sq225917
Bit of this, bit of that
The UK plugged external PSU will have a fuse in it, you can change that. (It won't make any difference to how it sounds though).
MDAC first listen (part XIII)
- Thread starter fusion5
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The UK plugged external PSU will have a fuse in it, you can change that. (It won't make any difference to how it sounds though).
Do you use either of the following on the SB receiver Volume Control, ReplayGain, or Crossfade?
If so your SB receiver will be resampling to 24bit, assuming you're using 16/44.1...
Check the M-DAC display it should show 16/44.1, anything else will be as the result of a resample...unless of course you do have High Res files
jamjar784
Heavy Up
Thanks for sharing the above little gems. Julian Sas and Chris Thomas King are new to me and have several other interesting albums to follow up.
I'd suggest another couple of tracks: The Bad Plus "These Are The Vistas" track 3, Smells Like Teen Spirit - upright bass sounds top drawer through the MDAC. Jim Brock "Tropic Affair" track 9 O Vazio has very deep bass notes and fantastic drum roll where they appear "in the room".
One question - did you mean Red Mud Sessions (Remastered) or the earlier CD Red Mud?
Do you use either of the following on the SB receiver Volume Control, ReplayGain, or Crossfade?
If so your SB receiver will be resampling to 24bit, assuming you're using 16/44.1...
Check the M-DAC display it should show 16/44.1, anything else will be as the result of a resample...unless of course you do have High Res files
Definitely not Volume Control - I set it as fixed mode so changing the volume does not make any effect.
ReplayGain, or Crossfade - I have to check and get back.
I used the 16 bit and 24 bit files from the MDAC wikkii page. The DAC displayed the correct bit information when playing the files.
Definitely not Volume Control - I set it as fixed mode so changing the volume does not make any effect.
ReplayGain, or Crossfade - I have to check and get back.
I used the 16 bit and 24 bit files from the MDAC wikkii page. The DAC displayed the correct bit information when playing the files.
...the fact that you're seeing 16bit displayed for 16bit recordings implies to me that RG and crossfade are off, as they would resample the bit depth to apply volume control, which usually displays 24 for a 16 bit source file.
Puzzling...I had been using a receiver with my M-DAC, and I'd not checked it for bit perfect, I'm using a SBTouch via USB now
JohnW
pfm member
It's the next project I complete after the Creek CD Player / BDAC - the MPAX has now been moved ahead of the MAMP power Amplifier as its simpler and a less risk project, I'd like to expect its release around the Christmas period.
John
...the fact that you're seeing 16bit displayed for 16bit recordings implies to me that RG and crossfade are off, as they would resample the bit depth to apply volume control, which usually displays 24 for a 16 bit source file.
Puzzling...I had been using a receiver with my M-DAC, and I'd not checked it for bit perfect, I'm using a SBTouch via USB now
Checked... No crossfade, can't find any option for Replay Gain.
Bit perfect test spectacularly failing... and don't know what to do next, in fact not even know what I am missing
JohnW
pfm member
Hi Hulga,
I’m from the last geration of engineers before the whole design landscape has been changed by cheap computer processing power – I recall using a Light Box and Track and Tape + scalpel to layout my PCB’s when I was 12…
Times moved on – but I’m still very much a Lab bench + test measurement designer then a “computer simulator” designer.
Very much thanks to Dominik who’s almost 20 years younger then me I’ve been able to learn to work with simulators – The great thing about Dominik is that he multiples my skill level – he’s really brilliant, and the first person I my life who understands how I work – and who can still work with me!
Simulators are an incredibly powerful tools when you understand there limits. Simulators have many benefits such as “Designs” don’t blow when you get then wrong, you can probe internal circuits nodes that would not be practical in real life, your also able to quickly devise “test” that would be impractical and time consuming in the real world.
The MAMP is based on topologies and ideas I’d developed while living in France back in 1997
However, now working with simulators I have be able to better understand the inner workings of the circuit topology, its limitations and sensitivities etc. As a designer, simulators facilitate a MUCH greater insight into the topologies inner secrets… something that would have taken many many years on the lab bench. I’m able to optimize each individual stage rather then just measuring the end result of a whole design.
With an amplifier, the output stage nonlinearities would normally swamp the proceeding stages, but IMO there’s no reason that these proceeding stages should not be optimized – something that’s hard to do when the measurement results are being dominated by the OPS. With Simulators its possible to access these internal nodes allowing “fine” design optimization
I don’t really use digital simulators, that’s Dominik’s domain – Dominik uses various VHDL simulation packages.
