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A novel way to massively improve the SQ of computer audio streaming


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Most important: please realize this thread is about bleeding edge experimentation and discovery. No one has The Answer™. If you are not into tweaking, just know that you can have a musically satisfying system without doing any of the nutty things we do here.

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15 minutes ago, BigGuy said:

Maybe a silly or previously discussed topic but has anyone compared a JSSG360 construction with just multiple layers of braid/foil/etc that have no insulating layer?

 

Not having experimented myself to the extent of many posters here, I am wondering if it is the 360 construction or a case of building a thick enough wall?!  E.g., doing JSSG360 on the Gotham with its own multiple layers of shield seems to be a winner.

 

IIRC, someone commented that several layers of shielding tightly in contact with each other without a ground or insulation would constitute a Faraday cage.

 

The dual Supra DAC cables that I am using have a semi-conductive nylon sleeve with a drain wire that is conected to each other on the two runs. That’s a very mild shielding to say the least. I will add copper tape outside the Supra DAC cables and attach the drain wire to it. That will tell if a tougher shield will improve things further I think. I will post it here as soon as I’ve got time to put it together.

 

However, the really intriguing thing for me personally is why a short lenght dual Supra CAT cable with Kemet can improve a longer Ghent JSSG in series? A sensible mind would think it is better without the additional lenght of wire! ?

 

 

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5 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

The dual Supra DAC cables that I am using have a semi-conductive nylon sleeve with a drain wire that is conected to each other on the two runs. That’s a very mild shielding to say the least. I will add copper tape outside the Supra DAC cables and attach the drain wire to it. That will tell if a tougher shield will improve things further I think. I will post it here as soon as I’ve got time to put it together.

They do sell muMetal 2-mil foil and braid but using this to supplement copper has not garnered much interest.  From what I have read muMetal is best at shielding from low(er) frequency noise.

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5 minutes ago, BigGuy said:

They do sell muMetal 2-mil foil and braid but using this to supplement copper has not garnered much interest.  From what I have read muMetal is best at shielding from low(er) frequency noise.

 

True, but remember that this is a trial. No point using the best there is before you know it makes a difference for the better, right?

This hobby have the potensial to drain your economy if you keep on aiming for the best there is! ?

 

 

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3 minutes ago, BigGuy said:

Proof of concept is a good thing.

Sure, but who will guide you there? In this hobby it will take you 10 years to get a proof of concept! ?

Atleast you will grow a very long beard before the progress becomes common sense! ?

 

 

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1 hour ago, Lobbster said:

Ok thanks, that makes sense. A quick look at the pic made me think it was 2 pin. Is there another way or an adapter to use 4 wires to a 2 pin Molex male plug or just thin out the wire?

I don't know. Two wires are likely to fit into the 16 awg molex pin without thinning. 

Pareto Audio aka nuckleheadaudio

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4 minutes ago, Cornan said:

Sure, but who will guide you there? In this hobby it will take you 10 years to get a proof of concept! ?

Atleast you will grow a very long beard before the progress becomes common sense! ?

Already have the beard albeit trimmed short!  ?

 

"Efficacy of concept" betterer?

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1 minute ago, BigGuy said:

Already have the beard albeit trimmed short!  ?

 

"Efficacy of concept" betterer?

 

Great! Welcome to the long bearded family! ? 

Efficiancy of concept is almost the same thing, but in a shorter period of time. You cannot know how efficient it is until you have evaluated it. In a perfect world we would know what affects what. Unfortunately it is not the case. We are on our own until someone discouvers the science behind these fluctuations. Einstein R.I.P! ?

 

 

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I still cannot understand why a short dual Supra DAC with a Kemet A750 improve SQ in series with a Ghent JSSG cable? Maybe it is a similar thing to what a thin

solid wire do to the end of a stranded wire? Could it possibly be like a strainer? Focusing the forces into a tiny hole and making them more effective? Could it?

 

 

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4 hours ago, lmitche said:

Got it! Thanks John.

