[Charente]

Why would you call putting the microRendu in front of the Eitr a "heinous sin"??

- I did a compare of my laptop (Dell XPS 13) streaming Tidal HiFi direct from USB into my Gen 5 Gumby vs. streaming the same tracks from my microRendu into it (same USB cable)...

- the microRendu destroyed the laptop direct in every way (and I'm running mine with the cheap iFi SMPS wall wart.)

microRendu + Gen 5 is a deadly good combo IMO.

It was a tongue-in-cheek riposte to Schiit's suggestion that we should throw away any 'magic boxes' in front of the EITR. I personally happen to agree with you ... the EITR responds well to the mR and the USPCB combination !! I can't speak for any other 'tweaks' ... happy where I am.

 

[Scott Kramer]

This Scott Kramer guy who drops by here from time to time has this modded ModiMB that accepts i2s from a raspberry.
So it is possible but it might be pointless from a vendor point of view.
He claims it is great btw so it probably sounds better than hemmoroidal ass
But that is what kinda got me curious about i2s and why nobody seems to use it.
I guess when it is adopted there will be just as much piss and vinegar about i2s as there is about optical and usb now.

And if you can build your own pc you will probably be able to connect a cable to some i2s pins as well.
I say probably.

Isn't it kinda cool having it float around in the community? It's like an unbiased blind 3rd party running it in a unique way. This is def a one off experiment... but also the only way I run it, music is *free* and subtle, better bass.

Here it is with a digi+pro but on an isolator sandwiched between the pi & digi:

On a worst case standard digi+, no power regulator or isolation (but the pi is slaved to the digi+) -->

works on a non raspberry pi and can jumper back usb:

This is the best setup: the 502DAC (nice NDK 44.1/48 crystals) on an isolator (have since moved to a piZERO tho):

Nice short i2s connection:

Experimenting (and enjoying) a PSAudio DAC also:

http://www.psaudio.com/forum/latest-ideas-forum/dliii-dac-update/

I call it "one clock domain" one master clock driving source & dac: still S/PDIF, but single MCLK driving the show (no clock recovery)

OK, done with the brain dump -- it's my 5th grade science project ;D thought it'd be more fun than blinking some LEDS.

Do have i2s ?'s for @Baldr -- but will save that for later.

*** DON'T do this, surface mount components!

Thanks!

 

[RickB]

Dude, I think your warranty is voided.

 

[Karlthehusky721]

I have a Mjolnir 2 that I feed from the balanced output of my DAC. My DAC has a volume control. I also have an electrostatic headphone amp (BHSE). The BHSE has a balanced pass-thru, so I go: DAC -> BHSE -> Mjolnir.

I'd prefer to go: DAC -> Mjolnir -> BHSE, for ergonomic reasons. However, that would mean that I would have three volume controls involved when listening to my electrostatic headphones.

So, is there anyway I can change the output of the Mjolnir's preamp balanced output to just be a line level output?

I think I can do this by putting the volume on max and having it in low gain mode, but I fear that I might forget and end up damaging some headphones (or my ears!).

Use balanced Y split cables out from your dac. Now nothing is daisy chained. It seems rather silly to route your estat signal through two tube amps and risk blowing up your headphones when the least obtrusive solution is just a cable purchase away...

 

[Scott Kramer]

Dude, I think your warranty is voided.

Yep, I did put a condom on it tho, a resistor array on the 4 i2s lines (needed it for squarewave overshoot anyway) -- but yeah not gonna touch those pins after walking on shag carpet!

 

[rlow]

It was a tongue-in-cheek riposte to Schiit's suggestion that we should throw away any 'magic boxes' in front of the EITR. I personally happen to agree with you ... the EITR responds well to the mR and the USPCB combination !! I can't speak for any other 'tweaks' ... happy where I am.

Gotcha ok I see where you're coming from.

I don't think the mR / uR or similar network audio adapters or bridges should be included in that statement from Schiit IMO. That's basically like saying the hardware/software you stream from can make absolutely no impact on the sound at all. I don't believe that is true, especially when Windows gets in the mix, regardless of fancy drivers. Try streaming from a Raspberry Pi via USB and you'll see what I mean.

The mR / uR are basically like audiophile optimized computers running minimal Linux and hardware at low voltage - way simpler and less noisy than a full blown PC.

Now, for all the pure USB conditioner/reclocker etc boxes that were/are out there - yep those may certainly be obselete now.

 

[Baldr]

Yep, I did put a condom on it tho, a resistor array on the 4 i2s lines (needed it for squarewave overshoot anyway) -- but yeah not gonna touch those pins after walking on shag carpet!