I use an old software package called Protus by Labcentre electronics as it allows me to design the PCB like an “Electronic Light box,” with no design netlist. I design directly from my head – with no schematic.
I find it impossible to recall peoples names, places, spelling etc, yet I can “see” my designs in my head!…
For me, working directly from a schematic is non optimal – it takes away the spontaneous creativity, there’s no need for human intervention, you’d might as well leave the design to the computer…
Once the design is completed, I then have to manually draw the schematic – its horridly boring work, one which I invariably leave until the very last moment which normally results in a good deal of grief.
I’d only draw up a schematic beforehand if I’d need to use the analogue simulator – which would be for optimizing smaller circuit blocks, filter responses etc.
With analogue simulation more complex circuits rapidly become too complex for reliable Spice simulation with devices like MOSFETs and JFET’s being notorious for causing Spice real mental breakdowns… I spend a good half my time fighting “stupid” simulator convergence issue…
Now back to the layout of the BDAC PCB…
John
JohnW
pfm member
Checked... No crossfade, can't find any option for Replay Gain.
Bit perfect test spectacularly failing... and don't know what to do next, in fact not even know what I am missing
What firmware are you running on your MDAC - from 0.99 Dominik reworked the Bit perfect test to make it less sensitive to "Corrupt" date at the very start of playback.
I have no experience with the SB receiver? has anyone else confirmed its capable of Bit perfect performance by design?
The MDAC is one of the very few product that features a Bit Perfect test routine, so many people are unaware that there beloved product might not be Bit perfect...
A man with one watch knows the time... A man with two watches is never quite sure...
Have you tried taking a step back and connected your MDAC directly to the PC via USB to insure the test file has not corrupted?, you can then also get a feel how the BP test works.
John
misterdog
Not the canine kind
misterdog
Not the canine kind
Same here David , I believe its actually age and wisdom, combined with a touch of spiritualism, (coupled with some fine single malt
and an MDAC
) and less to do with the technology we have available to us.Hi, I just bought my M-DAC a week ago (it had just been updated with the latest audiolab software) & I'm very happy with it. I've been interestedly browsing the M-DAC threads here (only read about 50% so apologies if my question has been covered) & I was intrigued to see that, altho' some users had had trouble with Foobar & the M-DAC, no one suggested KS (kernal streaming) as an alternative to WASPI / ASIO. I used to use it on Windows XP where it was a little flakey, but had the best sound quality IMO. This may have been due to its lower cpu load (on an Intel Atom processor). With Windows 7 64 it is rock solid (as long as the word length (output data format) is set to 24-bit). So my question is, is there any reason not to use KS - has anyone tried it & decided it is inferior ?
JohnW
pfm member
Hi Nik,
Welcome, have your tried the Bit perfect test file? If it passes the Bit perfect test then it does not matter how you stream from your PC...
John
misterdog
Not the canine kind
JohnW
pfm member
Same here David , I believe its actually age and wisdom, combined with a touch of spiritualism, (coupled with some fine single malt
and an MDAC
How did it go with the Sovereign MDAC listening session? I understand that you brought your MDAC along for comparisons?
John
Hi John,
A guy called john koza applies succefully such techniques to the automatic design or improvment of analogue circuits. Its technique starts from scratch and tries automatically a wise choosen set of random generated designs comparing the expected vs obtained outputs then the best designs are blended. It leads to the automatic (re)discovery or improvments of human created patents. For that purpose he uses a computer farm with more than a thousand machines to perform its experiments. I'm not sure what flavor of simulator he uses.
br
Ten years ago i tried to move into the field of using evolutionary hardware which aims at using somekind of evolutionary algorithms using cicuitry (FPGA) simulators to provide with automatic internal design. I tried to use foudation package and find it very painfull. Finally I let it down and get back to my computer scientist simulations.
A guy called john koza applies succefully such techniques to the automatic design or improvment of analogue circuits. Its technique starts from scratch and tries automatically a wise choosen set of random generated designs comparing the expected vs obtained outputs then the best designs are blended. It leads to the automatic (re)discovery or improvments of human created patents. For that purpose he uses a computer farm with more than a thousand machines to perform its experiments. I'm not sure what flavor of simulator he uses.
br
DANOFDANGER
pfm Member
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