switched around USB cables for power that go to the supplied 5V charger. I used 4 in total that are all different with one of them coming with the unit. All sell for under $15. There were slight differences I noticed between them that effected the overall sonic presentation in one way or the other. All connections before installing/trying the cables cleaned with 91% rubbing alcohol. No contact enhancers used. Never unplugged the 5V power supply, just switched cables. The 5V power supply plugged into a medical grade line conditioner/isolator I modified.

 

[Signal2Noise]

This could qualify for a number of different threads but I’ll start here.

I finally received all the components for my ”dream” bedroom nightstand setup that is also WAF friendly. Got it set up and initial audio impressions, considering I’m going wireless for sources, is extremely gratifying. The most important key to this stack is the cabling so the units aren’t too far way from wall. This where the Snake Oil Slim XLR (wooden thingy in profile pic) comes into play as well as a very flexible AQ Cinnamon Toslink to connect Node to Modius. The AQ will suffice until I can find a flexible short plug COAX cable (recommendations?) to use.

Using BluOS app works flawlessly. Roon suffered a single dropout during the few FLAC tracks I demoed from my NAS.

Setup: Modius, Magnius, Bluesound Node 2, Meze 99 Classics w/ Forza Audioworks Claire Hybrid XLR cable.

 

[benjisun]

I think I'll have to buy an ifi iDefender or something for my Asgard 3 with AK DAC. Seems like one of the only options to solve my grounding issue.

I recommend the Ifi Idefender as it solved my issue.

Going full ballanced doesnt ensure you to be free of grounding issue. My problem was noise coming from computer via usb port to the RME to my subwoofer and the RME + Speaker and sub were connected via XLR ballanced.
Using Toslking optical also solve the issue without the need for ifi idefender (for ground/psu speration) but you are limited to 24/32 bit 192 khz. On the modius its not an issue (no dsd) but depending on your Spdif source its sounds better of worse than usb .

 

[cgb3]

For the Modius using spdif over USB isn't a big deal.

A major selling point of the Modius is the Unison USB, so yea, it is a big deal.

 

[WaveTheory]

A major selling point of the Modius is the Unison USB, so yea, it is a big deal.

I could have been clearer. Unison is a selling point and is ergonomically nice, especially if you're switching between multiple digital sources. At the same time Modius does not have the galvanic isolation that Unison has on the Bifrost 2 and higher. To my ear Modius doesn't sound meaningfully different from usb or spdif inputs - which is the not big deal part. Bifrost 2, OTOH, sounds noticeably better from USB than spdif, which is a big deal, IMO.

 

[ColdsnapBry]

I forgot does the Gen 5 USB in Biforst 1 have galvanic isolation? Might be a better option for my budget.

 

[jmwant]

For it's level of quality, the LA-QXD1 is a bit underrated. Hope this helps.

 

[tameral]

(Note: I used the search function on this thread and it was rejecting all of my search terms)

I have one of these backordered, but I read that the unbalanced RCA outputs on these are considerably, noticeably sub-par compared to the balanced outputs - let's say hooking up to an Asgard 3 or something. Has this been true of anyone with experience with this synth or was the person claiming this - I donno - maybe he's crazy or just on a mission to disclaim the modius.

I'm hoping that it will sound equally good out of the unbalanced RCA vs the Balanced. If it doesn't, I am terribly motivated to switch over to the Bifrost, at considerable expense

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

(Note: I used the search function on this thread and it was rejecting all of my search terms)

I have one of these backordered, but I read that the unbalanced RCA outputs on these are considerably, noticeably sub-par compared to the balanced outputs - let's say hooking up to an Asgard 3 or something. Has this been true of anyone with experience with this synth or was the person claiming this - I donno - maybe he's crazy or just on a mission to disclaim the modius.

I'm hoping that it will sound equally good out of the unbalanced RCA vs the Balanced. If it doesn't, I am terribly motivated to switch over to the Bifrost, at considerable expense

I've used both balanced and SE and both sound great. I use SE with an Asgard 3 and balanced with a Rupert Neve RNHP.

 

[tameral]

Anyone by chance compared the output of a Modi 3+ with the SE output of the Modius?

I'm curious if I should let go of my Modi 3+ since I'm getting the Modius. I could run the SE output of the Modius into a Loki and then into the Jotunheim 2. And I could then have the balanced output from the Modius into the Jotunheim 2. Seems like a set up with some options.

However, in keeping the Modi3+ if it is better than the SE output of the Modius, instead of using the SE outputs on the Modius into the Loki I could keep my Modi 3+ and have it run into the Loki and into the unbalanced of the Jotunheim 2, while of course running balanced from the Modius in the Jotunheim 2.

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

I think the Modius blows away the Modi 3.

 

[dougq]

I think the Modius blows away the Modi 3.

What is different from the Modi 3? I couldn't make heads or tails between Modi 3 and Bifrost 2, so i'm curious as to how the Modius blows away the Modi 3.

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

Its subjective. Blows it away for me. For me only. I shouldn't generalize.

 

[dougq]

Its subjective. Blows it away for me. For me only. I shouldn't generalize.

So what I'm getting at, is I have been trying to identify a song. It can be on any high quality service. Where I can listen to a range of time in the music, switch over, and identify a difference. I have been hunting for this all weekend. So let me know if you have an example where something in you click "this part sounds way better".

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

So what I'm getting at, is I have been trying to identify a song. It can be on any high quality service. Where I can listen to a range of time in the music, switch over, and identify a difference. I have been hunting for this all weekend. So let me know if you have an example where something in you click "this part sounds way better".

Maybe it's because I use my DACs to listen to CDs? Still records and CDs for me. Beats me?