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TeddyDAC revisited...the 24/192 USB input

isapell said:
Are TeddyDACs still in production? They seem to all be out of stock at the moment, although the USB option is still available as a separate unit.
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If you cannot get the Teddy DAC, get a Topping DX7 Pro instead. I have both and they are both superb. The Topping is a lot cheaper and also has the benefits of being balanced and has a very decent headphone amp.
 
John Channing said:
If you cannot get the Teddy DAC, get a Topping DX7 Pro instead. I have both and they are both superb. The Topping is a lot cheaper and also has the benefits of being balanced and has a very decent headphone amp.
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Thanks for the tip! I'd never even heard of the Topping. It seems to be remarkably good value.
 
Julf said:
Or idiosyncrasies of the way the Teddy DAC handles different inputs?
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I don't know about USB audio interfaces in general, but if it converts a 16 bit input to 24 bit, the way to do it losslessly is to pad the 16 bit data with 8 extra 0-value bits. How you pad them, will affect the output level - meaning if you add the padding to the beginning or the end of the data or split it between the beginning and end (e.g. 4 bits in each end), you get different levels in the output.

Maybe the USB input converts everything to 24 bit in a way that raises the level and the other inputs do not?
 
I’ve been listening via this method and back to original coax mode for me for most of the day. I am using a Dac v1 rather than a Teddy dac. From the display I can see the naim still outputs exactly what it is fed via usb ie 44/48/96. On some tracks I noticed via usb the vocals were more spread rather than centred although via usb I noticed lighter bass. Via coax the bass is fuller and vocals are centred. I admit the usb cable is bog standard and wonder what improvements you’d get spending more money. This is compared to my coax which is a chord anthem tuned array. So for the minute I’m undecided which is the better route to take. Do I spend £1-2hundred on a quality usb cable or stick with the coax?
 
TheManWhoBuiltTheMoon said:
I’ve been listening via this method and back to original coax mode for me for most of the day. I am using a Dac v1 rather than a Teddy dac. From the display I can see the naim still outputs exactly what it is fed via usb ie 44/48/96. On some tracks I noticed via usb the vocals were more spread rather than centred although via usb I noticed lighter bass. Via coax the bass is fuller and vocals are centred. I admit the usb cable is bog standard and wonder what improvements you’d get spending more money. This is compared to my coax which is a chord anthem tuned array. So for the minute I’m undecided which is the better route to take. Do I spend £1-2hundred on a quality usb cable or stick with the coax?
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The cable will make no difference at all. Does the Naim do async USB?

The differences if they exist are nothing to do with the cables, but that async USB has some theoretical advantages in that it only uses the clock in the DAC not the source.

Tim
 
onlyconnect said:
The cable will make no difference at all. Does the Naim do async USB?

The differences if they exist are nothing to do with the cables, but that async USB has some theoretical advantages in that it only uses the clock in the DAC not the source.

Tim
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Hi Tim.
Yes the Naim is async. There is a definite difference in the sound as I said above, more bass with the coax and the usb seems to spread the vocals rather than centered.
 
My USB vs coax findings are pretty much diametrically opposed to yours...I found the bass quality with USB much faster yet deeper and having a percussive snap that was lost to a pervasive bloat with the coax. Dynamical contrasts in particular were much improved and instruments and voices now have a way of being grounded in space that simply was not present with the coax. I wonder if this may suggest that the Teddy USB input (which after all is an extra-cost add-on) is better implemented than the V1 USB input.
This is using a generic printer USB cable compared to an Audio Magic Illusion QL coax cable.
I will shortly be trying out some better specced USB cables-I am not too sure they will make no difference, and some people are willing to spend in excess of $7000 on a USB cable! As I was not expecting any significant changes with the USB input, I may also be suprised by what an 'audio-grade' USB cable brings to the table.
 
onlyconnect said:
EDO is a great modification; highly recommended, presuming you don't need the USB storage option.

Tim
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I finally got round to adding EDO to my SBT/TeddyDac-VC system on the back of this and other recommendations and it does make a difference. Difficult to quantify exactly but there seemed a little more space around the vocals in particular, and seemingly more detail appearing, but maybe the bass wasn't so distinct - I do prefer the sound of the USB output compared compared to my usual coax but I do need to listen further.

CHE
 
CHE said:
I finally got round to adding EDO to my SBT/TeddyDac-VC system on the back of this and other recommendations and it does make a difference. Difficult to quantify exactly but there seemed a little more space around the vocals in particular, and seemingly more detail appearing, but maybe the bass wasn't so distinct - I do prefer the sound of the USB output compared compared to my usual coax but I do need to listen further.

CHE
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But do you have the optional 24/192 asynchronous board installed on the USB input? I think it is THIS which makes the difference, rather than what types of connectors moves the digital signal into the DAC.
 
rontoolsie said:
But do you have the optional 24/192 asynchronous board installed on the USB input? I think it is THIS which makes the difference, rather than what types of connectors moves the digital signal into the DAC.
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Yes, I have the async board which is why I installed EDO and tried USB.

CHE
 
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