Interesting discoveries this past year:
- Fibbr Alpha optical USB cable is amazing at isolating the source-side noise, especially with a good power supply.
https://hometheaterhifi.com/blogs/fibbr-...le-review/
- Toslink optical input on the Devialet Expert sounds surprisingly good with a good source, based on experience with a Singxer SU-6 DDC. Slightly different flavor from the AES input and sometimes preferable.
- Lifting the ground pin on the Devialet Expert AES input yields amazing results in my setup. Easily done using XLR ground lift adapters. Should be safe for Experts because the AES input is transformer isolated.
https://devialetchat.com/Thread-XLR-AES-...xperiments
- ifi iDefender+, a lesser known but useful tweak for USB source side, an old but good product. It breaks the ground from PC side and supplies clean 5V power to a USB DDC / DAC.
- Have not yet come across any new DDCs besides already mentioned Singxer SU-6, Audio-gd DI20/HE, Denafrips Gaia. Based on Goldensound's reviews they measure similarly.
- ifi Zen Stream is exciting but yet to try it in my system. Another system uses Zen Stream with Singxer SU-6 over USB and it sounds amazing used as a Roon Bridge.
- Fibbr Alpha optical USB cable is amazing at isolating the source-side noise, especially with a good power supply.
https://hometheaterhifi.com/blogs/fibbr-...le-review/
- Toslink optical input on the Devialet Expert sounds surprisingly good with a good source, based on experience with a Singxer SU-6 DDC. Slightly different flavor from the AES input and sometimes preferable.
- Lifting the ground pin on the Devialet Expert AES input yields amazing results in my setup. Easily done using XLR ground lift adapters. Should be safe for Experts because the AES input is transformer isolated.
https://devialetchat.com/Thread-XLR-AES-...xperiments
- ifi iDefender+, a lesser known but useful tweak for USB source side, an old but good product. It breaks the ground from PC side and supplies clean 5V power to a USB DDC / DAC.
- Have not yet come across any new DDCs besides already mentioned Singxer SU-6, Audio-gd DI20/HE, Denafrips Gaia. Based on Goldensound's reviews they measure similarly.
- ifi Zen Stream is exciting but yet to try it in my system. Another system uses Zen Stream with Singxer SU-6 over USB and it sounds amazing used as a Roon Bridge.
Devialet 1000 Pro CI - AQ Diamond AES RCA-XLR Link
PC - ifi iDefender+ - FIBBR Alpha Optical USB + "Studer 900" LPS - Singxer SU-6 - AQ Diamond AES
PSB Imagine T3 - AQ William Tell Zero / Tornado / DBS Level-X - PliXir Balanced AC
