Tinker, Tailor, Streamer, Pi.

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Latteman
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Re: Tinker, Tailor, Streamer, Pi.

Unread post by Latteman »

Yes- big difference- Spotify is much better too
Analogue Source -
Denon DP47f- Ortofon mc20 supreme
Ifi Zen Phono
Doug Self balanced Pre amp
Akai 4000DS mk2 R2R
Digital Sources- IfI stream, Ifi Neo idsd Dac; Tidal / Radio Paradise
Amplification Nva 30vdc mono blocks
Speakers Lii Audio F-15 in Open Baffle; Ls6
Weiduka AC8.8- for digital sources
Mini BMU for analog sources

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slinger
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Re: Tinker, Tailor, Streamer, Pi.

Unread post by slinger »

Golden rule: Always hardwire your musical network if that's at all possible.
Amps - NVA P50, AP30, A40, Stanislav Palo Tube Headphone Amp BB 85
Speakers - Monitor Audio Silver RX2
Cables - NVA LS1+LS3, SSC, Gotham S/PDIF, IBRA Optical
Digital - NAD C516BEE, SONY ST-SDB900 DAB TUNER, TEAC UD-H01 DAC
Analogue - Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB, Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Phono
Cans - Grado SR80, ATH-M50X

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Lindsayt
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Re: Tinker, Tailor, Streamer, Pi.

Unread post by Lindsayt »

slinger wrote: Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:39 pm Excellent post, Lindsay. I chose Cat 6a as my "basic" Ethernet cable for the audio setup even though Blue Jeans make 5e, 6, and 6a cables. I thought I might as well go for their "top end" cable. I ruled Cat 5e out because it's unshielded and rightly or wrongly I chose Cat 6a over plain old 6 just because I could. Choosing Blue Jeans was a no-brainer. I know that one shouldn't put too much stock in the load of old codswallop written on most company websites but what Blue Jeans have to say made a lot of sense to me. In fact, it only took the first paragraph really...
The vast majority of cables sold as Category 6 or 6a, whether in brick-and-mortar establishments or online, simply do not meet the Category 6 or 6a specifications; we've put a lot of samples of a lot of other manufacturers' product through proper certification testing, and cables that actually pass spec are unusual. In fact, it's not uncommon for cables that are sold as "Cat 6" to even fail to meet Cat 5e specifications. Vendors get away with misrepresenting Ethernet patch cord performance because the average consumer isn't in a position to buy the $10,000 worth of gear it'll take to check his purchase against the spec. Here at Blue Jeans Cable we don't want to have anything to do with misrepresenting spec compliance -- every Ethernet patch cable we sell comes with its own individual test report, run on a Fluke DTX-1800 certification tester, showing that it meets or exceeds the applicable spec. If it doesn't, we won't sell it.
They also have Belden make up their bulk cable to their own specs. I've never heard a bad word about Belden, or Blue Jeans come to that.

It all, eventually, came back to my original decision to place more value on construction quality than fancy specs which actually far exceed anything one might need to pump music round a network and make it sound good.
Fake networking cables.
Yes, they are very much a thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojFPdg7DGvk

For general PC use, fake cables will work fine.
For high data transfer rates over long lengths, or for POE on things like CCTV systems I'd trust them as far as I could swallow them.


And yes, copper or fibre connections are faster, more reliable and more secure than wireless connections.

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Latteman
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Re: Tinker, Tailor, Streamer, Pi.

Unread post by Latteman »

Having just installed an Apple airport express as as a switch linked to the VM hub by cat7; it has a USB port that is for a printer etc- i don’t use it and wondered if a jitterbug would be worth considering- from previous posts above I believe it can be plugged in ‘passive’ ?
Analogue Source -
Denon DP47f- Ortofon mc20 supreme
Ifi Zen Phono
Doug Self balanced Pre amp
Akai 4000DS mk2 R2R
Digital Sources- IfI stream, Ifi Neo idsd Dac; Tidal / Radio Paradise
Amplification Nva 30vdc mono blocks
Speakers Lii Audio F-15 in Open Baffle; Ls6
Weiduka AC8.8- for digital sources
Mini BMU for analog sources

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Re: Tinker, Tailor, Streamer, Pi.

Unread post by Fretless »

I do have a Jitterbug inthe USB port of my network central router. At the time I felt that there was a subtle improvement in audio throughout the system. Have left it in place.

