Thanks as always for the quick response, that would be a nice feature.
The new transport is sounding very nice indeed and it is straight out of the box. My expectations were very high for this unit and I am sure they will be met or exceeded based on what I am hearing so far. I would say you guys have done it again , with another truly “state of the art” product. Cant wait till it breaks in a bit and for my proper cable to come so I can get the full benefits of SACD.
Jim
Canada
Thanks for the manual link. I just read the manual and it states that a 0.5 m cable is recommended. Following is the relevant paragraph:
“Connect a high-quality HDMI cable between the PST’s I2S output to a compatible DAC’s I2S (via
HDMI) input. Note: the quality and length of the HDMI cable have significant impacts on audio
performance. The shorter the cable, the better the sound. We recommend using a ½-meter
length if possible. Longer cables will will work but make certain you install the highest-quality HDMI
cable possible within your budget.”
I would agree with this. I always recommend folks use the shortest HDMI cable that they can get away with in their system. The length isn’t as important as USB cables, but I still prefer the shortest possible.
O.K., but why? I think it would be helpful, if you would not mind, to share when and why this matters so one may understand any technical reasons (or exceptions thereto) for such a recommendation.
Ted touched on it a bit above and I’m certainly no HDMI cable expert, but luckily certified HDMI cables are built to a high standard that need to support a high bandwidth. The shielding is key. The longer the cable, the more it acts like a big antenna between your gear. I’m not certain I can hear the difference a .5 and 1M cable, but why not reduce the possibility of issues and save money at the same time!
Appreciate the extra information, James…
Regards.
Interestingly others say that 1.5 m or longer is the ideal. There apparently can be problems with longer cables, but 6 meters or more in length.
Personally I have used 2 m lengths of PS Audio HDMI AC12 and .5 meter lengths in the same spot and can hear no difference. Likewise I have used 1 m length of the HDMI AC10 and 3 m lengths, and can hear no difference.
I actually hear a difference between DMP and DSD stacked on top of each other with a .5 m cable and separated with a longer cable. Separated and not stacked the sound is better.
As always, all our mileages may vary from a bit to a lot.
Well that’s “very interesting”.
(Try to hear Artie Johnson’s voice if you are old enough when you go back and re-read that. 
)
I am guessing a certain “clarity” prevails when side by side rather then stacked…?
Cheers.
In my case I would say dynamic contrasts were a bit more clearly audible.
@lonson When you say “stacked on top of each other”, what was the space between them? Was one actually on top of the other? I’m about to build a new shelving unit (low and compact between the speakers) and the space between the new SACD transport and DS DAC is to be about 5 inches vertically.
When you had your DMP and DSD separated, were there any changes in isolation, type of surface, etc? Sorry to question you on this but your experience is interesting and I want to know if there may have been another variable at play.
Thanks for your help on this.
Thanks for the heads up! Just ordered one.
I bought three of them, two 1m, and a 2m.
It’s being replaced by the AQ 48 series. I don’t need that technology at this point.
Thanks! Love a great deal. Just ordered one
Here’s the situation: I use PS Audio PowerBases and I remove the feet of the DMP and DSD and use VooDoo Cable Iso-Pods. As you may know if you remove the feet of one of the components the other will fit right on top and nestle together. I had them like that with Iso-Pods under the other, and I had them on top of each other with a set of Iso-Pods both under the lower component and in between the two components. When separated, they both are on their own PowerBase with Iso-Pods under them.
The sound is slightly more open and dynamic when they are both separated with a 1 m or longer HDMI cable, a bit less so when they are stacked with Iso-Pods in between, and a tiny bit less so when the two components are “nestled together”. . . . It’s been some time since I have made these comparisons but I had enough PowerBases and rack space to have the two components separated and think this gives the best sound so have left it that way for several years now.
I just recently put the Iso-Pods under the BHK 300’s and the P20. They were already under
the PST, DACSR and BHKPre. It sounded a little cleaner with the pucks under the P20 and
about the same under the 300’s. All of these units sit on double thick mdf with spikes.
I honestly don’t know if the tweak justifies the cost but there we are. You seem to have tried
several puck configurations. Maybe I should remove the stock feat. Lazy me.
Yes I find that the Iso-Pods were the isolation feet that I built around as they just created the most natural sound–but that is pairing them with PowerBases and in three cases 4" maple platforms as well on a Mapleshade Audio Samson Ver. 3 rack–possibly overkill, but that’s how it all developed.
I did experiment with a set of Mapleshade Audio 3" Megafeet I bought here on the forum–I’d used their footers before but not these big behemoths. I find after playing around that these under my Decware ZTPRE are magical, something about that chassis I guess, brings a subtle “breath of life” into the whole picture. So that’s my one “ringer” set.
Thanks for the link to the manual.
Good news is that by adjusting the display brightness the brightness of the blue logo button also adjusts…. problem solved
Jim
Using .75 m RAL hdmi cable. Sounds wonderful!