[Sunya]

Rob, I read in the Blu 2 manual that irespective of the selected output sample rate you'll still have the 1M taps filtering. Is this only when coupled with a DAVE or it's available with any DAC?

If the output sample rate and the tap length are unrelated parameters what would be the advantage of sending a higher sample rate to the DAC?

 

[Alcophone]

Hugo M Scaler: https://chordelectronics.co.uk/product/hugo-mscaler/
Launch date: Autumn
Price: £3495

(Via https://www.head-fi.org/threads/canjam-london-2018-impressions-thread-july-21-22-2018.884702/)

 

[Rob Watts]

No if you select 384 kHz, then it is half the taps, as only half of the available outputs are transmitted... The filter still actually works at 768k, but its just half of the outputs available are not outputted.

The benefit of the higher sample rate is resolution - so 384k is an output every 2.6 uS, and 768 is every 1.3 uS. The finer the resolution, the closer we get to the original analogue signal, which of course is un-sampled and continuous. So why not go for 1536 or 0.65 uS? The problem then would be the filter would only work on 0.63 seconds of data, rather than the 1.26 seconds with 1M taps and 768 kHz and that is in itself has a downside in that the filter is less accurate. So it's a balancing act between how much input data the filter works on against the output resolution. The current setting seems to be the optimum based on my listening tests.

 

[gnomen]

Echo-location. For Rob Watts and other interested members: the 21 June 2018 podcast of "In our Time" (BBC, Melvyn Bragg) is on echo-location. For anyone interested in the brain and audio mechanics of locating sounds in space it is an amazing program and well worth 45 minutes. As you might expect, bats, the main subject, perform astonishing feats when hunting tiny insects in the dark. This includes documented evidence that their hearing can make discriminations which are "physically impossible". (Sound familiar?)

@rob, guess you should be grateful you are not designing audio systems for bats. Can't imagine how many taps that would take!

 

[musickid]

If you remove the b from bats and replace it with p you have taps. I wonder.

 

[Rob Watts]

That "in our time" was fascinating; particularly about bats running in passive mode - which of course is our mode of operation to locate sound objects. I too like the physically impossible reference to bat's abilities - there so much more to learn and discover!

 

[AndrewOld]

That "in our time" was fascinating; particularly about bats running in passive mode - which of course is our mode of operation to locate sound objects. I too like the physically impossible reference to bat's abilities - there so much more to learn and discover!

Here’s an interesting paper summarising the literature on auditory distance perception in humans. It’s actually not that good!

https://www.researchgate.net/profil...ns-A-summary-of-past-and-present-research.pdf

 

[Deftone]

Echo-location. For Rob Watts and other interested members: the 21 June 2018 podcast of "In our Time" (BBC, Melvyn Bragg) is on echo-location. For anyone interested in the brain and audio mechanics of locating sounds in space it is an amazing program and well worth 45 minutes. As you might expect, bats, the main subject, perform astonishing feats when hunting tiny insects in the dark. This includes documented evidence that their hearing can make discriminations which are "physically impossible". (Sound familiar?)

@rob, guess you should be grateful you are not designing audio systems for bats. Can't imagine how many taps that would take!

John Franks should get a few bats in at Chord HQ and do group listening tests with Robs gear, interesting to know their opinions.

 

[musickid]

Rob i just wanted to get your brief opinion about mains/power conditioners. I use a tacima mains/power conditioner strip which also provides gas tube and thermal protection. I know it's common for members here to invest large amounts of money even thousands into these things whereas my tacima was £35. The benefits seem obvious but i wonder if any harm is being done by actually adding more RF/EMI noise rather than eliminating it. Would something like the £35 tacima be okay for the mscaler/H2?

I also remember you said chord gear is largely immune to mains. Could you possibly share your own personal brand of mains power strip? Cheers MK.

 

[darkless]

@Rob Watts

Adding a Hugo M Scaler (HMS) to a speaker system might look like this:
PC (USB) -> HMS -> DAVE -> power amp -> 3-way speakers (passive crossover)


Assuming the gains would be worth the added expenses, how do you propose we employ active crossovers within the future Chord ecosystem?

