Doggiehowser,
Thanks for your suggestion. I have tried the usb input of the K-01 from my pc as reported in other threads and the order of SQ for the various set-ups is as follows(increasing order of merit) :-
1. Laptop -> Usb input of K-01
2. Laptop -> Usb-to-coax converter(iFi iLink)
-> coaxial input of K-01
3. Usb flash drive -> Marantz player as in A. above
4. Usb flash drive -> Marantz player as in B. above
Given the sonic results of set-up 4, I will stay with this as I am not prepared to spend more for a dedicated pc(Windows or Mac) music server.
This set-up for hi-rez is leagues better than anything I have ever heard from my current system. Amazing but true.
Cheers! |
Apologies for the typo.
I meant set-up B to be at 2nd rank with set-up A to be at the top rank. |
Guido,
Yes, it is most likely that the K-01x would have upgraded hardware chips for hi-rez. Unfortunately a software upgrade alone for the K-01 may not improve the SQ for hi-rez.
This is unlike the PS Audio Directstream which has FPGA implemented and thus significant upgrades can be achieved by software alone for several years down the road.
Some day, all dac's should be made this way - FPGA upgradability in an instant. :) |
Tomcy6, AL,
Thanks for your kind words. In this hobby, we need to tell it as it is. Failing that, we will be caught out one day.
For now, I shall try to duck any "metralla", as Sabai would say in Spain, that comes my way. :) |
Smrex,
Thanks for your kind words.
Tomcy6,
With regard to your comment about the Esoteric being disadvantaged by the Marantz, it is true with the redbook format.
But with hi-rez files, the Marantz does better than the Esoteric. This outcome, of course, should be taken only in the context of the 2 set-ups described and the reasons for this could be any or a combination of any of those listed above. |
Tomcy6,
The Marantz does not have a disc spinner for CD/SACD. But comparing an SACD played through the K-01 with analog out to hi-rez played from a usb flash drive through the Marantz's internal dac, the SQ comes very close. It all boils down to the quality of the recording in each format. As we all know, some hi-rez recordings are of questionable origin or mastering and so too are some SACD's. |
Guido,
The output imp for the K-01 is 100 ohms balanced while the input imp of the Bryston monos is 15 kOhm - not a good match.
How is SQ better via preamp? Let me count the ways :-
1. More body/tone/color to instruments
2. More air and space around instruments
3. Bigger soundstage, more depth with a heightened consciousness of the dimensions of the recording venue
4. Sam Tellig - more "there there"
5. Harry Pearson - more "continuousness"
6. Robert Harley - a "stunning achievement"
7. John Atkinson - it would be "churlish to nitpick"
:) :) :)
Cheers! J. |
This is a rather belated update but as always, better late than never.
After at least 200 hundred hours of burn-in for the Marantz hi-res dac, it trumps that of the K-01's in every way. The K-01's internal dac sadly has indeed seen better times.
My current set-up is as follows :-
1. Redbook CD's spinning in K-01 as transport alone > Marantz dac > preamp
2. Hi-res pcm/dsd files in usb memory stick > Marantz dac > preamp
I am in audio heaven.
Cheers! J. |
I feel the same way, Tomcy6. Those hi-res prices are still hard to swallow; I only download favorite tracks, not whole albums. Linn Records and a few other download sites allow this while HD Tracks doesn't. |
Justubes,
The K-01 for Redbook cd as a standalone player is very good but when used as a transport driving the Marantz dac, cd reproduction is at a different level altogether. A better digital cable will make the combo sound even better but sadly won't make the dac of the K-01 better than that of the Marantz. I guess the oft-quoted adage that the transport is more important than the dac holds true here. The K-01 with its VRDS Neo drive remains a very formidable transport for any high-end dac. That it can make the "lowly" Marantz sound so good for Redbook cd is revelatory. |
Justubes2,
I have been wondering how the K-01 can sound better following your suggestion to upgrade my digital cable.
Just yesterday, I had a "lightbulb" moment and downloaded the usb driver. I had done this before some time back but wasn't impressed and forgot all about it. But with the new K-01X and upgradeability by software and hardware for the good old K-01, I was hoping that the latest driver may "do" something.
Well, I couldn't be more surprised. The latest usb driver was ear-popping in a very positive way, to say the least. The sound of hi-res material wis now vastly improved. It's like having a totally new dac.
