The best sounding headphone system I've built some time ago included the Ferrum Oor headphone amp with hypsos power supply, Holo Serene L1 preamp, and Musetec 005. The Oor was configured to bypass its volume control and the volume was set to 0.0 on the 005. The Serene was used to control volume. I can say in my experience, the Serene is the best sounding preamp I've tried and it mated very well in the system I described above. Other pieces of gear played their roles in that system but I want to say the Serene and 005 played their parts very well.
I sold off most of that system but I've recently repurchased the 005 (black this time) and the Ferrum Oor. I now use a Lumin streamer for digital volume control which in some systems can obviate the need of a dedicated preamp. I would love to try the Serene again with the Oor and 005 but the Lumin LEEDH digital volume control is keeping me satisfied for now.
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@lordmelton I'm really looking forward to this weekend when I get more time to try USB with the 005. I've made so many changes to the system that the music feels unfamiliar (and awesome) but comparing USB versus AES will help me get a certain grasp of what the system is and perhaps where I want to go from here. I can't seem to stop tweaking.
When I get the Fiber Box II, I will at some point test the system without the ENO and without the switch and whatever other combo that is of interest to me.
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The QSA Yellow fuse came in today. I bought it from the dealer used and I’m not sure of the level of breakin. What’s certain this first night is that the sound is different than the stock fuse. The Yellow fuse has an arrow on its side and I’ve tried it with the arrow pointing left and then right as one faces the DAC. With the arrow facing left, the sound was a little off and a little more dull than the stock fuse. With the arrow facing right, the music was much livelier and the sound level was louder than stock. This loudness sounded good at times and at other times it made me lower the volume on the amp which is not a good thing. The music sounded more cleaned up and there was definitley more emphasis in the mids. However, the music lost some low end oomph and overall fullness that I enjoyed.
I will reserve final jugement until I get more time to listen but on this first night I preferred the stock fuse, then Yellow arrow facing right, then Yellow arrow facing left.
The stock fuse has one end painted red and currently I have this red end toward the right. I wonder what’s the original configuration from the factory.
YMMV and I expect them to vary because every system is different. This is why I demo.
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@yyzsantabarbara When you become not done with streaming, if you like, I can share my experience with USB chaining beyond the oR to improve the listening experience.
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One of my first audiophile experiences was listening to headphones on the Benchmark DAC2 HGC. At first, I didn't wholeheartedly like the sound because it was so different from what I was used to but over time, the sound became addictive. So when Benchmark came out with the DAC3 HGC, I bought it a month later. I currently own the DAC3 DX. This is the only variant with an AES input. I have a Grimm MU1 streamer that is optimized for AES.
Over the past 2 years, I've bought other DACs to try to dethrone the DAC3. I've tried an RME, a Denafrips, and an SMSL. Given my musical preferences, none really came close. Enter the Musetec 005. I'm currently burning in the 005 and other cable upgrades so I will reserve final judgement but I'm 95% sure the 005 is the new king.
After everything settles, including the new network switch coming next week, I will switch back to the DAC3 to determine what I would miss without the DAC3.
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@yyzsantabarbara
I too was curious about a Denafrips DDC almost a year ago. I would like to share my experience for what it's worth. About a year ago, I briefly owned a Denafrips Hermes DDC (Gais's little brother) and a Terminator Plus DAC. The Plus provided two clock signals to the Hermes via two $26 clock cables and the Hermes provided an I2S signal to the Plus via an $80 HDMI cable. Upstream of the Hermes, I had my USB chain at the time which consisted of the opticalRendu, Uptone ISO Regen, and Innuous Phoenix USB. The oR and ISO Regen had a DC power solution better than Farad Super3 power supplies with upgraded cables. The USB chain was finished off with the excellent Shunyata Alpha USB cable. Side note: someone mentioned The Cable Company's lending library above and I used that service to demo the Alpha USB cable about 2 years ago. It's a service I like to use now and then.
