YAWN
I bet that cured the boredom
where is Zorn & Largent when you need them?
Attachments
Beating the Saints?...it sure DID!
Zorn is helping the Ravens now and Largent is back in OK...we're all right with Hasselbeck though🙂
DIYers, look out for Jim's Warpspeed engine block
coming soon...
Zorn is helping the Ravens now and Largent is back in OK...we're all right with Hasselbeck though🙂
DIYers, look out for Jim's Warpspeed engine block
coming soon...
Warpspeed #7 and #8 are available...please pm or email.
I bought an HRT Music Streamer II Hi-Res USB DAC...quite good reviews online. I'm hoping I get it before the weekend to try it out with the Warpspeed
I bought an HRT Music Streamer II Hi-Res USB DAC...quite good reviews online. I'm hoping I get it before the weekend to try it out with the Warpspeed
Spent some time spinning discs thru the HRT MS II (cute little package)...it is quite nice with the Warpspeed but on 44.1kHz (CD redbook) it's still a notch below the internal DAC of my Sony SACD and Blu-ray in overall sound -it could be my source though, a Toshiba laptop. I have just a couple of 96kHz hi-res in my laptop so can't comment just yet. I'd probably try DVD music later and see if it latches on to hi-res.
I also ripped some music from a CD into DVD-R and are very good sounding played thru a DVD player. It shows a 48kHz res played on the MSII so an upsampling occured in the recording process.
If it does well on hi-res 96kHz, it will be a nice add-on to a Warpspeed...internally to eliminate an extra set of interconnects.
I also ripped some music from a CD into DVD-R and are very good sounding played thru a DVD player. It shows a 48kHz res played on the MSII so an upsampling occured in the recording process.
If it does well on hi-res 96kHz, it will be a nice add-on to a Warpspeed...internally to eliminate an extra set of interconnects.
Let us know when the HRT burns in.I had the Stremer+ very warm,bold,rich sound not as airy thought.Then again i wonder if some fancy USB cable would bring more detail.
Warpspeed Balanced Volume Control in operation
I think I got kits 6 and the 8 and 9 or some number. After so many time/space continuum I am discombobulated. Regardless with the help of Allan, I put assembled the Balanced version of the Warpspeed. Turns out it work!!. Not that I had any doubts.
I don't know how to include pictures and please consider I am not a DIY'er, hence really shoddy craftsmanship. If you want some, send me an email.
Construction.
I actually used Plexiglass because it was easier then metal to cut and I though easier to work with but I am going with wood the next time. The good part is I could glue the pieces together. It is sized to minimize the number of cuts from the sheet and not to fit the warpspeed, hence too high and large.
I soldered the LDR's directly onto the XLR connetors. I added only 2 wires to the LED side of the optocouplers and the whole kit. This is in keeping with minimal wires and shortest distance.
Parts.
I purchased the battery holders from Jameco, the screws from boltdepot, the neutrik D style connectors from Markertek, plexiglass from Home depot, 2% silver solder from Radioshack, silver plated wire from allelectronics.com. sweat from Urquell Pilsner. It took me 1 night to make the box, 1 night to solder everything together.
System
Media Monkey -> HP PC -> Hiface (not modified) BNC-> Channel Islands VDA-2 -> VRX balanced cable -> Warpspeed Volume ->Silver symphony/D-lin Silver bullet 6.0 Balanced (1m) -> Channel Islands D200 MkI -> Silver symphony 48 (3 ft) ->Dali helicon 400 MkI. Since the Channel Islands D200 are monoblocks, I can place them closer to the speaker. The distance between speakers is 10 feet. listening position is 10 ft from speakers. Room is 15 by 15, 9 ft ceilings, drop ceiling. Walls are dry wall. Floor is heavy carpet.
Sound.
Prior to this I had a tube pre-amps custom made and YS audio. Since I only have 1 source, it was a easy switch out. The Tubes always warm up the sound, so this became a little brighter. The speakers are also bright - not in a bad way. The speaker mids are delicious and the highs are crystal clear. With all the silver cables, the system and without the tubes the system thens to be brighter. Additionally the room does not have a lot of absorption - new room. I am still in the process. VDA-2 is great but could be better. The Hiface needs to have a power supply separated from the PC. That is all minor.
Difference with the Warpspeed plugged in - you can reach out and touch the instruments, the vocals are precise. With the system being on the brighter, it is even more apparent. When I first plugged it in (with everything correct), I could not turn it off. There is a certain peacefulness and clarity you have. Is it live or is Warpspeed (did I steal that) but that is how it felt. Listening to Eva Cassidy live in blues alley makes my hair stand - I have a Mark Levinson system that has too much components and cost a ton more that gives me the same effect. Now the Channel Island amps are not Mark Levinson but they do a great job and are worth a lot more then the price (these are the Mk I so if you don't have DC-offset problems, they work great). The soft pieces like bridge over troubled waters make you close your eyes and you have to yell, "Beam me up Scotty". You can hear the keyboard, cymbals, Eva all in distinct places - much more so then other pre-amps I have had, excluding the ML 380s. (which is more then 10 times the price). Where do I stop on the sound. You get close to audio nirvana - pre-amp wise. What this makes you want to do is upgrade everything else.
