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kijanki

Responses from kijanki

Why do most phono preamps lack XLR input even thought cartridges are naturally balanced?
That's not how it works. I think you are confusing something. For a 40db CMRR, you must have gain matching of gain matching between the two channels to +/- 0.5% (1% total), and you must have perfect transistor matching (which they never are).Look ... 
Why do most phono preamps lack XLR input even thought cartridges are naturally balanced?
With a cartridge, you only have a ground connection on one end. Equal currents induced in the same direction on each wire (common mode) "induce" the same voltage and cancel each other out (it is a loop), at least at practical audio frequencies. Di... 
Why do most phono preamps lack XLR input even thought cartridges are naturally balanced?
@lewm  One advantage of true balanced is to remove reference to GND in order to get rid of wire to shield capacitance, but the same can be achieved with input transformer.  The other is that even harmonics produced by both "legs" cancel, but some ... 
Why do most phono preamps lack XLR input even thought cartridges are naturally balanced?
I can see one possible problem with true balanced operation.   Gains of both amplifiers have to be exactly the same, otherwise common mode noise will get converted to normal mode signal.  It requires some form of cross-feedback to keep gains exact... 
The meaning of “Remastered”
Some "remastered" CDs sound cleaner and better, some worse.  It is possible that they removed noise or digitized again with stable A/D clock.  Artifacts of jittery A/D conversion cannot be removed ever.  The only option is to digitize (remaster) a... 
Streaming: WiFi or wired??
Wired is twice as fast as wireless. That should be the deciding factor.No, it isn’t. What you need for typical CD is 1.4Mbit/s while WiFi delivers 54Mbit/s. Streaming services most of the time use lossy compression so it will never sound as good a... 
Streaming: WiFi or wired??
Also, with higher frequencies (at 5G) , your signal degrades quicker so distance becomes more of an issue. This is laws of physics and you just have to live with it.This and the fact that higher frequencies penetrate walls poorly prevent interfer... 
USB cables and Galvanic Isolation
Yes, electrical noise can enter the DAC but is that really relevant if the DAC has a measure of -120 SINAD from the analog output?Even if this -120dB SINAD was specified for the USB input signal I'm pretty sure they did not use for this specificat... 
USB cables and Galvanic Isolation
USB of newer DACs is asynchronous, meaning incoming data clock and D/A conversion clock are independent.  Sound cannot be affected by the timing of the data, as it is with S/Pdif,  but still can be affected by injected electrical noise (that affec... 
Damn, what a joy to have good College FM stations.
Try WUCF (Jazz & More)  - broadcasted from University of Central Florida.https://www.wucf.org/ 
Bob Dylan - new album just out on Tidal - Rough and Rowdy Ways
I like it a lot.  Wonderful, well recorded album.  I always admired Dylan's poetry and compositions, but singing was not his forte.  Surprisingly his singing is really good.  Songs, on slow side, are very melodic while the band and musical arrange... 
XLR Interconnects
@yyzsantabarbara My Benchmark AHB2 power amp also supports professional level inputs. It allow choice of 3 gains 8.2dBu, 14,2dBu and 22dBu. The idea behind high level (22dBu) is to reduce gain of power amp. It provides twofold benefit - shifts gai... 
Can I Rid Myself Of iTunes?
@goofyfoot  When you rip again rip only what you intend to listen to at the moment.  Once XLD places first track in Itunes you can start listening.  Eventually you will get all your CDs that way and it won't be a big chore. 
Can I Rid Myself Of iTunes?
I'm using XLD (free) on my MacMini for ripping.  I set output to ALAC, but you can pick any format.  I set output to Itunes directory and it creates automatically subdirectories with music. I also set number of attempts to 200 to be sure I will ge... 
DAC volume controls
@yyzsantabarbara   DAC3 HGC have two gain controls (hence "Hybrid Gain Control")  - a digital encoder for digital signals and analog pot for analog inputs, mounted on the same shaft.  AFAIK HPA4 has encoder as well, but it controls bunch of relays...