Mitch2

As an update, both the Curious USB Cable and the Totaldac USB cable sound better to me than my Wireworld Starlight 7 or Gemini USB cables. However, like most other things, the results are also dependent on the accompanying gear being used. Right now my set-up is the Curious 0.8M cable from the Antipodes DX into the W4S Recovery, then the Curious Regen link (short USB) cable into my Metrum Pavane. With the SMc upgraded McCormack DNA-2 LAE amplifier this is the best-sounding combination. With my Acoustic Imagery Atsah 1200 monos, I think it sounds a little better if I substitute the Totaldac USB cable for the Curious 0.8M cable, while still keeping the W4S Recovery and Curious Link in the chain. Regardless of the amp or USB cable, For now, I seem to like the W4S Recovery a touch better than the Regen, although I am interested to try the Intona. As a gross generalization, the Curious USB cable seems more about body, fullness and weight while the Totaldac USB seems more about energy, clarity and tone. However, each of them positively display all the listed characteristics, to some degree. I can certainly understand how those running computer (laptop or Mac mini) sources would like the Curious cables, which may serve to overcome some edginess. IMO, both of the mentioned USB cables are good and like most of this stuff, there is no clear all-the-time "winner," at least in my system. As a final thought, even using a USB connection, the Antipodes DX to Pavane source is easily better sounding than any of the high end disc players I have owned.

I have two pretty good (but different) amplifiers and about 4 pretty good (but different) sets of speaker cables over here. I want the best sound from my USB source that I can achieve but, as a reality check, swapping out either of the amplifiers or any of the sets of speaker cables results in a change in sound quality that is significantly greater than switching between the Regen and Recovery. While I do hear a difference between the two, we are talking about the nth degree of refinement and not fundamental changes. In fact, I hear a greater difference between the Curious 0.8M and the Totaldac USB cables. However, I remain interested in hearing the Intona or whatever similar solution Uptone Audio concocts.

Same here. I will hold on to my almost-mailed check to Intona until I hear more. Maybe think about a trade-up program for us Regen owners ;-)

Hi Janke, so you are running the Curious cables and RUR out of your source and into the OR5 then bnc into the Pavane? A little off-topic but can I understand your comparison findings will relate how the RUR and others affect the sound when running into the OR5, and that you find the USB to OR5 to bnc connection into the Pavane to be superior to using the Pavane's USB input, regardless of the up-front add-ons to the USB string? Thanks.

Recovery arrived this week. Substituted for the Regen. Signal path: Antipodes DX/AQ Jitterbug/0.8M Curious/Recovery/Curious Link/Metrum Pavane. A second AQ Jitterbug is installed on the unpowered USB output of the DX. Early observations are that the Recovery sounds quite good and somewhat different from the Regen. Both the Regen and Recovery sound better than Curious direct from DX to Pavane. Cannot say which I like better yetk between the Recovery and the Regen, because I have not yet seriously compared them. I need to stop reading this site since I now wonder if I need to add the Intona. Any of you here on the comparison thread have any experience with the SOtM tX-USB hub? Anyone compare that to the Recovery or Regen? Cheers

Hello Richard, I received a 0.8M Curious USB Cable and Curious Regen link at the beginning of this week and I started a thread on another forum that Rob saw, and he suggested I check out your thread here, which I had not previously seen. I do not use my "computer" as a source anymore so I hope it is ok to still post my impressions here. Although I still own a fully tricked out Mojo mini, I am currently using an Antipodes DX server into an UpTone Audio USB Regen and then the Metrum Pavane DAC. I look for a tonally rich presentation with good body and dimensionality. My preference leans more toward "warm and rich" than "detailed and airy." I purchased the Curious cables to both get away from the hard link between my UpTone Audio USB Regen and DAC and also to hear what everyone is talking about with respect to the Curious USB cable. I was currently switching between the Totaldac USB cable and the ifi Gemini dual USB cable, which is nice because I can run the power leg from the powered USB port on the Antipodes server and the signal leg from the unpowered USB port. In general, I find the Totaldac USB Cable to have excellent clarity, body, tone and energy while the ifi Gemini cable leans more toward the dark side, with a mix of richness, fullness and darkness while still displaying a sufficient level of detail but not the level of body of the Totaldac cable. I suspect the Gemini could be used to successfully tame digititus in some systems that sound just a touch electronic. I have about 20 hours on the Curious cables and did burn them in for about 5 hours using Ayres full tone glide track on repeat. My early impressions indicate the Curious cables display good body, clarity and smoothness, and lean more toward the full/rich side of things than the Totaldac USB Cable. However, I detect a touch of darkness although not to the extent of the Gemini cable. A quick reinsertion of the Totaldac cable today on some Eva Cassidy, Warren Haynes and Greg Allman indicated an overall preference for the Totaldac cable at this time, although the Curious cable is also nice. These impressions are with the Curious Regen Link remaining in place since, I doubt I will ever go back to the hard link. I plan to sort out the USB cables first and then go back and try the hard link to confirm my preference for the Curious Link. I have reinserted the Curious USB cable and will report back after the Curious cable has some more time on it. Based on my early impressions, I suspect the Totaldac USB Cable will be hard to beat.

