One interesting thing I noticed: the Vanity boards put the digital outs on the Right (Red) RCA’s and the Left (White) RCAs aren’t connected. Still if you put the S/PDIF cable to the white by accident it almost works for channels 1 and 2 - there’s just some noise too. It’s interesting that there’s enough coupling in just a few cm of the connector to drive a cable well enough to almost work.
So be careful which connectors you use (and don’t plug the digital out of the Vanity board into the analog out RCA like I did
Pretty darn good. Both the Oppo and the Vanity HD card. The Vanity HD card is well done, good material’s choice, at a glance the design looks good and they clearly know what they are doing. I’ll purchased this card.
I’ve been listening for hours now and it’s just great to be spinning my SACDs again. Tho I don’t hear much difference with a direct A/B of the same DSD from my computer via USB, I definitely like listening to the Oppo/Vanity HD card combination better.
As far as I understand, the SPDIF has 75 Ohm impedance, the AES has 110 Ohm.
So 75 Ohm/SPDIF should be for the DSD, or am I wrong?
Before there was a board with AES/EBU outs I played the vanity Hd93 into Trinnov AES/EBU input using a cable with coax / XLR termination. Worked just fine.
Pavel from Audiopraise suggested that I get the SPDIF version instead of the AES version of the Vanity103.
“The Vanity board was originally designed with
75R SPDIF output and it works fine with most SPDIF and AES inputs. The
AES output modification is there mainly to increase output drive for
those who have long cables and need to make a custom cable anyway.”
I’m enjoying my SACDs again and might see if I can get a stack of DSs for multi channel. But we have 10 years of postponed work items around the house and yard to take care of first
Ted, you did test the DoP version of the Vanity 103HD board?
I ask because I got the following email from the company:
"The DoP version is not available yet. The DoP version is a modified Vanity 103HD board. We are currently setting up the proper equipment to perform and test this modification. Our estimate is to have the DoP version available next week.
Because of this we have cancelled your order and will send you the direct link to the DoP version as soon as they are available, which should be early next week."
st50maint said
Ted, you did test the DoP version of the Vanity 103HD board?
I ask because I got the following email from the company:
"The DoP version is not available yet. The DoP version is a modified Vanity 103HD board. We are currently setting up the proper equipment to perform and test this modification. Our estimate is to have the DoP version available next week.
Because of this we have cancelled your order and will send you the direct link to the DoP version as soon as they are available, which should be early next week."
Yep I’m running the DoP version - Perhaps they were waiting until I said it was working before they went whole hog on it…
One more thing - When the Oppo’s clock is cold it’s outside the +/- 100ppm spec for redbook. When I left it turned off overnight it got cold and this morning it’s taking a while to warm up - while it’s warming up there’s a small poof every once in a while (perhaps every 5 minutes) when the DS’s FIFO over or underflows.
Ted Smith said
Pretty darn good. Both the Oppo and the Vanity HD card. The Vanity HD card is well done, good material's choice, at a glance the design looks good and they clearly know what they are doing. I'll purchased this card.
I’ve been listening for hours now and it’s just great to be spinning my SACDs again. Tho I don’t hear much difference with a direct A/B of the same DSD from my computer via USB, I definitely like listening to the Oppo/Vanity HD card combination better.
Ted,
In your A/B comparison, are you comparing a DSD file on your computer of the same track that is on the SACD? Or are you comparing a PCM file ripped from the CD-layer of the SACD?
Dang it’s nice having a true multichannel system again. The Oppo BDP-103 with the Audiopraise Vanity HD card doing DoP drives 3 DirectStreams well and now I can play my thousands of MC SACDs again. (My old Meitner CDSD transport dying was what really got me in gear to build a DAC
The new DSs need serious brake-in - they are quite covered and have flabby bass out of the box but in just the last hour things have gotten much more open and precise.
I’m just enjoying music I haven’t heard well for years…
