solderdude
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measureutternutter
Posts: 4,881
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DACs
Apr 12, 2019 7:21:50 GMT
Post by solderdude on Apr 12, 2019 7:21:50 GMT
I think he is looking for this:
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Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
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DACs
Apr 12, 2019 11:04:41 GMT
Post by Rabbit on Apr 12, 2019 11:04:41 GMT
Oops. Missed the word ‘optical’!
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DACs
Apr 12, 2019 16:45:42 GMT
Post by Mr Trev on Apr 12, 2019 16:45:42 GMT
Oops. Missed the word ‘optical’! Actually, you were mostly correct. I was thinking of getting a coax that did have a 3.5mm termination on one end so I wouldn't need to use the adapter Fiio supplied (basically one less thing for me to lose). They are somewhat common. I believe Fiio makes one themselves and I've seen a few others round the interweb (http://www.ghentaudio.com/part/e06.html). I'd just need to look up the wiring to confirm what cable works (I think Fiio uses a different tip/sleeve wiring than some of the other manf. - or maybe it was that Fiio changed it for the later models. I do remember reading people saying the cables they got wouldn't work with their devices). I have to wait for the d30 to show up before I decide what I need (when you opt for free shipping, Amazon takes their sweet-ass time actually sending anything out). Not sure how I'll need to rearrange my "stack" and what length of cables to use. Might need to go with a long optical/USB, short interconnect if I want to keep my laptop away form the amp (avoid RF getting to the tube?)
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solderdude
Administrator
measureutternutter
Posts: 4,881
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DACs
Apr 12, 2019 20:49:32 GMT
Post by solderdude on Apr 12, 2019 20:49:32 GMT
I used a cheap 3.5mm to RCA output cable using the left audio connector to SPDIF in. Worked great with my X3 but ended up using the built-in DAC (no chance of jitter) and line-out of the X3.
I set the equalizer to flat and engage it. This prevents the X3 from clipping rather nasty at 0dBFS.
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DACs
Apr 12, 2019 21:35:03 GMT
Post by lobalwarming on Apr 12, 2019 21:35:03 GMT
That's a good price on the Velocity cable, Rabbit. A little too good. While it appears to have gold-plated connectors, a man of Mr. T's taste for gimmickry, likely won't bite on it. Unless you can confirm that each individual strand of copper in the wire is gold plated from the oxygen-deprived 24 karat remnants of Edison's 1897 gold watch, renown by 19th century audiophiles for its legendary golden ticks that was the tock of the time. Personally, I prefer the 'high-purity' and low cost of these pedestrian Amazon basic cables: www.amazon.ca/dp/B01D5H8TS4/ ;-)
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DACs
Apr 12, 2019 21:37:26 GMT
Post by lobalwarming on Apr 12, 2019 21:37:26 GMT
Oops. Missed the word ‘optical’! No worries. I missed an entire page. And probably several key points as well. Especially the question about lawnmowers with coaxial S/PDIF inputs ;-)
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DACs
Apr 12, 2019 22:45:59 GMT
Post by Mr Trev on Apr 12, 2019 22:45:59 GMT
I used a cheap 3.5mm to RCA output cable using the left audio connector to SPDIF in. Worked great with my X3 but ended up using the built-in DAC (no chance of jitter) and line-out of the X3. I set the equalizer to flat and engage it. This prevents the X3 from clipping rather nasty at 0dBFS. I'd use the X3 as a source during those times I'm just too damn lazy to turn my laptop on. Never thought about engaging the EQ. Probably should have since I use the X3's LO all the time. Just proves you can learn something everyday… When you say flat do you leave the sliders at 0, or do you lower them? (been ages since I looked at the eq) That's a good price on the Velocity cable, Rabbit. A little too good. While it appears to have gold-plated connectors, a man of Mr. T's taste for gimmickry, likely won't bite on it. Unless you can confirm that each individual strand of copper in the wire is gold plated from the oxygen-deprived 24 karat remnants of Edison's 1897 gold watch, renown by 19th century audiophiles for its legendary golden ticks that was the tock of the time. Personally, I prefer the 'high-purity' and low cost of these pedestrian Amazon basic cables: www.amazon.ca/dp/B01D5H8TS4/ ;-) Gold plated? Meh. Platinum FTW! Haven't heard many recommendations on the Amazon Basics, but a lot of folks claim Monoprice cables are pretty good.
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DACs
Apr 12, 2019 23:24:43 GMT
Post by lobalwarming on Apr 12, 2019 23:24:43 GMT
Platinum? Sadly, while it looks more upmarket it's not as good a conductor as gold. Or even Toscanini.
I'm not recommending the Amazon cables, unless your needs are very basic. But they are cheaper than Monoprice. However, for casual listening, a knackered set of Blue Jeans cables are quite comfy. ;-)
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DACs
Apr 17, 2019 3:24:08 GMT
Post by Mr Trev on Apr 17, 2019 3:24:08 GMT
So while I was waiting for the d30 to arrive - which it finally did today, I was doing some online reading about various dacs. Sweet mother, why are people sooo partisan about these things? Topping/SMSL people think Schiit… well lives up to its name. Schiit people claim liking anything else makes you a tone-deaf hack
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Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
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DACs
Apr 17, 2019 9:27:34 GMT
Post by Rabbit on Apr 17, 2019 9:27:34 GMT
I still can’t understand why any firm would name themselves Schitt. Crap would have been politer.
People get all kinds of attitudes about their gear. Happens with the microphone crowd as well. I’ve been doing all kinds of mic reviews and some have been remarkably good at lower prices. An American boom operator who works on big stuff over there claimed something or other about one of the mics I’d used and wrote to me. So I did him an example of the better mic that he was carping on about because I have one here. (He’d seen the review I did on it) When I sent the example to him, he chirped on about how much more detail there was in the sound and greater depth.
It was the same mic that he’d previously criticised! I just didn’t tell him......
I did the same with a wireless microphone. Some studio guy told me that he wouldn’t spend any less than $xxx on a wireless mic and told me the lowest he could go. I did him a recording on it and he said ‘Told you so’ ............ it was the same wireless mic I’d used before. They’re deaf in reality. And these guys are pros in the film industry!!!!
So it seems to me, people make all kinds of claims about this or that gear, when they can’t actually hear any difference at all.
If it sounds good to you, bugger everyone else. You just have to sort out what your own priorities are with the gear I think and go with that.
For me, with all audio gear, whether it’s mics or headphones, I seem to notice noise more than anything and the funny thing is that with mics, I prefer less bass lift for speech clarity and yet with headphones, I prefer a bass lift. As long as the treble is well defined.
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Apr 17, 2019 18:25:40 GMT
Post by Mr Trev on Apr 17, 2019 18:25:40 GMT
I was hoping that reading would be a nice respite from the obnoxious "us vs. them" mentality that's taken over during our recent provincial election. Turned out it was just more of the same…
So far, everything's seems to be working well. I do miss having any sort of display showing what format is being played (I have no idea if DSD is staying DSD or being converted to PCM. Hopefully somebody from the Daphile thread can offer some insight - anybody here use Daphile?) No groundloops thankfully, but I've only tried it with my P1 amp so far. Now I'm just going to do some burn in on it. Nothing to do with possible sound improvement, more like the reason you burn in a computer. Put it under heavy load for ~24hrs. In theory any defective components should fail within that period (at least if something is going fail hopefully it'll happen within Amazon's 30 day window)
One thing I read over the weekend was somebody's claim that if you tape over the +5v pin on the USB cable (not needed due to the external power supply) it'll improve the sound. Does that sound valid? I tried doing something similar with my X3 and it wouldn't even connect
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