Hi @waymanchen11
The switching happens even @ 5 volts.
However, my point was that isolating the USB cable voltage changes nothing as @paul172 noted.
Isolating the USB cable voltage will only help if the Matrix refuses to switch over to the External power supply, and continue to use the USB cable voltage, and ignore the LPS voltage, then it would have to use the LPS power only. If your Matrix have a problem with not switching to the LPS, then isolation the USB helps make sure it does to work. But putting in a Vbus2 is adding another connection and potential for added noise to the signal. I wouldn’t use these band-aids unless I absolutely have a switching problem.
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Welp, just go the Matrix.
Mac mini > ROON/Tidal/Qbz > DSD JR via Bridge (EtherREGEN) > BHK Pre > BHK250 > Tekton DIs
Im actually getting less with it than through the DSJ bridge 
No, power supply
Matrix USB and cheap HDMI to IIS
thoughts?
Think of it this way. The cheap cable and bad power supply degrades the sound, so no matter how good the Matrix can sound, you’re hearing how bad your cable and power supply is sounding. The better the cable and power supply is, the more performance you are going to get from this Matrix.
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What are some good quality cables between the power supply and the matrix? I seem to remember a “Ghent Audio” dc cable. Are there any others? Better?
Meanwhile, back to the music:
After asking for advice here, I’ve added Matrix-X SPDIF as follows: Nucleus, Cardas Clear USB, Matrix with factory settings, 7v SGC LPS, Transparent HDMI to DSDSr, and then to Pathos Aurium and Focal Utopias. Matrix and power supply still burning in, but I’ve noticed these differences so far:
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DSD alone moves from listening to digital recordings, to listening to instruments that sound and feel present.
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Listening to Matrix with power from USB, I heard a more analytic or clinical sound. Like the Emperor complaining to Mozart of ‘too many notes,’ I remarked to a friend about distraction by details of microphone placement and engineering that couldn’t be heard by an orchestra conductor or a band member or an audience participant with the ideal seat. The experience was quite engaging, but a bit surreal.
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LPS seems to have integrated the sound again. I hear more shaping and coherence of notes, phrases, instruments, and groups. Upper string tones sound more refined. I have a ‘screech test,’ a favorite album where, unfortunately, one instrument sounds harsh or astringent in a couple of passages, causing tooth-grinding. This was toned down after LPS arrived.
Has anyone else heard differences like these – or only in my head?
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I tried a few including Ghent, by far the best in my system was the top silver one Dave makes at Zenwave. I don’t have any other Zenwave cables but the DC one he makes is superbly made.
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Thanks
Yeah… Ive seen others use it the same way I am using it and report positive results.
Is my ethernet sound THAT good where I lose quality be using the matrix?
I have all switches to off as well.
Ive also get an LPS 1, that I can try.
Well I can say that without a LPS I sort of heard the same thing you described in 2. I’m letting things burn in a bit then going to use my Uptone LPS 1 to see if it changes anything. Still waiting on a WireWorld Silver Sphere to come Monday.
I’ll add a #4:
Much deeper soundstage – in, for example, in Jordi Savall’s unusual interpretations of Mozart symphonies (“The Symphonic Testament,” on Qobuz).
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I find that I’m somewhere in the middle between the objectivists, who rely primarily on measurements, and subjectivists, who rely mainly on their ears. I believe that I’ve heard the difference better power cables, interconnects, and speaker cables make. But I’m still open to the possibility that this is just our flawed perceptions. If the differences are as obvious as we claim, why can’t they be substantiated with measurements? This should be particularly easy if the difference is tonal or a reduction in noise. With digital signals, it should even be easier to measure the different bits that are arriving from the source. Or if it’s noise, that should be measurable as well. I’d feel so much better about spending several hundred dollars on an hdmi cable that had measurements that show the difference it makes.
Am I wrong to want that?
I wish there is a set of measurements we can go by to tell us exactly what a cable sounds like, but there isn’t. The only way is to listen for yourself. If there’s enough people that say a particular cable is fantastic, then I would take notice. But the final decision has to be your own ears.
I’m not looking for something that precise. If a cable reduces noise, improves tonality, is brighter/darker, etc, then it seems like we could see a difference by measuring. I don’t know of any measurements for things like soundstage, but many of the characteristics we (including me) claim to hear should be easily viewed in frequency response graphs and signal to noise charts.
I’ve been watching videos by Amir Majidimehr. He uses an audio analyzer to measure various equipment. He definitely doesn’t believe in high end cables. See the link. https://youtu.be/dLghg0QXPzs
I have Transparent speaker cables, interconnects, and USB cables, plus several audioquest power cables; but I’d be happier to see some data to back things up. I’ve considered buying a Tornado power cord from Audioquest, but it’s hard to spend $1000 without some data to go on. Swapping out power cords takes too long for comparison of anything that is not an obvious difference. Surely Audioquest could find a way to measure the sonic benefits.
I do not think we should open a “do cables (or whatever) sound different? Really???” argument.
If you are a “only changes proven with measurements” type you won’t likely convert a “I heard it with my own ears” type. It will just be people on soapboxes arguing forever.
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Something else you might try is to remove the Bridge card from the DSJ. I don’t know if you can do that on the DSJ but I noticed a difference when I removed the card from my DS DAC. Simply put, have just the I2S input connected.
If you are interested in how physical characteristics of cable impact the sound and why, this thread contains a wealth of information.
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Wow! That is an amazing thread with a lot of information. I’m particularly impressed with the number of highly informative posts from Galen. Still, there are a lot of observations without measurements to back them up. The data that is provided is about capacitance and velocity, which I can’t evaluate. I’d rather see charts that show how that affects the sound in terms of frequency response and signal to noise ratio. Many of the observations posted by users should easily be confirmed with such measurements.
The BAV power cords are very reasonably priced and are an obvious choice to upgrade the stock cords that come with gear. But how do I compare those to my existing Pangea cords or my Audioquest Monsoon? How can I determine if the Tornado is worth $1000 or the Hurricane is worth $2500?
As much as we don’t want to admit it, our perceptions are flawed. Only blind tests and measurements can accurately confirm our perceptions. Blind tests are much too difficult for most of us to perform, and audio analysis equipment costs more than my whole stereo system.
So I do the best with what I’ve got and let my ears be the judge. I spend reasonable (by audiophile standards) on cables and believe that they make a difference. I mostly buy what I volcano get from my local stereo store because I can take home loaners to audition. Still, I’d really like to see measurements that can act as a guide or give me confidence that my perceptions aren’t wrong.
I guess that trying new things and debating their merits is a core part of the hobby, so maybe I should just try to enjoy that more.
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