Melkior

Try to switch the tubes and see if the pop and noise goes from one channel to the other. If yes you simply have a microphonic tube, the noise you describe is typical.

I understand what you're speaking about, I have had more or less the same experience with some amps and the Yggdrasil. This DAC is very clear (but not bright) and very resolving (but not analytic), but when paired with a pré + power amp with same profile, after a few hours it can sound fatiguing even if during the firsts moments everything sound fantastic. I have found the right balance buy using a tube preamp and keeping my highly resolving power amp so that I can keep a similar level of resolution but with a little something more which makes the listening more comfortable after a few hours. I prefer to have such a DAC instead of a more forgiving one, for me the purpose of a DAC is to remain as closed as the recording, even if this recording is not perfect or if the singer is too closed to the microphone. Then I can select the associated pre+power to adjust to my listening preferences. I consider (that's my point of view) that any bit lost in the process if lost for ever, even if it's a sibilance bit :-) Then it's my choice behind this to change what I want in order to make the listening more enjoyable, as long as I know that the initial info is still available at the output of the DAC. "Clear" and "resolving" are very good qualities for a single element but clear+clear+clear and resolving+resolving+resolving start to have negative side effects :-) I recently experienced a significant improvement with this DAC by using a very good BNC silver cable (Oyaide DB 510 - 1,3 meter) instead of a similar quality and length AES cable I had. The Berkeley alpha USB is much better through BNC than AES.

I use the AES input of the Iggy, from a Bekerley Alpha USB converter, the signal is fed to the Alpha USB from a MacBookPro in USB. After extensive comparisons, the direct USB connection from the Mac to the Iggy is not as good as going through the Alpha USB, but I could live with. The difference is mainly in high frequencies, slightly clearer and more extended with the bekerley. For digital signal I only use pure unshielded silver cables. As my power amps has a high gain, I also use a Jensen Isomax PC2XR to convert the XLR output of the Iggy to RCA without any audible deterioration, it gives a few dbs of signal reduction and good isolation. I like the Alpha USB device, I have another DAC that I connect to the bekerley in Coax so that I can switch from one to the other witout switching cables all the time. The Iggy is an incredible DAC for the price, I wish Shiit could release a higher end DAC based on the same chip, with something similar to the bekerley integrated in the USB input + switchable tube buffer output, that would be for me the holy grail of the dacs !

+1 (I gave my first impressions about the Yggy in page 9). I made extensive tests and the Berkeley Alpha USB is clearly an improvement compared to the direct USB input of the Yggy (from a MacBookPro). I would say the improvement is much obvious in high frequencies, and less obvious in the mid and low frequencies, but still there. I use the AES output of the Alpha USB, so maybe a part of the benefit to use the Berkeley comes from feeding the Yggy with AES instead of USB.

Hello, A few weeks ago I made an interesting experience with USB. I have at home a Supra AC sensor, it looks like a pen and detects electromagnetic radiation (EMR). It's used to detect the shielding quality of power cables and a red light is flashing when it detects EMR. So I switched on my system : MacBookPro with USB cable to a Bekerley Alpha USB and then in AES from the Bekerley to my DAC. What I saw : - When the power supply of the Mac is plugged, the whole Mac emit strong EMR : all the metalic surface act as en emitter. - The USB cable also on all its length - Things become clear (no EMR) from the Bekerley to the DAC Then I removed the power supply of the Mac and let it work on its battery : - Absolutely no EMR detected on the Mac itself and on the USB cable. So, to understand better, I plugged a special USB cable made with two separate conductors; one for the 5 volts only and the other for the datas (so two USB ports for the connection to the Mac and one to the Bekerley). Then I plugged again the power supply of the MAC : - The whole Mac emits strong EMR : all the metalic surface act as en emitter. - The USB cable with only 5V connected emits strong EMR - The USB cable with only datas connected emits also strong EMR - Things become clear (no EMR) from the Bekerley to the DAC. Then I removed the power supply of the Mac and let it work on its battery : - Absolutely no EMR detected on the Mac itself and on the USB cable. What does it mean ? For me It means that even if you clean up the 5V of the USB cable, the datas will anyway remain polluted, so half of the problem will be solved. Now what I don't know it's if the pollution of the datas comes from the USB output plug of the Mac (because of the the proximity of the 5 volt cable in the same plug) or if it's polluted inside the computer. A good test would be to remove the 5V wires from one of the USB output plug on the Mac and on another USB output leave only the 5V and remove the datas wires. Then make again the test with the same Y USB cable. My USB cable are pure silver and shielded. The Y cable has only datas connected on one cable and only 5V on the other. Everybody can make this very simple test. What surprised me a lot is the intensity of the EMR coming from the MacBookPro, first, and then that the datas were as polluted as the 5 V. Fortunately, the Bekerley Alpha USB cleans an reclocks everything and the signal sent to the Dac is perfect. I can ear no difference with the Mac powered with its power supply or with its batteries (thanks to the bekerley?). Obviously, the power supply of the Mac and its cable emits strong EMR.

