10-Feb-2018, 14:22
Wishing you luck as requested 
, not that you'll be needing it.
Good you started a new thread (as you and I also seem to exchange posts on CA, too). You will have a very similar system to mine concerning electronics. Also, you'll have the tx-USB ultra that I don't have. That device also puzzles me, so I wasn't sure it is worth the 1200 euros or so, plus another 300-400 euros on another USB cable. I think a second MC3+USB may bring more to the system. I don't know. But recently I had 3 MC3+USBs cascaded and that was mind-boggling. How and why that improves the sound when all fed from the same Ref 10, I have no idea.
I have experimented a bit with power supplies to the SMS-200 Ultra. My SPS-500 sounded a bit edgy compared to the PH SR3 that I am borrowing or the Uptone JS-2 that I have. The SPS-500 is still with the stock DC chord that came with it, I will be getting down to DIY-ing some better DC cables and see how it improves the sound.
I also have a SOtM modded switch but I didn't notice much difference whether using it with its own SMPS or the JS-2. I feel that ethernet filtering and the LAN cable may have a larger effect. I have a few Acoustic Revive RLI-1s around but for the last week I have been trying and Fibre Media Converter (TP-LINK) which seems to be an even better solution. The drawback is the more cables and two extra power supplies, the second of which has to be good (iFi on the receiver side now). For some reason, getting the SMS-200 Ultra on the network with the optical converter is not always easy. Sometimes it just doesn't want to connect. I will try to find a solution on the CA forum, maybe a fixed IP address or something.
I don't know what software you are using but IME HQPlayer/Roon combination gives the best SQ and usability. I upsample all PCM files to 192kHz in the server already and let the Mutec downsample the DSD files to PCM. The Devialet is always fed 192kHz.
Anyway, it is too early now as you're still waiting for delivery of products but I would be most grateful if you tried the system with and w/o the tx-USB ultra and share your observation. Or anybody else here who has some experience with this.
Zoltan
, not that you'll be needing it. Good you started a new thread (as you and I also seem to exchange posts on CA, too). You will have a very similar system to mine concerning electronics. Also, you'll have the tx-USB ultra that I don't have. That device also puzzles me, so I wasn't sure it is worth the 1200 euros or so, plus another 300-400 euros on another USB cable. I think a second MC3+USB may bring more to the system. I don't know. But recently I had 3 MC3+USBs cascaded and that was mind-boggling. How and why that improves the sound when all fed from the same Ref 10, I have no idea.
I have experimented a bit with power supplies to the SMS-200 Ultra. My SPS-500 sounded a bit edgy compared to the PH SR3 that I am borrowing or the Uptone JS-2 that I have. The SPS-500 is still with the stock DC chord that came with it, I will be getting down to DIY-ing some better DC cables and see how it improves the sound.
I also have a SOtM modded switch but I didn't notice much difference whether using it with its own SMPS or the JS-2. I feel that ethernet filtering and the LAN cable may have a larger effect. I have a few Acoustic Revive RLI-1s around but for the last week I have been trying and Fibre Media Converter (TP-LINK) which seems to be an even better solution. The drawback is the more cables and two extra power supplies, the second of which has to be good (iFi on the receiver side now). For some reason, getting the SMS-200 Ultra on the network with the optical converter is not always easy. Sometimes it just doesn't want to connect. I will try to find a solution on the CA forum, maybe a fixed IP address or something.
I don't know what software you are using but IME HQPlayer/Roon combination gives the best SQ and usability. I upsample all PCM files to 192kHz in the server already and let the Mutec downsample the DSD files to PCM. The Devialet is always fed 192kHz.
Anyway, it is too early now as you're still waiting for delivery of products but I would be most grateful if you tried the system with and w/o the tx-USB ultra and share your observation. Or anybody else here who has some experience with this.
Zoltan
Win10/HQPlayer / Roon - Uptone Audio Etherregen switch / SOtM-SMS-200 ultra with clock input - Mutec REF 10 clock for the switch and the streamer - Denafrips GAIA DCC - Devialet D800 - YG Acoustics Carmel - Dual Elac SUB-2090
power supplies: Uptone JS-2, SOtM SPS-500
