Triode's USB 24/192 plug in - sound quality impressions

[SBGK]

So I have to decide if I go:

a) EDO > Touch USB out > Audiophilleo/Pure Power > DAC
b) TT 3.0 > Touch S/PDIF out > Synchro-Mesh (with possible PS upgrade) > DAC

or as I use edo+tt3.0+sbgk > usb > mf vlink 192 > aes/ebu > dac

or as Soundcheck has used edo + tt3.0 > usb > gd di v2 > coax > dac

etc

the message seems to be that the usb out is better than the coax from the touch

or as adam says buy a new dac

the reason not to buy a new dac is because this area is still evolving and the coverters can be replaced for a few 100 $

have found the quality of the usb cable makes a big difference, especially isolating the power and ground from the signal pair, now have diy silver signal pair - sweet.

[adamdea]

Then the Synchro-Mesh serves no purpose.

Well the orginal purpose of these devices was to mate a transport (computer) with only a usb out, with a dac with only a S/PDIF in. The idea of using it to take a device which already has a S/PDIF out to a device which already has a S/PDIF in is a little cranky.

It is conceivable that it might end up better, but not certain. It could work out worse. Some of these devices are quite pricey.From what I can hear and read the touch does not have a bad S/PDIF out, so I would have thought the money was better spent on a better dac. If you already have a good dac, it might be better spent on whisky and loose women.

EDIT If the synchro mesh is a S/PDIF to S/PDIF reclocker then yes IMHO it is pointless device. Look at the measured performance of say an MF V DAC II- for 200 you get very effective ASRC. The technology is cheaply available. Once upon a time [1995?] the technology was exciting and new and not available to most dac manufacturers.

[Turnandcough]

Here's a link to a review of the Synchro-Mesh http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/empirical4/1.html

I'm a bit skeptical myself but I sent an email to the reviewer asking him what he thought of the Touch>Synchro-Mesh>DAC combo vs PC>Audiophilleo>DAC setup. He suggested that since I'm a long time Squeezebox user I should probably opt for the Touch/SM. In addition I believe the SM has a 30 day trial policy.

I'm also becoming more and more convinced that USB is the way to go so I could eventually throw in the towel and go for an Audio GD Reference 5.2. From what I gather it's Tenor USB chip works with the EDO loaded Touch and it works out to about the same price as the Audiophilleo with Pure Power. But I need to do some more homework on that.

@ SBGK Specifically what USB cable are you using?

[Beefy XXL]

Teac A-H01 confirmed on the squeezebox.

Method as per Headfi.



Oh my god..... Sound clarity, bas respons, resolved detail is improves a lot!!!

When I first got my Squeezebox Touch and the TEAC A-H01 DAC/AMP (+ Taga F100 speakers) using RCA was sounding nice.

Then optical and coaxial sounded even better by bybassing the touch dac.

Now through USB a tear came from my eyes whilst listening to The Cranberries - Twenty One.

The Ken I****awa Ki Pearl SACD rips revealed so much more sounds to me now. Even my wife noticed it, and that's saying something!

TRIODE: YOU RULE :-)

[Beefy XXL]

By the way.
I used a standard Belkin USB cable with ferrite chokes.
An other USB cable which worked perfectly with my external HDD fails in the Squeezebox-Teac combo.

[Stratmangler]

By the way.
I used a standard Belkin USB cable with ferrite chokes.
An other USB cable which worked perfectly with my external HDD fails in the Squeezebox-Teac combo.

Sounds like you've got a mixture of USB1 and USB2 cables there.

Chris

[SBGK]

after hearing the sound quality of my nad m51 via hdmi from my laptop i am now resigned to the fact that the touch is a dead end in terms of sound quality improvements in my system. EDO is just a distraction it has higher resolution, but poor sound quality.

i have not heard anything better than hdmi into the m51 via jplay xtreme for foobar2000 a real connection with the music, like listening to it for the first time. smooth, sweet, detailed just like music should sound and the sound from acoustic guitar is amazingly lifelike. nad say they use i2s over hdmi, i am inclined to believe them.

anyone want to buy a MCRU 5v linear power supply and a mf vlink 192 ? comes with free fa upgraded touch in a sandwich box.

[Triode]

after hearing the sound quality of my nad m51 via hdmi from my laptop i am now resigned to the fact that the touch is a dead end in terms of sound quality improvements in my system. EDO is just a distraction it has higher resolution, but poor sound quality.

i have not heard anything better than hdmi into the m51 via jplay xtreme for foobar2000 a real connection with the music, like listening to it for the first time. smooth, sweet, detailed just like music should sound and the sound from acoustic guitar is amazingly lifelike. nad say they use i2s over hdmi, i am inclined to believe them.

anyone want to buy a MCRU 5v linear power supply and a mf vlink 192 ? comes with free fa upgraded touch in a sandwich box.

HDMI done correctly [I think its hdmi 1.3 and later] will also be async - i.e. the clock in the dac and feedback messages sent to the player to adjust the playback rate to match the clock of the dac. So it has the potential to be technically better than anything with an spdif link in it such as an external usb to spdif converter as that always requires the dac to recover the clock in some way.

[praganj]

I was using for few months 7.7.2 LMS and firmware version together with TT 3.0.
Yesterday i installed 7.8 LMS, 7.8 firmware, Triode plugin and than TT 3.0. I am using only spdif coax output into my Buffalo II DAC.
The sound is so good, as never before. It looks that spdif output has a much better quality now with Triode plugin.
I didn't touch any processes priorities.

Next step will be usb-i2s interface connected between SBT and Buffalo.

Maybe this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Teralink-X2-...item3cc97f8cc7

and ps for it

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Teralink-X2-...item3cca369e1c

or mabye this one :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISA...ht_2500wt_1037