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Post by AudioHTIT on Dec 31, 2021 19:50:59 GMT -5
Ok.....just received my Big Ego+ dac and being a newbie at this I'm stupidly confused. I have a 2020 Apple MacBook Air with USB c connectors. I first tried to connect the Ego using the supplied USB to USB c cable. No power. I then used the supplied USB to USB a cable connected through a USB A to C adapter and I got power. I went into settings in Apple Music and made sure "hi-res" was selected for all settings. So far so good. However, when I'm playing music the only output LED that is lit is the 44K LED even if the song resolution is higher. Am I doing something wrong? I also am not able to set F1/F2/F3....as these will not "hold" when selected.... Any guidance is appreciated. Happy New Year! Apple Music on macOS does not play bitperfectly, that is, it will resample everything to the current system setting (this is somewhat ironic as both the iOS and iPadOS players do this properly). As Keith explained above with Amzon Music on Windows, the best solution is to set the system to output 192/24, this is done in the MIDI Utility on macOS.
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cawgijoe
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Post by cawgijoe on Jan 1, 2022 0:11:13 GMT -5
Ok.....just received my Big Ego+ dac and being a newbie at this I'm stupidly confused. I have a 2020 Apple MacBook Air with USB c connectors. I first tried to connect the Ego using the supplied USB to USB c cable. No power. I then used the supplied USB to USB a cable connected through a USB A to C adapter and I got power. I went into settings in Apple Music and made sure "hi-res" was selected for all settings. So far so good. However, when I'm playing music the only output LED that is lit is the 44K LED even if the song resolution is higher. Am I doing something wrong? I also am not able to set F1/F2/F3....as these will not "hold" when selected.... Any guidance is appreciated. Happy New Year! Apple Music on macOS does not play bitperfectly, that is, it will resample everything to the current system setting (this is somewhat ironic as both the iOS and iPadOS players do this properly). As Keith explained above with Amzon Music on Windows, the best solution is to set the system to output 192/24, this is done in the MIDI Utility on macOS. Thanks…..will give this a go in the morning. Edit: Fixed in MIDI as recommended and it works! Would be nice if Apple updated MacOS to play as the other OS’s….thanks again.
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cawgijoe
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Post by cawgijoe on Jan 9, 2022 19:14:21 GMT -5
Bought a new USB C to mini USB cable from Amazon. Works perfectly with the MacBook Air (2020) and the Big Ego+. Not sure why the supplied cable did not work, but that's neither here or there now.
Loving the Big Ego+! For the sale price, it's unbelievable.
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Post by KeithL on Jan 10, 2022 11:51:29 GMT -5
I was reading through some old posts... and I noticed that I didn't explain this fully.
If your Volume is being controlled DIGITALLY, on your computer or other source, then it will affect all of the outputs on both the Big Ego Plus and Little Ego Plus. This is the way it essentially works on all DACs that don't have their own volume control.
However, the Headphone outputs on both the Big Ego Plus and Little Ego Plus also have an internal ladder network Volume control. This control affects the one output on the Little Ego Plus but ONLY affects the Headphone Output on the Big Ego Plus (not the Line Output). This ladder network analog Volume control was considered to be a feature on the original Little Ego and Big Ego.
We stopped mentioning it as a feature because very few player programs are able to access and control it -but we never physically removed the capability from the new models. (So, if your software happens to support it, it is still there and you can use it.)
So, in short, if the Volume on both the Headphone and Line Outputs on the Big Ego Plus are being adjusted together then your program is controlling the Volume the standard way. But, if only the Volume on the Headphone Output changes, but the Volume on the Line Output does not, then your program is accessing the internal ladder network Volume control to control the the Headphone Output. (There's no way to tell which is being used on the Little Ego Plus, since it only has a single output, and the computer doesn't indicate which method it's using to control the Volume.)
Note that, the last time we checked, jRiver Media Center on Windows was the only program that supported the internal ladder network Volume control (on only one of its output options). (But, since we stopped mentioning it as a feature, we haven't checked other programs lately.)
So, from what you describe, your computer has recognized the internal ladder network Volume control and is using it... (Which could have to do with both the version of Windows you're using and the player program you're using.)
And that Volume control only affects the Headphone Output and not the Line Output.
Ok, I used my 2nd computer and it has Windows 10 only on it and same problem. I found a workaround, instead of putting the Aux cable in the "Line Out". I put it in the "Headphone" and it works! Is it okay to use the headphone aux to stereo rca? I notice the "headphone" sounds better than the "line out". I think it has something to do with the audio drivers in my windows computers.
