routlaw

Thanks just read through the entire enchilada. Have some thoughts but not for tonight.

Been going down the rabbit hole lately with cables especially USB and my sense of logic tells me a USB cable unlike other digital cables really shouldn't make much of a difference and of course there are many who adamantly believe this. I'm not one of them. Currently using the DH Labs Mirage but have owned other "audiophile grade" USB cables too as well as standard off the shelf stuff. From what I have learned the USB protocol works considerably different than other digital cables such as Coax or AES. USB does have a 90 ohm impedance spec but audio files are loaded into RAM at least with Audirvana and then delivered in packets from what I understand, so the impedance spec might not come into play the way it does with AES or Coax. Some "experts" claim using the shortest USB cable possible while others tend to recommend 1.5 meter echoing the impedance issue such as Coax and others stating it makes no difference up to 6 feet. Looking forward to hearing what others around here think about USB and subsequent cables. My current Mirage is 2 meters purchased a few years ago with a much different setup. Wondering if a shorter cable might prove to be better. Thanks

Thanks @stefano_mbp my goodness this stuff can get complex.

As it turns out I could not find a way to determine what FW I actually have on my Gustard A26 and certainly wanted to know this before heading down this rabbit hole. In the meantime, had one more idea I wanted to try to remedy this issue I am having. Got through 1.5 tracks before the signal dropped. Closed the remote Audirvāna app down, restarted and made it through half a track this time. Went back to USB by that point. Weird and frustrating to say the least. Thanks for the post. Curious what is the meaning of MPD in relation to these technologies.

Curious. Apparently one step forward and one back. Perhaps I should keep the one I have. I’ll do some checking on this this evening. Thanks

I hear you on that, but it does look like the correct link. Will try and update this evening, fingers crossed.

Thanks for that link, will look into this shortly. Might have missed it before.

The last time I looked, 2-3 weeks ago there had not been a FW update. Well assuming I didn’t overlook it.

Hey no worries. Understood but disappointed about UPnP being nonstandard. Hmm. Yes by all means have tried all sample rates, 16/44-24/192 doesn't seem to make one iota of difference. Yes Cat 6 to Gustard since it doesn't have wifi capability and wouldn't use it if it did. Much prefer a wired connection. Same with the Mac Mini. The difference in sound quality with more conventional connections, coax, usb, aes are somewhat subtle and probably as dependent on the actual cables themselves as much as the digital format, but the ethernet LAN connection is substantially different albeit with some issues. Really took me by surprise the audio difference and still don't understand why this would be. After all there isn't anything particularly special about ethernet cable other than meeting some specs for speed that does not apply to traditional audio. Sure can be an interesting hobby sometimes. Thanks

Hi and thanks. The setup is listed in my last paragraph, but just for clarification, using Audirvana only with stored files on a SS hard drive. Have never used Roon. It is a UPnP setup via the Gustard A26 given Roon is not part of the setup. What works: Coax, AES, USB via my Mac Mini. What doesn't work… properly: the LAN input port on the A26, well it works but only intermittently. A few tracks in a row might play fine, then zap the signal starts dropping out or just completely hangs up. If I close the Audirvana Remote app down then relaunch again tracks might or might not play for awhile. The entire affair is so inconsistent it's difficult to analyze the situation. FWIW, there is no problem finding the correct path or connection within Audirvana for the UPnP device. Total mystery to me, but then this is an avenue I have never dealt with though I have been using computer based music servers since the turn of the century well over 20 years or more. thanks again.

Hopefully this is the best place to ponder my questions, look forward to the replies. Have had the Gustard A26 for well over half a year now, love it, sounds great to me and have used it with different connections, (coax & AES via CD Transport, USB via M1 Mac Mini) with no issues at all. Over the last few days based upon reviewers preference for the LAN input on the A26 decided might as well try this too. It hasn't gone so well. Signal keeps dropping out randomly for unknown reasons. What I have noticed is the sound via ethernet into the LAN port of the A26 is dramatically different and louder than USB or Coax & AES. Sort of like hyper extreme detail compared to anything I have ever experienced or heard via computer based audio. Can anyone explain or help with why the audio signal dropouts, but also shed light on why the audio performance is so dramatically different? Honestly I'm not even sure I prefer the sound coming from the ethernet/LAN port but do find it fascinating due to its departure from usual sonic signature. I would guess the volume difference might be due to the fact ethernet is a balanced line and thus typically 6 db louder than other sources. The following is a list of the associated gear being used: M1 Mac Mini 16GB RAM running Sonoma, Cat 6 ethernet cable from router, Internet Speed @ 380 mbs over 11, Gustard A26 LAN port, Audirvana Origin, local files on a SS Hard drive. FWIW this same router/ethernet combination precisely supplies our Apple TV 4K for movie/TV series streaming without any of these glitches so it's safe to say this is not where the problem lies. Thanks in advance.

Understood, but I think you might have misunderstood my comments. Definitely a sound quality improvement when using Origin 2.0 over A 3.5. But the announcement stated there was even more improvement with the newer update of 2.1. I don’t doubt you hear an improvement over 3.5 the question is does this translate to apple as well as Windows with the 2.1 update. Thanks

Interesting, if you peruse the Audirvāna forum sight they only mention sound improvements on the Windows platform not Apple yet the email I received recently stated both platforms had improved sound. There also seems to be inconsistency regarding whether or not the improvement might have been for AS and AO.

Two more quick comments. Curious they did not include HQ Player in this comparison given the enthusiastic following it has. While I am still on the trial version of Origin, yesterday I finally had the time to compare Origin to A 3.5. Initially my expectations thought this might take an hour or so of back and forth listening to several tracks, but effectively it only took one track the differences were so convincing on my system immediately. The improved user interface, IMO makes the change worthwhile alone, but its a no brainer with the improved sound quality. The question is why or how is this possible? What on earth have they done behind the scene to render such differences. Thanks again.

Thanks for providing the summary @matthias missed that until now. While I'm certainly not one of the bits are bits people by any means having heard differences sometimes significant between players, transports, DAC's etc it does beg the question how is it that different devices perform differently. In the groups conclusion paragraph quoted below they propose this question succinctly. Yet there are people who adamantly, dogmatically claim bits are bits and any differences heard so long as the playback is bit perfect is in ones head and imagined regardless of the equipment or software. Thanks. "It is and remains fascinating that all four players claim to play bit perfect and yet sound different. Bitpefect does not mean that everything is right. Other things must play a role."