At the time, I also owned a Benchmark DAC3 B. For both the Terminator Plus and the DAC3, I preferred the full USB chain without the Hermes clocked by the Plus. I mentioned the cost of the clock and HDMI cables above because I believe they were weak links in the comparison especially when going up against the Shunyata Alpha USB cable which is now retailing for $1500. So this is the tricky part with trying to compare any DAC's USB input to say the same DAC's AES input. The digital cable and everything else up the chain from it matter so it's not even close to being an apples to apples comparison. I also ended up preferring the music from the DAC3 over the Plus. Knowing I was going to sell the Denafrips gear and get some funds, I ordered a new streamer to see if it could beat my USB chain. That's how I arrived to my current streamer the Grimm MU1. And based on my experience with Shunyata digital cables I didn't fool around and bought their top of the line Shunyata Omega AES cable. This streamer and cable is now what I use on the 005 and the Benchmark DAC3 DX.
Regarding DAC pricing, I preferred the $2000 DAC to the $6000 DAC so it's not hard for me to believe a $3000 DAC can be better than a much higher priced DAC. After comparing the DAC3 to the Plus, I thought I had to go the Tambaqui level to get a really good improvement but I'm very happy to say the 005 has given me what I wanted at a much lower price point. This last weekend was one of my best listening sessions ever with the Sennheiser IE900 and Benchmark HPA4.
I would like to thank yyzsantabarbara for helping me find the 005. I found his experience wit the Benchmark DAC3 mirrored my experience exactly down to selling it at one point and rebuying it. So naturally when he upgraded to the 005, I knew I had to try. Great decision!
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@sns My experience with network switches has been very good. I owned an Innuos PhoenixNet switch and I liked it very much. The improvements I heard were obvious. I demo’ed the Synergistic switch as well but the PhoenixNet had a more relaxed sound. I sold the PhoenixNet recently not because I found something better but because I wanted funds partially to buy the 005 and also because I thought I might get similar performance from a slightly cheaper switch. My current switch is the Paul Pang Quad (still breaking in) and so far it’s sounding good but the true test will come when I connect the streamer straight to the router to compare. In between owning the PhoenixNet and the Quad, I had in the system a $16 D-Link DES 105 switch that was powered by an iFi iPower and grounded to my Shunyata Everest power distributor. This little guy did not embarrass itself. I could tell it was not as refined as the PhoenixNet but I still enjoyed it. It’s definitely the best bang for your buck switch I’ve tried. In all cases an ENO ethernet filter and cable connected the switch to streamer.
Yes, I’ve only tried the AES input of the 005. However, even though it’s not optimized for USB, my streamer has the ability to output USB . I still have the ISO Regen, a Cardas Clear USB cable, and a good power supply so I will connect all of this to the streamer and give USB a try this weekend. If this USB solution comes close to my AES solution, then I will have some thinking to do. The Grimm MU1 streamer has some tricks that it does on the AES output such as up-sampling all redbook tracks to 176.4K/192K 24bits so it won’t be a fair fight. This up-sampling in theory allows the DAC to not work as hard (because all DACs up-sample internally) and therefore the DAC should sound better. Less activity is less noise/distortion.
I liked the Terminator Plus when I had it. It had an amazing open sound that is unlike anything I’ve experienced. I didn’t keep it because the DAC3 performed better on 70% of the other musical qualities that I listen for. I briefly thought about keeping it but I had to sell it because improving my system elsewhere was much more important than having a secondary DAC. I haven't looked back.
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@sns Your server is in some ways acting like a switch. It sits in-between the router and the streamer and it re-clocks the ethernet packets. And perhaps most importantly, it must be isolating the oR into its own little network. So in other words, the oR won’t be receiving multicast messages, for example, from any other network device outside its own network. So repeating what I said earlier, less activity is less noise/distortion. My PhoenixNet dealer once had a dual switch network and similar to your experience, he found that removing the first switch sounded better. And isn’t it great to know that removing a component does that? It’s a win for the music and we get to put money back into the pocketbook for a change.
From your experience and others, the 005 seems to improve as the rest of the system is upgraded. It shows that the 005 is not the weak link. The Benchmark DAC3 shares this trait and it’s a big reason why the DAC3 has been with me nearly since inception.
