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Post by speedysteve on Dec 30, 2020 17:59:02 GMT
You've got to love the Future Shop Ltd!
Not only give me a 14 day trial,
I ordered at about 2pm today.
Expect 2-3 working days they said.
Next email was, my order will be delivered tomorrow!
Fingers crossed. Might be playing tomorrow pm.
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 31, 2020 15:29:53 GMT
TOSLINK ipurifier arrived this morning at 8.30!
Future Shop could teach Amazon a thing or two about fast delivery!
Testing will commence shortly.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 31, 2020 16:13:49 GMT
Future Shop have really impressed me with their service.
Let us know what you hear.
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 31, 2020 18:06:10 GMT
I've listened to my entire super duper demo list now with ipurifier.
All stuff I'm very familiar with / goto test tracks.
It's a hard one, problem is it sounded so very good before.
BUT I perceive it's cleaner, not really changed the imaging at all, as some reported, but things are very on point, yet smooth with it?!
I fancy it's more capable of going loud. Very loud!
One thing is that I can use Coax spdif input on Najda as ipurifier outputs that.
It can also do optical if required.
I've always felt the Coax input of Najda sounds slightly more up front. Optical more laid back.
Other Najda users have said the same. It's quite subtle though!
More listening needed and of course, A/B testing against RPi / Kali reclocker. That takes the I2S route in.
What I really need is a panel of golden eared pals round to listen and confirm!
A little high gathering..
Fat chance of that any time soon, after Easter (maybe) says Boris 😂
As an aside,
You perhaps remember the room renovation, with the door off changing the bass?
We moved the door into the room 50 or 60cm. This created 2 alcoves either side of it.
I reconfigured the bass to accommodate.
I'm using that setup at the moment.
The only room mode correction needed is a 10dB PEQ cut at 29Hz.
I used to have more in place!
29Hz is right on 5 string bass / synth lowest notes.
I recently increased this to -12dB.
12dB is massive.
Without this the room would be set off and it's not pleasant.
I still get the room/sofa earth moving effects when the deeper music calls for it, of course😀
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Post by MartinT on Dec 31, 2020 18:32:29 GMT
I have found with cleaning/reclocking that the left/right imaging doesn't change by much at all, but depth increases appreciably so that you sense you can hear into the far corners of the studio/auditorium. Also, note decay such as the shimmer of cymbals goes on for much longer indicating that LSB DAC resolution has improved. As for going louder, yes, I have found that I can play it a notch or two higher without sounding any harsher but with the additional potency becoming more visceral.
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 1, 2021 16:54:55 GMT
Yes!
Listening more today, the spacial depth is palpable.
Downsides are occasional (perhaps one per track or once every few tracks), I'm getting momentary dropouts on 88 and 96KHz stuff.
CD quality and what displays in Qobuz as 44.1KHz seem unaffected.
No such problems playing without TOSLINK ipurifier!
Changing listening quality from 24/192 to 24/96 in the Qobuz streaming menu (Wifi), made no difference.
CCA only does 24/96 max of course.
There's a stop and restart when you change the quality in Qobuz, and the lights on ipurifier change so it's definitely changing, as well as what's displayed in the app.
In fact, I fancy the 24/192 setting does it less?! Dooh! Er maybe not!
There is no change in listening quality between the two that i can detect.
More evaluation needed.
I'll also try the 16/44 setting and see what that sounds like / does.
Would be a shame, as it's a bit of a deal breaker!
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Post by MartinT on Jan 1, 2021 17:32:52 GMT
I was playing the first Lorde album at 24/192 without any problems today. The LKS DAC has a bandwidth setting for the PLL - the lower the setting the tighter the PLL but the more sensitive to clock jitter it is. I'm able to play with it set to 1 at all times and at all digital resolutions. This is since getting the Mutec reclocker and adding the master clock to the proceedings.
What does the iPurifier actually do? Is it a reclocker with its own crystal reference?