Yes it is copper foil tape wraped around NEOTECH STDCP-24 red and NEOTECH STDCP-22 black. I thought it was a good idea to use different gauges in star quad config with two layers of Braided shielding all connected at both ends.

I used it to make an active cable, with a 1A LT 3045 in line, after a lps1 powering my iso regen.

IMG_1182.thumb.JPG.c6a5c85e547fbe47be1944308f0d55a3.JPG

Meitner ma1 v2 dac,  Sovereign preamp and power amp,

DIY speakers, scan speak illuminator.

Raal Requisite VM-1a -> SR-1a with Accurate Sound convolution.

Under development:

NUC7i7dnbe, Euphony Stylus, Qobuz.

Modded Buffalo-fiber-EtherRegen, DC3- Isoregen, Lush^2

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Got the time to copper tape my dual Supra DAC. Sorry @RickyV! Not looking nearly as nice as your one, but it fills the purpose. Here it is in work of order! ?

 

D3A5E491-6D52-4F13-A870-F3E6474E1212.thumb.jpeg.5f6164cc6303d37e43d4c5d0585167b0.jpeg0249DBF4-334C-4216-976B-E7527404E35B.thumb.jpeg.998ff2fbb353905b7477a61c7042b634.jpegA4650EA2-23E1-4DDD-8FB6-67BA43FC263D.thumb.jpeg.4a059ec407bec7898f26ecb1fc8cc962.jpeg362CFAC0-2EC9-49FB-A9B1-4490D00D74C8.thumb.jpeg.ab4b29654efab23739b0036826b5e015.jpeg6E60C7D3-D362-4786-996A-4FF94ADB7042.thumb.jpeg.0cc5d924c2e182bfbe98e38b79d29973.jpegC6C90FC4-5900-410C-99DA-ABA6220CAD00.thumb.jpeg.bd69d6a4627fc3e3d9a68e2269833fac.jpeg

 

As seen on the picture the semi-conductive nylon shield is in contact with the copper tape. I also used electrical tape to ensure a close fit of the drain wire (from both cables) is in firm connection to both copper shields.

 

Initially it sounds a bit dampened and dull compared to dual Supra DAC on its own. Not as lively. Not as much oxygene pumped into the music. More laid back so to speak. I will not draw any quick conclusions here since it do sound pretty descent. Just not at the dual Supra DAC level on its own at the moment. I will give ita 48 hour burn-in as recommended ny @lmitche before giving my final judgement on the JSSG360 treat. Bass beformance is definately enhanced, but at the moment too much and not as detailed and fiber rich as I want it to be! Hopefully that will change by the hour. I’ll be back! ??

 

 

9AAC1355-B9BA-4289-A736-DFD26644E5DC.jpeg

 

 

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I've been working on updating my DC chords with JS 360 mods along with better connectors.  One component, part of my server (NUC), the tXUSBexp PCIe card was being powered by an LPS-1, 7V externally via barrel connector.  I decided it was time to upgrade this most important component via my Paul Hynes SR7 MR4.   But my SR7 is set for 12V on all 4 outputs and the external barrel connector of the PCIe card requires 7 to 9V.  Fortunately there is a second input for the tXUSBexp card that requires 12V via IDE connector.  So I made a 12V IDE (4 pin only need 2) to XLR chord JS 360.  And fed the IDE input instead of the barrel connector of the SOtM card.  Needless to say, their was a stunning improvement in sound.  Goes to show that last component before entering the DAC is crucial to SQ. 

(JRiver) Jetway barebones NUC (mod 3 sCLK-EX, Cybershaft OP 14)  (PH SR7) => mini pcie adapter to PCIe 1X => tXUSBexp PCIe card (mod sCLK-EX) (PH SR7) => (USPCB) Chord DAVE => Omega Super 8XRS/REL t5i  (All powered thru Topaz Isolation Transformer)

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I posted this on the wrong thread yesturday. Anyway, here it is...