Upstairs:
Vinyl
Pro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
Downstairs:
Vinyl
Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
NVA: P50 - BMU+ Aiyima A07 MAX (x2) + Arcam One
HP: HifiBerry Digi+ PRO + Sabaj A10d
Office:
Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith THX AAA 887
Headphones: German Maestro & AudioQuest

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Re: Tinker, Tailor, Streamer, Pi.

Unread post by Fretless »

Severely tempted by Audioquest Coffee USB at the moment. :doh:
There is a 2nd-hand one going for 200 euros here in The Netherlands.

Image

Upstairs:
Vinyl
Pro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
Downstairs:
Vinyl
Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
NVA: P50 - BMU+ Aiyima A07 MAX (x2) + Arcam One
HP: HifiBerry Digi+ PRO + Sabaj A10d
Office:
Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith THX AAA 887
Headphones: German Maestro & AudioQuest

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karatestu
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Re: Tinker, Tailor, Streamer, Pi.

Unread post by karatestu »

You must fight with your inner conscience for a little while....................................and then give in :grin:
DIY FREE ZONE

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Re: Tinker, Tailor, Streamer, Pi.

Unread post by Fretless »

It's that or the Inakustik Reference USB. Only 300 euros for 75cm length.

Image

A pittance.

Somebody shoot me... please. :sad-roulette:

Upstairs:
Vinyl
Pro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
Downstairs:
Vinyl
Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
NVA: P50 - BMU+ Aiyima A07 MAX (x2) + Arcam One
HP: HifiBerry Digi+ PRO + Sabaj A10d
Office:
Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith THX AAA 887
Headphones: German Maestro & AudioQuest

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Fretless
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Re: Tinker, Tailor, Streamer, Pi.

Unread post by Fretless »

The trouble is that when you sit in an upgrade loop, then you simply know that things can sound just that little bit better - but only if you throw some serious money into a seemingly unimportant component.

Like a USB cable. :angry-screaming:

Looking at things now, it would seem that the link between the Wyrd and the DAC could be the place where a better quality lead can make an improvement. The cleaned and stabilised signal output from the Schiit decrappifier is the final step before the digital to analogue conversion takes place and that is where you want the least possible influence from an intervening cable.

The AQ Coffee is heavily shielded, has 10% pure silver coating on the massive copper signal wires and features a special device that actively prevents the possibility of any radio-wave distortion occuring within the lead.

Inakustik Reference USB blurb:
The Reference USB 2.0 cable has been designed especially for low-loss HD audio streaming. The data lines consist of fine, separately lacquer-insulated copper wires (high speed conductors). In combination with the high-quality materials, they reduce the jitter effects that particularly affect the sound quality when streaming audio data. Sensitive data is additionally protected by 4-fold shielding. Extremely generously proportioned cables for the power supply of e.g. external hard drives minimize voltage fluctuations. Even with particularly long cables, they ensure that the peripheral devices function perfectly and therefore data is transferred with low error rates. The product is rounded off by the high-quality Reference USB plug and the precise manufacturing.

2 totally different approaches here with AQ's silver and gadgetry versus Inakustik's delicacy and engineering.

I wonder if my friendly local shop might arrange a loan? :think:

Upstairs:
Vinyl
Pro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
Downstairs:
Vinyl
Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
NVA: P50 - BMU+ Aiyima A07 MAX (x2) + Arcam One
HP: HifiBerry Digi+ PRO + Sabaj A10d
Office:
Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith THX AAA 887
Headphones: German Maestro & AudioQuest

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CN211276
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Re: Tinker, Tailor, Streamer, Pi.

Unread post by CN211276 »

Fretless wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2020 9:07 pm The trouble is that when you sit in an upgrade loop, then you simply know that things can sound just that little bit better - but only if you throw some serious money into a seemingly unimportant component.

It must be catching. :lol: I have today ordered a iFi Audio i Purifier3. The very noticable effect the recent upgrades I have made to the chain prior to the Mscaler and DAC, as well as Amazon's return policy, were the spur. Did quite a bit of reading up and it seems to work well with Chord DACs and in combination with a Jitterbug. The small size and no requirement for additional cabaling are big plus points. It will connect the AQ Carbon to the Mscaler with the JB making the connection to the streamer. :grin:
Main System
NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
Sonore OpticalRendu, Chord Mscaler & Qutest, Sbooster PSs
Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Farnells cat 8 ethernet cable

Second System
NVA P20/ A20, Cubettes, LS3, SSP, SC
Sonore MicroRendu, Chord Mojo 2 MCRU PSs, AQ Carbon USB cable & JB FMJ

Headphones
Grado SR325e/Chord Mojo, Beyerdynamic Avetho/AQ DF Colbat

RIP Doc

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