Thanks Ron!
Happy Cake Day @tony22! 
X11
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Thanks Jeff!
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I am sticking with:
- Audio Input: USB grounded (I only use USB)
- Audio Output:
– Ground Lift: lifted
– Shell Lift: lifted
For me the best balance overall.
I am using the opticalRendu as streamer & USB Curious Evolved cable.
All systems connected to IsoTek Aquarius power line cleaner.
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I read the manual and I’m still foggy about the whole concept of signal ground lift. Earth ground I get.
My latest setup is also grounding inputs, but lifting output and shell. I have a couple changes and tweaking at the same time, and I actually don’t know where the improvements came from. I will stay here for a while before I confuse myself more 
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I’ve ended up the last 48 hours or so with the ground lifted only on I2S . . . whichever of the two that i am using at the time–and all other inputs and outputs grounded.
That sounded best to me about 36 hours ago and continues to sound great. I’ll experiment again later when I have more than the 120 hours or so I have on the Mk2 now.
Right now I am hearing tiny microdetails that i just hadn’t noticed before in the sextet version of “A Love Supreme” I am listening to. For the first time I could really differentiate the two bassists, Art Davis and Jimmy Garrison and there are little pockets of room echo that I had never noticed before. This DAC is da bomb.
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I have nearly 300 hours on my Mk2 right now. This morning I went back to everything grounded–and I like the richness that provides. I tried yesterday grounding everything but the outputs–a very dynamic and open sound but a bit lean. I am always seeking rich rather than lean. . .and so “all grounded” seems the best plan at this point of “seasoning.”
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I’ve discovered the same sort of feeling when everything’s grounded. To me no less detail, but a bit more “organically whole” sounding.
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I think in part it is because the ground is lifted so to speak, as I understand it, by my main source, the PWT. And in a way the lifting of “noise” is beneficial for dynamics and instrumental imaging, but the “noise” when grounded seems like the “noise” of analog tape where the music is threaded together and the lines of the imaging are less neon.
Hi @dchang05,
I see that you also use the USB connection for streamer and I2S for transport SACD.
Finally, what is the input-output option that you prefer?
Thanks
For PST there is no question I2S is the best connection, but for streamer the USB link seems to provide a more analog sound than the I2S link, or a tube sound than a solid state sound of I2S.
I prefer USB for streamer because there are more options in USB cable selections than HDMIs. Frankly the cables make a huge difference for MK2 and there are many better USB cables than HDMI from my experience.
We’re flying to Taipei tonight and this is the first time I checked in the forum this week. smile:
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After re-reading your thread, I realized I was not answering your question at all, well, I’m on vacation so my mind is at somewhere else.
I think I left home with grounding all inputs, lifting output, and grouning shell as I remembered. I also settled with multi 4 option.
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Hi Donald, thanks for answering me quickly.
In two months I have read in this forum for a number of hours… and each thread is more interesting than another: modifications, fuses, cables, transformers, etc!!! I also read that you ordered a Shunyata Omega USB and you were very happy with it. I just bought the Alpha USB.
I have an Aurender N200 streamer and I connect via USB to the MKII and transport via I2S.
I was just asking you about this last thing: the input/output options up or down. I will do my tests based on what you tell me.
Greetings from Chile.
José Luis
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Hi all,
It is possible to have unused I2S and USB inputs powered off with the new MkII firmware.
I presume that means I only have experiment with lifting/grounding the one input I use? And of course the output options as well.
I’ve been waiting for the ability to power off unused inputs to reduce the daunting number of input combinations 
You can’t go wrong by grounding all inputs that aren’t connected to anything. If you leave a cable connected to an input that you aren’t using, the best grounding setting for that input isn’t obvious. But I’d at least try grounding it. The number of likely combinations for most people/systems isn’t that large. Whether the connection you are currently using is grounded or not and whether (as a group) all unused connections are grounded or not.
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Understood. Thanks Ted.
Anyone already tried the new power off setting on unused inputs? Any sonically differences compared to shorting plugs?
I’m going to install the firmware update 2.5.1 (if already available) this evening and I’m curious to test it.
I think Barry said he would wait until tomorrow for .1 to give it another once over before he released it.
My “this evening” might be compliant with Barry’s “tomorrow” time, if stars are aligned!
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