11-Feb-2019, 04:37
I don't know how USB from the Nucleus to the Devialet would compare to ethernet. All I can say is that I've tried both from my Antipodes, which was the bottom of the Antipodes range at the time I bought it, and I felt they were close but ethernet had the edge. This was despite the fact that the USB connection enabled me to eliminate a potential source of noise by removing an ethernet switch in the connection path. Some might argue that if I had a better ethernet cable or used one of the USB improvement devices of various kinds I could have done better and USB would have come out as superior. And maybe my preference for ethernet was simply personal preference for one thing over another.
I think you will get better results with ethernet if you make a configuration which has the USB input disabled and better results with USB if you make a configuration with ethernet disabled. Having both enabled seems to cause a slight drop in quality, perhaps more for the USB input than the ethernet input in my case. It is a small drop but I think USB does sound better with only one of those 2 inputs enabled. It still didn't sound quite as good as ethernet but the difference between them was smaller and it was small between them anyway with both inputs enabled. It's a lot easier and quicker to make A/B comparisons with both enabled. Switching configurations and having to choose a new audio zone when you do makes it impossible to do quick A/B comparisons and that could be affecting my perceptions. I'm trying to be scrupulously honest and admit all of the issues which could call my perceptions into doubt, especially since I've said that the differences I hear are very small. It's a lot easier to be wrong with small differences than with large differences as I think you will know.
Roon recommend ethernet between server and end point and the Devialet is our end point and your server is a Roon product. Antipodes recommend USB output. There's more than a few differences between the Nucleus and my Antipodes, and I'm using the stock Antipodes power supply whereas you're using a different power supply. We're hardly making the identical comparisons that would be ideal in a research quality listening test.
All I can really suggest is that you try it if you want to but I can't predict what decision you'll reach. You're using what I regard as a better server than mine, and a better Devialet than mine, so you may hear a bigger difference than I do but that isn't guaranteed.
I may try revisiting the USB/ethernet comparison again after we get the Roon Ready update and the Devialet can accept RAAT. That may make a difference, especially if my Devialet's USB input shows up as Roon Ready. Some comments about RAAT on Roon's website seem to suggest that Roon can communicate with some USB DACs via RAAT but I may be reading those comments wrong. We've got a poster here who goes by the moniker of "Confused". If he hadn't already grabbed that user name I may have because there are times when I really find computer audio confusing. I've got close to 50 years experience in non-computer audio and 18 months in computer audio. I still feel like I've only started finding my way with what I'm doing at times.
I think you will get better results with ethernet if you make a configuration which has the USB input disabled and better results with USB if you make a configuration with ethernet disabled. Having both enabled seems to cause a slight drop in quality, perhaps more for the USB input than the ethernet input in my case. It is a small drop but I think USB does sound better with only one of those 2 inputs enabled. It still didn't sound quite as good as ethernet but the difference between them was smaller and it was small between them anyway with both inputs enabled. It's a lot easier and quicker to make A/B comparisons with both enabled. Switching configurations and having to choose a new audio zone when you do makes it impossible to do quick A/B comparisons and that could be affecting my perceptions. I'm trying to be scrupulously honest and admit all of the issues which could call my perceptions into doubt, especially since I've said that the differences I hear are very small. It's a lot easier to be wrong with small differences than with large differences as I think you will know.
Roon recommend ethernet between server and end point and the Devialet is our end point and your server is a Roon product. Antipodes recommend USB output. There's more than a few differences between the Nucleus and my Antipodes, and I'm using the stock Antipodes power supply whereas you're using a different power supply. We're hardly making the identical comparisons that would be ideal in a research quality listening test.
All I can really suggest is that you try it if you want to but I can't predict what decision you'll reach. You're using what I regard as a better server than mine, and a better Devialet than mine, so you may hear a bigger difference than I do but that isn't guaranteed.
I may try revisiting the USB/ethernet comparison again after we get the Roon Ready update and the Devialet can accept RAAT. That may make a difference, especially if my Devialet's USB input shows up as Roon Ready. Some comments about RAAT on Roon's website seem to suggest that Roon can communicate with some USB DACs via RAAT but I may be reading those comments wrong. We've got a poster here who goes by the moniker of "Confused". If he hadn't already grabbed that user name I may have because there are times when I really find computer audio confusing. I've got close to 50 years experience in non-computer audio and 18 months in computer audio. I still feel like I've only started finding my way with what I'm doing at times.
Roon Nucleus+, Devilalet Expert 140 Pro CI, Focal Sopra 2, PS Audio P12, Keces P8 LPS, Uptone Audio EtherREGEN with optical fibre link to my router, Shunyata Alpha NR and Sigma NR power cables, Shunyata Sigma ethernet cables, Shunyata Alpha V2 speaker cables, Grand Prix Audio Monaco rack, RealTRAPS acoustic treatment.
Brisbane, Qld, Australia
