Lynx PCIe AES interfaces: AES16 and E22

I'm a bit (a lot) dubious about the wonders that can be wrought in software beyond the obvious stuff. There's plenty of hardware issues you're not going to be able to mitigate, especially power related noise. I'd argue if you're not running fanless with an external lps like the audio-oriented boxes you're pissing in the wind with the daphile stuff. Especially if it's a laptop you're optimizing. Just my 2c.

 

I'd look at Daphile as a good way to exploit the superior Linux USB stack.

 

I am not an expert like @zerodeefex , but once I changed my transport from windows PC to Raspberry Pi with Rune Audio as linux based system, there are no turning back.
Some impression with my Geek Pulse SFi (now sold) + combo Valhalla 2/ HD650mod for headphone test and JBL LSR305s for speakers test
#1. My laptop/PC using Windows/Jriver with USB direct to DAC: congested in dynamic and soundstage, high noise everywhere.
#2. My laptop/PC using Windows/Jriver with Mutec MC-1.2 acting as USB-SPDIF converter: better dynamic and stage width, less noise but sometimes thin sounding (in some recordings)
#3. My laptop/PC using Windows/Jriver with Mutec MC-1.2 acting as USB-SPDIF converter and Uptone Regen as USB defuckier: have the same improvement as #2 when compared with #1. Fuller and nicer sounding than #2 initially but after long time listening, it seems lacks of a little bit coherent. I don't know why but some frequency in mid bass and treble seems boosted, it leads to non-natural sounding.
#4: Raspberry Pi 3 + Rune Audio with USB direct to DAC: blacker soundstage when compared to #1 but has the same pitfall of USB: congested in dynamic and soundstage
#5: Raspberry Pi 3 + Rune Audio with Mutec MC-1.2 acting as USB-SPDIF converter: It's the best set up for me right now. It has even lower noise than any PC/laptop combo, also better dynamic, stage width compared to #4 with full, organic but neutral sounding (not thin anymore)
#6: #5 in conjunction with USB regen: well, I think it's only on par wirh #5, just different. More euphonic in expense of little bit of dynamic.
#7: Raspberry Pi 3 + Rune Audio + Digi+: I think it's a little bit like #6, like some other Friends says, bloom and a little too euphonic for my taste.

After I changed to RPi 3 transport, I sold the USB Regen. And I am waiting for the official release of SPD2 from Pi2design (proper design than Digi+) to compare with my current setup. It will be nice to get rid USB once and for all, and it is far cheaper than PC option (only 40€ for RP3, 70€ for power supply, 75€ max for SPD2)

 

I haven't really delved much into Linux...what is the advantage in that USB stack for audio? May be worth a dual boot scenario...

 

This is what I discovered:

Daphile disables speedstep/powertune# and makes your system run at a lowered fixed processor clock rate.(800mhz on my laptop) This should reduce system emitted emi/rfi(inherited jitter) noise that gets pass through to the DAC.

Linux's ALSA is like the open source equivalent^ to ASIO and Coreaudio. A very low level audio interface that has almost direct access to the hardware.

Not to mention there's so much background windows processes running that is non-essential to audio which is not easy to disable unless you use fidelizer or search blackviper site to discover which is safe to disable. Daphile is like a purpose built barebones track car(no computers, direct brake, direct steering) vs windows's family sedan car(computers aids, antilock brakes, traction control, airbags, power steering, cvt etc)

The best thing about daphile is that it takes only less than 15min(depending on your internet connection and tech knowhow) to get up and running and it's totally opensource freeware. And it does not require you to overwrite your operating system. I am now running on the Real Time Kernel version of daphile(live boot), which is improved(allows for system settings to be saved) over the standard build.

I'm still very surprised at how a simple laptop's usb port direct to yggdrasil gen3(via belkin gold cable) can sound so fluid and relaxed.(all alsa/player buffer adjust to slide to lowest settings). And all this from a free usb stick operating system?!

Daphile also supports playing back from ram instead of accessing usb/disk media which subjectively on my laptop does improve sound quality by a very tiny abit.

#https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_frequency_scaling
^http://tuxradar.com/content/how-it-works-linux-audio-explained

edit: lynx is not supported by daphile.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pc-b...e-music-server-player-os-113.html#post4360668

list of support hardware: (looks like RME is supported)
http://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Matrix:Main

 

I'm thinking of getting this high end nuc with thunderbolt as dedicated audiophile/htpc so as to bypass the high powered gtx980 gpu in my main gaming/audio rig:
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/nuc/nuc-kit-nuc6i7kyk-features-configurations.html

Also this nuc is intel designed so it's USB ports should be designed to specs.

 

I could try that. Another one for comparing USB to non-USB is "Crystalline" by Bjork from the Biophilia album. It's got sense layering and USB tends to throw it all together, while SPDIF lets each layer build on the others for a far more dimensional and organic sound.

 

Marantz/Magico transport, there's a market for that. Probably FedEx or UPS stock whores.

 

I managed to snag a cheap lynx AES 16e PCiE today.

Not sure if I need the transformer or not that marv is using? I'm using sfd-1mkii, I remember marv used to recommend the 110 impedance with this OR5.
I have no idea what im doing but I want to avoid my mobo usb for reasons.

 

Bahaha. I had like 700 aud on it and got it for 400!

 

That baby did me a solid today

 

I also recently bought an AES16e off eBay for less than $500. It was advertised as Lynx 16e (typo) so I guess I was lucky to stumble upon it. Made the first bid and no one else did so it was mine in less than 24 hours.

 

I paid 400 dollarydoos. Was a great deal. But I still have to buy the snake cable, the transformer and an AES cable for this experiment.