So when you've finally got some sleep mikelm, which input do you like best? I have USB via i2S running and it sounds good. Unfortunately I've been unable to get my TOSLINK working, my adapter maybe shot due to my soldering iron over heating, looks fine but... maybe I'll order another one to try.
Russ, if you are only using TOSLINK, is there any advantage to using the SPDIF MUX?
Russ, if you are only using TOSLINK, is there any advantage to using the SPDIF MUX?
rjbaldwin said:
On my previous DAC my sony notebook was clearly my best source via USB
with this DAC both USB & my universal pioneer sound better that the old DAC on USB.
But on this DAC my pioneer universal player via the SPDIF output with digital isolation transformer is clearly better that my notebook via USB.
It is clearer, more low level detail, more open and dynamic & more 3D. In other words - much more realistic !
I attach a pic - you can see I added some sockects so I can try different transformers - but this one sounds fine and I notice it's same make ( but not model ) that russ & brian use.
hope that helps.
mike
p.s. This DAC is excellent !
Attachments
Re: passiv V/V
Excuse my ignorance, but does it take something special to set the Buffalo into voltage mode? I just connected the Buffalo directly to my TVC (the + and -, the ground directly from input to output XLR and also to the TVC shield). It did work, and the sound was very transparent, however there was too much sibilance on vocals.
rolls said:
Excuse my ignorance, but does it take something special to set the Buffalo into voltage mode? I just connected the Buffalo directly to my TVC (the + and -, the ground directly from input to output XLR and also to the TVC shield). It did work, and the sound was very transparent, however there was too much sibilance on vocals.
Re: Re: passiv V/V
If you don't connect Buffalo to IVY, it will be in voltage mode. Check if your TVC is really balanced on the primary side, probably there is a ground lift switch. Sibilance on vocals: I am sure that both Buffalo and TVC(which one?) are not the blame, it could be the source, if you use USB, or the cable or even the pre, because the buffalo has such powerful and rich overtones, that these probably can't cope.
Hompie Dompie said:
If you don't connect Buffalo to IVY, it will be in voltage mode. Check if your TVC is really balanced on the primary side, probably there is a ground lift switch. Sibilance on vocals: I am sure that both Buffalo and TVC(which one?) are not the blame, it could be the source, if you use USB, or the cable or even the pre, because the buffalo has such powerful and rich overtones, that these probably can't cope.
Russ and Brian,
Thanks so much for the great DAC. My buffalo/ivy has been singing for the past two hours in it's initial test home and I already notice a nice step up in clarity and richness from my everyday player... Arcam CD73. I hope the wife is ready for a long weekend of non stop disc spinning.
Thanks again,
Nick
Thanks so much for the great DAC. My buffalo/ivy has been singing for the past two hours in it's initial test home and I already notice a nice step up in clarity and richness from my everyday player... Arcam CD73. I hope the wife is ready for a long weekend of non stop disc spinning.
Thanks again,
Nick
Attachments
HDMI
Russ and Brian,
(1) My current plan is to buy the Oppo DV-980H player which outputs full 24/192 DSD/PCM from HDMI. I plan on buying the HDMI chassis connectors to use as bridge between the player and the DAC.
I have e-mailed Oppo requesting the pinout of the HDMI in their player. This gets me the DSD/PCM signal to the DAC.
Since it is the pure DSD signal being delivered, should I not be able to just solder a wired connection between the appropriate pins of the HDMI connector directly to the Buffalo board?
(2) I plan to use a coaxial spdif input from my outboard soundcard for playback of computer audio files (both 16/44 and 24/96). In addition to the DSD/PCM HDMI input from the Oppo player.
Do I need two separate DAC/IVY modules for each input? With the switch coming after the IVY? Or, should I use one DAC/IVY module with the OTTO switch before the DAC?
(3) In order to incorporate a phase switch is it advantageous to use the OTTO switch or a simple DPDT switch?
