Companion LINK failure with Roon AIR

[kerkhoffd]

It is sad that a stellar manufacturer like AQ with a robust & extremely successful product like "Diamond" thats been in existence since 1993 (those days as X2 & X3) doesn't have clarity towards correct impedance selection (75 or 110) when they cater for Devialet owners ... 

As reported by "kerkhoffd", its functioning perfectly ...

Will be visiting him tomorrow and will check for you ofcourse. Listened to his set for prolonged time, but will make sure I will channel back his experience to you. As my brother ofcourse has the most hours of listening done. I know his Diamond uses a 75 Ohm cable which is terminated RCA-AES.

Thank you in advance ...  One of the most important news you have already given here (marked in Red).

Wish I could be more specific than this. All files, including 24 bit 192 kHz seem to play with the hybrid Diamond using the 75 Ohm cable. It is very difficult to tell if this configuration is examplary for all AQ Diamond cables used as though. It could be indivividual cable specific still. The only certain fact is that it can work. There are ofcourse no guarantees.

I chose the Diamond based on SQ. I really like it. But somehow I still think there is some kind of flauw in the cable, that prohibits it from working perfectly. There are too many people having problems with it in certain configurations. I always thought it was due to the Linn not able to communicate with the Devialet, but your case seems to underwrite it is more probably a problem with Devialet.

[Devialetuser]

What I find surprising is that to my knowledge AQ have been informed about this issue in 2016. Yet here we are in 2017 and no resolution has been found. I personally think that Kerkhoffd is right, this looks like an issue with Devialet rather than AQ. Maybe giving Devialet support a call would be more prudent.

[audio_engr]

Will be visiting him tomorrow and will check for you ofcourse. Listened to his set for prolonged time, but will make sure I will channel back his experience to you. As my brother ofcourse has the most hours of listening done. I know his Diamond uses a 75 Ohm cable which is terminated RCA-AES.

Thank you in advance ...  One of the most important news you have already given here (marked in Red).

Wish I could be more specific than this. All files, including 24 bit 192 kHz seem to play with the hybrid Diamond using the 75 Ohm cable. It is very difficult to tell if this configuration is examplary for all AQ Diamond cables used as though. It could be indivividual cable specific still. The only certain fact is that it can work. There are ofcourse no guarantees.

I chose the Diamond based on SQ. I really like it. But somehow I still think there is some kind of flauw in the cable, that prohibits it from working perfectly. There are too many people having problems with it in certain configurations. I always thought it was due to the Linn not able to communicate with the Devialet, but your case seems to underwrite it is more probably a problem with Devialet.

Thank you indeed for this feedback thats a great-great help. 

It seems to make things quite clear now that if someone wishes to install Audioquest Diamond digital cable as their Devialet-to-Devialet LINK cable ... 

Specify to the AQ Dealer the following at the time of ordering :

1. It must be the 75-OHM variety of the Diamond cable (and not their 110-ohms)

2. You could have Source (Master) as S/pDIF RCA and Destination (Companion) as S/pDIF RCA

3. You could also have Source (Master) as S/pDIF RCA and Destination (Companion) as AES/EBU XLR Male

4. Choose a minimum length of 1.0 metres or more  (as I've read reports elsewhere that said in 0.75m, DBS interferes). 

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Now - I better get going sorting out my cable issue with the AQ factory in California ... 

[audio_engr]

Whilst my AQ Diamond RCA-AES has been shipped back to AQ to sort the issues, meanwhile I had to revert back to my DH Labs Silver Sonic D-110 RCA-AES cable to perform the LINK duties. 

Playing 20 seconds of a track, I told myself "what a HUGE difference the AQ Diamond had brought in and now - the magic is gone !!"  

Indeed - upper registers sound like white noise while low-level details & dynamic transients have all taken a back seat. The very deep bass is absent .... Opss !!  I really need that AQ Diamond back ASAP !!

funny - how quickly we get used to the good things ... 

[audio_engr]

Audioquest shipped back the LINK cable for Devialet 400 Master to Companion in RCA - - - > AES/XLR. They upgraded my Diamond to a WILD. The DBS battery pack seems to be a new design & this implementation has been done by Audioquest AC Power specialist engineer - Garth Powell who's responsible for the 'Niagara series' ... 



Result : 24bit-176.4 & 192 still do not play ... undo the battery pack and its all good !

The new DBS battery pack with a special in-built capacitor to filter noise I am told is picking up very high frequencies ... lets see what AQ does to fix this ...

[Rama]

Why not just return the cable and go with an RCA-RCA from some other brand. Seems like Audioquest is just not compatible with Devialet.

[audio_engr]

Why not just return the cable and go with an RCA-RCA from some other brand. Seems like Audioquest is just not compatible with Devialet.

  .. I wish I could but the sound is "just awesome" ... and that's compelling me to stick to AQ. 

Audioquest too hasn't given up .. its just that Devialet did not share any info AQ wanted from them ... The RCA - - > XLR using a 75 Ohms coax cable does work [ but Audioquest modified their 72V DBS battery packs using some newer tech from their Niagara power products and that's the culprit ]. We are trying to revert back to the earlier 72V DBS packs and that should resolve the issue ... 

However - until it does ... I await ... 

[Rama]

Any update on this? I was considering a AQ diamond link cable. But I would want it to work as designed with the DBS pack. Thanks

[audio_engr]

Any update on this? I was considering a AQ diamond link cable. But I would want it to work as designed with the DBS pack. Thanks

The latest from AQ engineers is that :

1. AQ re-engineered their DBS 72V packs using resources & lessons learnt from their Niagara series / Garth Powell and due to this, it is interfering with Devialet DACs ... thus unable to play 24/192 but perfectly OK with 24/96. 

2. AQ's previous DBS 72V pack did not pose this problem with Devialet DACs [ if the cable was a s/PDIF 75-ohm cable by default & only the receiving end connector was re-terminated with an XLR ]. Hence, as fellow members like "kerkhoffd" had reported that his brother's AQ Diamond RCA - AES/XLR works perfectly is in fact True. 

The problem is that AQ has moved forward from their earlier DBS 72V packs to their NEW one using a carbon-fibre casing with an in-built capacitor & a different geometry of wiring their DBS into the cable that is causing the snag with Devialet. 

My suggestion is for you to wait till AQ is able to fix my problem and once done, the same would apply to your AQ Diamond. 

{ am sending you a PM as to how to proceed }

[Rama]

Any update on this? I was considering a AQ diamond link cable. But I would want it to work as designed with the DBS pack. Thanks

The latest from AQ engineers is that :

1. AQ re-engineered their DBS 72V packs using resources & lessons learnt from their Niagara series / Garth Powell and due to this, it is interfering with Devialet DACs ... thus unable to play 24/192 but perfectly OK with 24/96. 

2. AQ's previous DBS 72V pack did not pose this problem with Devialet DACs [ if the cable was a s/PDIF 75-ohm cable by default & only the receiving end connector was re-terminated with an XLR ]. Hence, as fellow members like "kerkhoffd" had reported that his brother's AQ Diamond RCA - AES/XLR works perfectly is in fact True. 

The problem is that AQ has moved forward from their earlier DBS 72V packs to their NEW one using a carbon-fibre casing with an in-built capacitor & a different geometry of wiring their DBS into the cable that is causing the snag with Devialet. 

My suggestion is for you to wait till AQ is able to fix my problem and once done, the same would apply to your AQ Diamond. 

{ am sending you a PM as to how to proceed }

Thanks Arup for the update. This is really disappointing to find out the the current line of AQ digital link cable is not compatible with Devialet.