[TGBerland]

  What is the best way to go from my USB C MacBook Pro to the AES input on Yggy, I am a little confused... help would be appreciated!

I see you have responses here, but I run the following.
 
You need a USB-C to USB-B cable. If you follow my approach (I don't have USB-C on my computer):
- Connect this cable to the iFi Audio Micro iUSB 3.0 (active power cleaner/regenerator).
- From the iFi Audio Micro iUSB 3.0; connect via normal USB-A to USB-B cable to Audiobyte Hydra-Z (with Hydra-ZPM linear power-supply). Hydra-Z is a USB=>SPDIF/i2S converter
- From the Hydra-Z, i connect the Yggdrasil via AES/EBU.
 
Result; magic
if you want to go the cable route; main place to put a good cable is between iFi Audio Micro iUSB 3.0 and the Hydra Z, and make sure you are running a 110 Ohms cable for AES/EBU to the Yggdrasil. You could (like me) go wild and go for the expensive cables all the way (they make a difference; digital signals are in fact analog signals while in cable, and keep in mind: time is _not_ digital). 
 
I have the following setup.
iMAC 27" => Nordost Heimdall2 USB => iFi Audio Micro iUSB 3.0
iFi Audio Micro iUSB 3.0 => Nordost Heimdall2 USB => Audiobyte Hydra-Z
Audiobyte Hydra-Z => Nordost Heimdall2 AES/EBU => Schiit Yggdrasil
Schiit Yggdrasil => Nordost Heimdall2 XLR => Moon 430HAD
Moon 430HAD => Nordost Heimdall2 balanced headphone cable => Audeze LCD-4 (rev2)/Audeze LCD-XC
 
Nordost Heimdall2 power cables all around (not the PC); and everything gets power from the ISOTEK Sigmas EVO3; which again is connected via a Nordost Heimdall2 power cable
 
This is pure magic; all parts have an effect - I tested for free and just ended up buying the whole cable-mess and power conditioner

 

[TGBerland]

Regarding which output is best for the Yggy (I also asked the guy behind Audiobyte and Rockna, and his input was according to my my conclusion after testing - of course based on which output from the Hydra-Z should be used if you have support for all of them)
 
i2s (not available on the Yggy) / AES / BNC / Coax / optical
I will place the USB port between coax and optical.
 
USB implementation on the Yggy is really good (but not the best out there; MSB is _much_ better; and Audiobyte is very close to the MSB Quad USB interface).
 
In my opinion, you have not heard the Yggdrasil if you only have tried it with a direct connection via USB to the computer. AES/EBU is so much better. I managed to test through all inputs with same brand/type of cables from Hydra-Z (which supports sending SPDIF to all outputs at the same time; so I could just switch through them with the same music). I hooked up Yggy USB by binding Hydra Z and Yggy USB in macOS; playing to the new device containing both devices. Hence I could test all output at the same time; with same source.

 

[winders]

  Regarding which output is best for the Yggy (I also asked the guy behind Audiobyte and Rockna, and his input was according to my my conclusion after testing - of course based on which output from the Hydra-Z should be used if you have support for all of them)
 
i2s (not available on the Yggy) / AES / BNC / Coax / optical
I will place the USB port between coax and optical.
 
USB implementation on the Yggy is really good (but not the best out there; MSB is _much_ better; and Audiobyte is very close to the MSB Quad USB interface).
 
In my opinion, you have not heard the Yggdrasil if you only have tried it with a direct connection via USB to the computer. AES/EBU is so much better. I managed to test through all inputs with same brand/type of cables from Hydra-Z (which supports sending SPDIF to all outputs at the same time; so I could just switch through them with the same music). I hooked up Yggy USB by binding Hydra Z and Yggy USB in macOS; playing to the new device containing both devices. Hence I could test all output at the same time; with same source.

How much better did you find AES/EBU over RCA coax? Do you think was due to the AES/EBU on Yggy being that much better than RCA coax or could it be that the Hydra-Z is better at AES/EBU than it is RCA coax?
 
I ask because I am trying to find a good reason to not pursue a DDC that supports AES/EBU.....but I may not find it!

 

[TGBerland]

 
How much better did you find AES/EBU over RCA coax? Do you think was due to the AES/EBU on Yggy being that much better than RCA coax or could it be that the Hydra-Z is better at AES/EBU than it is RCA coax?
 
I ask because I am trying to find a good reason to not pursue a DDC that supports AES/EBU.....but I may not find it!

I wondered the same myself; that is why I asked Nicolae Jitariu (founder of Rockna/Audiobyte). His reponse was that there were technical reasons for this (according to how the different interfaces were defined initially). If I understood correct; this applied for all units regarding SPDIF transfer; AES/EBU was always the best (except i2S)). 
 
Edit:
How much better; depends on the rest of your setup of course - but for my gear I could clearly hear the difference (and I really wanted the coax to be just as good; since I had cable for that in place already). We are not talking night/day difference of course, but more the smaller things (more transparency; better positioning etc... think if you have +1 on both your eyes; you can still look fine without glasses, but with glasses you see everything clearer. The same happened for the audio via AES/EBU vs Coax. 
 
Edit2:
But I have to say that the quality level you can squeeze out of Yggdrasil is fantastic; I wouldn't trade it with a MSB Analog DAC (even with fancy power supply). In my experience you need to put som effort into getting the best out of it. It is absolutely easiest with a high quality transporter; or a network player. With computers it is more tricky (since USB Audio in fact was more a "addon-feature" to the USB 2.0 standard to support async USB audio. It was not done right in USB 1.0; and still not good enough in USB 2.0). SPDIF implementation can also be messy - there is a reason most good dac's cost a bunch of money, except for Yggdrasil).