I don’t have optical isolation anymore in my system but that will change in a few weeks when the Ediscreation Fiber Box II will come in. It will sit in-between the router and the switch. If it makes a difference, I will share the results. But before then, I have a QSA Yellow fuse for the 005 coming in a few hours. I’m hoping this fuse will not make an appreciable difference. I don’t like the idea of fuse rolling $700+ fuses.
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@sns Yes, I agree the streaming possibilities today are numerous and endless. Endless too is our individual climb up the audio mountain. At certain stops, we may decide the view is too nice and stay put. Other times, we continue the climb up to seek a new view. We all have done both and both are perfect choices for the moment. Right now I’m on that next climb but I plan to stop and enjoy the view once the Fiber Box II arrives and is inserted into the system. I need to "rest" and just enjoy because I’ve been moving up at breakneck speed. Regarding optimization of particular digital input types, I don’t think we can say one type is definitively better than any other type. Based on my own experience, I believe the optimizations that one can do is limitless for any digital input type. We can just pick what we think is best and optimize (endlessly if desired).
@lordmelton I would like to describe the same type of test I did almost a year ago to provide another perspective. The DAC under test was my Benchmark DAC3 DX. The AES setup was the MU1 but the AES cable this time was a $56 Grimm TPR cable. The USB setup used an $8K USB solution whose main components were the opticalRendu, ISO Regen, Phoenix USB, and Shunyata Alpha cable. This test would decide if the MU1 would be heading back to the Netherlands or not. As we know, I kept the MU1 and sold most of the USB solution. Of all the musical qualities that I cared for, this AES setup was preferred roughly by 80%. So I still thought the USB setup did some things better. Having decided MU1 AES was my future, I replaced the TPR cable with the Omega cable. I’m going by audio memory here but the MU1/Omega combo then tipped the scales nearly to 100% AES. I had sold most of the USB solution by the time I received the Omega cable so I couldn’t repeat the test. Lesson reaffirmed: digital cables matter greatly. Regarding DOP, the MU1 does support it. I believe I have an album or two that is DSD so I may give DOP a try, if anything, to learn something new about the 005 and the system as a whole.
@melm I was aware of what that head-fi user did but I was not aware of how easy it is to remove and re-insert the USB board. Thanks for sharing this info. I’ve replaced the DSP boards on my Kii Three active speakers so removing circuit boards from high end gear would not be new to me. I will remove the USB board from the 005 and have a listen and then report back. I’m expecting to hear a difference because the main premise of removing any piece of circuitry (if it can be done and is not needed) is to not suffer the noise/distortions caused by that circuitry. Side note: If removal is not an option then reducing the activity level of any circuitry should also reduce the noise level. This has been my experience.
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@yyzsantabarbara
I think I understand what you mean about matching warm electronics with the DAC3 and preferring that matching over the 005. I just sold my DAC3 DX recently. Believe it or not, it's the 4th DAC3 I've sold over the years. I'm going to miss that sound because that DAC has been at the heart of audio journey for many years but it simpy was not getting playtime. It has found a better home. I wish I can keep them all but I have to draw the line somewhere with the components I own.
The only Benchmark product I still have is the HPA4. I thought about replacing it with the Ferrum Oor/Hypsos stack but I found that the HPA4 is a great preamp to the Ferrum stack. I find the combo of 005 > HPA4> Ferrum Stack to be amazing. It is the best sound I've ever heard with these ears. I can hear the strengths of each component come through the music. I also have a Topping Pre90 in house as well to compare preamp duties against the HPA4. So far, the HPA4 is clearly better for the job. I will let the Pre90 burn in more before I make final jugement. Of course, I would love for the Pre90 to win so then I can free up funds for other things things :). I'm playing with the ratios again.
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I never understood ASR's methodology for determining good or bad. I think measurements with instruments can help our understanding of what we're hearing but the whole thing is too complex to boil it down to a few types of measurements. It's human nature to simplify our understanding of complex topics but this creates a lot of room for error. The biggest flaw in the ASR methodolgy is to not use their best measurent tool that they have which is their ear and their brain. No man made tool can ever match this.
