[colour97]

successfully power on and running.

device is made in canada. metal body,
handfeel very solid.

i have a question , if i want to diy
dc cable for 24v , what size of the inlet i need to buy?

 

[rb2013]

  Wondering if anyone has compared the Startech to the Icron?

Not yet - at least not posted about it.  I haven't

 

[rb2013]

successfully power on and running.

device is made in canada. metal body,
handfeel very solid.

i have a question , if i want to diy
dc cable for 24v , what size of the inlet i need to buy?

Nice
 
I upgraded my MEIYAN to REX with this cable: very nice cable - very reasonable price.  I ordered the 2.1mm DC end and it works great.  Also available as a 2.5mm
 
Teddy Pardo Silver:
https://www.teddypardo.com/cables/misc-cables.html

 

[rb2013]

Here is an interesting thread I was reading over the weekend.  Ok you may need a computer science degree to set this up - and maybe a audiophile Masters to follow most of this - but...
 
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f10-music-servers/novel-way-massively-improve-sq-sms-200-and-microrendu-31110/
 
A few takeaways:
 
 >Ethernet can provide a better digital source solution.
 
>After rolling through a few thousand dollars of Ethernet cables  - he uses the Blue Jeans Cable CAT6a 500Mhz ($29)  that I have recommended in a few of the many Ethernet connections.  Like I said this is a 'must try' in the Startech/Icron link.
 
>Third - power supplies matter!  The better the power supply likely the better the results.  AC isolation, balancing and filtering important as well.  Now he goes to the extreme (dedicated 20A AC line for the 5 LPS's - and a 15A non-dedicated line for any SMPS) - powering the mR chain with a Paul Hynes SR7 and I believe 3 Uptone LPS-1's.  About $3000 worth of LPS's - his comments:

A novel way to massively improve the SQ of the sMS-200 and microRendu 

Ok, MASSIVE is a bit of an overstatement at this level of high-end audio but now that I have your attention, I would say that this improvement is quite significant, nonetheless, and once you hear it, I suspect you will not wish to go back to your previous setup. More importantly, this is neither difficult nor expensive to implement.​

(My comment -HA!)

 
No doubting his statement below that the Hynes $1200 SR7 - is better then the $150 TeraDak DC-30W (what no DC iPur as a companion to the DC-30!) and the $400 HDPlex.  Well the DC-30W has approx 20uv of noise (newer MOSFET design) and the HDplex has 180uv of noise.  He doesn't give the SR7's noise levels - but I believe they are around 30uv.  The key on the SR7 as he points out is it's very low impedance.  And how important low impedance is for a LPS for SQ (the reason I replaced the PS caps in both my TeraDaks to low impedance Nichicon HW's (and high PSRR)).
Not sure the impedance levels on the TeraDak's.  Is the 'magic' of the DC iPur - a lowering DC output impedance?  Recovery the same? iPur2??
 

What is the measured output impedance of the Paul Hynes SR7? According to Paul, his SR5 and SR7 measure <3 millohms from DC to 100kHz and so consider this number as a reference point for comparison. Having asked around, it seems no one else can provide these impedance measurements over what John Swenson describes to be his ideal frequency range either because they don't own the measuring equipment to do so or because they don't believe this spec is important.​

 

 

What I can tell you is that neither my HDPlex or Teradak are low impedance LPSUs because neither of these units are good enough to allow me to distinguish one source from another when fronted by either the microRendu or sMS-200 and both are soundly trounced by my​

LPS

-1 and my SR7 when it comes to soundstage dimensionality.​

 

Interesting comment on the Rednet AOIP and it's SMPS - something I have been commenting on for quite some time here and on my AOIP Rednet thread:
 

Many of you are aware of the claims many are making on several threads here on​

CA

but also on HeadFi of how RedNet and Dante provides this "you are there" clarity. I had a ReNet 3 in my home for evaluation for nearly a month and I agree, it provides this beguiling sense of clarity that has to be heard to be appreciated although the problem with RedNet, I believe, is its inferior switching​

PSU

. These units sound flat and dimensionless compared to my described setup above and so this clarity that RedNet brings almost sounds sterile and lifeless in comparison.​

 

 
Maybe he should ditch the mR and try a F-1 based 'Ultra' USB chain!  No need for $3000 in LPS's alone?
 
Value of music storage out of the PC - his solution is only another $3000! 

