XMOS-based Asynchronous USB to I2S interface

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m.massimo

Member
Joined 2008
tagheuer said:
Then I received you WaveIO module a couple days ago. I didn't have time to try it out right away until this afternoon. I replaced the TE7022 with your WaveIO and connect to the same DAC through isolated spdif port.

Wow.... I was very surprised. The difference is like day and night.
Click to expand...

Hi tagheuer, I experienced something similar passing from Teralink X2 (based on Tenor) to Lucian's WaveIO. My difference was not so huge (I used X2 -> I2S -> TP Opus) but clearly noticeable, particularly in the treble area and microdetails.
I'd like to suggest you another cheap improvement I experienced very recently.
Some month ago I purchased a usb isolator board based on ADuM4160 but it didn't work with WaveIO (as expected) and it has been on a shelf from then.
Some days ago I inserted the board on the usb connection between the
external HD when my library is located and the notebook, just for a test
before listing it on eBay. The external HD has always been powered by the stock
switching power supply.
The improvement in sound quality was immediately clear especially in
the treble that are less harsh than before.
 
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O

ozlegend

Member
Joined 2010
legendspeakers.com.au
Great product!

Hi Lorien


The WaveIO arrived late yesterday (Friday) thanks but I did not have time until this morning to set it up - which took under an hour including adding an RCA socket & downloading/installing drivers for Win7. I am using its isolated S/PDIF output until DEQX sort out the firmware for I2S input - and your daughter board arrives! I am also using an AQVOX power supply which I bought some time ago for my Hiface that cuts the normal USB PS & inserts its own regulated analog +5V.

It sounds excellent - very natural & unforced but very dynamic on my DEQX-active Tikandi loudspeakers - and significantly better than anything else I have tried: Hiface, Halide, Audiophillio etc. Even listened to Handel's Messiah while watching the Aussie Rules Grand Final. So many thanks for a great product!


Cheers
Rod
 
B

Boggy62

Member
Joined 2012
Help needed

Hi,
I read you used isolated spdif and i would ned a small support on it.
Can you just clarify for me the isolated connexion on j11: inside ( hot) on the square, called isol or rounded hoe ( called spdif) as lorian gave me direction for j10 and same time recommended not to use it

Thanks for your possible help

Francois
 
M

mevang

Member
Joined 2004
I'd like to connect a WaveIo board to the I2S input of a TDA1541A. Some posts in this thread were not so clear to me.

regal said:
Unfortunately the LSB also gets mangled, so its not bitperfect for the older DAC's. Unfortunately I think this is a unirversal issue all asynch usb with the only exception being the proporitary Rankin firmware (not a plug more a cry for help as I hate the idea of hacking up a Legato to build an asynch USB-I2S TDA1541 DAC.)
Click to expand...

regal, I'm afraid I've not perfectly understood the issue with the LSB being mangled. Could you please elaborate a little?


wlowes said:
I have no doubt that guys like ECDESIGN are building more resolved version of the 1541a. I do use DEM reclocking from his site but again, no flip flop. I take the WS signal at 44.1kHz. It is lower than optimal but light years ahead of the stock 470pF cap done spec'd by Phillips. I am going to play around with using the clock feeds from Lucien's board (88.2) to double the speed of the DEM signal without messing with more components. But that is in the future, as I am pretty happy with this initial setup.
Click to expand...

wlowes, how can you obtain 88.2 KHz from Lucian's board?

Thanks a lot.

Paul
 
T

tagheuer

Member
Joined 2003
m.massimo said:
Some month ago I purchased a usb isolator board based on ADuM4160 but it didn't work with WaveIO (as expected) and it has been on a shelf from then.
Some days ago I inserted the board on the usb connection between the
external HD when my library is located and the notebook, just for a test
before listing it on eBay. The external HD has always been powered by the stock
switching power supply.
The improvement in sound quality was immediately clear especially in
the treble that are less harsh than before.
Click to expand...

Hi Massimo,

Thanks for the info on USB isolator. Currently I'm using a CAPS 2.0 music server and use SOtM tX-USB Audiophile PCI to USB Audio Card for output. The internal solid state HD is filtered by SOtM In-Line SATA Power Noise Filter. The difference is quite noticeable as compare to direct USB port from the motherboard.

I suspect maybe the spdif converter at the USB-TE7022 card is not good. So the next thing I want to do is to bypass spdif conversion on both USB-TE7022 and DAC-AK4396 and use I2S signals to connect both cards.
But may I'll give a try on the ADuM4160 some day. Just to satisfy my own curiosity since you recommend it.

