AudioNervosa

Systemic Development => Digital Audio Devices => Topic started by: mfsoa on January 13, 2018, 08:30:51 AM

Title: Comparative listening to USB decrapifiers
Post by: mfsoa on January 13, 2018, 08:30:51 AM
I rarely do comparative listening anymore but since I picked up a used Wyred Recovery and a new iFi iUSB3.0 (also used to power my Rapsbeery Pi) I figured I should spend some time listening to them relative to each other and to the pc output sans decrapifier.

The PC is a Minix Neo Z83-4, Win 10 into a Gustard A20H dac. The PC and all decrapifiers were powerd by an HDPlax 220 W linear supply. Source - USB stick stuck into the PC. Decent lower-grade Audioquest USB cable or a Curious USB cable added when using the decrapifiers.

I had been using the Recovery for several months and was convinced that I liked the sound, but never really listened to the bare PC for comparison.

Well, I was actually surprised at how much of a positive difference the Recovery made. All the usual audiophile stuff but most striking was a removal of what we have come to know the sound of "bad digital" where the soundstage just collapses front to back and appears to hang in a 2d plane between the speakers. Cymbals lose their cymbalishousness. And digital trumpets YUCK. Addition of the Recovery resulted in a deep, well defined take-a-walk-around-and-through-it soundstage. Better bass, cymbals that each take on  their own timbre instead of just being different frequencies of "SSSSHHHHH"

Relative to the Recovery, the iFi presents a more forward treble presentation with EXPLOSIVE dynamics. Not better, just different. OK maybe a bit better. It takes a little getting used to but I think I take it for normal now. The iFi is also being used to power my Raspberry Pi which is used for PiCorePlayer via spdif to dac.

Cliche but some of the best bang for buck dollars I have spent on the system.

Neither decrapifier had any issue playing 4X DSD or 352/384 all day with no issues.

My $0.02 is that if you are using PC output direct to DAC, try one of these kinds of devices. Or, consider that a cheap fanless Win 10 PC, mine was $175) plus a hundred or two bucks in decrapifiers can serves an an excellent digital source while giving you almost unlimited ability to try Roon, JRiver, Tidal etc. without being tied into any manufacturer's precomceived notions about what will work best in your system.

-Mike
Title: Re: Comparative listening to USB decrapifiers
Post by: richidoo on January 13, 2018, 07:40:57 PM
Here's the link to Wired 4 Sound Recovery
https://wyred4sound.com/products/digital-converters/recovery
Title: Re: Comparative listening to USB decrapifiers
Post by: malloy on January 15, 2018, 10:04:43 PM

Cliche but some of the best bang for buck dollars I have spent on the system.


I agree. I also use a recovery. Have you experimented with any aftermarket usb cables with it?
Title: Re: Comparative listening to USB decrapifiers
Post by: rollo on January 24, 2018, 10:04:53 AM
  Glad to hear you found a good product. What is puzzling to me is why it is needed. Should not the devices used take care of the issues the unit fixes ?
 If a DAC or transport utilizes galvanic isolation would a decrapifier be necessary?
Interesting find I would just like to know why we need one or a different DAC.


charles
Title: Re: Comparative listening to USB decrapifiers
Post by: HAL on January 24, 2018, 10:51:36 AM
There is so much variance in USB connections from computers to DAC's, it is hard to tell when one is needed.  Why would a mfg add it when not all systems require it and drive up the price of the unit.  The mfg may or may not make a better device than one that exists as well, as their design expertise may not lie in that area.

I have found the iFi units very good indeed at what they do.  Have both a iFi iUSB and iGalvanic here for use in systems with my systems.  Price is good as well to me.
Title: Re: Comparative listening to USB decrapifiers
Post by: mfsoa on January 26, 2018, 06:30:34 PM
The iFi iUSB3.0 doesn't claim to galvanically isolate anything, afaik.

They make a separate device for that.

As a bonus I power my Raspberry Pi with the supposedly cleaned-up power from the iFi (itself powered by a HDPlex 200 watt linear)

Title: Re: Comparative listening to USB decrapifiers
Post by: mfsoa on January 26, 2018, 06:32:48 PM
Aftermarket cables? I use a short Curious into the dac and an audioquest from pc to iFi.

Don't really want to scurry down that hole...
Title: Re: Comparative listening to USB decrapifiers
Post by: malloy on January 28, 2018, 01:05:14 AM
Ah. It looks like you are all set then. I tried long, generic ones that bleached the life out of the sound.
Title: Re: Comparative listening to USB decrapifiers
Post by: rollo on January 30, 2018, 09:32:59 AM
  Try a TWL USB with separate power leg.


charles