Which streaming input on the Devialet sounds best to you?

[Antoine]

@beerman, I can't myself edit the poll but the option you mention (direct ethernet) I think is the option "AIR ethernet" I mentioned in the poll or did I miss an additional way to use the ethernet port without the AIR software installed on a PC or Mac?

Hi Antoine,

Almost the same. Almost.

What I mean with "direct ethernet" is just a (short) ethernet cable between computer and the Devialet.
In my opinion the "purest" or "straightest" connection" between the Dev and the source.
You don't have to go over a router, you have fewer plug-connections, you have a short signal path, wich will be lesser influenced by various factors.
itunes is just used as a file management, the Dev gets the files bit-perfect and does sample-rate changing. No other software needed.
(Maybe wrong in this case, but how I understand it, also jitter don't play a role in an ethernet connection).

But I have to confess, the differences between the ways to connect are very small (but audible), at least in my system, it depends on personal taste. I think there is no best way at all. You have to try for yourself and maybe in every music system is another way the better.

Klaus

Hi Klaus, I understand what you mean now. Actually the setup you describe is the one I wanted to test second. Now all my network attached devices are in the same subnet but I want to order a second ethernet interface (Intel Gigabit CT Desktop Adapter) for the AIR PC to make the direct connection to the Devialet. The only disadvantage I see in this setup is that I won't be able to directly control the Devialet using the remote IOS app as I have also disabled the WiFi interface of the Devialet but maybe I'll find a workaround for that using some manual routes in the network and setting up the PC as a router as well.

@Kunter, do you run the playback machine in core mode or do you need the GUI mode for running AIR and JPlay? And do you have the DualPC setup? (so using an additional control PC/Mac besides the playback machine directly connected to the Devialet)

I currently use a couple of years old SSD Sony laptop (it has i7 and all, was a good machine then). I could not make the Air app work on Core mode so mine runs with gui now. Will try dual pc, core mode and hybernate with USB input once I have a chance...

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Thanks for elaborating on your setup Kunter! In the future I will also start experimenting with WS2012 R2, Audiophile Optimizer on a single PC setup as a playback machine.

Ethernet for me. I tried USB again over this week with two different cables - a standard 1m cable from Maplin and an Audioquest forest version, preferring the Audioquest.

But...

To me, Ethernet still sounds better. The USB connection initially sounded more detailed but after a few days of listening and comparing, it also introduces a slight 'greyness' to the sound. A very good test for this is the 192 version of 'Meet me in London' by Antonio Forcione & Sabina Sciubba on the Naim label. The track 'Take Five' is mixed with the the vocal and guitar at the left and right extremes and when i initially bought the hi-def version of the album (and pre Devialet) this sounded very false and unnatural - almost sounding dual mono. With the Devialet (and via Ethernet) the acoustic is revealed and the production makes complete sense. Via USB, the sense of acoustic is diminished and the 'mono' effect returns. Coming from a Naim background, i'm more inclined to the PR&T approach but the extremely low background noise of the Devialet has revealed some previously missed acoustic cues on some favourite albums.

On other albums, such as Natalie Merchants latest, her voice suffers a degree of harshness via USB which is missing with Ethernet.

I've tried various players - Bit Perfect, Amarra and Audirvana and the effect is the same. I suspect i'd get better results with one of the IFI USB isolators as i suspect the effects i'm hearing are due to noise coupling into the amplifier from the computer but that's an extra couple of boxes and more cables. Add the fact that the AIR app works so well on my headless mini (no issues with it connecting with the latest firmware update) and handles gapless playback, Ethernet is a no brainer for me at present.

James

Thank you James, very interesting to read!