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Post by copperpipe on Jan 10, 2022 13:20:42 GMT -5
I was reading through some old posts... and I noticed that I didn't explain this fully. If your Volume is being controlled DIGITALLY, on your computer or other source, then it will affect all of the outputs on both the Big Ego Plus and Little Ego Plus. This is the way it essentially works on all DACs that don't have their own volume control. However, the Headphone outputs on both the Big Ego Plus and Little Ego Plus also have an internal ladder network Volume control. This control affects the one output on the Little Ego Plus but ONLY affects the Headphone Output on the Big Ego Plus (not the Line Output). This ladder network analog Volume control was considered to be a feature on the original Little Ego and Big Ego.
We stopped mentioning it as a feature because very few player programs are able to access and control it -but we never physically removed the capability from the new models. (So, if your software happens to support it, it is still there and you can use it.) So, in short, if the Volume on both the Headphone and Line Outputs on the Big Ego Plus are being adjusted together then your program is controlling the Volume the standard way. But, if only the Volume on the Headphone Output changes, but the Volume on the Line Output does not, then your program is accessing the internal ladder network Volume control to control the the Headphone Output. (There's no way to tell which is being used on the Little Ego Plus, since it only has a single output, and the computer doesn't indicate which method it's using to control the Volume.) Note that, the last time we checked, jRiver Media Center on Windows was the only program that supported the internal ladder network Volume control (on only one of its output options). (But, since we stopped mentioning it as a feature, we haven't checked other programs lately.) So, from what you describe, your computer has recognized the internal ladder network Volume control and is using it... (Which could have to do with both the version of Windows you're using and the player program you're using.)
And that Volume control only affects the Headphone Output and not the Line Output.
Ok, I used my 2nd computer and it has Windows 10 only on it and same problem. I found a workaround, instead of putting the Aux cable in the "Line Out". I put it in the "Headphone" and it works! Is it okay to use the headphone aux to stereo rca? I notice the "headphone" sounds better than the "line out". I think it has something to do with the audio drivers in my windows computers. Do you happen to know if this ladder volume is supported on linux in any way?
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Post by KeithL on Jan 10, 2022 14:48:00 GMT -5
Unfortunately we don't have any details on that.
When we initially released the feature on the original Ego DACs it seemed like a nice feature...
When we released the original Ego DACs we assumed that a lot of player programs would support it... but the only one we could find was jRiver Media Center on Windows.
To be honest there didn't seem to be a lot of interest so we just plain didn't dig into it much further. (At the time we only checked the three or four most popular players.)
I suspect that it involves a USB feature for "audio control via USB"... probably associated with how the Volume controls on some USB keyboards seem to work. Remember that it must be supported by the operating system, the particular distribution you're using (with Linux), and the player program you're using. This can get very complex with Linux since there are often multiple options about what sound system to use even in a specific Linux distro... And the various versions of a given player compiled for different Linux distros can also be quite different...
If you find out any more detailed information please post it here... There are probably other Ego DAC owners who would also be interested.
I was reading through some old posts... and I noticed that I didn't explain this fully. If your Volume is being controlled DIGITALLY, on your computer or other source, then it will affect all of the outputs on both the Big Ego Plus and Little Ego Plus. This is the way it essentially works on all DACs that don't have their own volume control. However, the Headphone outputs on both the Big Ego Plus and Little Ego Plus also have an internal ladder network Volume control. This control affects the one output on the Little Ego Plus but ONLY affects the Headphone Output on the Big Ego Plus (not the Line Output). This ladder network analog Volume control was considered to be a feature on the original Little Ego and Big Ego.
We stopped mentioning it as a feature because very few player programs are able to access and control it -but we never physically removed the capability from the new models. (So, if your software happens to support it, it is still there and you can use it.) So, in short, if the Volume on both the Headphone and Line Outputs on the Big Ego Plus are being adjusted together then your program is controlling the Volume the standard way. But, if only the Volume on the Headphone Output changes, but the Volume on the Line Output does not, then your program is accessing the internal ladder network Volume control to control the the Headphone Output. (There's no way to tell which is being used on the Little Ego Plus, since it only has a single output, and the computer doesn't indicate which method it's using to control the Volume.) Note that, the last time we checked, jRiver Media Center on Windows was the only program that supported the internal ladder network Volume control (on only one of its output options). (But, since we stopped mentioning it as a feature, we haven't checked other programs lately.) So, from what you describe, your computer has recognized the internal ladder network Volume control and is using it... (Which could have to do with both the version of Windows you're using and the player program you're using.)
And that Volume control only affects the Headphone Output and not the Line Output.
Do you happen to know if this ladder volume is supported on linux in any way?
