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(23-Jul-2022, 07:54)markush Wrote: As mentioned here it’s quite sad actually to see that a device like the ZS improves considerably the audio performance as exactly that is expected to be provided by the CI / streaming module inside the Expert.
The thing that wonders me and I guess many is the reason behind this an inferior software by Devialet or any other reason?
I have found USB over my MIT cable to sound so good, there’s no need for ‘improvement’. I wonder how much of these boxes actually improve the sound and how many just change it.
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26-Jul-2022, 11:03
(This post was last modified: 26-Jul-2022, 11:07 by hardcore.)
I think one cause of sound degradation on the CI board is if you connect an Ethernet cable to the Devialet. The cable introduces noise from your network equipment. Playing to the CI board using UPNP/Air over WiFi sounds pretty good.
But I too find using AES or optical input from an external device can sound better if the external device has better isolation and clocks.
Friend of mine recently got the ifi Zen Stream, using it to replace a Roon Nucleus connected over USB to a Singxer SU-6 DDU and PS Audio Perfectwave DAC and is having great results.
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I'm using an optimized Ethernet connection (Sonore Optical Module with LPS) which sounds MUCH better than Wifi.
Still the Zen (using the same ethernet connection) sounds better, and not only marginally better...I think the software that Devialet has implemented on the CI board is not really perfect or the CI board itself has some design issues.
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What exactly sounds better? Could you describe the differences?
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Ethernet sounds better with both, CI and Zen. But only if ethernet is optimized, e.g. a good switch with clean power. If you simply put a cheap cable between PC and Zen or CI then Wifi could be better.
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Let me rephrase...
What are the differences in sound between Zen Stream znd CI UPnP? What elements of sound are better with Zen Stream?
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I'm having some issues with SPDIF. I use Roon for upsampling. As long as I do not exceed 96Khz everything is fine. If I upsample to 192 KHz I get some dropout. Also if I start playback after the initial start of the Zen I get no music, I have to stop and start again. I'm using the latest beta software. For this reason I'm not using SPDIF.
I have such a cable (my old link cable) and tried it already. I did not hear a difference, maybe the cable quality is not good enough. My SPDIF cable is of better quality (WireWorld Gold).