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Post by creimes on Feb 22, 2018 23:33:47 GMT -5
For many of us this isn't financially possible and\or are also limited to space haha, I would love to have a separate 2ch system and room but my income doesn't allow it. Chad My friend, I honestly believe every last one of us has been in your boat and the paddle is still familiar to us. God bless ya my friend. I would imagine I speak for many, with young families and such for many of us having even one setup is difficult never mind multiple ones, I wasn't speaking of just myself and I could be way worse off Nick like many are. My rather modest setup(compared to many) puts a smile on my face every day, could it be better I could only imagine so and could it be worse..heck yeah lol, a $2500 DAC to me is insanity but for some not  Cheers, Chad |
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Post by novisnick on Feb 22, 2018 23:40:36 GMT -5
My friend, I honestly believe every last one of us has been in your boat and the paddle is still familiar to us. God bless ya my friend. I would imagine I speak for many, with young families and such for many of us having even one setup is difficult never mind multiple ones, I wasn't speaking of just myself and I could be way worse off Nick like many are. My rather modest setup(compared to many) puts a smile on my face every day, could it be better I could only imagine so and could it be worse..heck yeah lol, a $2500 DAC to me is insanity but for some not Cheers, Chad Like I said or should have said, all of us old,,,,,,e,,,,r,,,,,,, guys have been down this road. First setup was a multi purpose Fisher. Cheap and didnt sound great but it was mine and I played what I liked. Years, many years later a Technics SP-23, $160.00 of the best money I ever spent,,,,,is what I thought at the time. Still own it! LOL In short, been there , done that. I get it, we all do. Enjoy your youth and kids, time will pass quicker then you’d ever guess. |
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Post by bluemeanies on Feb 23, 2018 7:26:12 GMT -5
For what it's worth I think the idea of having a second processor for two channel...an entirely separate platform would serve you better. I have an OUTLAW processor 990/7700 combo and it is strictly for HT. It is indeed old but serves me well after all of these years for HT and IMO that was the main purpose of of the EMOTIVA XMC-1. The investment of the GRACE m920 pre monitoring system/dac for my 2channel makes the difference with 2channel. Of course this is MO MY theory is two systems two processors. For many of us this isn't financially possible and\or are also limited to space haha, I would love to have a separate 2ch system and room but my income doesn't allow it. Chad Chad it seems you are doing ok. By way of your signature it looks as though you do have more than one system but maybe I am mistaken. I myself was never big on buying USED equipment. However like everything else else things change. Purchased the Outlaw 990/7700 combo at the CES show many years ago and purchased the combo after the show for about $2300.00. At the time I worked for the airlines and had FREE shipping. My projector I demoed at the an audio show and found an online company once I was home selling it NEW FOR $800.00 less than what I seen it selling at the audio show with an extra bulb. My point is there are deals out there if you look hard enough and constantly are in search mode. I recently purchased a THETA multi bit dac for $310.00 on audio mart USA. Another place to look is MASSDROP...CHECK IT OUT. Remember if you buy something cheap and you have to sell it you will get less money back. I had a pair of B&W speakers...804S speakers for 9 years...pristine condition with orginal boxes and manual...I paid $4000.00 for them originally and re-sold them for $2800.00. The new B&W series 3 speakers were coming out and dealers were marking down there older models. I picked up a NEW IN THE BOX pair of B&W 803 diamonds for $7000.00 minus the $2800.00 I receceived for my 804's...out of pocket cost $4200.00. I am just a working man...retired now but I constantly saved any amounts of money I could. I actually opened an electronics account and put everything in there, Birthday, Christmas, Side job money anything...you get the idea. Just wanted to share my experience. Many people on this forum change equipment like underwear. Many buy bigger and bigger powered amplifiers. When listening to music It's quality not quantity, not more and more headroom. It's a quality processor/dac and good speakers. That is nothing against EMOTIVA...I still think it's the best bang for the buck for HT amplifiers and processors. My brother in law intends to buy a two channel amplifier and processor/dac from EMO in the near future. |
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Post by jdmusante on Feb 25, 2018 17:12:52 GMT -5
This is actually a timely subject for me. When I was auditioning speakers last week, everyone used Tidal and just handed me an iPad to choose the music I wanted to hear from the speakers. Pretty cool idea. I should have asked more questions about how they had it hooked up.