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Post by predator290 on Jan 18, 2022 17:59:28 GMT -5
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Post by predator290 on Jan 19, 2022 12:47:09 GMT -5
Is there a list anywhere that shows what all the filters are? I thought my dac was bad as it sounded awful, then changed the filters and realized the default filter was the problem.
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Post by cawgijoe on Jan 19, 2022 13:03:05 GMT -5
Is there a list anywhere that shows what all the filters are? I thought my dac was bad as it sounded awful, then changed the filters and realized the default filter was the problem. I found this in an on-line review: (For the previous version) "A quick word on the filters. The Big Ego provides users a choice of three different digital interpolation or oversampling filters that can have a subtle effect on the final sound. They are labelled F1, F2, and F3 and can be selected and changed on the fly by pushing the Filter Select button. The included manual describes the filter choices as being: F1, a Symmetrical filter, F2, an Asymmetrical Low filter and, F3, an Asymmetrical High filter. The filters themselves work by adjusting the amount of pre and post ringing in the converted signal. Pressing the Filter Select button an additional time will engage the Headphone Blend mode. This feature aims to create more of a “listening to speakers in a room” experience when using headphones. An additional button push will turn this mode off when undesired."
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Post by KeithL on Jan 19, 2022 13:35:44 GMT -5
Here's the page from the original Ego DAC manual. (The filters work the same way on the Ego Plus DACs..)
Is there a list anywhere that shows what all the filters are? I thought my dac was bad as it sounded awful, then changed the filters and realized the default filter was the problem. I found this in an on-line review: (For the previous version) "A quick word on the filters. The Big Ego provides users a choice of three different digital interpolation or oversampling filters that can have a subtle effect on the final sound. They are labelled F1, F2, and F3 and can be selected and changed on the fly by pushing the Filter Select button. The included manual describes the filter choices as being: F1, a Symmetrical filter, F2, an Asymmetrical Low filter and, F3, an Asymmetrical High filter. The filters themselves work by adjusting the amount of pre and post ringing in the converted signal. Pressing the Filter Select button an additional time will engage the Headphone Blend mode. This feature aims to create more of a “listening to speakers in a room” experience when using headphones. An additional button push will turn this mode off when undesired."
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Post by KeithL on Jan 19, 2022 13:58:20 GMT -5
There may actually be two different things going on...
First, the Ego DACs draw just under 200 mA at 5V: Idling the Big Ego+ draws approximately 160 mA (5V supply). Idling the Little Ego+ draws approximately 130 mA (5V supply). Both draw about 200 mA when playing quite loudly... (with our Emotiva GR1 headphones).
Some devices may be unwilling or unable to supply this amount of current and so may refuse to do so. (The rating for a standard USB port is 500 mA or more...)
However, in some situations, the USB device may "report" the amount of current it expects to use to the host device. And, depending on the device, and how much current it reports it needs, the host device may "decide" not to run that device, even if it is capable of doing so. (Some phones set a very low limit on how much current they're willing to supply to other devices in order to prolong their battery life...) It's quite possible that your source device is simply programmed to allow some adapters to have more current than others... And, with this particular adapter, it's programmed to deliver enough power to run the Ego+ DAC. (But there may be other different limits when you use other adapters.)
In any case... now we know that this adapter will do the job...
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cawgijoe
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Post by cawgijoe on Jan 19, 2022 14:34:51 GMT -5
Just to clarify....this adapter will power an iphone and ego without having to use an additional powered USB hub?
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Post by predator290 on Jan 19, 2022 14:38:20 GMT -5
Just to clarify....this adapter will power an iphone without having to use an additional powered USB hub? Correct, I do have to turn it up to the higher side for volume but it works without having to use a Powered USB Hub. This is using a iPhone 12 mini. Also tested on an ipad.
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ata
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Post by ata on Feb 4, 2022 9:57:18 GMT -5
Hi all,
I got the Big Ego+ and am using it with a Windows 10 PC, a FOSI amp and a pair of B1+s, without any particular equalization. USB port from PC to Ego, 1/8 inch cable from Ego line out to Fosi input. Prior to this I was using headphone jack of PC directly to FOSI input. My initial impression of the Big Ego+ DAC is that the overall sound is pleasantly more full when compared to my PC alone. However, a related result of this change is that the bass is overemphasized. Is there a way to run EQ in order to compensate for this?
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Post by KeithL on Feb 4, 2022 11:00:05 GMT -5
The Big Ego+ itself is dead flat... and it does not offer any sort of equalization.
Many player programs offer some very sophisticated EQ options...
And many are also designed to work with a variety of third party adjustment plugins.
