Digital to Digital Converters with Devialet - New products

[ray1234]

Talking about clock, if someone is interested in using some cheap Chinese gears, I am connecting my computer USB to a Gustard DDC, which is connected to a LHY 10Mhz clock. The signal is then going through to my D400 using AES. Apparently, the clocked signal gets passed through to D400, as I hear a lot more details and soundstage layering this way compared to not using the LHY 10Mhz external clock.

The DDC and external clock are both less than USD400, the upgrade in sound is well above the price tag of those 2 equipment.

[chrisc]

Am I correct in saying that these devices described use a USB input and a digital (SPDIF) output?

While it seems that the AES input of the Devialet offers the best performance, it has a 110 ohm impedance. SPDIF outputs, whether using BNC or RCA (phono) plugs are 75 ohm

Is this mismatch of any concern?

I should add that I made up a BNC ro AES lead using 110 ohm impedance cable and a BNC to RCA cable using 75 ohm microphone cable

There appears to be no difference I could detect. I'm using a LUMIN D2

[zdenes]

Am I correct in saying that these devices described use a USB input and a digital (SPDIF) output?

When you say these devices, what do you mean? 

As I said a little earlier, I used a Mutec MC3+USB and now a Denafrips Gaia. Both units have USB, spdif coax, optical, AES inputs and spdif coax, optical and AES outputs. With both, I used the AES output into the Devialet's AES input with proper 110 ohm cables.

[supaDean]

Am I correct in saying that these devices described use a USB input and a digital (SPDIF) output?

When you say these devices, what do you mean? 

As I said a little earlier, I used a Mutec MC3+USB and now a Denafrips Gaia. Both units have USB, spdif coax, optical, AES inputs and spdif coax, optical and AES outputs. With both, I used the AES output into the Devialet's AES input with proper 110 ohm cables.

The Mutec MC3+USB is fantastic; well worth its price tag. The noise floor in my system is non-existent because of it. Long music-listening sessions never sounds fatiguing.

[zdenes]

Am I correct in saying that these devices described use a USB input and a digital (SPDIF) output?

When you say these devices, what do you mean? 

As I said a little earlier, I used a Mutec MC3+USB and now a Denafrips Gaia. Both units have USB, spdif coax, optical, AES inputs and spdif coax, optical and AES outputs. With both, I used the AES output into the Devialet's AES input with proper 110 ohm cables.

The Mutec MC3+USB is fantastic; well worth its price tag. The noise floor in my system is non-existent because of it. Long music-listening sessions never sounds fatiguing.

I agree, it is very good for the money. I had two in series with linear power supply for 5 years externally clocked by the Mutec Ref10. The Denafrips Gaia alone is still better. Does everything as well as the Mutec plus much better timbre and tone. It has two OCXO clocks inside and a very good linear power supply. In case you are looking for and upgrade, I can highly recommend it. What I have read, the Hermes is pretty close to the Gaia. They have just released a 12th anniversary model for both. But you are using a Phantom, so perhaps not the best place to spend the next USD2000 or so. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kAVc8F6Y_I

[chrisc]

I meant a USB hard drive, or a computer

Thank you for the clarification. The MC3 and Gaia seem to be excellent devices

[zdenes]

I meant a USB hard drive, or a computer

Thank you for the clarification.  The MC3 and Gaia seem to be excellent devices

 Computer USB output into a DDC USB input is OK, but USB hard drive connected straight will not work.

[chrisc]

Been given a Mercury DDC to try out.  There are several inputs and 7 outputs

It is controlled by Volumio on an iPad.  This connects to the device by its built in wifi.  It is also connected to the LAN with a cable

The best connection is achieved using the AES output to the Devialet.  I made up an XLR lead using a 110 ohm cable.  There are many XLR leads available, but not one specifies 110 ohm

The initial impression is of greater detail, bass notes are very well defined.  The source is a 4Tb SSD.  Upon power on, it took the device 35 mins to catalogue the 90 000 tracks on the hard drive.  I used a 12 volt 5 amp linear power supply

There is a version 3 coming out shortly and it should cost US$800

[Pim]

The Holo Red Streamer / DCC is an interesting new device, with the potential to be a very fine companion for a Devialet Expert.

My rational for this is that my ears tell me that the Expert sounds best when fed with a decent quality signal via AES/EBU. My ears also tell me that the very best results can be achieved using HQPlayer as the source software. The Holo Red Streamer can do both. Plus it is relatively compact and affordable. On-line it is currently selling for £884 (with taxes) or $798.

In terms of objective performance, it has very low jitter and very low noise. Quite how is influences sound quality is debatable, but with key measurements this good at a relatively affordable price, what is not to like?

Plus, if you don't want to use HQPlayer, the Holo Red uses a pi CM4 module, so you could use it as a RAAT endpoint, or pretty much anything else, there are a lot of software options available for the pi.

GoldenSound measurements per the link below:

https://goldensound.audio/2023/02/09/hol...surements/

Interesting! If it had that optical ethernet converter that the Optical Rendu or ifi Neo Stream has, it could be even better. I wonder how it sounds as a DDC alone.

Also, I wonder how the best of these DDCs sound compared to something like the Grimm MU1.

I would have thought that some of these latest DCCs should sound every bit as good as something like the Grimm MU1. Jitter and noise measurements are so good that it is difficult so rationalise how anything better could provide an audible improvement. The other variable is software, but with things like HQPlayer, Audivana and others available, there seems little scope for improvement here either. The MU1 is a lot more money also, for whatever improvement it might be able to make.

So those are my rational thoughts. Although I have never heard an MU1, and for some reason rational thoughts do not always apply to audio, so who knows!

@Vivialet - It is indeed very red. Although I guess it is small emough that you could hide it away somewhere if red is an issue. For sure, it is not an obvious match aesthetically for a Devialet, or a match for much else for that matter.

I have had one on home loan and put an order in for one. I have only been able to compare with a Cary Audio streamer and it easily beat that. That's with the RED over AES/EBU and the Cary over SPDIF.

[Pim]

Been given a Mercury DDC to try out.  There are several inputs and 7 outputs

It is controlled by Volumio on an iPad.  This connects to the device by its built in wifi.  It is also connected to the LAN with a cable

The best connection is achieved using the AES output to the Devialet.  I made up an XLR lead using a 110 ohm cable.  There are many XLR leads available, but not one specifies 110 ohm

The initial impression is of greater detail, bass notes are very well defined.  The source is a 4Tb SSD.  Upon power on, it took the device 35 mins to catalogue the 90 000 tracks on the hard drive.  I used a 12 volt 5 amp linear power supply

There is a version 3 coming out shortly and it should cost US$800

Is that compared to your Lumin D1?