 

I just could’nt take it anymore. I removed the copper tape from the dual Supra DAC cables.

 

141F456B-89B7-44F1-A5D8-2873C436EA89.thumb.jpeg.e893394cd85924bdf568c29109723455.jpeg

 

Made a slight adjustment by adding some copper tape at the end of the cables coveringthe twisted drain wires.

 

242E0520-FD03-4A41-A6ED-338BFC17C03E.thumb.jpeg.b8705e4679c5f30cdce7ff920e5ac61d.jpeg

F4246C44-807A-44FC-91CD-03BD46F876F4.thumb.jpeg.71f6e758ec826239b73338600750f0d6.jpeg

 

A releif! The

magic is back! I don’t know if my version is a true JSSG360 or not but as is it is a 100% no go in my setup feeding the LPS-1.2. The semi-shielded Supra DAC is just miles better in terms of naturalness, airiness and music glow. The shielded version was just not alive & kicking like the semi-shielded Supra DAC.

6177EBF5-E247-46C8-A276-125B7955EDFA.jpeg

 

 

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On 7/12/2018 at 9:31 AM, Blake said:

 

Hey Jean-Michel,  I have not.  I've had probably a dozen different usb cables over the years, but I've never tried the Lush.  The Sablon is significantly better than any other usb cable I've owned (Curious, TotalDac D1, Lightspeed 10G, Uptone USPCB, Mapleshade, Nordost Blue Heaven, iFi, Cardas, etc.). 

 

My Ghent Gotham DC cable is almost here.  Looking forward to comparing to my other Ghent DC cable (DC04- Canare 4S6). 

 

Ok, my Ghent Gotham is burned in so I thought I would post my thoughts, comparing the Gotham to my Ghent Canare 4S6 star quad (not JSSG):

 

There is a rather evident increase in clarity/transparency, which allows more subtle musical elements to be more distinct and audible and the sound stage to be more distinct.  For example, the softer bell or chime sound in this song that is set back in the sound stage is more apparent/easily discernable:

 

 

That part is great as I am constantly seeking to increase clarity.

 

Unfortunately, I am also experiencing some glare or hardness to the treble.  To be fair to the Gotham, I have extreme sensitivity to treble frequencies. For example some headphones (HE-400) or vacuum tube models (12au7 clear tops) have consistently given me an ear ache after only a couple of songs, so it is my unique hearing that is the culprit.  Again, using the above song as an example, the repeating "high-hat" cymbal sound is uncomfortable to listen to and that is the glare I am speaking of.  With my Canare in the system, that is not the case.  The high-hat is bright, but not uncomfortably hard. However, the Canare has less clarity.

 

I know this song is not the ultimate test material and not the finest in fidelity, but I am using it because it gives an example of both the positive and negative aspects (just my subjective opinion) to the Gotham.  These attributes were evident to me as I ran through my dozens of test tracks.

 

Now, taken in context, I am perhaps the lone dissenter on this cable and others love it, so it is just me and my unique characteristics.  The Gotham is my first JSSG cable, so now my question is, is the glare/hardness a result of the metallurgy of the Gotham or JSSG?  I am thinking it must be the Gotham and not JSSG, so I will try a different JSSG DC cable.

 

If anyone has ideas or suggestions, that would be terrific.  I do have a custom Revelation Audio Labs Parable CryoSilver Reference DC cable with additional silver that I would be willing to have someone JSSG to give it another shot.  Does anyone know a person or company who does JSSG treatment at a reasonable cost?

 

Speaker Room: Lumin U1X | Lampizator Pacific 2 | Viva Linea | Constellation Inspiration Stereo 1.0 | FinkTeam Kim | Revel subs  

Office Headphone System: Lumin U1X | Lampizator Golden Gate 3 | Viva Egoista | Abyss AB1266 Phi TC 

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12 hours ago, Blake said:

 

Ok, my Ghent Gotham is burned in so I thought I would post my thoughts, comparing the Gotham to my Ghent Canare 4S6 star quad (not JSSG):

 

There is a rather evident increase in clarity/transparency, which allows more subtle musical elements to be more distinct and audible and the sound stage to be more distinct.  For example, the softer bell or chime sound in this song that is set back in the sound stage is more apparent/easily discernable:

 

 

That part is great as I am constantly seeking to increase clarity.