Regarding the bass, I sense it is tighter and fuller but only when I get into Yello's Planet Dada. I have moved the speakers a bit so I cannot tell if the placement has affect it or if the bass is better. I ran the Stereophile test CD I had from the 90's with the sound of trains, cows, tractors and the balance testing. Balance was good, no issues. The slight difference in the match pairs does not show up in the testing of balance which still shows dead center (or my dead center - I don't use a tape to measure the dead center).
Balanced set up kills all the noise that you otherwise get from components. The Warpspeed is dead quiet as is the D200. However the VDA-2 has some noise and you only hear that with the ear against the speaker and the volume fully turned up. Using line outputs increases this noise. Balanced drops this noise. The D200 are 100k input impedance so there are no issues here. The output of the VDA-2 balanced is 4.5 Volts so I have plenty to work with.
What else can I say, I am sold, sold, sold but wait. The Klingon are demanding a remote control or they will invade. Will that happen, will we get a remote control, do I have to leave the captains chair to turn the volume down or can I say, "Make it so Sulu.". Stay tuned.
If your Vulcan senses start to take over and comment on my box, please note, that it is not logical to tell me how bad my box is. You might have to face the federation council!!
I think I got kits 6 and the 8 and 9 or some number. After so many time/space continuum I am discombobulated. Regardless with the help of Allan, I put assembled the Balanced version of the Warpspeed. Turns out it work!!. Not that I had any doubts.
I don't know how to include pictures and please consider I am not a DIY'er, hence really shoddy craftsmanship. If you want some, send me an email.
Construction.
I actually used Plexiglass because it was easier then metal to cut and I though easier to work with but I am going with wood the next time. The good part is I could glue the pieces together. It is sized to minimize the number of cuts from the sheet and not to fit the warpspeed, hence too high and large.
I soldered the LDR's directly onto the XLR connetors. I added only 2 wires to the LED side of the optocouplers and the whole kit. This is in keeping with minimal wires and shortest distance.
Parts.
I purchased the battery holders from Jameco, the screws from boltdepot, the neutrik D style connectors from Markertek, plexiglass from Home depot, 2% silver solder from Radioshack, silver plated wire from allelectronics.com. sweat from Urquell Pilsner. It took me 1 night to make the box, 1 night to solder everything together.
System
Media Monkey -> HP PC -> Hiface (not modified) BNC-> Channel Islands VDA-2 -> VRX balanced cable -> Warpspeed Volume ->Silver symphony/D-lin Silver bullet 6.0 Balanced (1m) -> Channel Islands D200 MkI -> Silver symphony 48 (3 ft) ->Dali helicon 400 MkI. Since the Channel Islands D200 are monoblocks, I can place them closer to the speaker. The distance between speakers is 10 feet. listening position is 10 ft from speakers. Room is 15 by 15, 9 ft ceilings, drop ceiling. Walls are dry wall. Floor is heavy carpet.
Sound.
Prior to this I had a tube pre-amps custom made and YS audio. Since I only have 1 source, it was a easy switch out. The Tubes always warm up the sound, so this became a little brighter. The speakers are also bright - not in a bad way. The speaker mids are delicious and the highs are crystal clear. With all the silver cables, the system and without the tubes the system thens to be brighter. Additionally the room does not have a lot of absorption - new room. I am still in the process. VDA-2 is great but could be better. The Hiface needs to have a power supply separated from the PC. That is all minor.
Difference with the Warpspeed plugged in - you can reach out and touch the instruments, the vocals are precise. With the system being on the brighter, it is even more apparent. When I first plugged it in (with everything correct), I could not turn it off. There is a certain peacefulness and clarity you have. Is it live or is Warpspeed (did I steal that) but that is how it felt. Listening to Eva Cassidy live in blues alley makes my hair stand - I have a Mark Levinson system that has too much components and cost a ton more that gives me the same effect. Now the Channel Island amps are not Mark Levinson but they do a great job and are worth a lot more then the price (these are the Mk I so if you don't have DC-offset problems, they work great). The soft pieces like bridge over troubled waters make you close your eyes and you have to yell, "Beam me up Scotty". You can hear the keyboard, cymbals, Eva all in distinct places - much more so then other pre-amps I have had, excluding the ML 380s. (which is more then 10 times the price). Where do I stop on the sound. You get close to audio nirvana - pre-amp wise. What this makes you want to do is upgrade everything else.
Regarding the bass, I sense it is tighter and fuller but only when I get into Yello's Planet Dada. I have moved the speakers a bit so I cannot tell if the placement has affect it or if the bass is better. I ran the Stereophile test CD I had from the 90's with the sound of trains, cows, tractors and the balance testing. Balance was good, no issues. The slight difference in the match pairs does not show up in the testing of balance which still shows dead center (or my dead center - I don't use a tape to measure the dead center).