I am finding better SQ (smoother with less edge) from a single 4TB Samsung​

SSD

connected to a Thunderbolt hub that also houses a DVD-ROM that I use to rip my CDs. The hub is connected directly to my Mac Mini using a Synergistic Research Active SE Thunderbolt cable and it is this cable that is responsible for the smoother and less edgy SQ. I have compared several Thunderbolt cables including Corning's optical Thunderbolt cable which I was sure would sound best but interestingly, while it sounds very detailed, there is an unpleasant grain. This Thunderbolt hub (12V) is currently being powered independently by my now repurposed HDPlex. I am afraid to try the SR7 on this hub because I am afraid there will be an improvement and I will be forced to consider the purchase of another Paul Hynes supply. Thus far, anything I have connected my SR7 to has been improved by it.​

 

 
AND If anybody thinks my 'Ultra' USB chain is convoluted - you have to read some of these microRendu DNLA Ethernet chains!
 
Like this one:
 

 
Or computer set-up commands like these!  I'll take USB over DNLA/UpNP any day!!

OK, so my network's gateway address is 192.18.0.2. My​

NAS

(unbridged) has a static IP of 192.168.0.240. I allocated another static address 192.168.0.241 for my 2nd port.​

​

​

Here are the commands I tried - exactly like the link you posted, with edits for my situation:​

​

​

Synology#​

insmod /lib/modules/stp.ko​

​

Synology#​

insmod /lib/modules/bridge.ko​

​

Synology#​

brctl addbr br0​

​

Synology#​

brctl stp br0 off​

​

Synology#​

ifconfig br0 192.168.0.240 netmask 255.255.255.0 up​

​

Synology#​

brctl addif br0 eth0​

​

Synology#​

brctl addif br0 eth1​

​

Synology#​

ifconfig eth0 192.168.0.240 promisc up​

​

Synology#​

ifconfig eth1 192.168.0.241 promisc up​

​

Synology#​

route add default gw 192.168.0.2 dev br0​

​

​

Looking at this, I do have some questions:​

1. is the IP address of the bridge interface (br0) supposed to the be the same as the eth0?
2. What is the correct default gateway address?
3. I didn't try bouncing br0 after this sequence - maybe I should have

​

​

Thanks for any suggestions.​

 

 

[lazz]

RB, is this the Blue Jeans cable you are using between the Startech's? It says 500mhz. What length is best, 1 foot or much longer?
 
 

[size=1.3em][size=1.2em]Cat 6a Patch Cords--BJC C6AP

Bonded Pairs, Cat 6a, 500 MHz; Rated CMR for installation Every cable individually tested, with report[/size]
[size=1.3em]Length in feet[/size]	[size=1.3em]Color[/size]	[size=1.3em]Price[/size]
[size=1.3em][/size]	[size=1.3em]BlackWhiteGreenRedYellowOrangePurpleBrownGrey[/size]	[size=1.3em][/size]	[size=1.3em] ​ [/size]
[size=1.3em][/size]	[size=1.3em]  [/size]

[/size]

 

[Mr Underhill]

For anyone interested in the BJ ethernet cables and based in the UK:
 
The UK site doesn't include the network cables. I emailed them today. In fact everything is posted direct from the US, so just order from the US site.
 
M

 

[rb2013]

RB, is this the Blue Jeans cable you are using between the Startech's? It says 500mhz. What length is best, 1 foot or much longer?

[SIZE=1.2em]Cat 6a Patch Cords--BJC C6AP

[SIZE=1.3em]

Bonded Pairs, Cat 6a, 500 MHz; Rated CMR for installationEvery cable individually tested, with report
Length in feet	Color	Price
	BlackWhiteGreenRedYellowOrangePurpleBrownGrey

[/SIZE] [SIZE=1.3em] [/SIZE][SIZE=1.3em] [/SIZE][SIZE=1.3em] [/SIZE] [SIZE=1.3em] [/SIZE][SIZE=1.3em] [/SIZE][SIZE=1.3em] [/SIZE][SIZE=1.3em] [/SIZE] [SIZE=1.3em] [/SIZE][SIZE=1.3em] [/SIZE]

[/size]

Yes, whatever length you need. I bought a 2 foot length. Although only rated to 500Mhz, mine came measuring 550Mhz.

 

[phile1]

Hi, 
I juste read the 1st 2 pages of this thrad, very interesting. I will read the following then, but I have questions :
the LEX/REX use is fine, but can we get the same improvement with a Corning 3.0ptical ?
=> https://www.amazon.com/Optical-Cables-Corning-Cable-Meter/dp/B00JOJRF6K
I use it withe a small stabilized PS at both ends and result is great ; and cheaper than REX/LEX combo....
 
rb2013,
you use the singxer F-1. What don't you use the SU-1 which is told to be better ?
is the F-1 better than the SU-1 when you power the F-1 externally & properly (by cutting DC from the USB cable) ?
 
thanks for the info
& sorry is these points have already discussed in the thread (I go back to the reading !)
Rgds

 

[somestranger26]

Sigh, pulled the trigger on the Startech. I had a $100 off voucher to use on ebay by the end of the month so it came out to $380. I will be hooking it up to my SU1 -> DirectStream office system and at some point will compare with my Rednet 3 -> Mutec digital chain.
 