I signed up for Tidal this weekend and currently have it running through my Mac Mini -> XMC-1 vie USB. Sounds awesome. I can also run it through my Oppo 105 and use Oppo's Media Control app through my phone or iPad. Not a fan of this option though as it doesn't offer gapless playback (I'm using the HiFi service) and sometimes just stops playing. I do like how it has a visual shown on our TV when run through the Oppo. It's not a native app for them so I doubt this will get better.
Anyone know if run Tidal through the app on the Mac Mini, with it hooked directly to the XMC-1, if you control if via a phone or iPad app? I want to have this service available to my wife. She refuses to get on the Apple bandwagon or she could run it through an Apple laptop. The only thing I have seen is hooking up a Sonos connect to the XMC-1 and using their app to play Tidal that way. This way she could control it through the Sonos app on her Android phone. I understand she won't get the Master quality and she frankly does care about that.
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Post by kybourbon on Feb 25, 2018 17:24:40 GMT -5
This is actually a timely subject for me. When I was auditioning speakers last week, everyone used Tidal and just handed me an iPad to choose the music I wanted to hear from the speakers. Pretty cool idea. I should have asked more questions about how they had it hooked up. I signed up for Tidal this weekend and currently have it running through my Mac Mini -> XMC-1 vie USB. Sounds awesome. I can also run it through my Oppo 105 and use Oppo's Media Control app through my phone or iPad. Not a fan of this option though as it doesn't offer gapless playback (I'm using the HiFi service) and sometimes just stops playing. I do like how it has a visual shown on our TV when run through the Oppo. It's not a native app for them so I doubt this will get better. Anyone know if run Tidal through the app on the Mac Mini, with it hooked directly to the XMC-1, if you control if via a phone or iPad app? I want to have this service available to my wife. She refuses to get on the Apple bandwagon or she could run it through an Apple laptop. The only thing I have seen is hooking up a Sonos connect to the XMC-1 and using their app to play Tidal that way. This way she could control it through the Sonos app on her Android phone. I understand she won't get the Master quality and she frankly does care about that. I have a Sonos:Connect and Raspberry Pi running RoPieee and Roon. Can easily use the Sonos:Connect for your wife connected to the XMC-1 via Optical or Coax Digital |
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Post by novisnick on Feb 25, 2018 17:36:08 GMT -5
This is actually a timely subject for me. When I was auditioning speakers last week, everyone used Tidal and just handed me an iPad to choose the music I wanted to hear from the speakers. Pretty cool idea. I should have asked more questions about how they had it hooked up. I signed up for Tidal this weekend and currently have it running through my Mac Mini -> XMC-1 vie USB. Sounds awesome. I can also run it through my Oppo 105 and use Oppo's Media Control app through my phone or iPad. Not a fan of this option though as it doesn't offer gapless playback (I'm using the HiFi service) and sometimes just stops playing. I do like how it has a visual shown on our TV when run through the Oppo. It's not a native app for them so I doubt this will get better. Anyone know if run Tidal through the app on the Mac Mini, with it hooked directly to the XMC-1, if you control if via a phone or iPad app? I want to have this service available to my wife. She refuses to get on the Apple bandwagon or she could run it through an Apple laptop. The only thing I have seen is hooking up a Sonos connect to the XMC-1 and using their app to play Tidal that way. This way she could control it through the Sonos app on her Android phone. I understand she won't get the Master quality and she frankly does care about that. Through the Tidal app and paying for Masters you are getting the first unfold of MQA abilities. CD quality. For higher resolution you’ll need the web based app to stream to your DAC which will get you in other words, ”According to the streaming service, Tidal Masters will typically (although not exclusively) be 24-bit/96kHz, as opposed to the 16-bit/44.1kHz (CD-quality) streams on the hi-fi tier. And there are 30,000 tracks currently available in the format.” Read more at www.whathifi.com/tidalmasters/review#KtIee1RpRlrdqRhF.99 |
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Post by jdmusante on Feb 25, 2018 17:42:34 GMT -5
