USB Nervosa Thread Decrapifiers, pro interfaces, and bears oh my

Yes, I can do that when I get chance. The mixer pages don't look the same as what's in the manual, probably because of a later driver. For example, there is no routing page IIRC.

 

When I bought the Gungnir Multibit I figured I could use the Echo Gina 24 I had in my PC to feed it SPDIF. Like you, I was surprised to find it illuminated the "Buy Better Gear" light. So maybe these prosumer audio cards just aren't very good for digital.

 

I've uploaded some pics of the mixer application, not that I think it will of any help. I've also uploaded a movie of the audio output from my HD650's with this soundcard connected to Gungnir Multibit in Windows. The sound actually seems to be deteriorating, it is even worse in the recording than it was half an hour ago when I tried it.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5Txh-8tLqixQUFaclNLRnJXSDg

EDIT: The music is supposed to be Lean On by Major Lazer

 

What happens if you change spdif mode from consumer to...something else?
Do you get more options on the hardware page?
It seems strange that the control panel differ so much from the manual...

And what happens if you toggle the asio direct monitoring?

 

@mrflibble I'm certain that you can get bit perfect playback from this card and that the issues you're experiencing has to do with drivers and/or configuration.
I suspect the BBGL lights up because you're using directsound and not asio/wasapi.

Would you consider installing a demo/trial version of JRiver media center?
The output control and audio chain monitoring is better and easier in JRMC.

A quick google found this thread:

https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=51170.0

It's a somewhat old thread but it seems other has gotten bit perfect to work, and if you do the BBGL shouldn't light up.

 

@Changeling Thank you for all your suggestions. I've put the Windows PC away now (it's my Mother's) and I've given up on Windows. The card is back in my Linux machine for the moment. I will do some more experimenting in Linux. The card does not sound broken in Linux, just not very good. I think the Linux driver is probably more solid than the Windows one.

In Windows, IIRC changing any of the options (except selecting external clock or selecting 192Khz sample rate) makes no difference to the "Buy Better Gear" light. If I change the sample rate to anything other than 44.1Khz then there is no sound, the mixer bars do not even move.

Linux is my operating system of choice and where I listen to music, I was only trying Windows for testing purposes. Back to Linux and ALSA for me

Many thanks again. I will post if there are any further developments.

 

I see the singxer su 1 is not on the list.
where would it rank?

 

It might not have been included because the write up was made with AOIP and AES converters and not USB->S/PDIF.
@atomicbob has posted interesting measurements of DDC's recently and is also using the SU-1 in a couple of his Special Synergy systems.

EDIT: And I believe that the reply you got in the Modi thread provides a good answer as well....

 

You guys really should try focusing less on what extra stuff you can buy and just try things as they are first. And, in this case, waiting a little bit is very likely to work out in your favor on multiple fronts.

But ... the SU-1 is not on the list because, as @Changeling says, it wasn't part of the comparison in which I drew up that list. If I had to make a guess, since I'm not in a position to repeat that test anytime soon with an actual MC3+USB AND SU-1 on hand, I would say if you take any given Mutec MC3+ USB option then the SU-1 would come behind it. That's based on generally finding that I have tended to prefer the MC3+ USB to the Singxer unit for getting to an AES output if you don't have one already.

Now, it's entirely possible that it comes dead last, or that it falls more than one place vs. the equivalent MC3+ USB configuration, but I'm pretty sure it won't come ahead of any of them. In my opinion, and experience, re-clocking for Yggdrasil has minimal, if any, benefits, provided you're not getting the clock-mode/buy-better-gear LED to light up.

Personally, I would only use the SU-1 in two situations ... the first being needing simultaneous, synchronized, outputs for AES and COAX/TOSLINK S/PDIF (and given the choice, I'd use my Aries for that anyway), and the second being a simple way to get an I2S output for DACs that can accept it (which is how I actually use the SU-1 99.9% of the time).

 

this thread is nice, keep it up

 

@Changeling I returned the M-Audio Audiophile 192 card for a refund and bought another one (second hand, £15 without breakout cable!). The new card works fine, the old card must have been faulty.

I think this card is a good choice for feeding S/PDIF to one's DAC. The RME 9632 in comparison has a lot of extra functionality that you are paying for and won't be using. Secondly, the RME is cumbersome to operate on Linux. The M-Audio Audiophile 192 is cheaper and does the job with little fuss on Linux, it seems to come up quite regularly on ebay as well. The ESI Juli@ would also probably be a good choice, but seems difficult to get hold of second hand.

Hoping to compare RCA / BNC on this card to the TOSLink out of my Elfidelity AXF8.

 

Ah, happy to hear you got it working!

 

Received my Belden 1694A digital coax SDI cable today. It has a 75ohm Canare RCA crimp plug at the source end and a Canare BNC plug at the destination end. I compared the two following setups:

Elfidelity AXF-8 --> Fisual Hollywood Glass TOSLink --> Gungnir Multibit --> Vali 2 --> HD650
M-Audio Audiophile 192 --> Belden 1694A BNC --> Gungnir Multibit --> Vali 2 --> HD650

There is an unmistakable improvement in clarity and air when using the BNC setup. I realise that it is a cliche, but it is if a (very thin) veil is lifted when using BNC. I thought I'd be switching between the two cables trying to convince myself the BNC was better. But in reality, the superior sound is readily apparent. I'm using a very sonically transparent tube with my Vali 2 (a Telefunken PCC88) and I believe this makes it easier to hear the difference between the two setups.

 

https://uptoneaudio.com/products/iso-regen

new decrapifier on the block

 

Well that should be the ultimate USB to USB decrapifier. It is supposed to do galvanic isolation better than the Intona Industrial and decrapify much better than the amber Regen. Things are supposed to be even better if you connect the ISO Regen to your DDC or DAC using UpTone's new USPCB. That is an impedance matching solid state USB A to USB B adapter.

I already have an LPS-1 to power it so I will give it a try to see how it works.

 

Interesting Dante dac: https://www.mil-media.com/DA-296 G­­ōzowta Dante .html

It's slightly more expensive than the Focusrite AM2, but also takes power over ethernet if you have that capability.

 

Has anyone tried using AirPlay streaming to an Auralic Aries Mini, connected using its coax output to an approved DAC, i.e. Modi Multibit or the like? Impressions?

 

How well does PoE work for anything involving AOIP? It seems convenient in a professional setting, but how much does putting the power into the same cable effect the signal?

 

Probably to a lesser extent than USB that also has data and power in the same cable.

 

I would think it works pretty well. Cat6 (and moreso Cat6A) are designed provide PoE and minimize any crosstalk or data loss with the power cables being in the same bundle. PoE applications involving networking applications (WAPs, Cameras, VoIP phones, etc) work pretty amazingly well, but I don't know of any broad implementation of HiFi AoIP together with PoE to point to as an example of it not being an issue.