General consensus USB/AES/Coax to DS for best SQ

What is your Matrix/DS Sr. setup?

Acoustic foam is a lot cheaper than feet for smallish items like power supplies. It costs $5 for a big sheet. You can also use it under cables etc.

My Roon server and streamer are connected by a $10 BJC ethernet cable. There are a few other servers that have this option, like the Antipodes EX. Is it possible to connect a streamer with ethernet output to a Bridge II card ethernet input?

Good info, they have not responded to my emails. I wonder what gives. I’ll give them a call this AM. Thanks for the heads-up.

Matrix? Exactly which product are you referring to here? Foobar via USB has sounded lousy on my DS. And yes I have tried the good drivers.

See my post 5 way up at the start of this thread.
I did not mention Foobar. Nor did I direct any comments at you. Odd

@aangen,

I was attempting to ask you a question about what exactly you were referring to when you talked about using a “Matrix” above. Since you clearly have experience with this mysterious device (or is it just some fancy USB cable?), I though that you could help me out here…

I would very much like to know what this is because the performance of USB connections to my DAC so far has been unlistenable in my system, but it sounds like whatever this “Matrix” is it has really improved your sound. So could you please tell me what the word “matrix” means in the context of this thread?

Please ignore the foobar reference in my previous post since I see that it confused you.

Mentioning Matrix on this forum means usually always Matrix x spdif 2 , a usb in femto clock ddc converter.

But if you ( and others ) want to maximize your usb chain with full Matrix…there is Cerious Technologies Graphene Matrix usb cable available also. Just not at their home site yet,but contact Robert and you will get it for around 849usd meter. It’s brand new design and Robert says it is their best value cable,and that’s not a little,knowing and owning their other cables.

My friend ordered it already and based on other Cerious cables we have,i would say without hesitation : go for it. There likely is none better.
And go for Matrix x spdif 2 too, theres plenty info about it on this forum…

Lol. I will post a lengthy response just as soon as I recover from my intense confusion. You sit tight.

Here is a link to a thread here that will answer all of your questions:
https://forum.psaudio.com/t/matrix-x-spdif-2/

and here is where you purchase one:

and if you want to update the sound of the Matrix you buy one of these:

or one of these:

Don’t forget to spend thousands on the necessary cables.
And you will want something better than Foobar perhaps, although it could work just fine. Your mp3’s will sound great!

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Thanks. I’m only playing around with foobar because I’ve not yet decided whether I should go the JRiver route or Roon route.

And I never rip to MP3. I rip only to flac. But thus far PC based playback has sounded awful compared to using my Oppo with as a transport for my DS.

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PC’s can be tamed. But it takes a bit of help. There are programs like one called Fidelizer that tweak computers to make them quieter.
There isn’t anything really bad about Foobar, I am listening to it right now on my workstation computer. On my music computer I prefer JRiver. Most of the folks around here use Roon and Tidal and Qobuz. I like Qobuz just fine, Roon I am trying to avoid.

Up until this week I had been quite happy with my little Lenovo computer that I fine tuned with the pay version of Fidelizer and fed through the Matrix device to output via I2S to the DS Dac. But this week I got a new dedicated audio computer with a dedicated external power supply that outputs to my Matrix device. It sounds quite a bit better than my computer did, and it sounded very good to me.

With the Matrix device you can just buy it, try to get a decent USB cable, and try to get a decent HDMI cable to connect the Matrix up to the I2S input on your DSD. You should hear a nice improvement. Then you can decide if you want to add a dedicated power supply to the Matrix. It sounds fine without one, it just sounds finer with one. Then maybe try a Curious Cable brand USB cable and an upgrade HDMI cable. It can get expensive, but it isn’t required.

I was just teasing about mp3’s. Of course you don’t use them. :slight_smile:

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My DS Sr is loaded with Snowmass 3.0.0, I will have Lumin U1 Mini coming, will it work with 3.0.0 version with USB? I heard the newest Snowmass 3.0.6 fixes some issue with Linux based streamer like Lumin, what are the fixes? So far I like the sound of 3.0.0.
Thanks

FWIW, I have both “programs” on my iMac. I tend to use Roon for “relaxed” listening and exploration and JRMC for critical listing of music that I “physically” own (rips and downloads); b/c to my ears, JRMC with my files sounds better overall then files and streaming services (e.g., Qobuz and Tidal) via Roon. Their are track and recording exceptions but, in general, JRMC has the overall edge to my ears. YMMV.

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Do you think I will be better off SQ if i get a P5 or P12 before spending extra $ by adding the Matrix/LPS/hdmi cable?

Since you have roon, I’m surprised that you aren’t going for the full roon experience and having roon play your own library as well. Did you find that even while streaming your own files, that roon sounded worse than JRIver? Or have you only tried Roon with Tidal and Qobuz as your sources?

And since you are running JRiver, may I ask how you are controlling it? Are you using a remote control app on an Ipad or something?

Is the consensus, if not using Bridge II, to physically un-install it from the DS? I recently got an InnuOs Zen MK III and like the results with the USB feeding the DS.

I am on Snowmass but will try Windom soon enough. Also, I assume the update process (SDCARD with correct files downloaded onto SD CARD from a PC) is the exactly the same if one removes the bridge device;

Thank you.

I certainly do. Building a proper AC foundation from which everything else keys off of is critical IMHO.

I agree with Paul. My P20 made a big improvement to my system.

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I have mine pulled out just enough to not be connected. I made this change yesterday. I am not convinced I hear a difference.

Hello @tarnishedears.

I am enjoying the “full Roon experience” as you say (I think). That is, I (can) listen to my files (ripped and downloaded) via Roon Core OR via JRMC. What I meant to convey is that, yes, even while streaming my own files (as you put it), I tend to prefer JRMC over Roon. Other’s have reported a similar preference. I cannot defend* my experience on “objective”, computer-audio terms, but that has been my general experience to date. (*Both programs are sending 0s and 1’s along the same signal path after all).

I use JRemote on an old iPad and my iPhone to control and access my files via JRMC.

Cheers.

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@tarnishedears:

PS, my system details are in my profile and Bridge II is my primary input.

Scott