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@sns Great post! And I can't agree more with the link.
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Today I tested the USB input versus the AES input of the 005. First I need to share the equipment involved and the setups because that is important. In both the AES setup and the USB setup, the Grimm MU1 is the Roon server and endpoint. I only stream Tidal redbook tracks with the MU1. I use to stream Tidal "Hi-Res" but I found that the up-sampling done by the MU1 lessens the need for "Hi-Res" streaming.
AES Setup: (Grimm MU1; Shunyata Omega AES cable into the 005). With this setup, the Grimm up-samples all redbook tracks to 176.4KHz/192Khz 24bit and I can verify the up-sample on the display of the 005. The AES output of the MU1 is advertised to have "ultra low clock jitter".
USB Setup: (Grimm MU1; Schitt PYST USB cable > Uptone ISO Regen > Cardas Clear USB cable into the 005; ISO Regen is powered by a DXP-1A5DSC power supply which itself is powered by an iFi Elite power supply which is connected to the Shunyata Everest power distributor with a Shunyata Venom V14 Digital cable). With USB, there is no up-sample and again I can verify this on the display of the 005.
Critical listening is done with the Sennheiser IE900 driven by the Benchmark HPA4 headphone amp. The stock fuse was used in the 005. The 005 and the HPA are connected to the Everest via Zavfino Silver Dart Graphene power cables. The same model Zavfino XLRs connect 005 to HPA4.
I'm going to get straight to the point regarding the results. The AES Setup wins hands down! Based on my musical preferences, I don't believe I will prefer any track that is not played from the AES output of the MU1. And I have to emphasize this is NOT a knock on the USB input of the 005. I just prefer the AES optimized output of the MU1 and it has convinced me on three highly regarded DACs now that "AES" can be better than "USB" if the right streamer is utilized. The MU1 is one of a kind in what it does so I don't expect anyone to understand exactly what I'm saying and hearing until they try it in their own system.
The musical difference:
I know it's cliche but with MU1 AES, there is a veil or two that is lifted from the presentation. The details are easier to hear and there is more clarity. There is a sense of better "sound separation" and I can hear sound nuances easier. The music sounded slightly louder in a good way. A component change can cause music to sound louder if it's amplifying perceived noise/distortion and this is not good. But I get the sense the MU1 AES is helping amplify the music itself so it's desired greater loudness. One of the best things I loved to hear with the 005 was the way percussive sounds or stick type hits would present themselves. These types of sounds were crisp and strong and had great texture and pop. Doing this experiment, I realized how much the MU1 AES actually played a role in making this sound. That is to say with the USB setup, this characteristic was lessened.
Based on past similar experiments involving the MU1, I knew this was not a fair test for USB and today's experiment just reaffirms why I moved on from my USB optimized chain. I'm not saying USB is bad because it is definitely not but the MU1 AES is just better in my experience.
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In a previous post, I mentioned the Ediscreation Fiber Box II (Standard Version). I would like to share some of my initial notes of the Fiber Box II after it was inserted into my Grimm MU1 and Musetec 005 digital front end. The signal path is now secondary mesh router > Fiber Box II > Paul Pang Quad Switch > ENO Ethernet Filter > MU1 > 005.
The notes:
- better command of when sounds start and stop
- more bass bloom
- more nuances
- more relaxed
- better resolution
- more "meat and garnishments"
- better PRAT
- closer to the stage
- superb imaging
I do extensive research before I buy any audio gear and finding reviews for the Fiber Box II was hard to come by. The Fiber Box II like the 005 is not greatly advertised but they are both hidden gems and value kings for what they bring to the table. If your system already has optical isolation with OCXO clocking, then the benefit for you is likely different.
Speaking of value, when I compare two like things that perform similarly, I try to think of things in ratios. If two DACs have similar sonic performance but one costs 3 times more than the other, then of course the ratio is 3 to 1. With a ratio like 3 to 1 or 2 to 1, there is no contest for which DAC or component I'm going to choose. Even if the cheaper DAC is slightly less pleasing sonically, I know I can easily make up that difference with cables or other upgrades and still have funds to spare.
