Completely agree shadorne. :) The plethora of gizmos to address issues with USB transmission is a glaring example of adding band aids in an attempt to address endemic weaknesses of the technology as well as in component design/implementation, but I think there is more to digital cable influence than that.
Re: the influence of different digital cables on sound quality, as I think you have said before, this has a lot to do with the quality of the particular component’s input design and the clock implementation. Perhaps most sensitive is the component’s USB input design/implementation (vs S/PDIF or AES/EBU) as there are more potential demons to conquer with USB data transmission. Overcoming potential noise issues with USB’s unique use of the 5V power lead in the same cable/connector interface is a challenge with USB and also that most USB designs are asynchronous, thus depending on the data transmission integrity of the source and the cable to avoid data loss that impedes the DAC’s analog reconstruction process. Maybe completely jitter related as you say a lot but I am not convinced that there is not more to it than jitter. Things like impedance match/mismatch, RF/EMI rejection and signal isolation to eliminate noise riding on the signal, etc.
Anyway, very nice to agree on a balance of reasoning and listening as the superior path to better results.
Dave
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Shadorne wrote: Reasoning says that bit perfect data into a jitter immune DAC should not be affected by the cable unless the DAC has build and design issues.
IMO, there is no such thing as a jitter immune DAC. Never heard one, never tested one that proved to be. It's the cable. Therefore, I submit that the jitter of the source ALWAYS be considered important. Steve N. Empirical Audio
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The only way I would replace the Oppo 105 would be with the newest UD 205. In my opinion it is the most complete digital preamp/DAC in the market right now. You get all the usual digital connections (usb,coax,optical) plus hdmi, and ARC (adds up as many hdmis your tv has). You also get XLRs as you know, and now Roon certified! Save the money you’d put on a more expensive DAC, get the Roon lifetime subscription with the Oppo 205 and never look back :) |
Just a quick update
Received my Exogal Comet Plus on Saturday which I stole for $1000 right here on Agon in as new condition, never even been plugged in!
So obviously it still needs a lot of burn in time but initial impressions are very favourable.
Using it right now as the main preamp in the system feeding the power amp direct and I like what I hear.
Mostly listened to Tidal and my own ripped music via the Vault 2 over digital coax and very good imaging and very tight bass control. One band in particular, A Perfect Circle, has some very deep, powerful bass lines and on the old combo I could not help but feel they came over as just a tad bloated. Not with this combo, very strong and deep but crisp and well defined.
To replace the phono section on the c48, I actually bought a used Cambridge Audio Azur 551 simply because it was for sale on my local CL...lol. However cheap maybe but even vinyl sounds improved being very well defined in the lower registers and excellent on piano and acoustic guitar and vocals.
As I said, early days but it is looking good so far. |
You could also try upgrading the Oppo 105 to the 205 and then sell the 105 or plug it into another system |
Why would he do that when he just bought an Exogal DAC?
Dave |
@audioengr
"IMO, there is no such thing as a jitter immune DAC. Never heard one, never tested one that proved to be. It’s the cable.
Therefore, I submit that the jitter of the source ALWAYS be considered important.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio"
So presumably you also dispute certain manufacturers claims and test results and also Stereophile independent test results on several DACs. Do you still sell reclocking jitter reduction solutions?
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After a lot of hours of playtime I must report to being very happy with current setup.
Exogal Comet Plus dac/preamp
BAT VK600SE power amp
Bluesound Vault 2
Wilson Witt speakers
All analog interconnects are Nordost Heimdal
All digital interconnects are Nordost Silver Shadow
SR Black fuses in the power amp and Comet ps.
SQ? Very rich and detailed with tremendous mid bass energy and vocals to die for, just right for my rock music bent.
However I listened last night to Joe Bonamassa acoustic live at Carnegie Hall and it sent me to heaven, the strings were just liquid and the whole album passed without me moving an inch from my seating position!
Now finishing upgrading the vinyl side but that is dealt with elsewhere
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Uberwaltz, I am considering the purchase of a Vault 2. I would hope to copy my AIFF files on to the internal hard drive and rip additional CDs as purchased. Have you had any issues ripping CDs with the Vaultt? Thanks. |
@mesch
Absolutely none at all
Every single one including some pretty old well played ones.
Only "issue" was about 4 cds of very old and obscure British issue nature did not get correct metadata.
Easily and quickly fixed by accessing the vault hard drive from my pc and using mp3tag to fix.
That's it, takes about 7 minutes average to rip a CD to flac or wav files.
For my requirements it was the best solution and the sq via coax digital output with a Nordost silver shadow cable is better than the original CD.
I can give the unit a solid 100% recommendation. |
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More than 80% of digital component(perhaps all components in a refined system) performance is isolation and noise elimination. I recommend BEfore upgrading, audition an Equitech 2Q for about $2400 used. A permanent extreme value improvement. Good luck. Pete |
@ptss
A little on the late side now....lol
Had the Exogal for a couple weeks now and very content indeed so far.
But thank you for the recommendations! |
So presumably you also dispute certain manufacturers claims and test results and also Stereophile independent test results on several DACs. Do you still sell reclocking jitter reduction solutions?
I have not heard every DAC, but have yet to hear one that sounds the same with a cheap cable versus an expensive cable, USB or S/PDIF, or when using different sources. Some other manufacturers also claim zero jitter. This is impossible.
I intentionally designed my own Overdrive SE/SX so it does not reclock the data coming in on I2S or S/PDIF. This allows me to hear the effects of lower jitter sources. Critical to designing outboard network Renderers like my Interchange or outboard USB converters like my Off-Ramp.
I still sell the Synchro-Mesh reclocker and it’s even improved now. Interestingly, I am not able to change the sonics with the Synchro-Mesh with different sources or cables. It does appear to be immune to incoming jitter, so I know it’s possible given the right design and implementation.
Steve N.’ Empirical Audio |
More than 80% of digital component(perhaps all components in a refined system) performance is isolation and noise elimination.
Certainly important, but I would argue that power delivery is more important. That includes power supply, regulators and decoupling caps. Steve N. Empirical Audio |
@mesch
If you have any more questions or thoughts on the vault 2 feel free to email me directly.
After nearly a year of ownership and use I think I have a pretty good handle on what makes it tick by now.
Good luck |
Thanks again uberwaltz! I may contact you after further exploration and have formulated specific questions. |
Bringing this back to the top as looking for more information as plans and equipment have changed a fair bit, whats new!
I am looking for either a DAC that has 3 analog inputs( one pair balanced) OR a preamp that has a great DAC section .
I have a few in mind but know nothing of them and obviously there may be many more.
Mytek Manhattan
PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell
NAD M12
Simaudio 350 DP
Any others and has anybody direct experience with any of these?
Thank you |
No thoughts from anybody?
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