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

CD transport with AES/EBU digital out and doesn't go into mega buck$!
https://emotiva.com/products/sources/erc-3

Maybe time to go back to burning CD-RW to get out of USB purgatory.

 

It'd be nice if they made a transport-only version and shave off 100-200 bucks.

This would actually be a viable option for me, since 99% of my music is on CD already.

 

This cd transport supports FLAC, but it's way expensive:
http://www.box-designs.com/main.php?prod=cdboxrs

And there's this monster:
http://jmf-audio.com/dmt37_en.htm

And what the hell is this:

http://jmf-audio.com/dxc2.2_en.htm

 

For the cheapskates among us, there's a new HiFiMe isolator, costing rather more than the old one.

Hifime High-Speed USB Isolator $79.00

I did try their cheap one (still available? Couldn't see it) along with one of their low-cost DAC/amps. On a couple of devices, I found it caused distortion: it didn't work for me.

 

I was reading up on CD transports and players and looked at the Stereophile measurements for the ERC-2 (predecessor to ERC-3). While jitter is not as perfect as we are used to seeing now, it does a great job playing discs:

http://www.stereophile.com/content/emotiva-erc-2-cd-player-measurements

I don't think any other player they've ever reviewed has done that successfully, excluding Parasound Halo 1, which makes sense given that "Its CD-ROM drive spins CDs at four times the usual speed, controlled by software from Holm Acoustics, so that every bit is read at least twice before being sent to a large RAM buffer."
http://www.stereophile.com/content/parasound-halo-cd-1-cd-player-measurements

 

Question: Will the erc-3 be better than lynx aes16? You don't have a electrically noisy GHz cpu in the erc-3.

 

I'm thinking of trying to compare the Lynx in my setup. Some setups may show changes and others won't, depending on the chain. Like the Wyrd never did anything for me, a Lynx vs a good spinner may not make a difference? What do we measure that can determine if one spinner will sound good vs not good? Just jitter?

 

Cheers. No, I'm not thinking of buying it. I had my attack of USB Nervosa, worried about it for a while, tried that one cheapo deivce and then forgot about it. I think it is that I convinced myself that I might have a problem (in the grand audiophile tradition).

In an ideal world, I wouldn't power a DAC from USB audio. But I am at the low end of the DAC market, in a world that is not ideal.

However, although not at this time, or for foreseeable months ahead, under-$100 could come within my experimental impulse-buy budget.

 

cheaper than intona by alot but only usb 12mbps.
https://www.acromag.com/catalog/746...s/usb-usb-isolators/compact-usb-isolators/usb

 

I listened to a Singxer F-1 courtesy @sphinxvc's loaner tour.

Physically, it's a nice unit. The anodized aluminum case feels great in hand.

Sonically (between my 5k iMac and Gungnir Multibit) it didn't do much for me. Actually, it delivered no discernible increase in G-factor for me.

Caveats and Context:

• I'm kind of weary of looking for hair-splittingly minute differences between digital chain components, so I may just have not given this the ole college try. I did try a fair bit of switching between straight USB, USB > Singxer F-1 > Gungnir Multibit, and my Raspberry Pi streamer > Gungnir Multibit.
• My Raspberry Pi streamer with Pi2media SPD2 board feeding SPDIF into my Gungnir Multibit feels pretty f'ing right to me. I haven't heard high G-factor digital setups like the Lynx or a great CD transport, but I have heard Adam's vinyl rig and understand what that combination of effortless/relaxing and natural detail sounds like. Not saying my setup is all the way there, but it's close enough that I'm becoming less incentivized to spend time or effort looking for additional 1% gains in the digital chain.
• The biggest difference I ever heard was @Hands' Transient USB to SPDIF converter. Maybe that was just my virginal moment being super memorable, or maybe it really was the biggest delta I've experienced between USB and SPDIF into my Gungnir Multibit. Or maybe I've just acquired some sort of auditory blindness since then. Who knows. Like I said, I rather like my current setup so I'm at the point where trying additional USB dinguses feels like stealing time from actually enjoying music.

Thanks for the loaner, @sphinxvc !

 

First impressions on the Singxer F-1 usb to coax bridge.


My chain is Jriver >Essence ST coax out >Theta DSPro Gen II >First Watt B1 >First Watt F5 turbo >HE-6.


Ran the following songs for about 2 min each in one direction , then swap between Essence ST and Singxer F-1 ran in the reverse order through three full sets.


Alice in chains-Unplugged-Got Me Wrong

Natalie Merchant-Tiger Lily-River

Patricia Barber-Companion-Use Me

The Knife-Silent Shout-Like a Pen

The XX-XX-Shelter

Volcano Choir- Repave-Comrade


Verdict: Super subtle, I'm not at all convinced these differences are not in my head. The Singxer seems to more cleanly deliver detail when songs get busy. It also sounds a tiny bit softer/more at ease. Bass impact on the Essence seems slightly stronger but it also seems to blur a tiny bit in comparison during the busy parts of songs. Micro-details are audible in both transports but they seem to jump out a tiny bit more on the F-1.


Would I buy one? If this was under $100 I think I would just for the ease of use at meets. However the differences here are so subtle I think I may be deep in the valley of psychoacoustics and doubt I could blind test these at all. I will update if I come to any further conclusions in my time with the loaner.

 

OK, I just got in the RME HDSP9632 PCI interface card which I bought second hand a few weeks back (~$200). I did a head-to-head with the following two chains:

1) (Pretty grody) USB -> Gungnir Multibit -> Mjo2 w/ WE396a -> SBAF modded HD650s
2) HDSP9632 -> SPDIF coax -> Gungnir Multibit -> Mjo2 w/ WE396a -> SBAF modded HD650s

By running two different players I can output both chains simultaneously and AB them instantaneously with the input selector. I was prepared to perceive nothing much beyond expectation bias, but what do you know it was pretty damn obvious.

1) Soundstage width collapsed, instruments bleeding laterally across soundstage, bass transients smeared. In general, whenever several things are happening in the mix at the same time they bleed into each other. Tizzy hash in the top octave. For a while I had been working under the assumption that my HD650s had a 12khz spike which I was trying to fix, but turns out it was coming from the USB.

2) Treble hash is gone. Separation and layering much improved - instruments easily individuated in the mix. Warmer in the mids, smoother. Apparent increase in bass impact but I think this is because the onset transients are not smeared.

I'd say this is a good 10% improvement. Definitely worth $200!

The RME has both SPDIF and AES/EBU out. Now I am wondering whether 2) would be improved further by AES/EBU -> transformer -> BNC.

NB: @Hands has previously mentioned some tracks which make it easy to hear these differences. I found another one: Donald Fagen "Maxine" from The Nightfly. This album sounds great, but is mixed and mastered lean-bordering-on-thin. So it is very sensitive to junk in the treble. Also the decay on the kick drums is very fast, so any transient smearing makes them sound like someone tapping on the edge of a table.

 

I have no affiliation with the seller, but someone might want this Focusrite Rednet D16: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=145744.msg0#new

 

Yeah, RME are usually pretty doable with Linux drivers

 

Dang, I'd give my left testicle for the following showdown : Daphile RME HDSP9632 vs Rednet vs Lynx E22 Mac. It's really interesting to see other than usb decrapification attempts actually happening. Happy times ahead.