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USB connection to DAC: multi stage improvement

In my setup (Innuos Zenith Mk3, Antelope Zodiac Platinum with Sean Jacobs DC3/4 and Antelope Audiophile clock) sequential addition of decrapifiers has lead to increasing transparency, dynamics and soundstage depth.

My chain now reads like this

ZenithMk3->Singxer UIP->JHoinrich Isolator RH07b->IFi USB iPurifier3->LHY UIP2.0 Pro->Intona7054b->Zodiac Platinum

 

The Singxer is powered by Sean Jacobs DC3/4, The Lhy is reclocked by the Antelope clock

 

Of particular note: this is the best result of trying every conceivable permutation.

 

In terms of overall impact:

1. reclocking the LHY using the same clock on DAC and upstream Etherregen

2. introducing galvanic insulation after each powered device.

3. using isolator equipment with different chips at each stage.

 

i have learned the hard way that fighting ground level noise, RFI/EMI and other network noise is a gradual rather than binary solution at each step and that in digital audio ‘less is more’ doesn‘t apply as it does in the analogue section. Equally the whole bits are bits debate seems churlish against this background

antigrunge2
antigrunge2 OP
1,557 posts
 

@audphile1 The Dac is actually controlled by the Antelope 10m clock. The point I am trying to make is precisely that it takes many steps to get to an optimal outcome. Bot the singxer UIp and the LHY Uip 2.0 are reputed aa excellent USb solutions, yet it took augmenting them with isolators based on different chips and reclocking the inbound ethernet as well as DAC and LhyUip to get an optimal result. In addition using a Sean Jacobs PSU on Dac, clock and LHY UIP was a cery significant improvement,ent.

 

I’d be keen to know what single box soluttion you suggest, I haven’t found one.

ted_b
66 posts
 

@antigrunge2 Quite the complex science experiment you have there. And to think I was feeling weird about inserting a LHY UIP ahead of an Innuos Phoenix USB for evaluation in my own system (the jury is still out). I previously experimented with the same Jhoinrch (ISOUSB211 chipped) unit with external 5V LPS ahead of the Phoenix, but the result was inconclusive.

"Bits are bits" is a simplistic argument that is valid only to the extent that the cause for clearly audible differences between bitperfect digital sources is not due to discrepancies in the digital data itself. 

Galvanic isolation in this context is binary for DC, but not for the undesirable AC currents of various frequencies responsible for downstream disturbances. 

Numerous influential variables, including quality and noise characteristics of the particular source, DAC, mains, home environment, interconnects, etc., render this exercise anything but a one-size-fits-all affair. At least the Jhoinrch device is inexpensive enough for anyone to try.

antigrunge2 OP
1,557 posts
 

Cables are Huber and Suhner for clock, Intona reference for USB and Shunyata sigma for ethernet. Antelope happens to be a leading clock specialist.

antigrunge2 OP
1,557 posts
 

@ted_b 

 

Try a good clock on the UIP, it made a big difference for me. Galvanic isolation from my experience seems dependent on the chip used. Different isolator models seem to attack different parts of the noise spectrum.

lanx0003
1,926 posts
 

You literally insert 5 USB isolators / ddc, including a superly cheap $20 stick, bet. a quality streamer and DAC.  This is nothing but creation of a series of re-clocking, packet regeneration, latency and impedance discontinuities that likely end up fighting each other.  Overly done is not better.  Not a intelligent setup. 

A quality DDC like the Gustard U26 or a higher-end DDC from Denafrips, both of which have a track record of making meaningful improvements on a already decent streamer/dac combo, should be sufficient.

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