Spdif source switching?

This may not be exactly what you had in mind, but it might work depending on your situation. The Monarchy Audio DIP Combo allows the user to switch between a line input and an optical input. You might experience sonic improvements as well depending on your DAC and your sources.

If you have basic DIY soldering skills you can combine

http://www.twistedpearaudio.com/control/otto.aspx

with a Twisted Pear Placid power supply in an ebay-sourced enclosure.

The optimum device would be a Sychro-Mesh. It is the best reclocker on the market and has Toslink and coax inputs with a selector switch. The SM will improve your audio quality significantly by reducing jitter. I used to mod the Monarchy DIP. Even with mods, not even close. The SM has money-back guarantee, less shipping. If it does not knock your socks off, return it.

the Synchro-Mesh:

http://www.empiricalaudio.com/products/synchro-mesh

Reviews:

http://www.empiricalaudio.com/news-and-reviews/synchro-mesh

This will be the best system upgrade you have ever done, and its the right place to put your money. More important than even the DAC.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

how about this ?
http://www.cs1.net/products/audio_authority/1177A.htm#purchase

hound - this switch lke all similar switches will work, however they will add to the jitter, not improve it like a reclocker will. The SQ will suffer.
Steve N.
Emporical Audio

@Audioengr

hound - this switch lke all similar switches will work, however they will add to the jitter, not improve it like a reclocker will. The SQ will suffer.
Steve N.
Emporical Audio

You have measured or tested the 1177A ?
I believe it it designed to minimize jitter. I think that's why it is a little expensive compared to others. It is not a Re-clocker though. I am sure Your product is better , but it is also much more expensive . It is more than 3 times the cost of the 1177A.

It looks like these guys used it when testing the Exasound e28DAC.http://soundrebels.com/artykuly/recenzje/item/110-exasound-e28-dac-english-ver
I am not arguing against the Synchro-Mesh, but offering a reasonable option.
Not everyone can spend 600 dolars on a re-clocker .

I use a Monarchy Audio DIP and feel it makes a positive difference. They regularly sell used for $150-$200.
Only two inputs is the only negative.

"I believe it is designed to minimize jitter. "

Its maybe designed to minimize the jitter ADDED. There will always be jitter added, unless its reclocked.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Why not consider using a combination of the Audio Authority 1177A-1 alongside a Monarchy DIP or if budget allows an Empirical SM. This would allow for up to 4 digital inputs (coax or optical or a combination of both) with auto or manual input sensing, whilst also addressing the issue of jitter.

The Synchro-Mesh isn't bit perfect. How can it be 'the best system upgrade'?

Call me silly, but I like my bits being perfect.

It is not perfect, nor is it quite as good as an Off-Ramp 5, but some of the new upsampler chips are extremely good. This is one of them.

It makes a marked improvement in most systems because the jitter reduction makes a bigger impact than being bit-perfect.

BTW, for all reading this, Cerrot is my constant critic, on anything that I say here. I would recommend to just ignore it.

Thanks,

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Ignore it? "The optimum device...", and "this will be the best system upgrade you have ever done".... but, yet, it takes me to advise it isn't bit perfect and, now you say, "its not perfect". I am glad to be a critic here.

I think you were a bit misleading, and now dodging behind my giving you a hard time. I think you should not push your products in these boards. I think it is self serving of you. I think you can learn from other designers/manufacturers here and just leave your website to being the contact point for your sales, and not audiogon message forum.

The Synchromesh degraded the sound quality in my system.

Ozzy - the SM has improved quite a lot in 2013. You may have had an earlier version.

What were you comparing the SM to?

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

He bought it. He tried it. It sucked. You told him it was the only unit with bad outputs.

Don't you keep track of this stuff?

I don't know who Ozzy is.

Right now I have a modified Xindak DAC 5 from Exemplar. Would adding an extra device to my system just to gain the extra inputs be a better solution than getting a different DAC? Right now I am auditioning an NAD M51 on loan from a friend and so far I like the sound along with the idea of having DAC/Preamp in one component. I'm also interested in the Musical Fidelity M1 Clic. Do you guys feel this might be a step in the wrong direction? The rest of my system is Tube Audio Design amp and pre. Thanks a lot for all the suggestions.

I have a great DAC -DCS Debussy which does not have toslink input
I use a cheap toslink to spdif converter and I am looking for an upgrade with a better sound.
Audio authority,monarchy audio ,synchro mesh or something else?

I have a great DAC -DCS Debussy which does not have toslink input
I use a cheap toslink to spdif converter and I am looking for an upgrade with a better sound.
Audio authority,monarchy audio ,synchro mesh or something else?

Apparently, the new MQA would not work with the Synchro-Mesh as MQA needs everything to be bit perfect.