I'm not married to any of my component. If I can get the performance of the 005 at half price, the 005 would be gone in a few weeks. With that said, I don't think I will face this dilemma any time soon. The Benchmark DAC3 at about $2000 is a possible 005 slayer because for me it has slayed a $6500 DAC but I've done my head to head comparisons and we know which DAC won the contest.
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A smartphone with a USB adapter of some type is also an inexpensive alternative option for testing. This USB adapter can also come in handy in other scenarios as well.
You may also want to try BW02 or BW03 for PCM to see if that changes things. I generally use BW01 but when I was playing with different sources, I found BW02 and BW03 to be more robust for certain sources.
From the manual: Better sound can be reached if user set DPLL to a lower bandwidth, but this will reduce the signal receiving tolerance.
... from one SW engineer to another.
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I believe lordmelton’s positive experience with the LKS DDC. The LKS converts and reclocks the digital signal. And perhaps more importantly, it does this powered by its own power supply that is separate from the DAC’s power supply. The LKS can perform its singular function without drawing power away from the DAC’s other responsibilities. I think there would be less noise kicked back to the DAC’s power supply as well. Over the last year or two, I’ve appreciated first hand the sonic benefits of DDC type devices that have great clocks and their own separate special power supplies. The list includes such devices as the Innuos Phoenix USB, audiophile switches, and the Ediscreation Fiber Box II that lordmelton also enjoys. I would throw in the Grimm MU1 streamer into that mix as well. Many folks know that separates sound better than an integrated device. I now believe this applies to DDC type devices as well.
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@debjit_g I would like to clarify and reword my last post.
When I wrote that post, I had in mind what melm said: "I believe what I am reading about here IIUC is not a comparison of the USB input with the I2S input. It seem to me rather a comparison of 2 USB inputs, one using the internals of the Musetec USB system and the other using the separate LKS system, both feeding I2S into the internals of the DAC."
Viewing the comparison in that way is interesting and it made me think what in my experience would explain why the L.K.S Audio USB-100 DDC could sound better than the Amanero board built inside the 005.
Some potential advantages I see are:
- As viewed from the DAC chip, the electrical noise from the DDC will be less than the electrical noise from the built-in Amanero board because the DDC is farther away from the DAC chip.
- The DDC has its own power supply and this has a number of benefits including...
- The DAC's power supply is freed from the task of powering the USB to I2S function, which should allow it to better supply power to other parts of the DAC.
- The electrical noise generated from the DDC should have a smaller impact to the DAC's power supply compared to the Amanero board because the Amanero board is connected to the DAC's power supply and the DDC is not.
- The DDC has a singular task to convert one digital signal to another and if its fed by a very good power supply, it alone will take full advantage of that power supply. Usually, the better the power supply, the better the performance of the DDC. In this way, the performance of the DDC is scalable and its theoretical performance ceiling may be higher than a static built-in solution like the 005's Amanero board.
- The addition of a DDC means adding a reclocker and if the DDC has a well built clock, this can have benefits downstream to the DAC. Signal integrity may be better.
I can list the drawbacks of the DDC as well but in my experience, choosing the right Digital-In to Digital-Out type devices can create wonderful sonic improvements.
For these types of devices I look for a great clock usually of the OCXO variety and a special built power supply that is built inside the device itself to eliminate external DC cables. It's a winning combination and the sonic improvements have not been subtle for me.
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@lordmelton As you know, I no longer use USB but if I ever do go back to it, I would strongly consider buying back the Innuos Phoenix USB. I would rate it as one of the most joyful USB devices I've owned. When I first installed the Phoenix USB, I already had the opticalRendu streamer and the Uptone ISO Regen chained together. I added the Phoenix USB to the end of that chain and the joy factor went up a notch or two. The improvement was obvious and the music became even more addictive. I may be overstating it a little here but everything improved. The Phoenix USB was the device that taught me the power of a great clock and a well built internal power supply.