Russ and Brian,
(1) My current plan is to buy the Oppo DV-980H player which outputs full 24/192 DSD/PCM from HDMI. I plan on buying the HDMI chassis connectors to use as bridge between the player and the DAC.
I have e-mailed Oppo requesting the pinout of the HDMI in their player. This gets me the DSD/PCM signal to the DAC.
Since it is the pure DSD signal being delivered, should I not be able to just solder a wired connection between the appropriate pins of the HDMI connector directly to the Buffalo board?
(2) I plan to use a coaxial spdif input from my outboard soundcard for playback of computer audio files (both 16/44 and 24/96). In addition to the DSD/PCM HDMI input from the Oppo player.
Do I need two separate DAC/IVY modules for each input? With the switch coming after the IVY? Or, should I use one DAC/IVY module with the OTTO switch before the DAC?
(3) In order to incorporate a phase switch is it advantageous to use the OTTO switch or a simple DPDT switch?
Re: Re: HDMI
Okay, I posted in Gefen's forums about the availability of this device:
Gefen Digital Audio Decoder
I hope this works.
And for clarification, about item 2 of my earlier post:
Was a little confused about your response.
Thanks!
Russ White said:
1) I wish it were so simple. You need a HDMI decoder to obtain the DSD off the HDMI signal.
2) Ok cool.
3) Either should work fine. Just depends how you want to trigger it.
Cheers!
Russ
Okay, I posted in Gefen's forums about the availability of this device:
Gefen Digital Audio Decoder
I hope this works.
And for clarification, about item 2 of my earlier post:
Was a little confused about your response.
Thanks!
Re: Re: Re: HDMI
Sorry about #2 I did not read far enough.
If you want to use one DAC/IVY you will need custom firmware. Not very difficult, but more than I could post here. You would also want to use I2S rather that straight SPDIF so that you don't have to change tthe SPDIF switch. The MUX is a good fit here. Also will allow you multiple SPDIF sources.
If you use two DACs each with its own IVY the OTTO after the IVYs is the way to go.
Cheers!
Russ
Jose R said:
Sorry about #2 I did not read far enough.
If you want to use one DAC/IVY you will need custom firmware. Not very difficult, but more than I could post here. You would also want to use I2S rather that straight SPDIF so that you don't have to change tthe SPDIF switch. The MUX is a good fit here. Also will allow you multiple SPDIF sources.
If you use two DACs each with its own IVY the OTTO after the IVYs is the way to go.
Cheers!
Russ
glt said:
Yes, the DSD/PCM input switching parts of it is fine and can be done without any reset, but you will probably want to mute for a second or two, and have some way to switch the OTTO or a multiplexer of some sort.
You could probably do it with fine results with no firmware change, but you would get some glitches at switching.
In fact I have done both DSD and PCM with my Denon. But I used custom firmware.
Cheers!
Russ
Re: Re: passiv V/V
Mmm, although I'm not using a TVC for balanced to single ended conversion, I have the same slight sibilance problem. I have it via USB and TOSLINK into a (single ended) TVC via the IVY. The sibilance, detracts from an otherwise pretty darn excellent and addictive sound. (A very big "jolly well done" to Russ and Brian!)
Now for the conundrum, I also have a unity gain tube buffer, which, when I place it between the DAC and the TVC seems to improve the sibilance. Could it be DC coming out of the IVY aand upsetting the TVC? Any other suggestions?
Russ
Hompie Dompie said:
Mmm, although I'm not using a TVC for balanced to single ended conversion, I have the same slight sibilance problem. I have it via USB and TOSLINK into a (single ended) TVC via the IVY. The sibilance, detracts from an otherwise pretty darn excellent and addictive sound. (A very big "jolly well done" to Russ and Brian!)
Now for the conundrum, I also have a unity gain tube buffer, which, when I place it between the DAC and the TVC seems to improve the sibilance. Could it be DC coming out of the IVY aand upsetting the TVC? Any other suggestions?
