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Next step in improving digital chain?

I'm looking for suggestions on the next logical step to try to improve my digital chain in.  I know I've got a few opportunities, but there are multiple ways to begin and looking for advice.

Today:  Ethernet -> Intel NUC running Roon -> USB Cable (Audioquest Forest) -> iFi iPurifier 3.0 filter -> Border Patrol DAC (and from there via Chord Shawline RCA -> DIN to SuperNait 2)

I could audibly discern a difference adding the iFi Purifier, as well as when I upgraded from a generic USB cable to the Audioquest, but I know neither are the be-all, and also that the Intel NUC isn't the final word in USB sources :)

Thoughts/Questions:
1. Take the Intel NUC out of streaming and go with a lightweight streamer/Roon end point such as microRendu + LPS?
2. Keep the Intel NUC, but investigate something more heavy to improve the USB coming out, such as the UpTone USB Regen and a LPS?
3. Keep it simpler and just upgrade the USB cable
4. Add a LPS to the Intel NUC so it's a less noisy streaming source (but not sure how much inherent noise in just the PC design itself)
5. None of above, try something different...

Anyway, it's one of the rare instances where the number of choices available has me a bit stumped on next step to try.

kishekar
mattmiller's avatar
mattmiller
1,479 posts
 
PC’s are fing noisy, are you using a optical cable from the PC? This will be the best for electrical isolation, after that you can connect anything and it should be noise free all the way down the line. I have used a Optical cable from PC to a Monarchy DIP then out via digital XLR to a external DAC then to a active preamp via rca's then rca's out to a Headphone amp which drives phones or a Bose 2.0 computer audio system.


Matt
kishekar OP
20 posts
 
I didn't think the Intel NUC had an optical out, but your question had me google it, and there may be a minijack/optical out after all.  But then there's a next challenge... my Border Patrol DAC is USB-in only.  So then I'd need to convert signal to USB (I checked out the Monarchy DIP, and if I'd have sprung for the Border Patrol to have USB + SPDIF output, that would have worked).

At that point, saying 'to heck with it' and just getting a lightweight streamer to connect via ethernet to the network seems potentially simpler.

The iPurifier 3.0 has a done decent job improving the USB out from the NUC, but I'm not really sure how much headroom for improvement of further USB cleanup there is.  

I suppose one thing I *could* try though is bring the Auralic Aries w/ LPS down from the main system, and compare the USB-out on that vs. the NUC+iPurifier... and if that trounces the current setup, I'll have proven it's worth doing further improvements.
djones51
4,947 posts
 
What OS is on the NUC?
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