This is actually a timely subject for me. When I was auditioning speakers last week, everyone used Tidal and just handed me an iPad to choose the music I wanted to hear from the speakers. Pretty cool idea. I should have asked more questions about how they had it hooked up. I signed up for Tidal this weekend and currently have it running through my Mac Mini -> XMC-1 vie USB. Sounds awesome. I can also run it through my Oppo 105 and use Oppo's Media Control app through my phone or iPad. Not a fan of this option though as it doesn't offer gapless playback (I'm using the HiFi service) and sometimes just stops playing. I do like how it has a visual shown on our TV when run through the Oppo. It's not a native app for them so I doubt this will get better. Anyone know if run Tidal through the app on the Mac Mini, with it hooked directly to the XMC-1, if you control if via a phone or iPad app? I want to have this service available to my wife. She refuses to get on the Apple bandwagon or she could run it through an Apple laptop. The only thing I have seen is hooking up a Sonos connect to the XMC-1 and using their app to play Tidal that way. This way she could control it through the Sonos app on her Android phone. I understand she won't get the Master quality and she frankly does care about that. I have a Sonos:Connect and Raspberry Pi running RoPieee and Roon. Can easily use the Sonos:Connect for your wife connected to the XMC-1 via Optical or Coax Digital I have to look into Room a bit more. Paying $20 a month for Tidal and then $120 a year for Roon. Don't want to keep dropping money into it but if its the easiest way with best SQ and my wife can use it..... Glad to hear the Connect works well for this. Think I'll look around for one. |
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Post by jdmusante on Feb 25, 2018 17:47:09 GMT -5
This is actually a timely subject for me. When I was auditioning speakers last week, everyone used Tidal and just handed me an iPad to choose the music I wanted to hear from the speakers. Pretty cool idea. I should have asked more questions about how they had it hooked up. I signed up for Tidal this weekend and currently have it running through my Mac Mini -> XMC-1 vie USB. Sounds awesome. I can also run it through my Oppo 105 and use Oppo's Media Control app through my phone or iPad. Not a fan of this option though as it doesn't offer gapless playback (I'm using the HiFi service) and sometimes just stops playing. I do like how it has a visual shown on our TV when run through the Oppo. It's not a native app for them so I doubt this will get better. Anyone know if run Tidal through the app on the Mac Mini, with it hooked directly to the XMC-1, if you control if via a phone or iPad app? I want to have this service available to my wife. She refuses to get on the Apple bandwagon or she could run it through an Apple laptop. The only thing I have seen is hooking up a Sonos connect to the XMC-1 and using their app to play Tidal that way. This way she could control it through the Sonos app on her Android phone. I understand she won't get the Master quality and she frankly does care about that. Through the Tidal app and paying for Masters you are getting the first unfold of MQA abilities. CD quality. For higher resolution you’ll need the web based app to stream to your DAC which will get you in other words, ”According to the streaming service, Tidal Masters will typically (although not exclusively) be 24-bit/96kHz, as opposed to the 16-bit/44.1kHz (CD-quality) streams on the hi-fi tier. And there are 30,000 tracks currently available in the format.” Read more at www.whathifi.com/tidalmasters/review#KtIee1RpRlrdqRhF.99And this is where me and my MacBook will come into play. The master's selections will be for myself, using the web based app when I'm home and playing music. I just screen share the Mac Mini and make my selections from the couch. My wife couldn't care less about MQA and 14 vs. 24 bit. As long as she can play what she wants, she'll be happy. |
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Post by novisnick on Feb 25, 2018 17:58:54 GMT -5
