[qusp]

Hey Guys, dont know how many of you have already seen this info. but recently Via has announced the Envy USB 2.0 receiver/controller. this device allows 8 x 24bit/192khz streams, with i2c, i2s, spdif etc etc. its not a USB receiver that can be harnessed for audio as a result of doing data, its an audio product from the ground up designed for pro audio production and hirez cinema content.

i've sent them an email asking for more info, datasheet and possible samples, not sure about driver support until I get that reply, but it sure looks promising doesnt it?? I may have to sign an NDA to get that info of course knowing today's climate

since the low bandwidth was really the main thing stopping me from being interested in USB for audio i'm quite happy for this announcement. has some nice implications for active crossovers too

anyone else know anything about it? or even better used it?

oh and no its not async, its isychronous with a twist. regardless they apparently have their own system of making sure all the bits arrive in the right order without getting lost along the way

 

[TzeYang]

excellent!

Now I won't even bother with other formats if this becomes accessible.

 

[qusp]

yes lets hope that it isnt just licensed to some high end manufacturers leaving us to continue to drool over them, using a mess of proprietary proprietary hardware with proprietary software. with luck it wont even need a driver as such and will simply use USB 2.0 as a transport in combination with imbedded hardware control.

though I dont think that will be the case (that we will be denied access as DIYers) since they have made so many press releases.

make no mistake, this is a big deal IMO

 

[krmathis]

Great news!
Will be nice to see what dedicated audio product come out as a result of this. DACs that is

 

[the search never ends]

I wish I did know more, that is a solution I would love to have. This is exciting news, and overdue.

 

[digger945]

Quote:

Originally Posted by qusp /img/forum/go_quote.gif oh and no its not async, its isychronous with a twist. regardless they apparently have their own system of making sure all the bits arrive in the right order without getting lost along the way

I think the purpose of async is to control the timing externally with a more accurate clock externally. Also, I am not sure, but wouldn't the OS need to be coded to take advantage of the higher sample rate, as you can transmit 24/192 now with device specific drivers. Maybe this could be dealt with in the bios of a machine. Admittedly, I know little about how USB audio works.

It appears to be a promising device. I look forward to seeing it implemented soon. Hopefully in an affordable machine and not a multi-thousand dollar "audio only" setup.

 

[linuxworks]

I almost want to see a new twist. ethernet to spdif (really thin, not some box like a squeezebox or popcorn hour, both of which do ethernet to spdif, sort of).

ethernet has all the speed you need. you BURST stuff into some box and then let it unravel it, slowly, on its own.

perfect solution. cheap, easy, interoperable. just needs drivers (lol).

wonder why its not been done. usb is kind of a hack, at times. otoh, ethernet ALWAYS works and has all the b/w you'd ever need. evar

that would get me excited.

 

[AndrewFischer]

Eval board:

 

[linuxworks]

the eval board look nice, but I'd rather wait for a discrete fully class-A version.

LOL!

 

[linuxworks]

looking at their specs:

Quote:

Blu-ray Disc™ Audio Content Protection » 24-bit/192kHz audio output delivering cinema-level audio experience

this scares me. it implies NDA and closed source and a toolkit that will 'keep you from the direct bits'.

I would not quite trust this since it includes some BD stuff. BD is evil (ie, non-open and very anti consumer).

this won't be opensource. I'm pretty sure, just on this, alone.

 

[macm75]

Gotta kick of your title. Prayers...Holy Grail
Another youngster who never spun an LP?

 

[linuxworks]

LP?

oh please, lets not get into THAT. not here.

 

[qusp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by digger945 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the purpose of async is to control the timing externally with a more accurate clock externally. Also, I am not sure, but wouldn't the OS need to be coded to take advantage of the higher sample rate, as you can transmit 24/192 now with device specific drivers. Maybe this could be dealt with in the bios of a machine. Admittedly, I know little about how USB audio works. It appears to be a promising device. I look forward to seeing it implemented soon. Hopefully in an affordable machine and not a multi-thousand dollar "audio only" setup.

indeed that is what async is, but its just another way of making sure everything arrives and is played in the right order. async just happened to be invented because the OG USB clocking is so crap and limiting, so they removed the part about being tied to the current usb audio implementation by turning it back into a transport protocol with the audio clocking taken care of by something that actually does a 'good' job that is not tied to the USB device

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxworks /img/forum/go_quote.gif I almost want to see a new twist. ethernet to spdif (really thin, not some box like a squeezebox or popcorn hour, both of which do ethernet to spdif, sort of). ethernet has all the speed you need. you BURST stuff into some box and then let it unravel it, slowly, on its own. perfect solution. cheap, easy, interoperable. just needs drivers (lol). wonder why its not been done. usb is kind of a hack, at times. otoh, ethernet ALWAYS works and has all the b/w you'd ever need. evar that would get me excited.

agreed, ethernet is already there, but then there has been technology capable of everything we want for ages, just nobody will let us at it

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewFischer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Eval board:

oooohhhh

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxworks /img/forum/go_quote.gif looking at their specs: this scares me. it implies NDA and closed source and a toolkit that will 'keep you from the direct bits'. I would not quite trust this since it includes some BD stuff. BD is evil (ie, non-open and very anti consumer). this won't be opensource. I'm pretty sure, just on this, alone.

yes, this is why I have emailed them and asked about such limiting factors before I waste any time on it; but I thought I would see if anyone here had already made that journey while I waited.

Quote:

Originally Posted by macm75 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Gotta kick of your title. Prayers...Holy Grail Another youngster who never spun an LP?

another old man in denial that his rig has not been eaten up and spat out??

actually no, i'm 35, grew up with LPs, saw Fleetwood Mac as a youngster, Pink Floyd live at boondal at 14 and lived and worked with DJ's through my teens, but sorry vinyl has its place, but it is but a distant memory fading further into the rear view; I have been using my mac as source since the mid-late 90's with various recording interfaces, only lately migrating more to feeding dedicated DACs with my RME via AES/BNC, I wont be turning back the clock to vinyl any time soon; computer as source is just far too convenient and the sound is pretty darn good as well IMO, with the right DIY or deep pockets

now thats not to say vinyl rigs cant sound the business, just not my business.

 

[AndrewFischer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxworks /img/forum/go_quote.gif l I would not quite trust this since it includes some BD stuff. BD is evil (ie, non-open and very anti consumer). this won't be opensource. I'm pretty sure, just on this, alone.

I agree. Best hope for this device is an inexpensive consumer product we could make use of.

 

[AndrewFischer]

This might be a stupid question, but why not use S/PDIF if you want more than 44.1kHz and 16-bit? Many computers have some sort of S/PDIF connector.


The iMac I'm using at the moment has a mini TOSLINK connectors twinned with the analog headphone and microphone jacks. As I recall (correct me if I'm wrong) current macs support 96KHz 24-bit 2-channel in and out with the on-board connectors as well as 5.1 out.