Buffalo DAC (ESS Sabre 9008)

[chalkandtalk]

I have just found this thread after posting on the other - doh.

Anyway, I have my Buffalo nicely installed inside a Denon 1920, and working great.

Many thanks to Russ and Brian. :applause:

So far I'm feeding it SPDIF, but I plan to connect via DSD this week.

[Goto]

I have had terrific success with my Buffalo/BALSIE pairing (whilst awaiting IVY). Sounds just great using SPDIF from my CDPRO2 transport.

Linking in a Metronome ASRC to try I2S into the Buffalo, I have an odd clicking (very like surface scratches on vinyl!) when music is playing. I have fiddled with the "Mode" DIPs on the Metronome and the clicking lessens at 256fs but never completely goes away so I have reverted to the SPDIF output, but would like to know if there is an optimal config of the Metronome that will give me clean audio from the Buffalo.

The Metronome is needed as the basic output (48fs, iirc) from the transport I2S is not directly compatible with the Buffalo (min 64fs?). Tried it and you get one channel and massive distortion.

Any thoughts on Metronome set up to improve this situation would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

[soundcheck]

You need to have 64fs on the I2S bus, otherwise you'll get the distortions you're describing.

[rossl]

Originally posted by Goto


Any thoughts on Metronome set up to improve this situation would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

IF you get good sound from SPDIF and it is staying locked, then you are probably not going to improve anything with the Metronome. And it will probably make things worse.

Just my opinion.

[Russ White]

Originally posted by Goto
I have had terrific success with my Buffalo/BALSIE pairing (whilst awaiting IVY). Sounds just great using SPDIF from my CDPRO2 transport.

Linking in a Metronome ASRC to try I2S into the Buffalo, I have an odd clicking (very like surface scratches on vinyl!) when music is playing. I have fiddled with the "Mode" DIPs on the Metronome and the clicking lessens at 256fs but never completely goes away so I have reverted to the SPDIF output, but would like to know if there is an optimal config of the Metronome that will give me clean audio from the Buffalo.

The Metronome is needed as the basic output (48fs, iirc) from the transport I2S is not directly compatible with the Buffalo (min 64fs?). Tried it and you get one channel and massive distortion.

Any thoughts on Metronome set up to improve this situation would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Goto,

How do you have the metronome setup?

I think it is simply a misconfiguration issue for your application.

There should be really no difference between the I2S input and the SPDIF as long as the SPDIF is clean enough to stay locked.

Cheers!
Russ

[Goto]

Hi Russ

The DIPs on the Metro are set up as follows:

SW1
OWL0 - low
OWL1 - low
OFMT1 - low
OFMT0 - high
Mode0 - low
Mode1 - high
Mode2 - low

SW2
IFMT2 - low
IFMT1 - low
IFMT0 - high
bypass - open
lgrp - low

all non-identified dips open

Automute jumper open
Disable open

I experimented with the mode switch settings (Metro was previously employed with dual OPUS cards and set up as above with Mode0 high). The best result was with the above Mode switch setup. From first hitting play I get about 30 seconds clean audio with this setting, before the clicking/staticky sound arrives. Then it is there until the dac is restarted (i power off/on).

With SPDIF I get great results (as you would expect from the Sabre and only 10cm of wire between transport and dac). I just wanted to explore whether there are any gains in using I2S in tis instance. I have had not noticed instances of losing lock with SPDIF.

Thanks, as always, for your help on this.

Mark

[Russ White]

Originally posted by Goto
Hi Russ

The DIPs on the Metro are set up as follows:

SW1
OWL0 - low
OWL1 - low
OFMT1 - low
OFMT0 - high
Mode0 - low
Mode1 - high
Mode2 - low

SW2
IFMT2 - low
IFMT1 - low
IFMT0 - high
bypass - open
lgrp - low

all non-identified dips open

Automute jumper open
Disable open

I experimented with the mode switch settings (Metro was previously employed with dual OPUS cards and set up as above with Mode0 high). The best result was with the above Mode switch setup. From first hitting play I get about 30 seconds clean audio with this setting, before the clicking/staticky sound arrives. Then it is there until the dac is restarted (i power off/on).

With SPDIF I get great results (as you would expect from the Sabre and only 10cm of wire between transport and dac). I just wanted to explore whether there are any gains in using I2S in tis instance. I have had not noticed instances of losing lock with SPDIF.

Thanks, as always, for your help on this.

Mark

Hi Mark,

OK things look to be configured correctly but try setting Bypass low.

Let me know if that helps.

Cheers!
Russ

[chalkandtalk]

Hi Russ,
today I connected the DSD output from a DENON 1920 to D1, D2 and DCK on the Buffalo, as you indicated on the other thread. I turned the SPIF to off and then put switch 1 to ' - ' . Unfortunately I messed up the three vias next to the Burr Brown chip in the DENON so I soldered the three wires directly on the pins of the chip. Anyway I don't get any music - no sound at all.

Have I got the switches set in the right positions? I have the SPDIF switch off, switch 1 is set to ' - ', and switches 2,3 and 4 are all at '+'.

Your help would be appreciated.

[Russ White]

It sounds like you have things correct.

But Switch 3 should be low. (6bit quantizer).

Double check you DSD lines are not shorted to each other or to GND etc.

Cheers!
Russ

[Russ White]

Originally posted by chalkandtalk
Hi Russ,
today I connected the DSD output from a DENON 1920 to D1, D2 and DCK on the Buffalo, as you indicated on the other thread.

You did also connect GND from the DSD source to the buffalo too right?

Cheers!
Russ