 

Unfortunately, I am also experiencing some glare or hardness to the treble.  To be fair to the Gotham, I have extreme sensitivity to treble frequencies. For example some headphones (HE-400) or vacuum tube models (12au7 clear tops) have consistently given me an ear ache after only a couple of songs, so it is my unique hearing that is the culprit.  Again, using the above song as an example, the repeating "high-hat" cymbal sound is uncomfortable to listen to and that is the glare I am speaking of.  With my Canare in the system, that is not the case.  The high-hat is bright, but not uncomfortably hard. However, the Canare has less clarity.

 

I know this song is not the ultimate test material and not the finest in fidelity, but I am using it because it gives an example of both the positive and negative aspects (just my subjective opinion) to the Gotham.  These attributes were evident to me as I ran through my dozens of test tracks.

 

Now, taken in context, I am perhaps the lone dissenter on this cable and others love it, so it is just me and my unique characteristics.  The Gotham is my first JSSG cable, so now my question is, is the glare/hardness a result of the metallurgy of the Gotham or JSSG?  I am thinking it must be the Gotham and not JSSG, so I will try a different JSSG DC cable.

 

If anyone has ideas or suggestions, that would be terrific.  I do have a custom Revelation Audio Labs Parable CryoSilver Reference DC cable with additional silver that I would be willing to have someone JSSG to give it another shot.  Does anyone know a person or company who does JSSG treatment at a reasonable cost?

 

Where in your system are you using the Gotham or canare DC cable ? 

 

I have both canare 4s6 jssg360 and the Gotham in my system. I am using them between a lps 1.2 and a dx USBhd (sotm). 

The Gotham did give a lushier sound , it is more musical than the canare which was somewhat brighter. 

 

JSSG 360 is extremely easy to do , you should try by yourself as there is detailed explanation in the previous pages of this thread

 

 

PCserver Supermicro X11SAA under Daphile  ,Jcat pcie net card ,Etherregen,e-red dock endpoint,powered by LPS 1.2 , SPS 500 , Sean Jacobs level 3 psu,  DAC Audiomat Maestro 3, Nagra Classic Amp , Hattor passive preamplifier , Martin Logan montis

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The best D.C. cable will still be the shortest possible cable with the heaviest gauge wire that your connectors will permit.

You can also do a JSSG with it for a further small audible improvement if the length of the cable isn't absolutely minimal.

 I use 7.5A mains cable offcuts for this purpose , although you may need to enlarge the entrance holes of the plugs a little.

 

How a Digital Audio file sounds, or a Digital Video file looks, is governed to a large extent by the Power Supply area. All that Identical Checksums gives is the possibility of REGENERATING the file to close to that of the original file.

PROFILE UPDATED 13-11-2020

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9 hours ago, jean-michel6 said:

Where in your system are you using the Gotham or canare DC cable ? 

 

Between my LPS 1.2 and UltraRendu

Speaker Room: Lumin U1X | Lampizator Pacific 2 | Viva Linea | Constellation Inspiration Stereo 1.0 | FinkTeam Kim | Revel subs  

Office Headphone System: Lumin U1X | Lampizator Golden Gate 3 | Viva Egoista | Abyss AB1266 Phi TC 

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1 hour ago, lmitche said:

Blake, Have you treated your USB cable with JSSG 360? Larry

 

Hi Larry, I have not.  

Speaker Room: Lumin U1X | Lampizator Pacific 2 | Viva Linea | Constellation Inspiration Stereo 1.0 | FinkTeam Kim | Revel subs  

Office Headphone System: Lumin U1X | Lampizator Golden Gate 3 | Viva Egoista | Abyss AB1266 Phi TC 

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