[rb2013]

   
Very nicely put...
 
I'll have the both the F-1 and USB>LAN gizmo soon so can I do a comparison against what I have now when it arrives... it's going to have to sound pretty amazing to improve much on how it sounds now... isn't it nice to finally be able to say that!
 
I get the feeling that you feel (as I do) that you are approaching what can reasonably be expected as 'the pinnacle of playback'... and as always it's the sum of matched parts and the quality of the operating environment that defines the outcome, a poorly matched and non-optimized pile of mega bucks components will likely fail to impress and make poor recording unlistenable.
 

Yes!  Well put - 'The Pinnacle of Playback' - but after my decade long experience with near sota analog - maybe...'The Pinnacle of Audio Playback'. 
 
I keep getting significant improvements. Just by adjusting the digital chain - feeding the DAC.  Just amazes me how far this has progressed - wondering how much further?  I guess in analog land like going from a Shure V15 to Benz Ruby then to the Dynavector XV-1S.  Just leaps ahead in each step...
 
I have to say the Magnepan 1.6qr speakers are really an extraordinary reproduction device.  Finicky as all heck - but so transparent and realistic when well fed.
 
I just bought this for them - it'll be the first change in years to that part of my system (really just a small tweek).

The Velodyne Sub in the picture is gone now - no need for it at all - one huge benefit of the digital chain improvements.
 
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/tweaks-magnepan-1-6-1-7-1-7i-fuse-bypass-kit-no-soldering-better-imaging-and-detail-2016-05-06-accessories-30080-smyrna-ga--2/order
 
I'm running SR Quantum fuses in there now - this solid silver replacement should be interesting.

 

[rb2013]

  Looks like my F-1 just won't ship from freechinashopping.com The official seller is called TaoBab,  but i bet that it's the Shinzin that RB2013 has been warning us about.
 
Looks like the I2s connector is not installed, - and it's taking forever.
 
Dealing with them has been real PITA. This thing has been WEEKS in process. If you decide that you want one of these, be prepared to wait....
 

I bet they are overloaded with orders.  Freeshoppingchina.com is just an english speaking buying service.  They have to receive it first then send it to you.  When I ordered it was still quicker then the 5 weeks it took Shenzen to send from Ebay.
 
I bet there are a few DAC makers ordering large quanities to install directly into their DACs.  If I made them - I would

 

[rb2013]

Analog fun - this was my sota cart:
 

 
 

DYNAVECTOR - DRT XV-1S MC PHONO CARTRIDGE

Price: $5,650.00

 

The Cartridge We Recommend for Those Who Demand the Very Best​

The Reference MC Cartridge on Display in Our Chicago Showroom ​

The Absolute Sound Golden Ear Winner, the improved Dynavector XV-1S is designed to passionately take your analog listening to a new heights. With an eight magnet, dual-stereo coil design and ebony wood stabilizer, the DRT XV-1S offers an supremely musical presentation. This is the ultimate expression of Dynavector's analog sound: extremely detailed, unbelievable tonality, rich through the mid-band, throws a HUGE soundstage, tremendous dynamics, the deepest bottom-end, and we could go on and on. Absolutely one of the very best phono cartridges ever built.
"This is a five-star moving-coil design. I have little else to say about it, since it is the best of these babies I have ever encountered – ever. I hear no serious flaws. I hate to say this, but, in the here and now and until I hear something better, I can hear no flaws at all."

 

[Gordian]

no USB output, that's useless !

 

[Albrecht]

Yes,
 
Thanks, that makes good sense.
 
Still a bit frustrating to wait, with an expectation level of a week turning into a month.
 
Oh well, plenty to play with, with the new microRendu

 

[MINORISUKE]

   
Bought mine from here (despatched same day with tracking number): http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111961717820?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

This is the eBay shop of Shenzhen Audio.
Their direct on-line store offers 30-day money back gurantee for all the listed items.
What rb2013 says cannot happen.  As I reminded him in the previous U12 thread, he and I were the only ones who had ordered MX-U8 BEFORE it was listed on its store page.  Shenzhen Audio used to function as an "export service trading company" with a reasonable amount of handling charge for items sold in China but not yet listed on their store.  For those items, they did not offer any warranty, even if the product was dead on arrival, as it was a special request by the customer.  The customers must  accept this condition, and I accepted it.  My MX-U8 was perfect fortunately, rb2013's unfortunately not.  They simply forwarded the items purchased at Taobao to the customers upon customer's request.  Taobao's 7-day warranty usually expires before the customer outside China receives the product.  Some got Tanly's DDC using this service, but after a certain point, Shenzhen Audio seemed to have decided, not to offer such kind of service.
Melodious offers one year warranty.  If the product had been sent directly to Melodious, it could have been repaired.
Currently, it seems Shenzhen Audio is the only store that handles Singxer products.  Of course, the priority of Singxer's direct sales through Taobao is much lower than that through an authorised dealer.  Therefore, it is natural that orders via Taobao purchase support companies like freeshoppingchina have much lower priority.