Question about the flash drive technique - will any old flash drive do, or must it be a "good" one like these SLC ones that have been discussed? I am frankly quite skeptical of any improvement from doing this so I want to spend the minimum amount possible to hear if it makes any difference.

 

[colour97]

burning in for 24hrs, with default power supply, startech is very very good. first thing impressed me is very dark background.

thank you rb2013 for your startech
recommendation.

more impression will be coming up
when i rec su-1 and linear power .now is 24hrs burn-in. and will try usb installtion for windows / linux.

 

[slex]

Just checking, anyone sticking an ifi ipurifier 2 into Singxer F1 with good sonic result?

 

[wakka992]

Just checking, anyone sticking an ifi ipurifier 2 into Singxer F1 with good sonic result?

I hope so... that's what I'm about to do as soon as I receive my Singxer X1.  Galvanic isolation for me is done by iFi SPDIF iPurifier, so I didn't bought the F1 on purpose.
 
So my Uber-USB chain will be: PC --> iDefender (5v iFi iPower) --> iFi iPurifier 2 --> Singxer X1 --> iFi SPDIF iPurifier (5v iFi iPower).
 
BTW, is the "300 femto seconds Global Master Timing" of the iFi SPDIF iPurifier any good? is it better or worse than the "femtosecond CRYSTEK custom clock" of the Singxer F1?

 

[rb2013]

  Hi, 
I juste read the 1st 2 pages of this thrad, very interesting. I will read the following then, but I have questions :
the LEX/REX use is fine, but can we get the same improvement with a Corning 3.0ptical ?
=> https://www.amazon.com/Optical-Cables-Corning-Cable-Meter/dp/B00JOJRF6K
I use it withe a small stabilized PS at both ends and result is great ; and cheaper than REX/LEX combo....
 
rb2013,
you use the singxer F-1. What don't you use the SU-1 which is told to be better ?
is the F-1 better than the SU-1 when you power the F-1 externally & properly (by cutting DC from the USB cable) ?
 
thanks for the info
& sorry is these points have already discussed in the thread (I go back to the reading !)
Rgds

Hi - Great questions.  On the Corning Optical USB - the electro-optical converters are no where near a robust or sophisticated as the Startech.  Read the CA thread on the Corning - a lot of compatibility issues.  Some report good SQ improvements - but not like the Intona or the Startech/ICRON/LanRover.
 
I have an issue with the lengths offered - why not something shorter then 30ft?  Ugg
 
Look at the Corning scheme:

 
As opposed to this:

 

 
Another issue with the Corning is this (I quote from the CA Corning thread)
 
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/corning-optical-universal-serial-bus-industry-standard-cables-connectors-and-communications-protocols-between-computers-and-electronic-devices-cable-experiences-23437/index12.html

 

The "problem" is that the Corning optical​

USB

cable is hybrid optical and electrical -- the proximal head is powered by the source​

USB

and sends power and ground down 28 g copper wires to power the distal head which recreates the​

USB

signal -- hence no galvanic isolation between heads.​

You see the Corning uses a copper ground/power wire in addition to the optical.  So defeats the USB GI.
 
What does the Startech do?  Well it basically translates USB packets into TCPIP packets in the LEX with a powerful Xilinx SPARTAN 6 FPGA - and can be powered by an ext regulated LPS.  The data is then sent by a galvanically isolated UTP CAT6/a Ethernet cable.  At the receiving end you have the REX with another powerful SPARTAN 6 FPGA to do the TCPIP to USB packet translation.  Also with the ability to power by a ultra low noise LPS.  The TCPIP protocol has full error correction on the packets (unlike USB 2.0 Asyn Audio), with large buffers.  The entire USB data stream is recreated in the REX with high quality XO clocking (another reason that a higher quality LPS is important).
 
I believe the 'magic' is in this packet translation - the reconstructed USB data chain is of higher signal integrity and with out loss of information after the long transmission to the REX.  More importantly the completely reconstructed USB data stream is recreated in a 'clean' environment away from the PC - both electrically and physically.
 
Now the added benefit of the four port Startech and ICRON Ranger - is the ability to store and retrieve the music files also following the same reconstruction and isolation.  Something not possible with the Corning - without using multiple cables.
 
As for the F-1 vs the SU-1 - I prefer the F-1 due to it's powering flexibility.  With the SU-1 you are left with only one PS choice - unless you mod the unit.  The F-1 by it's design is highly flexible.  and cheaper.
 
That said I have a DIYinHK Pro3z coming soon to compare to the F-1.  XU216 vs XU208.  NDK SD clocks vs Crystek CCHD-575 clocks  - lower noise on board regulators.
 