Through the Tidal app and paying for Masters you are getting the first unfold of MQA abilities. CD quality. For higher resolution you’ll need the web based app to stream to your DAC which will get you in other words, ”According to the streaming service, Tidal Masters will typically (although not exclusively) be 24-bit/96kHz, as opposed to the 16-bit/44.1kHz (CD-quality) streams on the hi-fi tier. And there are 30,000 tracks currently available in the format.” Read more at www.whathifi.com/tidalmasters/review#KtIee1RpRlrdqRhF.99And this is where me and my MacBook will come into play. The master's selections will be for myself, using the web based app when I'm home and playing music. I just screen share the Mac Mini and make my selections from the couch. My wife couldn't care less about MQA and 14 vs. 24 bit. As long as she can play what she wants, she'll be happy. I have a Meridian Explorer2 form Music Direct for about $200.00, if you check in often you can find an open box a little cheaper. I have it connected to my Mac Mini and then to my preamp, does the full decoding. Most MQA files sound incredible. By using a decoder and the web based app you turn off the Tidal unfolding and allow the Explorer2 to do the three unfolds for full MQA. With the web app Tidal running through my DC-1 I get up to 24-bit/96kHz |
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Post by kybourbon on Feb 25, 2018 20:00:14 GMT -5
I have a Sonos:Connect and Raspberry Pi running RoPieee and Roon. Can easily use the Sonos:Connect for your wife connected to the XMC-1 via Optical or Coax Digital I have to look into Room a bit more. Paying $20 a month for Tidal and then $120 a year for Roon. Don't want to keep dropping money into it but if its the easiest way with best SQ and my wife can use it..... Glad to hear the Connect works well for this. Think I'll look around for one. Honestly for her the connect with something like Google Music or Spotify would probably be better. Easier to use for her and I like the "top tracks" for each artist much better in either of those vs tidal. |
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Feb 26, 2018 11:59:21 GMT -5
The "first unfold" should give you ABOVE CD quality - if the original file started out that way (usually meaning 24/96k)... Note that this is true for both the Windows and Apple DESKTOP apps only... And, at least in Windows, you have to go into the TIDAL CLIENT SETTINGS for your particular DAC and select "Exclusive Mode" in order to get the actual decoded output sent to your DAC... This is actually a timely subject for me. When I was auditioning speakers last week, everyone used Tidal and just handed me an iPad to choose the music I wanted to hear from the speakers. Pretty cool idea. I should have asked more questions about how they had it hooked up. I signed up for Tidal this weekend and currently have it running through my Mac Mini -> XMC-1 vie USB. Sounds awesome. I can also run it through my Oppo 105 and use Oppo's Media Control app through my phone or iPad. Not a fan of this option though as it doesn't offer gapless playback (I'm using the HiFi service) and sometimes just stops playing. I do like how it has a visual shown on our TV when run through the Oppo. It's not a native app for them so I doubt this will get better. Anyone know if run Tidal through the app on the Mac Mini, with it hooked directly to the XMC-1, if you control if via a phone or iPad app? I want to have this service available to my wife. She refuses to get on the Apple bandwagon or she could run it through an Apple laptop. The only thing I have seen is hooking up a Sonos connect to the XMC-1 and using their app to play Tidal that way. This way she could control it through the Sonos app on her Android phone. I understand she won't get the Master quality and she frankly does care about that. Through the Tidal app and paying for Masters you are getting the first unfold of MQA abilities. CD quality. For higher resolution you’ll need the web based app to stream to your DAC which will get you in other words, ”According to the streaming service, Tidal Masters will typically (although not exclusively) be 24-bit/96kHz, as opposed to the 16-bit/44.1kHz (CD-quality) streams on the hi-fi tier. And there are 30,000 tracks currently available in the format.” Read more at www.whathifi.com/tidalmasters/review#KtIee1RpRlrdqRhF.99 |
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Post by novisnick on Feb 26, 2018 12:32:49 GMT -5
The "first unfold" should give you ABOVE CD quality - if the original file started out that way (usually meaning 24/96k)... Note that this is true for both the Windows and Apple DESKTOP apps only... And, at least in Windows, you have to go into the TIDAL CLIENT SETTINGS for your particular DAC and select "Exclusive Mode" in order to get the actual decoded output sent to your DAC... Through the Tidal app and paying for Masters you are getting the first unfold of MQA abilities. CD quality. For higher resolution you’ll need the web based app to stream to your DAC which will get you in other words, ”According to the streaming service, Tidal Masters will typically (although not exclusively) be 24-bit/96kHz, as opposed to the 16-bit/44.1kHz (CD-quality) streams on the hi-fi tier. And there are 30,000 tracks currently available in the format.” Read more at www.whathifi.com/tidalmasters/review#KtIee1RpRlrdqRhF.99Yes indeed! 😁 Blue light on! AlmostEmoBlue! |