 

[panhead]

  http://www.swagmanlab.com/
 
(I only have his SE editions... he'll make anything you want)

Thanks for this link.   Supplies seem most reasonable!

 

[Albrecht]

Glad that yours was easy,
 
RB had a real issue, so I avoided them too......

 

[Albrecht]

Hi,
 
Thanks for all of the clarifications, and explanations of how these two companies work.
 
The boards themselves are reputed to sound great, hopefully I'll get a working one, and hopefully it'll last awhile.
 
Cheers,

 

[RickyV]

Hi rb2013 & all others,

I have been following this thread from the beginning with a lot of reading pleasure. Very interesting stuf. I was in the process of designing a dedicated audio computer when i read the first posts from rd20113 about the F1. So the F1 was the first i ordered from Hong kong for the audiopc. Three r-core transformers and 6 linear powersupply pcb kits are still unther way. Supper Ultra Low Noise linear power supply LPS PSU KIT 5V 9V 12V 15V 18V 24V from eBay.
So looking closely at my f1, botten Side, i saw two contacts with +5v and gnd next to it, in line with the i2s header. When the f1 was powered up i measured the voltage on them and it was 4.86v. Next i looked up what big black block over the galvanic separation is, it is dc to dc converter galvanic separating the power.
What if you desolder the "big" black block and feed the second half with new ultra clean ps. I think that will be an intresting experiment,

 

[rb2013]

  no USB output, that's useless !

Lol!  no  - but no 'packet noise' as well

 

[rb2013]

  This is the eBay shop of Shenzhen Audio.
Their direct on-line store offers 30-day money back gurantee for all the listed items.
What rb2013 says cannot happen.  As I reminded him in the previous U12 thread, he and I were the only ones who had ordered MX-U8 BEFORE it was listed on its store page.  Shenzhen Audio used to function as an "export service trading company" with a reasonable amount of handling charge for items sold in China but not yet listed on their store.  For those items, they did not offer any warranty, even if the product was dead on arrival, as it was a special request by the customer.  The customers must  accept this condition, and I accepted it.  My MX-U8 was perfect fortunately, rb2013's unfortunately not.  They simply forwarded the items purchased at Taobao to the customers upon customer's request.  Taobao's 7-day warranty usually expires before the customer outside China receives the product.  Some got Tanly's DDC using this service, but after a certain point, Shenzhen Audio seemed to have decided, not to offer such kind of service.
Melodious offers one year warranty.  If the product had been sent directly to Melodious, it could have been repaired.
Currently, it seems Shenzhen Audio is the only store that handles Singxer products.  Of course, the priority of Singxer's direct sales through Taobao is much lower than that through an authorised dealer.  Therefore, it is natural that orders via Taobao purchase support companies like freeshoppingchina have much lower priority.

Yes but I then bought again from him on Ebay:  Took 5 weeks to get to me - when he told me he would send DHL 2 day.
 
At least with Ebay you have the 'Buyers Guarantee'.
 
I had three MX-U8's all had issues - the worst QC I have ever seen.  I was able to fix one - that had a wire shorting the AC main!  This is the one Shnzen sent to me.  Obviously Shenzen does not plug them to see if they work before sending 6000 miles - Ugg! It was the easiest to fix.

 
BTW it cost me almost $30 to send the defective Pro3a back to Hong Kong (DIYinHK).  This 'just return it to China' gets expensive.
 
I bought two F-1's, two X-1's and a QS-1 all from Freeshoppingchina.com and i had excellent service - no more then two weeks from the time the order was placed until I received it.

 

[rb2013]

Hi rb2013 & all others,

I have been following this thread from the beginning with a lot of reading pleasure. Very interesting stuf. I was in the process of designing a dedicated audio computer when i read the first posts from rd20113 about the F1. So the F1 was the first i ordered from Hong kong for the audiopc. Three r-core transformers and 6 linear powersupply pcb kits are still unther way. Supper Ultra Low Noise linear power supply LPS PSU KIT 5V 9V 12V 15V 18V 24V from eBay.
So looking closely at my f1, botten Side, i saw two contacts with +5v and gnd next to it, in line with the i2s header. When the f1 was powered up i measured the voltage on them and it was 4.86v. Next i looked up what big black block over the galvanic separation is, it is dc to dc converter galvanic separating the power.
What if you desolder the "big" black block and feed the second half with new ultra clean ps. I think that will be an intresting experiment,

Yes @abartels had suggested running this and also supplying the clocks separately (he loves lots of R-cores - see his DIY DAC!).  Those are 3.3V I believe.
 
Someone also suggested replacing that DCtoDC converter with a Belleson.
 
Also an interesting prospect.  Although I do solder - I'm really a more of a plug and play guy.  So it's up to you guys. 
 
Honestly the linear power I'm feeding the F-1 right now is so ultra pure (below 1uv of noise) with muli-levels of galvanic isolation - not sure if any of those would be a sonic improvement.

 

[rb2013]

  Thanks for this link.   Supplies seem most reasonable!

His prices are great!  I may give a 9V a try.

 

[KEGGER]

Is there a consensus on the length of usb cable suggested?
 
I mean is something to short or to long for sure?