Dear all, Have you noticed that when using Dirac Live Plugin it was not possible anymore to change the gain setting for right and left speaker (the initial values are blocked) ? It's still possible to change the delay setting but not the gain, I don't know if it's the same for everybody, could someone check ? Something else : now there's a small indicator in the upper right corner which sometimes light on, what is it for ? Output level ? I decreased the DSP gain setting to -3db and it doesn't light anymore. Thanks :-)

So basically, there's a kind of "retro analogic to digital conversion" : analogic signals coming from outside are converted into electric signals which are used by our brain to built what we call reality. Very interesting, because the point coming from that is : if we remove the natural analogic signal (perception) and connect our brain directly to a source of adapted electric signals we would be able to see, to hear, to feel whatever we want, even if it's not real. Not real, well..As long as the brain receive the right signal, it becomes reality. So basically, we could hear music with a small electrod and an a chip under the skin delivering electric signals to the auditory nerve. So today Dac suppliers will be the tomorrow "under skin audiophile chips" suppliers :-)

B Also. The difference was typically as you said : {Ayon CD5 + Krell KSA 80} to {Yggdrasil + Krell KSA 80} was more or less the same improvement as {Ayon CD5 + Krell KSA 80} to {Ayon CD + Esoteric A03}. The quality of improvement is different, but in terms of gap before/after it's more or less the same.

Ok :-) I let the Shiit switched on 24/7, anyway the preamp Classé Audio DR6 is also always on (it has no on/off switch).

After a few attempt to make the AU plugin work, at last i find a way to use it. I was using the latest version of Audirvana+ 2.2.4, so I decided to go back to version 2 and the plugin was working perfectly without the window asking for username and password. Then I checked for new updates in Audirvana 2 and installed the 2.2.4, and this time the plugin was working perfectly. In Pure Music the Dirac AU plugin is not listed, I put it in the same folder as the other plugins (which are visible in PM), but it doesn't work.

Hello Chris, I agree, it's better to let the Dac powered 24/7, as the Dac chip and clock are stable in frequency and temperature, but in the burn in process the power supply electrolytic caps need some cycles of charge / discharge to perform at their best, so I believe (maybe I'm wrong) that switching on and off (without abusing) accelerate the process. Basically after 10 day the Dac did not seem to improve anymore, so from this moment I let it powered all the time as recommended. I use the Berkeley Alpha USB, its connected through USB to the MacBook Pro, and through AES/EBU to the Yggdrasil. Then the Dac is connected through XLR to the Classé Audio DR6 préamp. I haven't yet tested the USB input of the Yggdrasil, I guess it should sound great. I also tested the Coax input (between Berkeley and Yggdrasil) it's as good as AES for me.

Thanks wgscott, I tried both folders and same crash when connecting to activate the plugin. Seems that the connection to the server can't be established, in the error message after the crash of Audirvana+ I can see there's an attempt to connect to a server but the handshake fail. I'll try again tomorrow.

Totally agree :-)

Unfortunately it doesn't work for me, I can see the plugin in Audirvana+ but when I open the plugin window to select a filter the system ask for a username and password (so I put the ones I have for Dirac) then the system is connecting to the server and after 30s Audirvana crash, without any activation. I've contacted Flavio for this point but as there is no support for this beta plugin, I went back to Dirac Audio Processor.

Thanks a lot :-) done !