But the details there are going to depend on what player program you're using. (jRIver Media Center and FooBar2000, to name a few, offer lots of EQ options.)
There are also several programs that are designed to insert themselves directly into the audio signal chain on the computer. They can then be used to adjust any audio signal being played on that computer... even if the source program doesn't have adjustments. (So, for example, they could be used to add EQ or room correction to music played from a streamer program.) However, each works somewhat differently, and the details of what they work with, and how to set them up, can be extremely complex...
Hi all, I got the Big Ego+ and am using it with a Windows 10 PC, a FOSI amp and a pair of B1+s, without any particular equalization. USB port from PC to Ego, 1/8 inch cable from Ego line out to Fosi input. Prior to this I was using headphone jack of PC directly to FOSI input. My initial impression of the Big Ego+ DAC is that the overall sound is pleasantly more full when compared to my PC alone. However, a related result of this change is that the bass is overemphasized. Is there a way to run EQ in order to compensate for this?
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ata
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Post by ata on Feb 4, 2022 11:29:48 GMT -5
Thanks for your quick response. I suspected that this would be the answer as there are so many variables at play here. That info effectively implies that the bass I had been receiving directly via my PC was underemphasized, and that at the same time my physical room setup is probably emphasizing bass (unfortunately my B1s sit a little too close to the wall behind my desk), which actually compensated well for the apparent lack of bass prior to adding the Ego+. So I will have to look into a master EQ program for Windows to adjust my setup as I use programs such as iTunes, Winamp, Youtube, Amazon, PowerDVD, etc, and everything seems to play back with an overall similar sound signature. The Big Ego+ itself is dead flat... and it does not offer any sort of equalization.
Many player programs offer some very sophisticated EQ options...
And many are also designed to work with a variety of third party adjustment plugins.
But the details there are going to depend on what player program you're using. (jRIver Media Center and FooBar2000, to name a few, offer lots of EQ options.)
There are also several programs that are designed to insert themselves directly into the audio signal chain on the computer. They can then be used to adjust any audio signal being played on that computer... even if the source program doesn't have adjustments. (So, for example, they could be used to add EQ or room correction to music played from a streamer program.) However, each works somewhat differently, and the details of what they work with, and how to set them up, can be extremely complex...
Hi all, I got the Big Ego+ and am using it with a Windows 10 PC, a FOSI amp and a pair of B1+s, without any particular equalization. USB port from PC to Ego, 1/8 inch cable from Ego line out to Fosi input. Prior to this I was using headphone jack of PC directly to FOSI input. My initial impression of the Big Ego+ DAC is that the overall sound is pleasantly more full when compared to my PC alone. However, a related result of this change is that the bass is overemphasized. Is there a way to run EQ in order to compensate for this?
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ata
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Post by ata on Feb 7, 2022 15:51:21 GMT -5
Update: After some experimenting, I discovered that detecting a USB soundcard (in my case, the Big Ego+) on my Dell Windows 10 laptop appears to activate a preinstalled EQ program called "MaxxAudioPro" by Waves. This program, which apparently was not significantly affecting sound out of my laptop headphone jack, had a default setting enabled called "MaxxBass" (lol). After disabling this setting, the sound profile of my speakers returned to normal. Hooray, bass sounds normal again and overall sound from Big Ego+ is indeed fantastic! I'm posting this for anyone else who may be confused by an unexpected sound profile when plugging the Ego into your computer via USB - there may be previously unnoticed or hidden audio programs affecting your EQ.
The other issue I had with big Ego+ has been mentioned in earlier posts: namely, the ladder network analog Volume control. Since this disables me from using the system volume on my Windows 10 laptop I plugged my speakers into headphone output on the big Ego+ instead of the line output. Problem solved - now my system volume works again. However, due to the configuration of my desk, this means that I now have to lay the big Ego on my desk in reverse orientation and the writing appears upside down to me. Looks kind of silly, but all functionality is intact. Unfortunately, the reason I bought the Big Ego+ instead of the little Ego+ was specifically for the line out!
Feedback for future iterations or any driver updates: I would love to be able to disable the ladder network analog Volume control on the Big Ego+ line output since it interferes with my setup while adding no value for me.
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Post by KeithL on Feb 7, 2022 18:01:24 GMT -5
I don't disagree - but I think you have something in reverse.
The internal ladder network volume control on the Ego+ DACs ONLY works on the HEADPHONE OUTPUT.
The catch seems to be that, at least with some players, when Windows sees that, it uses it, and at the same times disables the regular digital Volume control IN WINDOWS. So basically Windows sees the ladder network Volume control, decides to use it, and disables its own normal digital Volume control, which would control the LINE and headphone outputs. As I recall jRiver Media Center used to offer multiple Volume control options, one of which used the ladder network, and one of which used the normal system Volume control. (That was a few versions previous of jRiver... and different versions of Windows... and even the same version on different computers with different sound cards... sometimes act differently.)