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 1, 2021 18:14:42 GMT
I was playing the first Lorde album at 24/192 without any problems today. The LKS DAC has a bandwidth setting for the PLL - the lower the setting the tighter the PLL but the more sensitive to clock jitter it is. I'm able to play with it set to 1 at all times and at all digital resolutions. This is since getting the Mutec reclocker and adding the master clock to the proceedings. What does the iPurifier actually do? Is it a reclocker with its own crystal reference? I believe it is. That's what it says on the packet. CD quality set in Qobuz eliminates the problem completely. For ref I've used Jriver/laptop usb to WaveIO -> I2S -> Najda on upto 384! Volumio / RPI / Kali -> I2s -> Najda also any Qobuz res and also some of the same 384 files as the laptop. No problems ever! I tried the optical output into Najda, anything above 16/44 crackles quietly like dirty vinyl😀 I then thought to try another linear 5v to ipurifier. It has a wallwart psu they supply work it. They make a great thing of it in the blurb, being important and of good quality. Couldn't swap the linear 5v to CCA as that also supplies the Lan connection. I'll have to have the lid off Najda and nick the RPI or Kali one. Or make a new one up to fit the supply not in use at the moment. Anyway the ipurifier supply (was plugged into a block next to the linear supply to CCA, also a linear large wallwart type - a 5v linear medical equipment supply, no less) - I moved it to another block and 'what the', if it hasn't suffered a dropout since. Hitting all the 24/96 Qobuz.. I need to pay attention to my power perhaps 🙄 First stop will be to give CCA and ipurifier, 5v from the other dual linear power supply. |
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Post by MartinT on Jan 1, 2021 20:55:29 GMT
I need to pay attention to my power perhaps 🙄 It comes to everyone sooner or later  Keep analogue and digital power away from each other. |
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 2, 2021 17:08:15 GMT
I made up a new usb cable to use on the ipurifier.
Changed the CCA psu supply as well.
I can't hear any change quality wise, but the drop outs on 24/96 have ceased so far.
However on some 24/96 tracks the gap between tracks have some crackles. Stop as soon as the music starts! 🙄
I'll put the ipurifier psu back in and see.
When you say keep analogue and digital apart Martin, do you mean not on the same power block?
Do you classify a valve / transitor amps as analogue and a chip or D class amps as digital?
Or do you mean sources?
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Post by MartinT on Jan 2, 2021 17:20:05 GMT
I really mean digital components and anything with SMPS on one power block.
Anything analogue (but not with SMPS) on another power block.
I get isolation automatically by virtue of the different power zones in my two regenerators, isolating each component from others.
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 2, 2021 17:53:11 GMT
I really mean digital components and anything with SMPS on one power block. Anything analogue (but not with SMPS) on another power block. I get isolation automatically by virtue of the different power zones in my two regenerators, isolating each component from others. Got it. The crackles stopped. They were on a 24/96 Tori Amos album. I doubt have ANY SMPS😀 |
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Post by MartinT on Jan 2, 2021 17:57:00 GMT
I thought the iPurifier had an SMPS wallwart?
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 2, 2021 18:09:10 GMT
I thought the iPurifier had an SMPS wallwart? I'm not using it 😉 |
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 2, 2021 19:35:23 GMT
I'm still getting the odd dropout, totally random as to when/if and some slight random crackle(s) at times.
Same with linear or the ipurifier psu.
From what I've read it certainly was SMPS back in 2016 when some tests and reviews were done.
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Post by MartinT on Jan 2, 2021 20:33:20 GMT
Remind me what is feeding the iPurifier? Is it a Chromecast? It could be that the iPurifier is having trouble locking on to it, which is a problem if the purpose is to improve upon it.
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 3, 2021 10:27:44 GMT
Yes CCA.
No problems for the Najda dac to lock on to CCA.
So it is a problem.
I'm still evaluating the sound ipurifier gives, but it's looking like it's going back due to the drop outs and crackles.
Instead the 2021 search will be for something that works like CCA (has Spotify and Qobuz connect), and sounds even better than pimped CCA or RPI & Kali.
It could be TOSLINK or I2S (direct) and must not involve Volumio😂
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Post by MartinT on Jan 3, 2021 11:05:00 GMT
A Mutec MC-3+USB seems a likely candidate. USB in, reclocked AES/Co-ax/Optical S/PDIF out.
Would love to bring mine round but, you know...
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 3, 2021 12:21:15 GMT
What are the options on supplying the USB in to it?
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Post by MartinT on Jan 3, 2021 13:35:16 GMT
The Mutec has a standard USB B connector on the rear panel and behaves like a DAC. Your Chromecast won't know any different. You then send the reclocked output of any of three types of S/PDIF to the Najda DAC.  |
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