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@lordmelton Right now I am not using any DDC. Over a year ago I bought my Grimm MU1 streamer and I found going straight from it to DAC with a single AES/EBU cable sounded better than my complex USB chain with multiple USB decrapifiers. Interestingly, the MU1 has bonified DDC capabilities (e.g. it can convert toslink to AES) but I don't use it in this way for music listening.
My last experience with a DDC was a Denafrips Hermes clocked by a Denafrips Terminator Plus. My complex USB chain fed the USB signal to the Hermes which then outputted an I2S signal via an HDMI cable to feed the T+. Testing this Hermes configuration against the MU1, I preferred the MU1.
I would love to get my hands on a Denafrips Gaia to experiment with the MU1 and 005 but this is not high on my list.
On another topic, three SR Purple fuses are arriving today. I'm installing one each in the 005, the Benchmark LA4 preamp, and my Ferrum Oor headphone amp. I will report back my results in a later date.
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I installed the three SR purple fuses last night. The way I like to do it, I burn in all system changes at the same time and then I would revert or change one thing at a time to determine if I like that one change or not.
I would like to share my methodology for initially installing the fuses. These SR fuses are directional. Based on my research, the "S" side of the fuse should connect to the Hot pin of the AC inlet. This is where the power is coming in. I used a digital multimeter to confirm which contact of the fuse housing had continuity with the Hot pin of the AC inlet. See diagram below as one looks at the AC inlet of the 005 with fuse and fuse holder removed:
Ground
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Hot Neutral
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Contact A Contact B
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In the diagram above, Hot had continuity with Contact A so I installed the fuse with the "S" side of the fuse near Contact A. I followed the same methodology for my preamp and headphone amp. These fuses are no where close to being broken in but first impressions are very important for me. I’ve never liked a system change long term if first impressions were bad.
Getting to the initial results, I’m keeping these Purple Fuses. They are the best fuses I’ve tried in my history with fuses The sound was more open and detailed. Bass and dynamics were still there if not slightly better than what I remember. On the downside, I sense more harshness from the system but I expect this to reduce once the breakin period is over.
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@yyzsantabarbara Regarding the echo of the vocals on Band on the Run, I hear it as well and "echo" is the right word. The more techinal term for this is reverb. In previous posts, when I talked about hearing nuances it was about these types of things. It's thrilling to hear "new" reverb or to hear a hidden second or third singer that was always there but just now more evident. When I listen to familliar tracks, instead of focusing on the usual things, I focus on the nuances and it feels like I'm listening to the track for the first time again.
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I'm about to conclude my Sunday afternoon listening session and I decided to swap the direction of the SR purple fuse in the Ferrum Oor headphone amp. I did not like what I heard. The sound was less holographic, less refined, and more harsh. I just switched it back and things sound great again. I've just proven to myself fuse direction is a very real thing. At some point, I will perform the same test on the Benchmark LA4 preamp and the 005, but I'm in no hurry after this last test.
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I think it's as simple as connecting a USB cable from the lower USB port on the Zen Stream to the USB input port on the 005 then pressing the Input button on the 005 until you see USB on the display. Play music like you normally would and you should get music.
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I've had the Holo Audio Serene Level 1 preamp for a few months now. It's an excellent pairing with the 005. There is a review out there from Alpha Audio that mentions the performance of the Serene against the HPA4. I agree with the findings from that review. Being a former owner of the HPA4/LA4, I understand well the comparison. I highly recommend the Serene preamp with the 005 and its cost is a fraction of something like a Bricasti M20.
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It's an intriguing streamer but it's slightly more costly than the Holo Streamer and its I2S output doesn't perfectly match the 005 so I passed. Being able to experiment with I2S is one of my requirements.
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I sold my Grimm MU1 streamer for funds and now I'm using parts of my old USB chain to feed the 005. My NUC running Roon ROCK feeds the Uptone ISO Regen which connects to the 005 via a Cardas Clear USB cable. The NUC is using it's standard SMPS and the ISO Regen is fed power using daisy chained ultra low noise linear regulators. Is the music now just as good as when I had the MU1? No, but the music is still very enjoyable, almost surprisingly so. But I am also being very strategic with how I'm putting my system together and it's still changing. The point here is one doesn't need to spend megabucks on any part of an 005 based the system to immensely enjoy the music and it helps to be strategic with where the money can be spent to maximize the system.
