What if it wins and doesn’t demonstrate the DSD problems the Rendu has?
Do any/all of these other DACS produce the popping sound reported for the MkII?
If it does not and it sounds equal the. I swap. Vince wants to keep both.
When changing volumes or sources, I’m making popcorn over here.
Also, I’ve been eyeing the Red. It would replace 2 FARAD LPSs, Matrix2, and a fanless linux endpoint. Sticking with an MK1 for a bit longer.
1 Like
Popping coming from a DAC is definitely not normal. Why would it be? Of course it isn’t. If you think it is, you probably should try some different dacs. If there is one component where noise is unacceptable, that would be a digital source component – and most are dead quiet.
1 Like
I have been using a Lumin U1 Mini into a DS Mk1 for a couple years. I initially had a few popping/ticking issues in track transitions with the Bridge 2 streaming music via JRiver. I messed around with the Jriver settings and finally got those corrected.
When I switched to the Lumin Mini have never had an issue either via JRiver or the Lumin App.
Hoping that I get same results when the Mk2 arrives.
If the Mk2 does have any issues like that I will return it.
As I have said- it is going to have to really knock my socks off to be a keeper.
2 Likes
agreed
thus, am reconsidering putting together a psa system
1 Like
I think Ted left something in Sunlight that he meant to take out. It could be my mistake, but pretty clearly remember him owning that somewhere in the forum. If so, I wish a “sunshine” would be released for us EOL Mk1ers.
It’s probably a bug they’ll get fixed. It’s not yet a fully baked product. They released it with at least one major issue (the muting problem discussed in beta thread) and are still working through some other issues I think. Not sure how long you have to return but see if they can get it fixed. Can’t imagine that it’ll persist as a long term problem, at least I’d hope not
1 Like
30 days to evaluate is my understanding when I ordered my DS Mk2.
I am looking forward to it, but it will need to be more than an incremental upgrade for the money to keep it.
In my world at least, the $4500 after trade in is a large amount for a purchase in my stereo and guitar budget.
It just needs to be worth it in my view.
Interested in hearing difference between Holo Red streamer and MK I streamer card, which I have. Not ready to move up yet and have to buy a streamer.
1 Like
I have AMD 5600U barebones parts coming for a Euphony Stylus / HQPlayer build. Will use free trial software to see if I like it. If not, then I just make a new mini PC from the parts and decommission an old big power hog machine.
In the meantime I have been researching DDCs with I2S over HDMI. I have a very good offer on a Topping U90. But then I came across the SMSL PO100 Pro for 65 clams. It is based on XOMS XU316 and supports up to DSD512. Most DDCs seem to go on and on about their femto clocks. And these do not get mentioned on PO100 Pro (smsl-audio.com). There is though a jitter spec listed of 75ps.
Any DDC experts out there who can give me a steer here?
Update: Device received and Mode 1 is working with PS Audio DAC. Mode 2 has left-right channels reversed. UAC 2 is needed for DSD. Will have a SQ review later…
Hi All, any feedback on the importance of good clocks in DDCs when feeding I2S over HDMI to the MK2? Does a less precise DDC reduce MK2 accuracy when I2S over HDMI is in use? Whereas the MK2 can handle lesser quality USB better??? Should I stay on USB until the mythical AirLens or something else with good clocks arrives, which could be a lot sooner…
The DS and the DS Mk II are much less jitter sensitive than most DACs. Even with the Mk I some dejittering devices made the overall sound worse. FWIW USB is just another I2S device in the DS and the Mk II: the FPGA doesn’t know the difference in any way. The DS doesn’t look at any clock edges so the precise timing of those edges doesn’t matter. It just pattern matches the data (and the incoming clock on I2S is just considered to be data) and puts the results in a buffer. Most of the differences input to input on the DS were noise/groundloops. With the Mk II these effects are much smaller. Most of the improvement in USB was from choosing a different vendor than XMOS for the USB receiving/processing device. We chose a device that uses much less power and hence less current and hence less radiation in the box.
The differences in different DCCs when used with the DS and DS Mk II are more probably related to their overall build quality and care with grounding, etc. not their clocking.
10 Likes
Then I am going to order a Musica Pristina A Cappella III with both galvanically isolated I²S and USB outputs and be done with thinking about endpoints for quite a while.
4 Likes
Ted, thank you so much for that information! I ordered one of the little SMSL PO100 PROs for fun. Got the last unit deliverable this week to me. I figure I can always use it with my phone to my office DAC. Will engage the teenager A-B testers too for fun on other systems in the house.
I think you will really enjoy it. I ordered mine with both i2s and USB outputs. Both sound identical going into the he MK2. It has been one of those devices that you can forget about once installed.
1 Like
I think Paul’s point about “noisy” USB is that if the source is an electrically noisy streaming product like a home computer, that noise is carried in the 5V power that goes down a USB cable and gets into your DAC. If, on the other hand, the USB power is clean, for example, supplied by a linear power supply isolated from the rest of the electronics in your streamer, you don’t have a problem.
I bought the PWD DAC partly on the basis that the PSA “Digital Lens” cleaned up USB coming from a noisy source, in those days PSA marketed their DAC on the basis that USB was absolutely fine. I had no problem with it.
Obviously Ted Smith had implemented processes to clean USB in the Mk2 DAC, as he describes above (over my head).
1 Like
Very, very informative Ted
Thanks, as always.
Scott
Thanks
This explains why high-end streamers and dacs seem to steer toward USB