22-Mar-2015, 23:06
I got 2 days ago a SDTrans384 which is a circuit board to play digital files stored on SD cards. An endless thread of its many iterations: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-s...oject.html. It allows to stream 384/32 or DSD256 via I2S which is great but useless for Devialet owners but also up to192/24 via SBDIF (BNC). The only file format for PCM is WAV (not enough computing power even to convert flac etc.) and all files have to be stored on SDHC cards. So once the files are transferred no computer/network etc is in play. The UI is extremely minimal: select folder or file: forward or back and play or stop - not even an on/off switch.
So why I am excited about such a primitive machine? The best sound I ever heard from my D250. Just everything much better than I heard from my CD-transports, computers in all permutations or other servers at dealers. Highs to lows are just realistic, very stable imaging, rhythmically correct. Very high resolution and extremely low noise allows to appreciate details I never heard before especially I like the decay of instruments which is really natural.
I just used the naked board and 4 batteries as a 5V power supply. So I have to make some improvements: A case to start, a better BNC to RCA cable, 5V power supply. One could get wild and get even better clock etc. but that may be not so necessary.
Obviously such player is very limited: no streaming high res from Tidal, Qobuz etc. not a entire library can fit on a single SD card but then one does not have to fight with softwares like AIR, figure out network problems and has to deal only with a single cable.
I also wonder how the sound quality compares to the best steamers like Totaldac, top Aurenders, MelcoN1Z and there will be more coming but especially considering these prices I can wait until that market matures little more.
So why I am excited about such a primitive machine? The best sound I ever heard from my D250. Just everything much better than I heard from my CD-transports, computers in all permutations or other servers at dealers. Highs to lows are just realistic, very stable imaging, rhythmically correct. Very high resolution and extremely low noise allows to appreciate details I never heard before especially I like the decay of instruments which is really natural.
I just used the naked board and 4 batteries as a 5V power supply. So I have to make some improvements: A case to start, a better BNC to RCA cable, 5V power supply. One could get wild and get even better clock etc. but that may be not so necessary.
Obviously such player is very limited: no streaming high res from Tidal, Qobuz etc. not a entire library can fit on a single SD card but then one does not have to fight with softwares like AIR, figure out network problems and has to deal only with a single cable.
I also wonder how the sound quality compares to the best steamers like Totaldac, top Aurenders, MelcoN1Z and there will be more coming but especially considering these prices I can wait until that market matures little more.