So that will be interesting.
 
http://www.diyinhk.com/shop/audio-kits/111-xmos-192khz-high-quality-usb-to-spdif-with-ultralow-noise-1uv-regulator-wmanual-power-switch.html

 

[rb2013]

  Sigh, pulled the trigger on the Startech. I had a $100 off voucher to use on ebay by the end of the month so it came out to $380. I will be hooking it up to my SU1 -> DirectStream office system and at some point will compare with my Rednet 3 -> Mutec digital chain.
 
Question about the flash drive technique - will any old flash drive do, or must it be a "good" one like these SLC ones that have been discussed? I am frankly quite skeptical of any improvement from doing this so I want to spend the minimum amount possible to hear if it makes any difference.

Welcome aboard!  Well your comparison will be interesting - you need to power the two Startech boxes with regulated LPS's to get the full effect and to be competitve with the Rednet AOIP.  On the USB sticks - you can use any higher capacity 128GB or higher USB stick for good results.  But from my experiments the SLC MicroSD card (in a small USB adapter) or better a SLC USB stick make a very noticable difference.  But do to the lack of high capacity and price not good for storing a large music collection.
 
One cheap solution - get a small capacity (say 4GB) SLC - then store the large collection on a big HDD.  Just transfer what you want to listen to to the SLC - play from there.  Be sure to put the HDD in sleep mode.
 
I think my solution will be a 4GB SLC - and two 256GB PNY USB sticks (boy the prices sure went up at BestBuy on these! - I paid $43 each) in the three open ports.  I have finished burning in the MicroSD SLC card and the SLC USB stick and will do one last night of comparison to decided which.  I have small capacity ones now (256MB for the SLC card and 1GB for the SLC USB) - they were cheap.  The 256MB was like $14 and the 1GB was like $20.  A 4GB of either would be $60-$80.
 
Down the road will upgrade the 256GB PNY's to 512GB (once the prices drop to under $60).  That will set me up for foreseeable future.
 

burning in for 24hrs, with default power supply, startech is very very good. first thing impressed me is very dark background.

thank you rb2013 for your startech
recommendation.

more impression will be coming up
when i rec su-1 and linear power .now is 24hrs burn-in. and will try usb installtion for windows / linux.

Nice!  Get the Blue Jeans Cable CAT6a if you don't have one already.
 

Just checking, anyone sticking an ifi ipurifier 2 into Singxer F1 with good sonic result?

Yes - it's part of my 'Ultra' USB chain - see page 1.  For me absolutely necessary for best results.

 

[phile1]

 
That said I have a DIYinHK Pro3z coming soon to compare to the F-1.  XU216 vs XU208.  NDK SD clocks vs Crystek CCHD-575 clocks  - lower noise on board regulators.
 
So that will be interesting.
 
http://www.diyinhk.com/shop/audio-kits/111-xmos-192khz-high-quality-usb-to-spdif-with-ultralow-noise-1uv-regulator-wmanual-power-switch.html

You're waiting for it ! Lucky you because they run out of stock... and I just planned to test it.
I sent them a mail to know about availability. I'll post the info whan I got it.
 
This is the info I got from a guy on a french forum who's testing the F-1 vs the Pro3z :
First : he did not test both according to the "rule". He tested the F-1 with power from the PC, and powered the Pro3z with an ifi power 5V. As power supply is critical, conclusion might not be definitive.
His result is :
- the Pro3z offers more clarity, more "air"; more définition than the F-1 ; but the Pro3z tends to lead to a more tiring listening over time.
This is rough conclusion because the Pro3z was not completly burnt in.
 
Let's wait for your own tests.
 
Regarding your comments about the Corning 3.Optical, I'm not as strict as you are :
ok, on CA forum some people faced reliabilty issue, that's old story now ; it was dure to a wrong batch. Mine works still perfectly after 3years...
Regarding isolation with the Corning : 
- if you use it as such, I'm OK, SQ can be slightly harsh.
- to overcome this harshness (light), I use it that way :
1. the Corning is basically a USB link (30ft in perfect for me) between PC & the USB>spdif interface.
2. I cut the power from the PC at the 1st end, and power the Corning with a stabilized PS. By doing so, I give proper current to the end tip of the Corning the do the conversion optical>USB. This PS brings a lot & calm down the slight harshness
3. also, I cut the current that leak from the Corning at the end tip (USB interface side), and provide clean power from another stabilized PS. I have to do so becasue the Breeze interface requires power for the handshake. This 2nd PS at end tip brings much less than the 1st one.
 
That's jst to say that this Corning can be a very good cable.
I trust you when you presents your great USB chain, for sure it is pretty efficient ; but the Corning can be another option, maybe less efficient, but less expensive & less tricky to implement.
 
Rgds & thanks for your reply & your great inputs !