It's not like God appeared to me and showed me how to build perfect gear. Many have modified my own or many other digital pieces as well. Nor is it that you are like some idiot who dared to modify my perfect gear. None of my gear is perfect, but it is quite competitive and robust, which an I2S interface is not, for many users. The only thing is that you are on your own because you ventured into a territory that none of my people at Schiit are trained to support, other than replace the whole thing. That's why no warranty. In all fairness, the I2S format does not sound like hemhorroidal ass. All I said was that straight BWD is significantly better. Since you are ballsy, you could try that, although I still deny all responsibility and warranty and am not encouraging you to do so.. Although I legally and officially cannot approve, condone, nor encourage what you have done, I wish you a pleasant journey (by yourself).

 

[Charente]

... The mR / uR are basically like audiophile optimized computers running minimal Linux and hardware at low voltage - way simpler and less noisy than a full blown PC. ....

Yes, this is exactly the point ... it's just a computer ... only more optimally designed for audio, as you say ... Agree with your comments.

May I suggest try the USPCB, if you don't have it already ... I'm not a cable-chaser personally, but you may like the difference. I tried it as it doesn't have a big price ticket. Works well for me with the mR & EITR.

 

[AndreYew]

Thank-you ... so, is the 'quality' of that power from its source a consideration or is it immaterial since the EITR then promptly isolates itself from any 'nasties' ?

Assuming the USB port you've plugged it into isn't underpowered, the isolation should take care of any noise that might be on any of the USB lines. But this is just guessing, since I've not seen the schematic of Eitr. I do have one, and it makes my Vali2/Mimby stack sound better than without.

 

[Charente]

@AndreYew ... Your explanation is appreciated.

 

[rlow]

Yes, this is exactly the point ... it's just a computer ... only more optimally designed for audio, as you say ... Agree with your comments.

May I suggest try the USPCB, if you don't have it already ... I'm not a cable-chaser personally, but you may like the difference. I tried it as it doesn't have a big price ticket. Works well for me with the mR & EITR.

Hmm...thanks for the tip. I'm not generally a cable chaser either, but that one is pretty cheap relatively, so I may try it in front of my Gumby at some point just for the heck of it - thanks!

 

[Scott Kramer]

It's not like God appeared to me and showed me how to build perfect gear. Many have modified my own or many other digital pieces as well. Nor is it that you are like some idiot who dared to modify my perfect gear. None of my gear is perfect, but it is quite competitive and robust, which an I2S interface is not, for many users. The only thing is that you are on your own because you ventured into a territory that none of my people at Schiit are trained to support, other than replace the whole thing. That's why no warranty. In all fairness, the I2S format does not sound like hemhorroidal ass. All I said was that straight BWD is significantly better. Since you are ballsy, you could try that, although I still deny all responsibility and warranty and am not encouraging you to do so.. Although I legally and officially cannot approve, condone, nor encourage what you have done, I wish you a pleasant journey (by yourself).

This is really not where I'm coming from, I'm impressed you can drop i2s in so easily, added a 4th input is all. Have some other ideas for the raspberry pi and the moby was sitting there, building my electronics skills is all -- aaaand could be trying to pique your interest on what's going on with linux/raspi, simple little computer allowing slave/master i2s etc.

And yes i2s is a pain in the ass, should be 1 inch on a circuit board

Thought people may enjoy my folly.

 

[AudioBear]

I have an RP3 with a HifiBerry Digi+ Pro transformer isolated S/PDIF coax routed to my Gungnir->LC. I'm running Volumio and Roon with Tidal and it sounds really really good. I also run Volumio on a OdoridC2 with a Toslink output and it too is very good. I'm convinced these small single purpose ARM chip board computers, often running headless, are the way to go. The clarity and blackness of the noiseless output is striking. This is essentially why the MicroRendu sounds so good. I am a Linux illiterate but they were easy even for me to set-up.

I2S is easily accessed on these boards but I'm not even going to bother (and I don't want to void my warranty).

Edited to defeat my spell-checker!

 

[Scott Kramer]

I have an RP3 with a HifiBerry transformer isolated S/PDIF coax routed to my Gungir->LC. I'm running Volume and Roon with Tidal and it sounds really really good. I also run Volumio on a OdoridC2 with a Toslink output and it too is very good. I'm convince these small single purpose ARM chip board computers, often running headless, are the way to go. The clarity and blackness of the noiseless output is striking. This is essentially why the MicroRendu sounds so good. I am a Linux illiterate but they were easy even for me to set-up.

I2S is easily accessed on these boards but I'm not even going to bother (and I don't want to void my warranty).

Bingo... and it is deceiving, but the i2s (bitclock and wordclock) is being sent *into* the pi, aligning (leading edge of the squarewave) pcm data perfectly... with the same bitclock, wordclock-- Bit perfect is the easy part, now ya gotta prep it for the Dac chip.

 

[jacal01]

And what about Fantasia?

I had my two sons of both younger than 10 watching the movie many times. They called Le Sacre du Printemps "the dinosaur music". And when I listened to that piece through my hifi set, they commented on it by mentioning which scene of the movie this or that part was.

It's where you learn what classical music can do for you. Mine was my father's garage workshop.