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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
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.

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,821 posts
 

@antigrunge2 

sure. I have eero 6e pro via Audience Hidden Treasure into Meitner MA3i. This setup replaced Aurender N200 and Bricasti M3. 

I use Roon Nucleus One as Roon core and I also use Jplay to stream from qobuz and tidal.

I have in plans to try the new Matrix Audio SI-1 isolator to see if it will make any positive difference but there’s absolutely zero concerns with how my digital sounds, especially after the Roon update it’s been great as they finally fixed performance and sound quality!

ted_b
66 posts
 

@antigrunge2 Oh yes, I've been down that road. I previously had an LHY OCK-2S 10 MHz external clock (-119 dBc @ 1 Hz) for the UIP. It made a nominal improvement, which seemed impressive given being this meters the USB packet protocol itself and not the actual data bits (which is done within the DAC). I let it go after evaluating the Phoenix.

With respect to isolators, the consensus of opinion implies the Ti ISOUSB211 chipped devices (e.g. Jhoinrch, Synapse, Altor, etc.) tend to edge the ADUM chipsets by a slight margin, but the isolator chip itself is just one component, the supporting architecture contributing significantly to the overall result, and this is where they differ. I've also evaluated ADUM 4166 and JackAudio (Ti) isolators in both my main and desktop systems. I even bought a custom Ghent Audio USB breakout cable to power the isolator with external 5V (low-noise LPS) instead of using the source 5V bus. Indeed, these things can make significant improvements, again dependent largely upon the particular source and DAC.

antigrunge2 OP
1,556 posts
 

@audphile1 

In my experience Roon is far away from top sound quality, at least compared to InnuOS Sense, an expeirience shared by many here. I also doubt that using wifi allows for best sound quality compared to fibre.

Each to their own.

antigrunge2 OP
1,556 posts
 

@lanx0003 

Thank you for summarily dissing a 4+years effort to optimise my digital setup. It’s the sort of commentary that really adds no value but wholly ignores my arguments around clocking, PSU’s and the effect of different isolator chips.

You may deem it unitteligent, I prefer to use my ears in support of whatever intelligence I might have: doh!
 

I suggest a course in anger management

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