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KeithL
Administrator
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Post by KeithL on Feb 26, 2018 12:52:08 GMT -5
Just to be clear, the Jitterbug is strictly a USB noise filter..... it does NOT re-clock anything. You should only expect it to (possibly) make a difference on devices that are sensitive to the quality of the USB power connections - mostly certain USB-powered DACs. Also, to be clear, USB is a packetized data system... and the packets themselves rely on a clock. However, that clock is NOT used as the clock for the audio data contained in those packets in a DAC with a modern asynch USB input (the asynch input re-clocks the data). (Older non-asynch USB inputs actually derived the audio clock from the packet data clock; modern ones do not.) Therefore, re-clocking the USB packets shouldn't make any difference - unless the USB input on your particular DAC is, for some separate design reason, sensitive to the packet timing. I've also got to admit that talk about "black backgrounds" always makes me somewhat dubious. It makes perfect sense to me that, if you hear background noise, then you do something to get rid of it, so now you have less background noise, you might describe "a blacker background". (And, with specific DACs, I have heard exactly that when a real USB ground isolator was added to the circuit.) However, I am at a complete loss as to what "getting rid of noise that wasn't there to begin with" could possibly sound like... And I am at a complete loss as to what "a blacker background" could possibly mean if it DOESN'T mean getting rid of some sort of noise. (It seems to mean "getting rid of noise that you didn't know you had" - which sounds rather like something that would come from the psy-ops guys in the marketing department to me.) Question goodfellas27. Was the noise that apparent? In other words did you physically hear a difference before the Jitterbug and what you are listening to now? Just wondering . I am connected mini toslink to toslink using the Mac mini for TIDAL. bluemeanies, I do not use a Jitterbug, but I recently began using a microRendu and a Schiit Eitr with my XMC-1 which, like the Jitterbug, are designed to cleanup USB noise, among other things. Since both devices I use act to reclock the USB data and cleanup the "dirty" USB power I think the best way to describe the change in the system is not so much that you hear less obvious "noise", even though I do believe the background is blacker, it is that what you hear through the system sounds more realistic, detailed , dynamic, etc. The combo of the microRendu and Eitr was actually pretty dramatic in my system. Oh, and the Eitr works really well with my Theta Gen. 5A. |
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Post by fbczar on Feb 26, 2018 13:50:30 GMT -5
Just to be clear, the Jitterbug is strictly a USB noise filter..... it does NOT re-clock anything. You should only expect it to (possibly) make a difference on devices that are sensitive to the quality of the USB power connections - mostly certain USB-powered DACs. Also, to be clear, USB is a packetized data system... and the packets themselves rely on a clock. However, that clock is NOT used as the clock for the audio data contained in those packets in a DAC with a modern asynch USB input (the asynch input re-clocks the data). (Older non-asynch USB inputs actually derived the audio clock from the packet data clock; modern ones do not.) Therefore, re-clocking the USB packets shouldn't make any difference - unless the USB input on your particular DAC is, for some separate design reason, sensitive to the packet timing. I've also got to admit that talk about "black backgrounds" always makes me somewhat dubious. It makes perfect sense to me that, if you hear background noise, then you do something to get rid of it, so now you have less background noise, you might describe "a blacker background". (And, with specific DACs, I have heard exactly that when a real USB ground isolator was added to the circuit.) However, I am at a complete loss as to what "getting rid of noise that wasn't there to begin with" could possibly sound like... And I am at