I have been using the AUDIO GRADE USB 3.0 PCIE CARD powered from the 5v supply from my PC Seasonic power supply. The performance is just superb (what? don't tell me that you haven't ordered one yet) it is fundamental in the performance of my system now.

Anyway how can such a fine piece of kit (the PCie card that is) sound any good powered by a switched mode PS?. So I got hold of a 5v linear power supply. The spec of it look promising (ripple 5mv) not that that means anything without looking at it with a scope. Anyway I hooked up the linear supply to my AUDIO GRADE USB 3.0 PCIE CARD - and sat back in amazement. It just did not sound right - a glassy edge (jitter?) returned to the music - the beautiful flowing detail had gone. So I went back to the SMPS - much better back to the beautiful flowing detail again.

I have to say that was a surprise I expected maybe the same(ish) or slightly better but not worse. I am going to have to have a look at what is going on with a scope.

Maybe the supply needs running in but it has a long way to go get to be even as good as let alone better than the SMPS.

I will try powering the clock with 3.3V battery power - but I will have to tear myself away from listening to music first so not top priority just now. Maybe when I go to see Nick again later this month.

Odd!!!

Paul

Very interesting to hear about the Mapleshade USB cable also to hear about friendships made through this forum. Nick, me and Mani had a great day at Mani's last week - thanks Mani for your hospitality.

I was just thinking about the Mapleshade and wondering how it could influence sound quality. I can only imagine it would be jitter that could be improved mmmm maybe. If it is jitter then surely reducing jitter at source would be the best place to start. The AUDIO GRADE USB 3.0 PCIE CARD has made a very fundamental improvement to my system AND it is cheaper than the Mapleshade. It would be interesting to hear (or if it was possible measure!) the difference the PCie card makes then the Mapleshade.

But of course if the Mapleshade is free - well that has to be a no brainer.

P

I had a VGA only screen until recently I unplugged it and plugged in a DVI screen - no real difference.

So then I rebooted and used the DVI screen - clearly an improvement.

I use a DVI screen now. Nick suggested it could be the drivers - possibly / probably anyway I just stick with the DVI now.

For sure worthwhile but nothing compared with the upgrade in SQ the AUDIO GRADE USB 3.0 PCIE CARD provided - totally fundamental.

Cheers

Paul

Ah my memory I must get a new one or an upgrade!!

Paul

This goes back a long time but in the early days of this blog I seem to remember you saying that Bert had a particular aversion to jitter. Or maybe it was someone else and my memory is going?

Cheers

Paul

To put this in perspective I hear a much bigger improvement in sound quality with this mod than I heard with the upgrade in the clocks in NOS1. But there again I expect that the two upgrades work together - with the improved jitter in the USB signal in perhaps we can expect that the NOS1 clock upgrade really starts to show.

Cheers

Paul

Thanks to Anthony for this one. Yesterday I received an AUDIO GRADE USB 3.0 PCIE CARD - the one that Anthony is using and can be found here here: -

http://ppaproduct.blogspot.tw/2013/07/audio-grade-usb-30-pcie-card.html

This card is all about low jitter with a special low jitter clock and a custom wound silver o/p transformer.

With ten hours burn in I have to say I am surprised by how much this has improved the sound. The whole range is improved from top to bottom. A glassy hard edge has been removed (although I have to say I did not think there was one before!!). The sound now really has an analogue quality. Elvis Costello latest album "Wise Up Ghost" (what a great album IMHO) has a hard over processed edge to it like most of his previous albums but is sounding almost analogue and warm now - voices sounding real and warm instrument tone much improved.

So why a "Bert Must Have"? well Peter has told us that jitter sends him totally crazy.

If anyone else has one of these cards I would be interested in their feedback because here the improvement is not subtle.

Cheers

Paul

Peter - this is very interesting stuff thanks for posting. I thought the original FM curves had been later found to be incorrect due to (possibly) measurement errors(?) Anyway it all brings back memories of that "loudness" button I used to have on my first amplifier.

It was not that long ago that I put a 20Hz (and 30 and 40 etc up to a few hundred) test tones through my ANE's and was surprised at the healthy output at 20Hz and also some surprise that it seemed slightly higher output than at 30 and 40 Hz. So now I know - I was not listening to 20Hz at all. Just shows how easy it is to get things completely wrong in this hobby.