One function the MU1 did was upsample my Tidal streamed 16bit 44.1/48KHz files to 24bit 176.4/192KHz. I always thought this helped the 005 perform better so tonight I configured Sample Rate Conversion in Roon and now the Tidal streams are coming in at 32bit 176.4/192KHz. I prefer Roon upsampling than without it and I also have Headroom Management turned on. I also tried conversion to 24bit but I slightly prefer 32bit.
On yet another note, I recently bought an LKS USB-100 DDC and the LKS LPS-25-USB power supply to power it. They should be arriving in the days and weeks ahead. I've already bought a 0.5m Wireworld Platinum Starlight Ethernet cable and a Wireworld Platinum Starlight 48 HDMI cable so I'm ready to experiment with I2S when the LKS devices arrive. I also have my eye on the new HoloAudio Red streamer and the Pi2 Design Mercury V2 streamer that both output I2S but if these LKS devices hit it out of the park, then I will stay put.
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@americanspirit I will see/hear if the LKS DDC is better or worse. If I've learned anything in this hobby it is to take everything reported online with a grain of salt and reserve my own judgement until I demo the gear in my own system against my own musical preferences. For this reason, I have a constant monthly flow of new gear/ideas coming in and out. My wife can attest to this.
It was indeed @lordmelton who had great results with the LKS DDC. At the time he first reported his good results, I was using the MU1 streamer which I was very happy with so I stayed put. Now that the MU1 is gone, this is a good opportunity to demo the LKS DDC. I will report back what I find.
Speaking of new gear, I also bought a Shunyata Typhon T2 power conditioner and it should be leaving the factory this week. I'm hoping I can get back the resolution and low level details I lost after selling my Shunyata Everest with Omega XC cable. I plan to test the Typhon T2 connected to my Puritan PSM 136 conditioner via the umbilical cable. The Typhon T2 has two AC outlets itself so I will try putting the 005 and other components into the Typhon T2 directly and also into Puritan PSM 136. For anyone that cares, I can report back the results. But I doubt anyone else plans to use a Giandel 5000 inverter with battery feeding a Typhon T2 feeding a Puritan power conditioner. This is the kind of journey I'm on...
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A lot of great suggestions in the last few posts. I will try the no footer test on the 005. It's potentially a free upgrade.
I'm no stranger to AC conditioners and power cables. For me it has mostly been Shunyata gear. Over the years, I have gone through about 10 Shunyata conditioners and many more Shunyata power cables. Each generation was leaps and bounds better than the prior. I'm heavily biased toward this company. They make my favorite digital cables as well.
I took the plunge and ordered the HoloAudio Red streamer. It supports Roon and it also supports Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect. My old streamer never had the last two features. Red also has a plethora of digital outputs I can play with. It's going to be a fun winter for me.
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The link above is to the MKII.
Here is the MKIII
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My LKS USB-100 DDC came in the mail today. I let it warm up with the LKS linear power supply while I watched a movie. Later I hooked up the wireworld platinum starlight ethernet cable, the wireworld platinum starlight 48 hdmi cable, and the Shunyata Clock 75 (acting as spdif) cable with Canare BNC to RCA adapters between the USB-100 and the 005. I will provide more details later but long story short, the wireworld hdmi cable and the DDC were an amazing pair and I2S over HDMI was the connection I used most this night! The improvements compared to what I've been use to the last few weeks were NOT subtle. In the past, I mentioned that I listened to nuances in the music. Some of these nuances went missing for me after I sold my TOTL Shunyata power conditioner. I've slowly been tweaking the system to get these nuances back but it was not until tonight that a boatload of these nuances were heard again. The LKS DDC, LKS LPS, and the wireworld platinum starlight 48 hdmi cable were less than $900 for me. The cost was well worth it compared to my other experiments.
