AES/EBU vs XLR cables for digital connection
I did look to see if this issue was addressed in earlier discussions but couldn't find any specific information, so here's the story: I've ordered a Sonnet Hermes streamer to complement my Sonnet Morpheus DAC, and since the DAC doesn't have the I2S port (it's USB instead, though I understand I can change this if I want to), the best available connection will be via AES/EBU. I already have a pretty good XLR cable (Clarus Aqua) which I previously used for analog connection but I'm wondering if there's any advantage to using a true 110-ohm AES/EBU cable or if the standard XLR (the impedance of which I don't actually know) will work just as well. Have any of you done an A/B comparison between these two types of cable? Opinions are welcome. Thanks.
I’m sorry to hear that you’re still experiencing problems with your setup- trying to help you get to the bottom of it all- 1) You confirmed that you could get Qobuz to run wireless- did you take the laptop (and Roon) out of the mix when running it wirelessly? Was there any improvement? 2) When using Roon with your laptop are you using Roon’s volume control, headroom leveling or EQ at all? 3) In case I missed this how are you passing audio from your laptop to the dac- usb or Ethernet? |
Well. After some poking around, and following sesignsfx’s most excellent suggestion, I finally discovered Roon’s DSP engine and the ability to adjust EQ with it. What a difference! Roon defaults to what looks like a flat frequency response, but to my ears it seems skewed towards higher frequencies. Boosting the bass a good 3 db and gradually rolling off the higher frequencies from about 2000 Hz upwards has yielded some unexpectedly spectacular results. NOW what I’m hearing is much more like what I was hoping for. Of course I’ve only heard this through headphones so far, but I’m sure putting this through the speakers will sound as good or better. One experiment I’ve yet to try is controlling Roon through a tablet or iPhone, neither of which I own yet, but stay tuned--this may change soon. I’ve tried using both my desktop computer and Samsung (Android) phone but neither will recognize the Hermes streamer. Again, thanks to all (and especially designsfx) for the input and suggestions. I’ll post further progress as it occurs. And as happens pretty often in this forum, we’ve strayed rather far off the path of my original post, so apologies for that. |
And yet one more update: finally was able to get the laptop out of the equation by switching to a Samsung tablet. It was an immensely frustrating process, as Roon can be very tricky to set up properly, and especially difficult to figure out how to move the Roon core from one source to another. I’m now running it on my desktop computer which is far more convenient, as it’s pretty much always on. The tablet, I discovered (after tearing my hair out and swearing loudly for days on end) can’t serve as the Roon core, but does work very efficiently as a wireless controller to access Qobuz and my music library. Now everything’s working exactly as it should, sounding especially good, and making me happy. I have to acknowledge Roon’s customer forum for pointing me in the right direction, as the actual online technical information Roon offers is difficult to navigate and not as clear as it ought to be. But still, I got there finally. And BTW, with reference to my original post, still using the I2S connection. Haven’t yet compared it to AES/EBU, but will try that experiment at some point. The Hermes doesn’t even have a USB connection (!), so can’t make that comparison. One day, perhaps, I’ll see about an even higher-end streamer, but that’s not in the cards quite yet. |
+1 @muvluv Your Sonnet Hermes is the ideal streamer for the Sonnet Morpheus DAC. It was designed specifically for it, reviewed with it, and performs best through the I²S interface that only the Hermes provides at this level; however, did you say that your DAC does not have the I²S option? If so, then USB is the next best because it is the only input that supports the DAC’s full performance architecture: higher sample rates, asynchronous clocking, FPGA‑controlled data handling, and lower jitter. (Was usb an option: The spec sheet reads "I2S Module can be installed instead of the USB module free of charge."
The Morpheus supports:
This alone makes USB (if you have it) the superior technical path for high‑res playback. With that said, if you're limiting yourself to 110-ohm AES/EBU cable or XLR, then use AES/EBU (110‑ohm XLR)becuase it offers better jitter rrejection, balanced transmisstion and higher signal integrity. Have you seen these reviews: https://twitteringmachines.com/review-sonnet-digital-audio-morpheus-dac-and-hermes-streamer/ @cooper52 Have you read this: https://www.audiokeyreviews.com/the-reviews/sonnet-morpheus-and-hermes
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