Russ
Re: Re: Re: passiv V/V
Well, the Ivy should not have DC on it's output. In my case I don't have the sibilance with the Ivy, only when the Buffalo feeds the TVC directly. The Ivy also filters out high frequency stuff that I suspect upsets my amp.
But I have no further suggestions what could be the problem in your case....
rjbaldwin said:
Well, the Ivy should not have DC on it's output. In my case I don't have the sibilance with the Ivy, only when the Buffalo feeds the TVC directly. The Ivy also filters out high frequency stuff that I suspect upsets my amp.
But I have no further suggestions what could be the problem in your case....
Re: Re: Re: Re: passiv V/V
Try it with a CD player and spdif. USB audio is still a problem, different programs, different platforms. I have not reached the same quality with my powerbook and i Tunes. Daniel Weiss doesn't use USB, but firewire in his latest dac, the Minerva. Same people say USB is not bit perfect and use Ethernet into a Squeezebox and then spdif output into a dac of their choice.
rjbaldwin said:
Hompie Dompie said:
Well, the Ivy should not have DC on it's output. In my case I don't have the sibilance with the Ivy, only when the Buffalo feeds the TVC directly. The Ivy also filters out high frequency stuff that I suspect upsets my amp.
But I have no further suggestions what could be the problem in your case....
Try it with a CD player and spdif. USB audio is still a problem, different programs, different platforms. I have not reached the same quality with my powerbook and i Tunes. Daniel Weiss doesn't use USB, but firewire in his latest dac, the Minerva. Same people say USB is not bit perfect and use Ethernet into a Squeezebox and then spdif output into a dac of their choice.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: passiv V/V
I got great results from my notebook into USB with my previous DAC ( Stello DA100 signature ). It was easily my best option for that DAC. - so I think USB can be very good - but in my experience only for 16bit 44.1khz media. For 24 bit 96khz or higher media it was noticable that details were being smoothed over - all be it in a very musical way.
rolls said:
I got great results from my notebook into USB with my previous DAC ( Stello DA100 signature ). It was easily my best option for that DAC. - so I think USB can be very good - but in my experience only for 16bit 44.1khz media. For 24 bit 96khz or higher media it was noticable that details were being smoothed over - all be it in a very musical way.
Russ & Brian,
Just to let you know that I am am still having a problem with crackling on my DAC.
I have tried many things different leads, short leads, ultra short leads, co-axial, twisted pear, with & without a newava transformer.
The crackling has been much worse than it is now but I have never managed to completely remove it.
I will continue to try other things like different transports etc but I just want to register the fact that I have a problem here that is not proving easy to cure.
Just to remind you i have voltage o/p into transformers. I have moved these away from the DAC just in case there was interaction but it made no difference. I will try a chip based I to V at sometime just to check that box.
sometimes I get the crackling and I unplug the DAC and then plug it back in again and it seems to be a bit better - but it never goes away completely.
It may be that a receiver PCB will help but I would only want to do that if it offered me equal or better quality than I have now ( apart from the crackling the quality is excellent ).
I am open to any suggestions but there is a possibility I may have to return it to you if I cannot eradicate it.
cheers
mike
Just to let you know that I am am still having a problem with crackling on my DAC.
I have tried many things different leads, short leads, ultra short leads, co-axial, twisted pear, with & without a newava transformer.
The crackling has been much worse than it is now but I have never managed to completely remove it.
I will continue to try other things like different transports etc but I just want to register the fact that I have a problem here that is not proving easy to cure.
Just to remind you i have voltage o/p into transformers. I have moved these away from the DAC just in case there was interaction but it made no difference. I will try a chip based I to V at sometime just to check that box.
sometimes I get the crackling and I unplug the DAC and then plug it back in again and it seems to be a bit better - but it never goes away completely.
It may be that a receiver PCB will help but I would only want to do that if it offered me equal or better quality than I have now ( apart from the crackling the quality is excellent ).
I am open to any suggestions but there is a possibility I may have to return it to you if I cannot eradicate it.
cheers
mike
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