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Post by MartinT on Mar 4, 2022 13:53:24 GMT
The Gustard U18 is due to arrive next Wednesday.
Meanwhile, I have received the 30cm Blue Jeans FE Belden HDMI cable, I already had a no-name 0.5m HDMI cable and I should receive the highly praised 0.5m AVPlay I2S cable shortly, ready for a 3-way shootout sometime in the future.
I also have some new grounding cables coming from AliExpress as I'm fed up with croc-clip ends falling off and wondering what happened to my music.
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 4, 2022 15:30:01 GMT
Have you compared QA to Ali cables ?
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Post by MartinT on Mar 4, 2022 16:17:07 GMT
Have you compared QA to Ali cables ? Not yet. They're cheap as chips so I've order a few, including two with phono connectors so they'll stay put. |
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Post by MartinT on Mar 6, 2022 14:02:18 GMT
In preparation for the U18 DDC arriving by Wednesday, I moved the Zero Zone 01-A power supply (powering the EtherREGEN) from the P3 to the P10 regenerator and swapped it to the MCRU No. 9 power cable. Listening just now, it hasn't suffered much if at all.
This is to give the U18, next in line to the DAC itself, P3 power with a Coherent 6D power cable. There's also a Gustard fuse arriving (the one in the Zero Zone is doing great service) and I have some BR Pads on standby.
It feels right going back to I2S into the DAC, making the U18 and X26 Pro into a hybrid whole. I'll update my system diagram at that point as it represents a big change, finally taking the Mutec out of the system.
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Post by realysm42 on Mar 7, 2022 11:35:53 GMT
Hi Martin, I'm curious, had the Mute been superseded by the other clocks or do you have other plans for it?
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Post by MartinT on Mar 7, 2022 11:45:11 GMT
Hi Martin, I'm curious, had the Mute been superseded by the other clocks or do you have other plans for it? Did you mean the Mutec? The Gustard U18 will be replacing it. I'll be keeping my clocks and the U18 will acquire the clock vacated by the Mutec. |
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Post by MartinT on Mar 9, 2022 21:20:15 GMT
As well as the U18 shenanigans described in the U18 thread, I realised that I had freed up my superior Coherent-modded Weiliang LPSU. I swapped it for the stock one running 12V to the router. It certainly doesn't sound worse! John will remember the opening brushed cymbals in Norah Jones' Come Away With Me in 24/192. They sound amazing now, so very real with resolution and shimmer. |
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Post by MartinT on Mar 10, 2022 7:37:45 GMT
The revised system diagram. Quite a lot has changed, especially the replacement of the Mutec MC-3+ USB with the Gustard U18, shifting the two AD master clocks upstream and using I 2S connection (carrying the clock) to the Gustard X26 Pro. Removal of one LPSU and one clock with all the cabling.  |
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Post by John on Mar 10, 2022 9:08:02 GMT
Nice when it simplifies the system as well as improves the sound quality
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Post by bigman80 on Mar 10, 2022 19:24:32 GMT
The revised system diagram. Quite a lot has changed, especially the replacement of the Mutec MC-3+ USB with the Gustard U18, shifting the two AD master clocks upstream and using I 2S connection (carrying the clock) to the Gustard X26 Pro. Removal of one LPSU and one clock with all the cabling.  What made you go for a U18 over the Mutec? Is there any technical reason? |
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Post by MartinT on Mar 10, 2022 19:41:45 GMT
Yes - the U18 sends I2S directly to the DAC so works in closer harmony with it than the Mutec which uses AES.
When I switch from AES to I2S the improvement is so incredible that there is no real comparison.
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Post by bigman80 on Mar 10, 2022 20:20:06 GMT
Yes - the U18 sends I2S directly to the DAC so works in closer harmony with it than the Mutec which uses AES. When I switch from AES to I2S the improvement is so incredible that there is no real comparison. That's very interested indeed. |
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Post by MartinT on Mar 12, 2022 12:48:13 GMT
This level of performance is one I'm revelling in. I feel like all the work with digital, starting with the LKS DAC and culminating with the Gustard pairing of X26 Pro and U18, has taught me a lot about the importance of the digital playback chain and making every stage count for cleaning up the signal and removing noise. I've also learned how to listen for defects in the sound and put them right. I like that I've simplified the system a bit (but not enough to make it look tidy), too.
What's coming soon, to complete it, is another 6D power cable for the Zero Zone PSU feeding the EtherREGEN, completing my all-Coherent power cable set, a Gustard fuse for the U18 (the one in the ZZ is working well), and an AVplay I2S cable that may or may not beat the BJ. Some Head-Fiers are also recommending the Gustard I2S cable, but there is no need at the moment as the BJ (must stop calling it that) performs so well (that Belden YR52550 they use is excellent).
Back to the music.
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Post by MartinT on Mar 15, 2022 9:29:40 GMT
The AVplay I2S cable and Gustard fuse for the U18 should arrive today.
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Post by MartinT on Mar 15, 2022 19:38:25 GMT
I actually have the new Coherent 6D power cable first. This one is powering the EtherREGEN via the Zero Zone PSU. Even though it's new, and upstream, I can hear its small contribution to the total in the air, space, reverb and general acoustic of the performance, especially in small scale intimate music. It's good to have the system with all-Coherent power cables as they are undoubtedly the finest I know and set a good standard with any given component.
Back to the music now.
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Post by MartinT on Mar 16, 2022 18:28:52 GMT
The AVplay I2S silver cable has arrived. I'll try that later after giving the system more time to settle.  |
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Post by MartinT on Mar 16, 2022 22:14:58 GMT
It's late and I've been listening all evening. The AVplay HD-300 has been in circuit for a couple of hours.
Let's just say that there's no question of it being made from silver. Every single silver cable I've ever tried has sounded 'clanky' from new. This is going to need 100-200 hours on it so I've left it running internet radio. What's amazing are two things:
1. that I can hear any difference at all between two short high-quality cables carrying I2S digital data
2. that this cable has real promise and a couple of outstanding attributes
I'm only going to write about it when I think it's settled down and it's fair to make observations about it.
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Post by MartinT on Mar 18, 2022 19:45:02 GMT
Have you compared QA to Ali cables ? It would seem that the QA and AliExpress grounding cables are the same. I've now received my bundle of different types and have been able to use better connections than trying to get an alligator clip to precariously stay put. So one with spade to the ER and another with phono cap to the DAC. I'll work through the others but they're all more secure now. |
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Post by MartinT on Mar 19, 2022 18:41:56 GMT
Happy to report that the new grounding cables are doing the business and that the overall sound has improved - not sure how much of that is the AVplay cable burning in, but I'm not complaining. It's a relief not having to look for a cable having unclipped itself after thinking the sound has gone off.
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Post by MartinT on Mar 20, 2022 11:35:03 GMT
Today I switched back to the Blue Jeans FE cable for I2S after listening to the AVplay last night. Two different flavours of good and not sure which will emerge as my favourite at the moment.
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