jaffar

Does anyone know how much delay the e22 introduces with its USB interface and FIFO/buffering? My question is not about audio/video sync, but playing virtual instruments/MIDI keyboard. My PCI sound card has 4 ms delay which is good, but I suspect the e22 may have much longer delay and reliable playing will be impossible...

Thanks for posting the results! It would be interesting to do this comparison in a blind ABX test (ask a friend to switch the tracks). I wonder if you can 100% differentiate your favorite upsampling method...

Hi George, Miska and all, I have some questions on how the e28 DAC operate internally and its compatibility with HQPlayer. I need to know how e28 handles various sample rates. Does it perform ASRC in the 9018 chip? I know that ASRC is detrimental to sound quality and in a truly 'high-end' DAC the clocking should be synchronous with independent 44.1- and 48k-based oscillators. Regarding DSD. How does the e28 handle the native DSD stream - does it convert DSD to PCM internally in order to do volume control? I've read some comments stating the 9018 chip converts everything to 6-bit SDM for internal processing, but I'm unsure. Which output format should I use in order to extract maximum performance from the e28? Is there a way to disable all DSP/ASRC functions of the 9018 chip? I strongly believe that filters implemented in HQPlayer are much better than internal ones in the 9018. Thanks!

Ted, any news on the E28 volume control versus the MVC?

So if i need 6 or 8 channels of 24bit 192kHz PCM, should i build a transport with 4 BNC outputs? No thanks, i prefer properly engineered USB interface which doesn't demand gold/silver/rhodium USB cables. Yes, that is convenience.

Yes, it would be very interesting comparison, esp. with the MVC. Thanks!

Ted, can you compare the sound quality of the built-in volume control (e28 directly to power amps) versus e28+MVC? Are there any advantages with less components in the signal path? Can't deside if I need a preamp for my 4-way crossover. Maybe e28 is good enough to be used directly to amps. MSB MVC seems to be the only 8-channel preamp on the market...

There are several VST plugins that can do any x-over tasks under Windows. The Thuneau Allocator, for example. I personally use very transparent PLParEQ. Any Behringer/DEQX/etc-based system falls short in sound quality and flexibility compared to a good PC-based crossover. e18 and e28 are great for doing 4-way XO considering their quality d/a conversion.

Impatiently awaiting for the e28 review! Thanks!

Hmmm. In order to pass that test, you need an ADC. How could Playback Designs pass it without one? The entire ADC world needs to be taken into account here. Your favorite audiophile recordings often were mastered using pretty average converters (from audiophile POV) without any atomic clocks in them... Jitter? Studio-grade ADCs often have hundreds of psec of it. Master tapes? Some comparisons, tape vs digital: analog tape limitations tape vs DSD vs PCM The author don't even cosider tape as a high definition medium. Too much restricted frequency responce, low dynamic range, high phase shift, etc. Even 10 year old digital systems far surpass high-end tape machines.