I have only been wireless. I don’t know what wired sounds like ![]()
Soon I will know when Omega-X is here. I can use Omega/MP for one device and Omega-X for the other. Both will connect to LHY SW-10 Pro. Omega-x vs WIFI will be fun!
Thanks to Bob of BJC for sending me their BAV SPDIF 4694P cable so soon. I got it this morning and played it for 10 hours straight. I must comment that this is a great cable. For a little of $100 the performance is amazing, and I know it will get even better after 100 hours. If you are looking for a great SPDIF cable without breaking the bank, this is the one!
But since I am using it to compare the two DACs, it does not really matter if it is fully breaking in or not. So, I have been listening between MU2 DAC and PMG512 DAC using PMG SACD. Do I have a preference? Yes, but it does not mean much since they are very close to each other, and someone else will easily reach a different conclusion.
Simply speaking, MU2 has the sound of “ease”, and PMG512 has the “revealing detail”. Both sounded equally clean and clear, but MU2 has a more analog-like sound where PMG gives more details and textures. Also, I do not know if PMG SACD has a better synergy with PMG512 than with MU2, or not. The listening is all done with regular CDs since the cable does not decode DSD.
The rest of the family has heard a difference too, and my daughter preferred the music from MU2, but not by much. My wife has the same thoughts as me, they just sounded different and you can not go wrong with either.
I was told by the dealer Shunyata factory has had a large number of workers on sick leaves. So expecting one month delay. I did not know they have a large staff, must be doing well on making cables. Well, by then all my other gears are fully broken in at least. ![]()
Wish I had known about/tried BAV spdif cables a couple of years ago, I might have saved some money. During a cable tour a while back I got to compare some IC from 2 manufacturers and one spdif cable. The ICs ranged from ~500 to ~1500/pr. All of the ICs sounded the same to me. Others who tried them felt differently. One set seemed to have more bass for about 10 seconds. But, when I swapped in the spdif cable the improvement was easily apparent the instant the music started. For fun I swapped out four cables, a $5 cable, a PS Audio, a Morrow, and the new one from Hapa Audio. Differences were clear between each cable and the SQ was directly proportional to the price. Now I am tempted to risk $100 just see how the BJC cable compares.
I encourage you to try, many will be interested to know your comparison ![]()
I could be wrong but in my experience I hear more differences between Spdif cables than other types of digital cables.
I do not have enough SPDIF cables to know how much they differ in sound, but I have no doubt there is a noticeable difference among them for many based on my experience on other types of digital cables.
The one that made me a believer was USB cables. When I got a Lumin U2 streamer, I first tried a Silnote USB (retail around $800), and it sounded a little better than a $100 USB. Then I borrowed a few topline USBs from The Cable Co, and I was shocked by how much improvement I heard. Each brought the streaming SQ so much closer to that of discs. This experience prompted me to get the top of line Shunyata Omega USB, and it improved the SQ so much. It is worth every penny to me. In fact, it brought as much improvement as my $5k Lumin U2 over a Bridge card.
However, some digital cables made a less difference to my ear. Even the best HDMI cable like AQ Dragon48 only better a AQ Coffee by a nose.
Ethernet cables in my system make a smaller difference too. I wonder if my network filter and SW-10 Pro switch reduce the SQ difference from a great cable. More on this when I get my new one (two more weeks I was told).
I use the Omega X ethernet from my router to the streamer. The other regular Omega I had goes from my house network hub to the router. This has worked well for me, and the Omega X cable was beneficial.
The whole house has 8 ethernet outlets and all get the benefit of the Omega cable and TAP (transverse axial polarizer technology). The Omega X has TAPc which is smaller, denser, and more effective version of the same, which blocks longitudinal electromagnetic waves which can cause distortion effects.
The perceived benefits depend a bit on the quality of the other components and shielding and the degree of electromagnetic interference in your household listening area.
I use Omega X cables on my digital USB and AES cables. I do not use SPDIF.
These are great cables! I only need an Ethernet Omega for MU2 which is a good thing since top cables are pricey. I’ll stay with WIFI on PMG512 if it works.![]()
So, I plugged a Zangsane 99.99% silver ethernet cable between PMG512 and LHY SW-10 Pro switch. How does the streaming SQ between ethernet cable and WIFI?
WIFI streaming sounded better than this particular wired connection. So, WIFI can sound as good as ethernet cable plus an Audiophile switch in this case. This cable is over $300, but it is sounding inferior to Omega, by a lot in fact. So, I will compare them again on a later day (when my new cable is here). At least you know with PMG512, WIFI is an excellent choice, and it is free. ![]()
For some reason, speaker cables have made the most difference in systems I’ve had. Actually, huge differences in one case involving moving from Blue Jeans to Nordost (still an enormous fan of Blue Jeans).
For the most part, I’ve moved away from USB audio but I was using Wireworld for that purpose which offered some improvement over garbage cables.
I dabbled a little in ethernet but the money I spent on an Audioquest ethernet cable offered zero improvement over the UniFi cables I have.
Why the heck does EVERYONE have to encourage me to spend more money ![]()