[1117]

I'm about to spring the money for the Trends Audio UD-10.1 USB Audio Converter to use as a transport.

From what reviews say, it sounds best with the battery power pack, which I don't mind purchasing. However, how come a battery pack was chosen over a dedicated wall wart? Is there a reason for this? I am not aware of the intricacies concerning rechargeables vs. wallwarts, so pardon my naivete if the answer is obvious.

 

[SonicDawg]

well, for the really discriminating minds, there's difference between battery power instead of regulated DC power. I couldn't tell the difference, though.

 

[1117]

Well, for future reference, I have been talking to "Koby" from hifilogic.com via e-mail, and asked him a few questions. Here is part of my e-mail:

Quote:

Originally Posted by me I have one inquiry though. I see that in the back of the unit, where you hook up the battery pack, it says "Ext. power DC +5v." I know not much about power supply units but, does this mean I could use an AC/DC adapter for this unit WITHOUT damaging it, of course? If the answer is yes, what would you recommend?

And this was Koby's response:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koby from hifilogic.com Yes the ext.power DC will accomodate an adaptor but was meant for the battery pack - being a pure digital product - you have to be extra careful on what you plug in - that is why we are developing our own power supply - for it - because, some folks are causing damage to their equipment. Not really recommended but if you can find one that has a current of not more than8 - 9 hundred milliamps at 5volts - then expect no damage at all - that will be perfect - also you have to make sure the polarity is correct otherwise you will damage it.

Also:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koby from hifilogic.com Playing the UD-10.1 with the computer alone is spectacular to start with. [size=xx-small][Note by 1117: this is in reference to the unit being powered through the USB and not via the battery pack.][/size]

I hope this might be of help -and warning- to some who have thought of using an adapter with this unit in hopes of avoiding the battery charging/discharging issue.

Also, I hope hifilogic.com has successful tests with their experimental power supply for the UD-10.1. I'd like one!

 

[1117]

I finally ordered the UD10.1 from hifilogic.com.

Just to let you guys know, communication is SUPERB. I absolutely love that. I'd recommend you guys to check the site out!

 

[Capunk]

I'll wait for your impression.
and how much do they charge you?

 

[Screamager]

This basically gets a signal from the USB port and gives you spdif or AES/EBU output, no? Anybody know how it compares to the HagUSB unit?

 

[Capunk]

Yes, this unit is a transport.
Technically this unit should be superior to HagUSB, because it does have external PSU or Battery Pack, and from the design perspective, it's more complex than HagUSB and using higher quality caps. But I don't know if someone ever compare it each other.

 

[t_m_c]

I too purchased a UD-10.1 from Koby at hifilogic.com. Koby's a great guy and helped me a lot choosing the components for a system. I ended up with the UD-10.1, Benchmark DAC1 (both from Koby) and Mackie HR824 monitors. The UD-10.1 was $149
Hifi Logic - The Gateway to Absolute Reference Audio Systems

The problem with the battery pack as I understand it is that it cannot remain on the charger. It's cheap, but that sounded like too much trouble to me. The UD-10.1 works fine getting power from the USB port - but other posters and Trends recommend better power than the USB port - which is why Trends makes the battery pack.

Because of a post at audiocircle and communication with Robin (the poster) I purchased a Channel Islands Audio CI VDC-SB power supply from Dusty at ciaudio.com for $259. CIAudio will not stand behind the power supply for use with the UD-10.1.
Channel Islands Audio

Post (satfrat):
VDC•SB Update (Squeezebox Power Supply)

I've only had the system a week and have not been able to test the UD-10.1 with and without the power supply. I can't hot plug/unplug it from the UD-10.1 or I loose sound. I have to disable the sound driver in windows and re-enable it to get sound back. I can't remember if the DAC1 looses signal - I assume it must. That being the case, it would take too long to compare sound with and without the supply - it wouldn't be a valid test.

If you have any suggestions as to how to conduct a test I'll be happy to try it.

Cheers,
Tom