1. Use an active analog crossover:
PC (USB) -> HMS -> DAVE -> (analog crossover device) -> 3x power amps -> 3-way speakers

2. Use an active digital crossover (skip DAVE units if using DX power amps):
PC (USB) -> (digital crossover device) -> 3x HMS -> 3x DAVE -> 3x power amps -> 3-way speakers

3. Add digital highpass and lowpass filters to the DX power amps:
PC (USB) -> HMS -> 3x DX power amps -> 3-way speakers

4. Introduce a future digital crossover device between the HMS and the DX power amps:
PC (USB) -> HMS -> (digital crossover device) -> 3x DX power amps -> 3-way speakers

 

[AndrewOld]

Wouldn’t you want more than just high and low pass filtering for a good active solution? It should be possible to get close to linear phase performance out of the whole chain (like Linn do through their Exakt technology), and correct for some response anomalies in the drive units, indeed possibly correct for manufacturing variations between drive units as Linn and Kii say they do.

 

[Rob Watts]

Rob i just wanted to get your brief opinion about mains/power conditioners. I use a tacima mains/power conditioner strip which also provides gas tube and thermal protection. I know it's common for members here to invest large amounts of money even thousands into these things whereas my tacima was £35. The benefits seem obvious but i wonder if any harm is being done by actually adding more RF/EMI noise rather than eliminating it. Would something like the £35 tacima be okay for the mscaler/H2?

I also remember you said chord gear is largely immune to mains. Could you possibly share your own personal brand of mains power strip? Cheers MK.

Yes it is largely immune - and it's more about the RF noise corrupting other devices.

So I simply keep the DAC and amp separate from the source - so TT2 is plugged directly into a wall socket on one end of the room, and the digital source is plugged via a normal mains strip from a socket on the other side of the room. When I travel, I just carry a UK 8 way strip with me. I can't say it sounds worse that way - that's the beauty of headphones and my gear today, it doesn't matter where you go, things sound the same. Variability and inconsistency used to drive me mad.

@Rob Watts

Adding a Hugo M Scaler (HMS) to a speaker system might look like this:
PC (USB) -> HMS -> DAVE -> power amp -> 3-way speakers (passive crossover)


Assuming the gains would be worth the added expenses, how do you propose we employ active crossovers within the future Chord ecosystem?

1. Use an active analog crossover:
PC (USB) -> HMS -> DAVE -> (analog crossover device) -> 3x power amps -> 3-way speakers

2. Use an active digital crossover (skip DAVE units if using DX power amps):
PC (USB) -> (digital crossover device) -> 3x HMS -> 3x DAVE -> 3x power amps -> 3-way speakers

3. Add digital highpass and lowpass filters to the DX power amps:
PC (USB) -> HMS -> 3x DX power amps -> 3-way speakers

4. Introduce a future digital crossover device between the HMS and the DX power amps:
PC (USB) -> HMS -> (digital crossover device) -> 3x DX power amps -> 3-way speakers

Option 4 with a future Chord digital crossover device should offer the best SQ.

 

[Triode User]

Assuming the gains would be worth the added expenses, how do you propose we employ active crossovers within the future Chord ecosystem?
4. Introduce a future digital crossover device between the HMS and the DX power amps:
PC (USB) -> HMS -> (digital crossover device) -> 3x DX power amps -> 3-way speakers

Option 4 with a future Chord digital crossover device should offer the best SQ.

Oh, yes, the possibilities are endless and obviously there is much more to come. Just how many more ways can you dream up to bankrupt me?

 

[musickid]

1)Is there a certain recommended distance for laptop source to TT2/H2 on a desktop headphone system??

2)My useage is purely headphone listening at my desk no speaker system. So all components are close to each other is that an issue/problem?

 

[darkless]

Wouldn’t you want more than just high and low pass filtering for a good active solution? It should be possible to get close to linear phase performance out of the whole chain (like Linn do through their Exakt technology), and correct for some response anomalies in the drive units, indeed possibly correct for manufacturing variations between drive units as Linn and Kii say they do.

Sure, this was merely what I considered the minimal viable product.