The DIY'rs Cookbook

[johnjen]

I am playing The Eagles Hotel California album in native 192K even as I type this, with nary a stutter or glitch.
I'm on a quad Xeon 2.66GHz Mac Pro on 10.9.5 with EVERYTHING running (e-mail, browser, utilities, antivirus firewall etc. etc.) and MC21 and right now I'm running at ≈7% while typing this and listening and noting that the flow of data for the Danté network is 2.4MB/s, which is minuscule.
 
Currently I've been down sampling what little of my 'hirez' music I own to 88.2K (sometimes to 96K) while also upsampling the 44.1K & 48K to these 2 mid range sample rates.
 
When I get my RN-3 tweaked then I'll run the full panoply of tests to see if there is any advantage to one sample rate over any of the others, biased towards the 44.1K since that is the bulk of my collection.
And I've found that ≈50% of my hirez files are not significantly better than the 44.1K files, although there are a few notable exceptions that are most impressive. 

 
JJ

 

[jelt2359]

I actually have very few high res too. But my yggy works best without any sampling of the original file, so that's unfortunate.

 

[johnjen]

I actually have very few high res too. But my yggy works best without any sampling of the original file, so that's unfortunate.

I don't follow what you mean by "so that's unfortunate."
 
????
 
JJ

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I actually have very few high res too. But my yggy works best without any upsampling of the original file, so that's unfortunate.

I think this is what he meant?

 

[jelt2359]

I don't follow what you mean by "so that's unfortunate."

????

JJ

Otherwise I'd take your approach as well!

 

[Torq]

  I am playing The Eagles Hotel California album in native 192K even as I type this, with nary a stutter or glitch.
I'm on a quad Xeon 2.66GHz Mac Pro on 10.9.5 with EVERYTHING running (e-mail, browser, utilities, antivirus firewall etc. etc.) and MC21 and right now I'm running at ≈7% while typing this and listening and noting that the flow of data for the Danté network is 2.4MB/s, which is minuscule.
 
Currently I've been down sampling what little of my 'hirez' music I own to 88.2K (sometimes to 96K) while also upsampling the 44.1K & 48K to these 2 mid range sample rates.
 
When I get my RN-3 tweaked then I'll run the full panoply of tests to see if there is any advantage to one sample rate over any of the others, biased towards the 44.1K since that is the bulk of my collection.
And I've found that ≈50% of my hirez files are not significantly better than the 44.1K files, although there are a few notable exceptions that are most impressive. 

 
JJ

 
Lovely, thanks!
 
Orders placed ... looking forward to giving it a try and comparing to the Linn/Auralic/Sonore interfaces!

 

[johnjen]

Otherwise I'd take your approach as well!

If I understand correctly…
You can choose any sample rate to send over the Danté network.
 
I can up or down sample to any rate I choose, based upon whatever the source file is.
 
Thus I can down sample a 192KB file to 44.1KB or visa versa.
Along with any other sample rate in between these 2, if I choose.
 
Of course you will need a player to be able to accomplish this, because this sample rate conversion happens before the RedNet system gets it's hands on the data stream.
 
However the RedNet-3 box can't handle the 176.4KB sample rate, while the other RedNet boxes can deal with all of the sample rates up to 192KB.
 
JJ

 

[johnjen]

   
Lovely, thanks!
 
Orders placed ... looking forward to giving it a try and comparing to the Linn/Auralic/Sonore interfaces!

That will be interesting to hear what your evaluation of these ethernet based systems do for your system.
 
And I ordered a Lifatec Toslink cable and compared it to the my existing USB 2-Wyrd setup.
It was connected straight out of my Mac Pro to my PWD dac.
I gotta say that it is a VERY well made cable.
 
I found that the Toslink was 'Better' than just straight USB, but as soon as just a single Wyrd was added the scales tipped.
Then when I added cooked cables and then added a 2nd Wyrd there was no contest, the Toslink fell further and further behind.
 
And the RedNet system is continuing to pull ahead of my 2-Wyrd system.
 
In fact I just added an ether–> fibre–> ether system and thus far the results are better still.
I'll know more as this system settles in.
 
JJ

 

[johnjen]

One of my 'test' techniques is to play 3 star music, sometimes even the rolling stones, the early years.

 
Because when these 'mid grade' recordings (2-3 of 5 stars) start to sound great and like they really should be 4 star…
THEN I know I'm headed in the right direction.
 
Right now ZZ Top is sounding pretty decent.
And after this I usually head towards Overnight Sensation an early Frank Zappa work with amazing acoustic accompaniment.
And how could I not mention such favorites as Stink Foot and I'm the Slime among many others.
 