The music was more dynamic, bass was better defined, I heard better resolution and clarity, there was a better sense of ease to the music... these were some of my listening notes.
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@sns I agree regarding the 005. I am beyond satisfied with this DAC and it responds so well to tweaks done around it.
I no longer have my superb USB chain that included an Innuos Phoenix USB and an opticalRendu but I'm sure it would've been amazing with the 005. That would've been a nice comparison between that USB chain and the current USB/I2S chain I'm using now. Better yet, it would be even more interesting to test extending my old USB chain with the current I2S chain. There are just so many possibilities and not enough time and money :)
For anyone with cash burning through their wallet and who wants to experiment with I2S, I highly recommend trying the LKS USB-100, the LKS LPS, and a short Wireworld Platinum Starlight 48 HDMI cable. For me, they too are the real deal.
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Going back to what I’m hearing with the LKS USB-100, for critical listening, I use my headphone system because it offers much more transparency than my 2-channel. It makes discerning differences and nuances easier. I use Sennheiser IE900 IEMs so the only "room acoustics" is inside my ear canal. Not even my outer ear is allowed to cause acoustic interference. I want to really stress that when I’m reporting hearing more nuances, I’m using these highly transparent IEMs that allow the tiniest of nuances to come through easily. The IE900s contain a single dynamic driver and they are able to play bass with force that would put some full sized headphones to shame. My current speakers are the Zu Audio Soul 6’s and they too display the same types of improvements with the LKS USB-100.
Amp for IEMs and speakers: Enleum AMP-23R
Ethernet/USB/I2S chain: Ediscreation Fiber Box II > Intel NUC > ISO Regen > LKS USB-100 (Fiberbox II and ISO Regen galvanically isolates the NUC from the system; NUC power is from the wall and not from the inverter/battery system)
Digital cables: Straightwire and Cardas Clear USB cables around ISO Regen, Wireworld Platinum Starlight 48 HDMI into 005
AC Conditioning: Giandel 5000W Inverter and LiFePO4 battery, Puritan PSM 136
Power cables: Furutech DPS4.1 with FI 52 NCF connector between inverter and PSM 136, Zavfino Silver Darts into LKS LPS/005/AMP-23R (all Silver Dart PCs powered by PSM 136), Shunyata V14 Digital into Fiberbox II and ISO Regen SMPS
Interconnects: Zavfino Silver Dart RCAs
Side Note: the 005 is a match with the Enleum AMP-23R and high sensitivity headphones ONLY if line level attenuators are used between the 005 and AMP-23R. Without the attenuators, the signal for the IEMs was too hot and the gain/volume selector on the AMP-23R was too sensitive.
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In the past I experimented with I2S using an LKS Audio USB-100 DDC and a Wireworld Platinum Starlight 48K HDMI I2S cable. It sounded great. This second time around with this 005, I started my I2S experimentation with an SMSL PO100 Pro DDC, Monoprice 48K HDMI cable, and an off brand flexible 5.5 inch USB A to USB C cable. The PO100 Pro takes USB C only. For less than $100 total price, this combination sounded really good to me. It had a good fun factor. For anyone wanting to try I2S, I would recommend this combo to start. You may find this to be an upgrade. The streamer was a Lumin U1 Mini with LPS mod.
With this said, I kept the PO100 Pro and upgraded the I2S cable to Tubulus Concentus I2S V2 and this was a very nice improvement. I heard more into the music. Today I replaced the off brand USB cable with a short Ghent Audio USB C to USB A cable. I will reserve jugement on this cable but right now the current I2S solution is very enjoyable.
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@duchhart
Glad the 005 and the USB-100 is working out for you. It was a great little I2S converter when I had it. I'm wishing I had kept it to run I2S-E to another component for experimenting.
I've since replaced the SMSL I2S converter with an Audio GD DI-24HE and I'm using it's I2S output. I heard an improvement. Then I added an Aune SC1 external clock to the DI-24HE and then converted the clock to use a very low noise DC input. I also added a filter to the clock cable. With each change I made related to the clock, I heard a difference for the better. In my experience, digital improvements seem limitless with the 005.
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