 

[winders]

  I wondered the same myself; that is why I asked Nicolae Jitariu (founder of Rockna/Audiobyte). His reponse was that there were technical reasons for this (according to the different interfaces were defined initially). If I understood correct; this applied for all units regarding SPDIF transfer; AES/EBU was always the best (except i2S)). 
 
Edit:
How much better; depends on the rest of your setup of course - but for my gear I could clearly hear the difference (and I really wanted the coax to be just as good; since I had cable for that in place already). We are not talking night/day difference of course, but more the smaller things (more transparency; better positioning etc... think if you have +1 on both your eyes; you can still look fine without glasses, but with glasses you see everything clearer. The same happened for the audio via AES/EBU vs Coax. 

Damn.....
 
Did you ever try any of the Singxer products? The Hydra-Z is more than double the price of the Singxer SU-1 which has the same out puts as the Hydra-Z.

 

[wink]

 
I was the one that said the cable maker told me to let the coax cable burn in for 100 hours.
 
However, I went back and re-read the email thread. I was wrong. He said it takes "about 100 hours" for the XLR headphone cables he makes to burn in. My mistake.

You can speed the process up with a blowtorch.........  

 

[winders]

 
You can speed the process up with a blowtorch.........  

 

 

 

[TGBerland]

Yes I have tested; Hydra-Z is brett

 
Damn.....
 
Did you ever try any of the Singxer products? The Hydra-Z is more than double the price of the Singxer SU-1 which has the same out puts as the Hydra-Z.

A have tested SU-1 XMOS USB Audio Bridge (built on the same principle as Hydra Z; except Hydra-Z have splittet out power supply in different unit (the Hydra-ZPM).
 
I really think Audiobyte Hydra-Z shines when you combine it with Hydra-ZPM. If you have no plans to buy the Hydra-Z+Hydra-ZPM (only the Hydra-Z alone), I think you should go for the SU-1 XMOS USB Audio Bridge (from Singxer).

 

[johnjen]

 
How much better did you find AES/EBU over RCA coax? Do you think was due to the AES/EBU on Yggy being that much better than RCA coax or could it be that the Hydra-Z is better at AES/EBU than it is RCA coax?
 
I ask because I am trying to find a good reason to not pursue a DDC that supports AES/EBU.....but I may not find it!

In my testing using AOIP as a source, AES was markedly 'better' than SPDIF, which was 'better' than my modded USB source. And that was using commercial grade 110Ω (aes spec) wire vs the audio grade SPDIF cable I had at the time.
 
IOW even with the AES feed 'handicapped' so to speak when compared to the SPDIF feed, AES provided a 'better' acoustic experience.
I have since upgraded the AES feed using the same audio grade cable, which elevated the performance yet again.
 
JJ

 

[winders]

  Yes I have tested; Hydra-Z is brett
A have tested SU-1 XMOS USB Audio Bridge (built on the same principle as Hydra Z; except Hydra-Z have splittet out power supply in different unit (the Hydra-ZPM).
 
I really think Audiobyte Hydra-Z shines when you combine it with Hydra-ZPM. If you have no plans to buy the Hydra-Z+Hydra-ZPM (only the Hydra-Z alone), I think you should go for the SU-1 XMOS USB Audio Bridge (from Singxer).

Is the power supply a big problem for the Singxer SU-1? Doesn't using AES/EBU isolate the DAC from any upstream contamination? In fact, doesn't Singxer say there is some level of galvanic isolation inherent to the SU-1?
 
If the power supply is a problem, I can always bypass it and use a low noise LPS to power the board instead.

 

[TGBerland]

In my opinion; The Audiobyte Hydra-Z with the Hydra-ZPM is one of the (if not the) absolute best USB=>SPDIF converter out there

 

[winders]

  In my opinion; The Audiobyte Hydra-Z with the Hydra-ZPM is one of the (if not the) absolute best USB=>SPDIF converter out there

That setup costs about $1500 here......ouch. I can do the Singxer SU-1 and UpTone LPS-1 for about half that. 

 

[TGBerland]

 
Is the power supply a big problem for the Singxer SU-1? Doesn't using AES/EBU isolate the DAC from any upstream contamination? In fact, doesn't Singxer say there is some level of galvanic isolation inherent to the SU-1?
 
If the power supply is a problem, I can always bypass it and use a low noise LPS to power the board instead.

I don't think the SU-1 is galvanic isolated (not sure) ?
 

The SU-1 uses an ordinary linear power supply. Audiobyte Hydra-ZPM uses a ultracapacitor bank consisting of 2 x 310 Farards (1 Farad equals 1.000.000 uF); which changes the game completely when it comes to clean power

 

[TGBerland]

 
That setup costs about $1500 here......ouch. I can do the Singxer SU-1 and UpTone LPS-1 for about half that. 

It is expensive (I bought 2 of them; one for home and one for the office).
 
If money is an issue (it usually is); go with the Sigxer SU-1. My advise
 
Edit:
Just keep in mind that you can not use the Uptone LPS-1 for the Singxer SU-1 (no place to plug in).  But you can run the Hydra-Z with the UpTone LPS-1

 

[winders]

  I don't think the SU-1 is galvanic isolated (not sure) ?
 

The SU-1 uses an ordinary linear power supply. Audiobyte Hydra-ZPM uses a ultracapacitor bank consisting of 2 x 310 Farards (1 Farad equals 1.000.000 uF); which changes the game completely when it comes to clean power

I found this:
 
"Singxer's remaining board is a 4-layer PCB with lots of good things to offer. A pair of Crystek CCHD-575 "femto" clocks handle timing, while two ISO7641 digital isolators provide galvanic isolation to keep noise separated."