Hi Elberoth and Bob, if you guys are still around here I have a couple of questions about the Hex. I am new to computer audio (about 1-2 months now) and I am using the Hex. I have not yet decided whether i like this set-up better than my MUSE disc player (their top) but it does sound pretty good, especially on well recorded stuff. So far my music consists only of ripped CDs using XLD. Elberoth, when you say the Hex holds its own but is not quite as good as some of the more expensive players, in what areas do those offer better SQ? For example, bass impact, bass definition, drive, dimensionality, texture, and depth are qualities that I find important to my musical enjoyment. Bob, what do you hear better when using the Audiophilleo, or is it simply so you can use integer mode in A+? I did try three players and finally decided Pure Music sounded best through the internal USB. PM did not provide the best resolution, the bass is just a touch plump, and the high frequencies seem just a bit shelved down (all there but not as prominent as with the other players), but the midrange, to me, is excellent and I had less listener fatigue. I found A+ to be just a little electronic sounding. Right now, through the internal USB, I would probably select Amarra if I were to purchase a second player. Is the ability to use integer mode that beneficial, e.g. does it improve A+ substantially? Regarding outboard converters, I noted Srajan commented that he felt the Audiophilleo "enriched the augmentation of timbres," ...and...."mellowed the sense of speed to feel just a bit more relaxed." Do you find improvement in both using the Audiophilleo and in being able to use A+ in integer mode? Have you tried other converters and do you think an off-board converter is a worthwhile improvement. In the end, it seemed Srajan found his to change the sonics slightly but couldn't come to a flat out recommendation, "I'd think of it as a last resort once everything else in a system has been sorted to complete satisfaction," and finally, "So why even bother?" I am simply trying to squeeze the best SQ I can from the Hex and if that doesn't cut it I will look at other DAC solutions. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

I am new to all this using a computer as a source but not new to audio and to what sounds good. I have recently run the trial versions of A+, Amarra and PM and, for me, the richest, most tuneful and least electronic sounding of the three was PM, so I just purchased. Things may have sounded different had I been able to use the integer mode in A+ but no dice there with the Metrum Hex. I have tried the upsampling feature but for now I am sticking with basic memory play. I also tried the EQ feature on Amarra and it was cool to mess with but in the end did not change the basic SQ, which I found to be good sounding (better than A+ with the Hex) detailed with a touch of leading edge and perhaps not as deep or wide a soundstage as PM. I thought PM was the only one of the three where I didn't want to switch back to using my disc player. I can see where some think it is a touch rolled off in the high frequencies but I think it is perhaps a little dialed back, but not rolled off, since the high frequencies are there and can be heard but are maybe not quite a prominent as with the other players. I also find the bass to be a little fuller and not quite as tight and defined as the other two players, but I like that sound and my system can support that without sounding boomy. The midrange is outstanding IMO. PM to me sounds easily the most natural of the three, at least through the HEX. I have not experienced any problems except that "first track played" issue where you have to quit and restart once per session. It is hard to believe something like that can't be fixed. Computer source is is Mac Mini (late 2012) with Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) and Pure Music through USB to ifi USB power then ifi Gemini (split) USB cable to Metrum Hex. Music files stored on internal 1TB HD and player is run from 256 GB internal SSD. XLD for ripping. Glyph GPT 50 2TB external HD for backup. From Hex balanced cables to Smc Audio preamp then balanced to Clayton M300 Class A monoblocks then to Aerial 9 speakers.