Cheers all...
 
wlowes

wlowes

Member
Joined 2007
Sandor said:
I'd like to connect a WaveIo board to the I2S input of a TDA1541A.

wlowes, how can you obtain 88.2 KHz from Lucian's board?

Paul
Click to expand...

Hi Paul,
See post #1084. I use L5 pin as a source of 176.4Khz for DEM. I generally listen to 44.1 material although quite nice at 88.2 as well.

DEM reclocking provides nice SQ pop. This 176.4 clock source just makes it more liquid and removes any hint of harsh edge to the upper registers. FYI my 1541 has fully tweaked power and tube output. I2S from J2-5. Transport is MPDPUP on Alix. All together this pairing is WaveIO is pure magic IMHO.
 
wlowes

wlowes

Member
Joined 2007
Sandor said:
wlowes, how can you obtain 88.2 KHz from Lucian's board?

Paul
Click to expand...
Paul, if you are asking how to play at 88.2, just hook up the non isolated I2S output from WaveIO using the connectors described. I solder direct to the pins of the 1541 and it works fine. Don't forget gnd. Some people claim signal needs attenuation. I just use it direct from WaveIO. 1541 will play whatever source you feed it up to 96.
 
B

Boggy62

Member
Joined 2012
Boggy62 said:
Hi,
I read you used isolated spdif and i would ned a small support on it.
Can you just clarify for me the isolated connexion on j11: inside ( hot) on the square, called isol or rounded hoe ( called spdif) as lorian gave me direction for j10 and same time recommended not to use it

Thanks for your possible help

Francois
Click to expand...

Ok I found it: square in j11 for hot spdif connexion: sounds indeed very good just connected to a vdac.
 
L

Lorien

Member
Joined 2007
luckit.biz
@ tagheuer & ozlegend: Thank you and thank you! Let's hope the daughter board will make some difference to this and will rise the SQ level, hopefully, more than a little bit... Still, no promises

apoo said:
Hi Lorien,
does/will the WaveIO support native DSD64/128 files?
apoo
Click to expand...

Not for now. But I hope one day, with DFU support, I'll convince WaveIO to play DSD64/128.

@ Boggy62: you already have PM.

labjr said:
I would think if using DoP the WaveIO would be transparently pass is along as if it were PCM.
Click to expand...
Not quite. WaveIO does not support DSD audio format, just I2S thus it can't be used to feed DACs with DSD support enabled.

Cheers,
L
 
wlowes

wlowes

Member
Joined 2007
Sandor said:
Thank you wlowes.



Are all the signals on J9 always present, independently of source sample rate?
Or is active only the port corresponding to the source sampling rate (i.e. signal on L1 only with 44K source, signal on L9 only with 96K source, and so on) ?
Click to expand...

Paul,
Lorien can correct me. As I understand, it is simply a clock signal present regardless of source signal. EG I get 172.1 regardless of what I am playing. If you choose 172.4 for DEM, it will sync most cleanly with material that plays at a multiple of 44.1. So 88.2 will sound marginally better than 96.
 
M

mevang

Member
Joined 2004
wlowes said:
Paul,
Lorien can correct me. As I understand, it is simply a clock signal present regardless of source signal. EG I get 172.1 regardless of what I am playing. If you choose 172.4 for DEM, it will sync most cleanly with material that plays at a multiple of 44.1. So 88.2 will sound marginally better than 96.
Click to expand...

This seems in contrast with post #1150, where Lucian says that the ports on J9 can be used for sample rate indication.
Infact, I thought that the ports L1-L6 on J9 were meant to drive leds indicating the sampling frequency.
 
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Corpius

Corpius

Member
Joined 2011
ce-designs.net/
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2. analog_sa
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4. ozlegend
5. luisbock
6. vitalica
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There is always room for improvements :)
 
L

Lorien

Member
Joined 2007
luckit.biz
Sandor said:
[...] Lucian says that the ports on J9 can be used for sample rate indication.
Infact, I thought that the ports L1-L6 on J9 were meant to drive leds indicating the sampling frequency.
Click to expand...
Yes, you are right! Those signals are mainly used to drive LEDs and indicate current sample rate (or different states in case of L7 and L8):
L1 = 44.1 kHz
L2 = 48 kHz
L3 = 88.2 kHz
L4 = 96 kHz
L5 = 176.4 kHz
L6 = 192 kHz
L7 = Host Active (WaveIO board plugged in and detected by host)
L8 = Audio Streaming (Enable when there's streaming over USB)

I hope it helps,
L
 
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