And that I have this entire album mezmorized, with full operational emphatic emphasis, is just the icing on the top…
 
JJ 

 

[johnjen]

Tonight is nearly a repeat of last nights SuperGlue episode.
 
Last night I think I got a double dose in that I couldn't take my 800's off my head.
It simply could not happen, well maybe between tracks when no music was playing, but it wasn't likely to happen even then (and didn't), the anticipation was to great…
 
Like I posted elsewhere "Last night I gotta double dose of SuperGlue, the tLFF dropped to new all time lows, which led Moar is Less to new degrees heretofore never heard before."
Only here I don't need to translate that… 

 
These new levels of sonic performance are just highlighting how much SQ can be lost because of a 'dirty digital data' path. 
 
And tonight my tLFF isn't as low as last night but it is noteworthy that 2 nights in a row the SQ is simply stellar.
RN3 has 375hrs, the fibre is 80hrs and the fuse is 35hrs
 
JJ

 

[atomicbob]

mostly repeated from the AES67 thread but wanted to say this here as well:
 
Having made so many changes recently I am going to get off the money-go-round, pause, and catch my breath. Listening fatigue is so low as to be non-existent at the moment. Sense of space, dimension, timing, transient event snap has improved enormously. It is time to enjoy the library. Many old musical favorites that weren't the best technical recordings are demonstrating a huge improvement. My current source system:
 
JRMC with both Sonarworks compensation, Waves NX 3-D spatialization, some custom tweaks, and phase reverse
 
VSC ASIO -> Ethernet -> RN J16 -> AES/EBU -> MC-3+ -> AES/EBU -> Yggdrasil
VSC ASIO -> Ethernet -> RN J16 -> AES/EBU -> MC-3+ -> SPDIF -> Gungnir MB
 
Silver Sonic Air Matrix for unbalanced RCA to Zana Deux or Liquid Crimson or Garage1217 PH-III with Acopian LPS
Balanced XLR to V200
 
Norne Draug 2 cables from amps to 4 pin XLR phase reverse to 4 pin XLR to HD650 or HD800.
 
Some will disagree with my analogy, but to me the auditory improvement is similar to upgrading from a
Nikon NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G kit lens - which is already very good at 55mm - to a
Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus Distagon T* Lens - Stunning visual improvement.
 
It has been warm here lately so I have not been running the Zana Deux or Liquid Crimson but keeping the heat down with a Violectric V200 run balanced from the Yggdrasil. I don't remember the V200 sounding this good. Source chain matters. Still prefer ZD or LC over it, but the V200 is sounding very good indeed.
 
Back to rediscovering more CDs in the library.
 
@Soundsgoodtome - the PH-III with LPS really shines with the RN -> MC-3+ GuMB source.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I'm glad you guys are finding the the new found transports a good addition to your rigs. It's almost like rediscovering your rig and music all over again really, I've been going through my library front to back since. My new to me speaker system also adds to the novelty I'm experiencing but the Rednet unit is at the core of this new found enjoyment I feel.

Bob, as much as I have enjoyed the liquid carbon I really need to hear that ph3/lps amp! I feel like everyone's heard it but myself haha.

Cheers gents - happy 4th!

 

[somestranger26]

  So over on the XMOS thread a poster added a link to a 'universal' fuse code #'s and their meaning page.
 
Yeah it’s a 2 amp fuse…
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/803111/xmos-xu208-usb-bridges-the-latest-gen-has-arrived/2550#post_12648693

Originally Posted by johnjen /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Oh and while I was perusing the Focusrite site I ran across the listing of fuses used in all of their gear.
The rated fuse for this device (RN3) is .25amp (240V) and .5amp (120V), which is about what I would expect for values, given the power usage.

What is the verdict on this, 2A or 0.5A fuse? I installed a 2A in mine based on the fuse codes from that post. Should I get a 0.5A instead?

 

[Muziqboy]

  What is the verdict on this, 2A or 0.5A fuse? I installed a 2A in mine based on the fuse codes from that post. Should I get a 0.5A instead?

 
You're fine with 2amp as that is what is marked on the original fuse.

 

[johnjen]

  mostly repeated from the AES67 thread but wanted to say this here as well:
 
Having made so many changes recently I am going to get off the money-go-round, pause, and catch my breath. Listening fatigue is so low as to be non-existent at the moment. Sense of space, dimension, timing, transient event snap has improved enormously. It is time to enjoy the library. Many old musical favorites that weren't the best technical recordings are demonstrating a huge improvement. My current source system:
 
snip
 
Back to rediscovering more CDs in the library.
 
@Soundsgoodtome - the PH-III with LPS really shines with the RN -> MC-3+ GuMB source.

It’s a wise man who knows when to quit chasing that illusive 'What If This Might Be Better' merry-go-round, and just listen…
 
JJ