Unfortunately, at this point, it's too late to disable or remove it.
Update: After some experimenting, I discovered that detecting a USB soundcard (in my case, the Big Ego+) on my Dell Windows 10 laptop appears to activate a preinstalled EQ program called "MaxxAudioPro" by Waves. This program, which apparently was not significantly affecting sound out of my laptop headphone jack, had a default setting enabled called "MaxxBass" (lol). After disabling this setting, the sound profile of my speakers returned to normal. Hooray, bass sounds normal again and overall sound from Big Ego+ is indeed fantastic! I'm posting this for anyone else who may be confused by an unexpected sound profile when plugging the Ego into your computer via USB - there may be previously unnoticed or hidden audio programs affecting your EQ. The other issue I had with big Ego+ has been mentioned in earlier posts: namely, the ladder network analog Volume control. Since this disables me from using the system volume on my Windows 10 laptop I plugged my speakers into headphone output on the big Ego+ instead of the line output. Problem solved - now my system volume works again. However, due to the configuration of my desk, this means that I now have to lay the big Ego on my desk in reverse orientation and the writing appears upside down to me. Looks kind of silly, but all functionality is intact. Unfortunately, the reason I bought the Big Ego+ instead of the little Ego+ was specifically for the line out! Feedback for future iterations or any driver updates: I would love to be able to disable the ladder network analog Volume control on the Big Ego+ line output since it interferes with my setup while adding no value for me.
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ata
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Post by ata on Feb 10, 2022 10:52:22 GMT -5
Thank you for the clarification. Despite my confusion with the details of the mechanism, what I know for certain is that when I am plugged into the HEADPHONE output of the BE+ (which is clearly marked as such on the device) I am able to control my system volume via the normal Windows 10 volume control just as I always could without the BE+. When I am plugged into the LINE output I cannot - the Windows system volume control has no effect when I move the slider. Individual programs such as iTunes and Winamp retain their ability to adjust volume within the program but the system volume does not change (and is fairly loud). The only way to adjust the volume in a global sense is to turn the physical knob on my amp downstream from the BE+.
Therefore, if the internal ladder network volume control on the Ego+ DACs only works on the headphone output, and I am getting the (normal) system behavior I prefer by using the headphone output, then I guess I actually like the internal ladder network volume control. What is perplexing to me is that, by your description, it sounds like I should be experiencing the reverse situation.
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Post by KeithL on Feb 10, 2022 11:33:10 GMT -5
I do sympathize... Unfortunately the confusion is due to the way Windows treats the situation. To put it as simply as I can. The digital Volume control IN WINDOWS controls the entire signal by actually altering the digital bits. The ladder network in the Ego + DACs ONLY controls the volume of the Headphone Output (inside the DAC). (This method is actually preferable... and may sound slightly better... especially at very low Volume settings.)
Normally, by default, Windows uses its own digital Volume control. However, in some cases, Windows "sees" the ladder network Volume control.
And, when It does, Windows uses the ladder network control instead, and sometimes, when this happens, Windows disables its digital output Volume control. And, when that happens, the Volume control in Windows no longer affects the LINE OUT level on the Big Ego +, because the Line Out is not affected by the ladder network. (And, if Windows has also disabled the control in Windows, then you don't have access to a "working" Volume control when you use the Ego+ DAC.) In the past, jRiver Media Center was actually able to work either way, depending on which "Volume control" choice you picked in jRiver... I don't know if this option still exists or not.
With other player programs, the program's Volume control may or may not still work, depending on exactly how the particular program does Volume control.
Thank you for the clarification. Despite my confusion with the details of the mechanism, what I know for certain is that when I am plugged into the HEADPHONE output of the BE+ (which is clearly marked as such on the device) I am able to control my system volume via the normal Windows 10 volume control just as I always could without the BE+. When I am plugged into the LINE output I cannot - the Windows system volume control has no effect when I move the slider. Individual programs such as iTunes and Winamp retain their ability to adjust volume within the program but the system volume does not change (and is fairly loud). The only way to adjust the volume in a global sense is to turn the physical knob on my amp downstream from the BE+. Therefore, if the internal ladder network volume control on the Ego+ DACs only works on the headphone output, and I am getting the (normal) system behavior I prefer by using the headphone output, then I guess I actually like the internal ladder network volume control. What is perplexing to me is that, by your description, it sounds like I should be experiencing the reverse situation.
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