Paul

Anthony - looks interesting how did you provide 5v for the card?

Cheers

Paul

Mani - just a thought if you are coming to listen to my speakers it needs to be before you get your Orelino's if it is after I will not let you in the house ha ha.

Paul

Hey Mani,

I did not realise it at the time but there were some pretty big problems with my front end now sorted. I think you will find a big difference - anyway I would value your honest opinion so anytime you want to come down no problems you are always welcome. 

But first I will see you on the 19th at yours - looking forward to it.

Cheers

Paul

Some of the best changes are the simplest but this took me ages to think of and now I have made it, it seems so obvious - how could I have been so stupid not to have thought of it before?

This simple move of the speakers has improved sound quality and is without doubt the single biggest improvement I have made in my system. The aim was to remove reflections off the wall (maybe "piers") that was behind the speakers and remove the corner effects of the right hand speaker but I am shocked just how much better the SQ is now and not just in the bass but all through all through the frequency range. Bass is much tighter and better controlled. The sound is much cleaner and more accurate. Maybe the reflections of the back wall caused "comb" distortion all through the frequency range or reflections off side walls causing bad room effects. Photos of before and after locations attached. "Before" picture is with the ANE's - they would not have worked well in the new location as they need to be near a rear wall and corner to produce decent bass. No such problems with the S5's though. It just sounds as though major room problems have been completely removed in one simple move.

In a way I guess the new location is like putting the speakers in a completely new room i.e. a third of the way down a 40' long room and well away from side walls.

Cheers

Paul

I tried the low latency settings with SFS = 4 and I can not hand on heart say that I can hear any difference. This is consistent with what I have found before changing latency in Windows 8 seems to have little effect in this system. Certainly in W7 there was a significant difference with low latency settings being preferred by these ears 

But changing speaker location - well that is other matter but maybe for another post.

Cheers

Paul

Peter knows that I too have been making changes to NOS1 as Nick has been making. But HANDS UP the first problem here (as Peter very rightly points out) is that neither Nick or I have the means to measure the results of what we are doing. But the latest (very very simple) change brought about one of the most significant changes I have heard in my system. In fact so significant was the change that I could hear it instantly from behind the speakers and much of what I heard was in the bass region. AND (to these ears) it was all for the better - very much better. There is only one thing in hi-fi I really trust and that is my ears (OK it may take days and days to be absolutely sure but still they have not let me down yet). My opinion (without any measurement to back it up) is that that amount of change with such a simple change just cannot happen unless some fundamental restriction has just been removed - i.e. it had to be an improvement (OK I know I cannot measure it). Also I have to point out that it is not just one simple change it is almost certainly cumulative working with other prior changes. So not that simple after all ha ha.

But this weekend I have made a fundamental change to the layout of speakers in my room (Nick I have not told you about this yet) and it has led to a very substantial improvement in bass. It is clear now that there significant colouration in the bass in this room which has been substantially improved for the first time here. But now there are more changes I can make to the speakers to improve bass further which I shall be making later today. AND of course I shall be making changes to SFS etc. but all in good time.

So getting back on topic there is far more to the bass story I think.

I will try lower latency settings and post the results. It will be interesting because I have always preferred low latency settings in the past but have not spent any time on them recently due to other changes being made in my system.

Cheers

Paul

Hi Nick - After further listening more impressions of the 5v USB supply bypass capacitors. I have found it useful to solder an led holder (the type you "slide" the legs of an led into) in place so that capacitors can be slid in and out very easily for comparisons.

First of all I have made some changes to my system recently and it seems to me to be working very well. So I started this test thinking there is not a lot wrong at the top end to begin with. Anyway here goes: -

220pf - impressions tonight are the same as last night that 220 is too much and it dulls the top end to the extent that it appears to be robbing the music of some detail in the high frequencies.

100pf - similar to the 200pf but not quite as pronounced

22pf - this is interesting because it just seems to tidy to very high top end (which I did not really think needed tidying anyway) and to move at least some way towards the holy grail of effortless silky smooth strings.

Just now I do not feel inclined to remove the 22pf.

But I must say this is a subtle effect. Certainly this is nothing compared with other changes I have made recently.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Paul