mhamel

I stand corrected, I didn't realize someone had jumped in to try the AM2... cool. :-)

That's because this has all been happening over the past month and a half or so, and no one that I've seen on these threads has gotten one. The focus has been on digital output to a DAC so far.

You need to install Dante Virtual Sound Card and Dante Controller. The sound card provides wither WDM or ASIO (selectable) drivers, and Dante Controller allows you to connect the devices and route audio between them. There's a great set of videos on the Audinate that explain how everything fits together: https://www.audinate.com/resources/training-and-tutorials

Not sure about others, but it my case I preferred the 1U format, it uses the newer Brooklyn II module from Audinate for Dante connectivity, and it has AES output built-in rather than requiring a custom breakout cable. It would be interesting to hear the two compared to each other, but outside of the group that's been jumping on the Dante/Rednet train over the past few weeks I haven't heard of anyone else using it on the consumer/audiophile side of things.

I've thought for a long time that some parts of the audiophile community can be too quick to dismiss pro gear. In terms of quality, it's the same as anything else in that there is good and bad. Just off the to top of my head, I'd add to that list Manley, Dangerous Music, and Burl. I'm using a Dangerous Music DAC and couldn't be happier with it. Previous to this I was using a Yggdrasil. -Mike

Looking forward to more impressions and discussion here. I'm the one over on Head-Fi that jumped into the Dante/Rednet solution - first out of curiosity on the technology and a desire to get rid of all of the USB tweaks and gadgets, but have become a proponent of it based on the sound. The description that Mourip included in the opening post mirrors my experience with this chain as well. It's been encouraging to see others experiencing the same result. -Mike

That's a good question, one that I think would take far more analysis that it sounding better to narrow down to any particular point in the PC->DVS->Ethernet->Focusrite->DAC chain where the improvement is heard. I definitely hear an improvement, and that can be coming from any piece or pieces of the device chain. I also know I heard differences when using the clock in my Convert-2 as the master clock for the Dante network, which to my ears were improvements, so that factors in as well. It would be interesting to be able to compare a different bridge from Dante to AES, and devices using the different models of Dante interfaces (Ultimo, Brooklyn, Brooklyn II) as well as against other Audio over IP technologies. For me, (and understanding that everyone's situation/systems are different) I didn't want to get involved in all of the various tweaks and add-ons that seem to come along with USB solutions. While I haven't moved the connection to a switch yet, it's also helpful to me that I'll be able to route audio from multiple different computers over the network to my DAC without having to run addition cables and switch or plug/re-plug things to use them. I jumped into this as much out of curiosity to explore the technology as anything. If the sound quality had been on the same level as the F-1 I would have most likely still kept it, though it would have been harder to justify the additional cost. So far, the others that I am aware of that have made this jump have reported similar results and improvements in sound, including similar descriptions of the changes, and while everyone's mileage may vary, and it's still just a small sampling of users, it's encouraging to see that my own experience here hasn't been unique.

Hey Serge, Thank you. I picked that choice for preferred interface because of Ethernet - there was no option for Dante. :-) Professionally, my background is in IT. Audio has been both a hobby and at times I've ventured over into the pro side of things including running sound for a couple of bands, helping to design and build out a sound system for a club, and some mixing/mastering (nothing too elaborate). I think that pro gear is overlooked at times because of some perceptions about it being "too neutral" or I've even heard the argument that it's "ugly to look at." Personally I've found that some pro gear can be every bit as good-sounding as some "consumer" or "audiophile" gear. YMMV, of course, but that's why I tend to have a mix of the two. One example is my DAC. I had bought a Yggrasil last year, thought it sounded fantastic. Having previous owned a Dangerous Source DAC (that had retired a Gungnir), when the Convert-2 became available I picked one up to try. I loved the sound, it was hard to pick between the Yggy and the C2, but I had some USB stability issues with the C2 and ended up sending it back. I then spent the next several months missing the tonality and imaging of the C2 and realized I should have kept it. I re-bought it and sold the Yggy and have zero regrets. Dante came about after getting involved in a thread over on HF about a new DDC (Singxer F-1) as a possible solution to the stability issues I was still having with the internal XMOS-based interface on the C2. The F-1 sounds great, was an improvement over the internal interface, and proved to be completely stable. Problem solved... but this hobby being what it is, I watched the video on the PS Audio LAN Rover, thought about trying the USB over Ethernet solution, then thought, "Why even bother with the USB step - what are the options to take that out of the picture completely and just go over Ethernet?" I had never really delved into the AoE solutions on the pro side, so when I found Dante and started reading up on it, it was intriguing enough to try. My wallet wishes I hadn't, my ears are glad I did. Hahaha. The Focusrite box is pretty expensive and overkill for what I need, but in comparison to the Mutec 3+ and some of the higher end USB DDCs, I guess it's not too far out of the ballpark. Unfortunately there aren't any inexpensive Dante interfaces that use the Audinate Brooklyn II module, even the solutions that use the Ultimo are expensive for what they are - and will only do 96KHz. I've written to Audinate and asked if they would be willing to put together a more DIY-friendly version of their Brooklyn II PDK but haven't heard back yet. -Mike

I'm glad I dropped in over here... I have a Focusrite D16 AES sitting in my gear rack that arrived this morning. It wasn't quite as plug-and-play as the example videos would have you believe, but once I figured out what needed to be changed it has since been working flawlessly. I'm using it to feed a Dangerous Music Convert-2 DAC. I'm syncing the D16 and in turn the Dante network from the master clock in the Convert-2.