I can't imagine Esoteric could have upgraded the firmware together with the usb driver but that is what I suspect. There is no other way to explain this. Even cd's and sacd's sound better.
SQ got better when I used the iFi usb-converter to the coax input and even better still with the Gemini dual-headed usb cable and iPower to separate the audio signal from the dirty pc usb power. SQ went up a notch again with the iPower plugged into the Shunyata Triton and another notch when I played hi-res files from a thumbdrive rather than from the pc hard disc drive. And so, here I am at the next level of audio heaven.
Needless to say, the Marantz is now relegated to player/headphone amp duties in the bedroom.
To all K-01 owners thinking of selling theirs, hold on tight to these babies until you have downloaded the latest usb driver. With this, the 'new' dac section is not only very good but shockingly good.
Cheers! J. |
Guido,
Will try out your suggestion and revert.
I remember someone posting here that data retrieved from the K-01's transport goes through a dsp engine first before the D-A conversion. As dsp is software-driven, this would explain the change in SQ. No matter how it is done, it has been a truly magical transformation. :)
J. |
G,
I have tried direct to amps but SQ was taken a few notches down compared to via preamp. I can think of 2 reasons for this :-
1. The output impedance of the K-01 does not synergise well with the input impedance of the Bryston monos as have been in the past
2. Digital attenuation for hi-res 24-bit material is not as forgiving as with 16-bit redbook. That said, redbook still sounds better without digital attenuation.
As regards my suspicion of a firmware upgrade being incorporated in the usb driver download, this is strengthened by a change of one particular aspect - where it used to be that if the K-01 was not locked onto a signal for any input other than CD/SACD, the chosen input options for Coax/Opt/Usb would blink forever until a signal is received. But now, after the driver download, for any chosen input without yet a signal lock, there is nary a blink.
Cheers! J. |
Justubes2,
I have never really used the network feature of the Marantz as I do not want to run a 30m ethernet cable to my router. So the Marantz is now used only as a dsd decoder.
Yes, even with the new usb driver, the coax input still sounds better than the usb input. I guess this has to do with the original usb hardware. I can still send it off for an upgrade to the new usb board. But that would mean shipping it to Japan and no music for a few months.
The interesting thing about this driver download and incorporated firmware is that it makes the K-01 sound like a different dac. As stated elsewhere, data from the transport goes through dsp first before final d-a conversion. Does this make it similar to FPGA? Can't say for sure.
Well, the sound has indeed changed. If I maintained the same settings as before, ie ORG upsampling and OFF filter, things are tilted slightly to the warmish side with a mild blunting of transients. But transients perk up again with SLDY1 for filter. SLDY2 sounds a bit too sharp for my system. So, I have settled on ORG/SLDY1 for now. I still prefer no Upsampling to 2x/4x.
There are 2 striking changes to the sound. Firstly, there is a vast increase in the soundstage in all dimensions with precise imaging and placement of instruments on the stage. You are more aware of the acoustic environment esp with orchestral works. It makes one curious as to where the orchestra is playing.
Secondly, instrument body is now more fleshed out and there is more weight and bass foundation to orchestral works. Classical pieces on redbook, sacd and hi-res all become more there there.
Cheers! J. |
Mark,
I have not upgraded the K-01 to full K-01X, just downloaded the latest version of the usb driver for the K-01. This has improved SQ for all formats - cd, sacd and hi-res, which seems like a firmware upgrade to its internal dsp engine.
As I rediscover more and more of my cd collection, I switch filters between OFF/SLDY1 and upsampling between ORG/DSD depending on the recording, and in the context of my system.
For hi-res, it's ORG/OFF every time - not messing with tbe native signal gives the best SQ.
J. |
Doggiehowser,
You are very likely right and prescient in a previous post above :-
"......That said, the K-01/03s do use a DSP chip to resample/process the signals before feeding the AKM DACs and I think there could potentially be improvements from a firmware update on the DSP."
Cheers! J. |
Hi Mark,
From the Esoteric link below, I downloaded the hi-speed usb driver for the K-01, not the K-01X. Officially, the download does not say that it is an upgrade to the K-01X but by the improvement in SQ, it looks like it could be a firmware update as predicted by Doggiehowser.
http://www.esoteric.jp/products/esoteric/usb/usb_driver_e.html
J. |