a complete loss as to what "a blacker background" could possibly mean if it DOESN'T mean getting rid of some sort of noise. (It seems to mean "getting rid of noise that you didn't know you had" - which sounds rather like something that would come from the psy-ops guys in the marketing department to me.) bluemeanies, I do not use a Jitterbug, but I recently began using a microRendu and a Schiit Eitr with my XMC-1 which, like the Jitterbug, are designed to cleanup USB noise, among other things. Since both devices I use act to reclock the USB data and cleanup the "dirty" USB power I think the best way to describe the change in the system is not so much that you hear less obvious "noise", even though I do believe the background is blacker, it is that what you hear through the system sounds more realistic, detailed , dynamic, etc. The combo of the microRendu and Eitr was actually pretty dramatic in my system. Oh, and the Eitr works really well with my Theta Gen. 5A. As I mentioned before I use a microRendu and a Schiit Eitr in combination with my XMC-1. That means the microRendu connects to the network via ethernet and to the Eitr via USB. The Eitr then connects to the XMC-1 via its SPDIF Coax connection. Before I picked up the microRendu and the Eitr the connection to the XMC-1 was via USB from my iMac. A NAS drive was used in both sets of circumstances. I originally set up the microRendu connected via USB to the XMC-1 and the sound improved. I assume this is because the microRendu produces less electrical noise than the iMac. I assume this is the main factor because the XMC-1's USB connection is asynchronous so it, like the microRendu both reclock the signal. Then I added the Eitr to the mix and the sound improved yet again, although not to the same extent. I suspect the Eitr's linear power supply may be a factor and obviously using SPDIF as opposed to USB could be a factor. I cannot speak for the Jitterbug, but I can say unequivocally that my system sounds better with the microRendu and Eitr than it did without them. Apparently many others have determined the same to be true in their own systems. No doubt, as seems to always be the case, the effect of adding a device to a system is system dependent and dependent on the hearing of the listener. |
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KeithL
Administrator
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Post by KeithL on Feb 26, 2018 15:17:01 GMT -5
The EITR replaces the entire asynch USB input of whatever you use it with... which is a significant amount of functionality (and includes the USB power connections, the asynch input data clock, and the data interface itself). The problem is that people like simple answers, and sometimes the answers just aren't simple, or the simple answers aren't complete or correct. For example, noise can be audible as noise, or it can cause distortion, or it can cause jitter, or it can fail to cause any problems at all. One excellent example is the comparison between linear power supplies and switching supplies. The reality is that neither is "inherently better" than the other.... Each type has certain advantages and certain disadvantages.... Linear supplies work better in some applications, switchers in others, and in some applications, both will work fine, and it really is just a matter of which is cheaper. Our little XPS-1 phono preamp uses a switch mode power supply.... which horrifies some purists. The reality is that really cheap linear power supplies tend to be noisy, and that noise tends to be at 60 Hz or 120 Hz, both frequencies at which phono preamps are especially sensitive. Even though a really high quality linear power supply can be very quiet, any noise it produces will still be at those frequencies which a phono preamp is most sensitive to. The switching supply we chose is pretty quiet; however, more important, any noise it does produce is at inaudible ultrasonic frequencies. This works out well both because the noise itself is inaudible, and because the circuitry in phono preamps is much less sensitive to high frequency noise than to low frequency noise (the RIAA EQ in a phono preamp boosts low frequencies and cuts high frequencies - so it amplifiers low frequency noise and cuts high frequency noise.) As a result, the XPS-1 would NOT work better if you were to substitute a linear power supply for the little switcher we ship it with; if you were lucky, it might work just as well as it does now, but it won't work better. Therefore, IN THAT PARTICULAR APPLICATION, our commercial quality switcher works better than all but the most