Balanced set up kills all the noise that you otherwise get from components. The Warpspeed is dead quiet as is the D200. However the VDA-2 has some noise and you only hear that with the ear against the speaker and the volume fully turned up. Using line outputs increases this noise. Balanced drops this noise. The D200 are 100k input impedance so there are no issues here. The output of the VDA-2 balanced is 4.5 Volts so I have plenty to work with.
What else can I say, I am sold, sold, sold but wait. The Klingon are demanding a remote control or they will invade. Will that happen, will we get a remote control, do I have to leave the captains chair to turn the volume down or can I say, "Make it so Sulu.". Stay tuned.
If your Vulcan senses start to take over and comment on my box, please note, that it is not logical to tell me how bad my box is. You might have to face the federation council!!
This is great Merrill! Congratulations, you have been "Warped!".
Thank you for trusting an unproven Balanced design and making it work in a kilobuck system at that. It is really quite unsettling, in a kinda good way, how it works like a charm. How something so simple can reproduce music which we can enjoy and "touch". Both male and female vocals are excellent, eeriely in front of you...lights turned off doubles the effect in my experience.
Like I said, with Warpspeed, different galaxies of music will be for the taking...try this wormhole: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/anal...optocoupler-volume-control-7.html#post2455803
Now let me think about remote control...
".Thank you for trusting an unproven Balanced design and making it work in a kilobuck system at that. It is really quite unsettling, in a kinda good way, how it works like a charm. How something so simple can reproduce music which we can enjoy and "touch". Both male and female vocals are excellent, eeriely in front of you...lights turned off doubles the effect in my experience.
Like I said, with Warpspeed, different galaxies of music will be for the taking...try this wormhole: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/anal...optocoupler-volume-control-7.html#post2455803
Now let me think about remote control...
Yes, something to look into is the USB cable...I stole a 6ft freebie from my printer.
How long have you had yours? Did it require a long time to settle in? This is from the new gen of HRT -next level up from the MS II, right?
USB Cable
I found the printer cables to be noticably bad. On a single ended system, I picked up a lot of noise and clicking, even on high end DAC's. This is on a Mark Levinson System. Switching out the cables helped. I don't know if I have the best cable but I used a ACR made by a guy on Audiogon. Braided, silver etc. I don''t know if it is over kill but it helped. $50 for a USB cable killed me as they are all over the place and I have more printer USB cables then a ***** has clients in Vegas.
I think it is very important to isolate the power supply and signal from the PC to the DAC, even when you don't use the power supply. The noise and quality of the sound is so different on a balanced system that even a 128 MP3 playing ipod teenager can tell the difference. This is presumable the neutalizing of the noise on the ground to signal line as reference.
Believe it or not, the Hiface does do a great job of converting the signal to SPDIF and I have little problems from the DAC onwards.
Hageman did a small transformer on his DAC as isolation. I would imagine it could be picked out just to act as the isolation piece or if you have the money Silk can sell you one for $800.
I found the printer cables to be noticably bad. On a single ended system, I picked up a lot of noise and clicking, even on high end DAC's. This is on a Mark Levinson System. Switching out the cables helped. I don't know if I have the best cable but I used a ACR made by a guy on Audiogon. Braided, silver etc. I don''t know if it is over kill but it helped. $50 for a USB cable killed me as they are all over the place and I have more printer USB cables then a ***** has clients in Vegas.
I think it is very important to isolate the power supply and signal from the PC to the DAC, even when you don't use the power supply. The noise and quality of the sound is so different on a balanced system that even a 128 MP3 playing ipod teenager can tell the difference. This is presumable the neutalizing of the noise on the ground to signal line as reference.
Believe it or not, the Hiface does do a great job of converting the signal to SPDIF and I have little problems from the DAC onwards.
Hageman did a small transformer on his DAC as isolation. I would imagine it could be picked out just to act as the isolation piece or if you have the money Silk can sell you one for $800.
This is actually one of the selling points of HRT on their new gen DACs...to paraphrase...the MS II provides a completely isolated path between the computer and audio system.
This will be a great add on, especially if you can use the USB powersupply the HRT uses. One package, no pre-amp.
It is, for sure. I use the Ultravox from diyparadise. It made a huge difference after installing it. And it's a LOT less then 800$. Or you can buy a similar thing from solarbotics. All noise coming from the PC has gone on my system, even if there was very little before. Now the background is really black.
Excellent find. Thank you. Seems like they both use the same isolator chip, however the Solarbotics stops the power from going into the PC while the Ultravox powers the device from another power supply, cleans and does isolation Based on first inspection, the Ultravox is more for Audiophiles and the Solarbotics is just electrical isolation, without consideration for the condition of the voltage quality. What did you find on the Solarbotics?
I am getting a Ultravox like you. Thank you for sharing!
LA 002 usb cable highly acclaimed!
LA 002 usb cable For Sale | AudiogoN
Heres a cable for those who need a good USB - $550 used!
LA 002 usb cable For Sale | AudiogoN
Heres a cable for those who need a good USB - $550 used!
I always remind myself about the rule of thumb when I see something like that...the cable should be <<$ than the gear😱
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