cycler2

Hi Miko, A friend loaned me for evaluation a Wireworld Ultraviolet and Silver Starlight.7. I'm not usually a cable guy, but although the Ultraviolet was an advance over the generic Mutec cable, the Silver Starlight was a couple of orders of magnitude beyond that. I bought one. My friend, incidentally, is a mastering engineer who over the years would assert that if a cable sounds different from another, one is broken. He no longer believes that. I will see him next week and bring over my Mutec to chain them together as you have done. It might make him (and me) crazy! I'm also considering putting my Regen into the chain. Rich

Thanks, Krit. I'll use a standard USB cable, but I might try something other than generic, like a WireWorld Ultraviolet 7. Not too expensive and I have heard good things about it. Rich

Thanks beessy and Middy for your prompt replies. Rich

Just ordered a MC3+USB and have been reading this topic for operation tips. Couldn't find an answer to a question I have about a USB cable from my music computer to the Mutec. I know the Mutec is self-powered; I'm wondering if there would be any SQ benefit to using a USB cable that does not carry 5V from the computer. Or does the Mutec simply ignore the 5V line? Or should I stop fussing and just enjoy the Mutec Rich

John, Thanks for setting me straight on this. I should have known better than to dabble in technical matters. I see that rumors are flying about a new, improved, isolating Regen, so I will pass on the Intona and wait for the rumored product. Rich

Romaz, Thanks for your reply and the link. But in that link, I think John S. is talking about the USB data signal. In my post, I suggested that the Regen isolates the 5V line not the USB data bus. In my setup, I believe the transformer on Paul Pang's USB card effectively isolates the USB data bus. Rich

Alex, I've been thinking about getting a galvanic isolation device for a while. But, I've concluded that, unless I'm missing something (entirely possible if not likely!) my Regen and Paul Pang USB V.2 card together already do this. Uptone's Regen website says, "The USB REGEN's secondary function is that it disconnects the computer's noisy 5 volt bus power coming down the USB cable, and provides clean 5VBUS on its output--for DACs that need it...." To me, that sounds like the 5V lines going into my DAC are isolated from the computer USB power. No use of the term "galvanic isolation" on the website, but it sure sounds like that's what is happening with respect to 5V bus. As for the digital data, the Paul Pang USB card has a "Hand made silver wire audio grade digital output transformer for TCXO." Pang's website is not crystal clear, but I read this to mean that the USB data lines to my DAC are effectively isolated from the computer USB bus. I would appreciate your (and/or) fellow forum member's) take on this. Rich

Holy Schiit! I ordered mine Friday, November 6 and I just got a shipping notice today, Tuesday Nov 10, notwithstanding the intervening weekend. Can't wait to try it out. They really have their Schiit together now. (I just couldn't resist.)

Thanks, cmarin.

Thanks, Jiffi32, much appreciated. Rich

I see that some folks have tried successfully "stacking" a regen with a Wyrd and, possibly, with another regen. I have a Paul Pang USB V.2 card and am wondering if anyone has tried using the Paul Pang card and a regen together. Thanks in advance for any info about this combo. Rich

Thanks, Bob. Appreciate the help. Rich

For Paul's V.2 USB card does it matter whether you install the card or the driver first? For that matter, won't the built-in Windows 7 (or 8) USB 3.0 driver do just as well?

Maybe I can add something useful to this thread. I have been using a Lynx AES16 for a month or so and it has significantly improved the sound of my system. (my Lynx is the PCI version, not the PCIe version). Maybe a little background would provide some perspective. I've been using various DACs over the past couple of years (Lavry DA10, Lynx Hilo (on demo), Anedio, and--having sold my Lavry-- a Musical Fidelity V-DAC loaner until my new DAC is available. All DACs were fed by my ASUS motherboard's SPDIF out. I always thought that digital interfaces would make no difference in sound quality, since both the rear panel RCA SPDIF out and any interface card got the digital signal from the same on-board source along with RFI and other computer nasties. I couldn't have been more wrong. The Lynx AES transformed the Musical Fidelity entry level DAC into a real music-maker. Not up to Hilo standards, but very satisfying nonetheless. The Lynx produced a layered soundstage and palpable instruments, where there was little of this before. Maybe I'm preaching to the choir in this thread. So I can't address the OP's original question about whether the Lynx AES is the interface card to beat, but I can attest to it's substantial improvement in my system's sound. A word concerning the comments in this thread about the AES being "old.". True, it has been in production for several years, but so what? The sole question should be, "does it sound good?". Although new designs sometimes sound better than existing gear, sometimes they're a step backward. For example, the brand new Anedio DAC did not stay in my system long. It did not make music, in my opinion, and did not equal the Lavry DA10, which is several years old. Just my two cents.