expensive linear supply, and even the world's greatest linear supply would be lucky to merely match it.) The main thing I dislike about devices like the Jitterbug is actually two related things: 1) It is only likely to improve an actual problem a very small percentage of the time - if ever. 2) They are trying very hard to sell it to people who DO NOT have the sort of problem it even might help based on some vague claim of an intangible benefit. They literally want you to believe that, even if you don't have a noise problem, their noise filter will make your system sound better by fixing the problem that you didn't know you had. (They sort of try to make it seem like "everyone has this problem so, if you don't notice it, then you aren't listening close enough" which is an excellent recipe for making you WANT to hear a difference after you buy it.) Just to be clear, the Jitterbug is strictly a USB noise filter..... it does NOT re-clock anything. You should only expect it to (possibly) make a difference on devices that are sensitive to the quality of the USB power connections - mostly certain USB-powered DACs. Also, to be clear, USB is a packetized data system... and the packets themselves rely on a clock. However, that clock is NOT used as the clock for the audio data contained in those packets in a DAC with a modern asynch USB input (the asynch input re-clocks the data). (Older non-asynch USB inputs actually derived the audio clock from the packet data clock; modern ones do not.) Therefore, re-clocking the USB packets shouldn't make any difference - unless the USB input on your particular DAC is, for some separate design reason, sensitive to the packet timing. I've also got to admit that talk about "black backgrounds" always makes me somewhat dubious. It makes perfect sense to me that, if you hear background noise, then you do something to get rid of it, so now you have less background noise, you might describe "a blacker background". (And, with specific DACs, I have heard exactly that when a real USB ground isolator was added to the circuit.) However, I am at a complete loss as to what "getting rid of noise that wasn't there to begin with" could possibly sound like... And I am at a complete loss as to what "a blacker background" could possibly mean if it DOESN'T mean getting rid of some sort of noise. (It seems to mean "getting rid of noise that you didn't know you had" - which sounds rather like something that would come from the psy-ops guys in the marketing department to me.) As I mentioned before I use a microRendu and a Schiit Eitr in combination with my XMC-1. That means the microRendu connects to the network via ethernet and to the Eitr via USB. The Eitr then connects to the XMC-1 via its SPDIF Coax connection. Before I picked up the microRendu and the Eitr the connection to the XMC-1 was via USB from my iMac. A NAS drive was used in both sets of circumstances. I originally set up the microRendu connected via USB to the XMC-1 and the sound improved. I assume this is because the microRendu produces less electrical noise than the iMac. I assume this is the main factor because the XMC-1's USB connection is asynchronous so it, like the microRendu both reclock the signal. Then I added the Eitr to the mix and the sound improved yet again, although not to the same extent. I suspect the Eitr's linear power supply may be a factor and obviously using SPDIF as opposed to USB could be a factor. I cannot speak for the Jitterbug, but I can say unequivocally that my system sounds better with the microRendu and Eitr than it did without them. Apparently many others have determined the same to be true in their own systems. No doubt, as seems to always be the case, the effect of adding a device to a system is system dependent and dependent on the hearing of the listener. |
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drjrapp
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Post by drjrapp on Feb 26, 2018 19:37:43 GMT -5
I was listening to Tidal using a Sonos Connect in Hifi mode when I started to get the MQA bug. So after much research I was intrigued by the CocKtail Audio X35 which is a cd player/ripper, Database server/storage, MM preamp Tidal (and others) receiver with full MQA rendering capabilities and as a not too bad 100 wpc amp. I'm forgoing the use of the amp with an EMOTIVA A300 to push my Magnepan .7s. The difference in audio quality between the Sonos and the X35 makes one definitly sit up and notice. AS for the MQA, some recordings are noticeably better other's not so much.
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