AudioCircle
Industry Circles => Bryston Limited => Topic started by: zoom25 on 14 Sep 2016, 10:30 pm
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This past month, I haven't touched the Bryston BDP-1 player and was mostly using the computer (Audirvana Plus) to listen and catalogue music. I was excited to get back to listening via the Bryston. I let it warm up for an hour as usual and then plugged in a USB flash drive into the front port without thinking about it. I was actually quite surprised as the same files through the computer sounded better/fuller and powerful. The Bryston sounded thinner. BTW all my files are in WAV.
PNY Flash Drive 128 GB https://www.amazon.ca/PNY-Turbo-Performance-Drive-P-FD128TBOP-GE/dp/B00FE2N1WS
I remembered the rear ports have more power, so I plugged the same flash drive into the rear port and it sounded fuller right off the bat. However, something was still missing. It wasn't as exciting as I remembered. So I plugged in my usual 2 TB Western Digital USB 3.0 portable external hard drive as well into the rear port.
I have a few reference tracks that I know quite well to test out things like grain, dynamics, extended treble. I loaded the same WAV song into Manic Moose twice, once from each drive. I played music through each of them so I know they were active and had no lags during testing as my intervals were 15-30 seconds.
I found the hard drive to be more clear and extended up top in the upper treble. More importantly, the background was blacker with the hard drive.
To dampen the hard drive's vibrations, I place the hard drive on top of a rectangular box that has been filled with rice. I can post pics if someone is confused or cares about these things.
My thoughts:
- The flash drive should consume the least power and has no moving parts, although a LED blinks in it (possible noise?)
- Read speeds: The hard drive is faster in both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connections. Although with how the Bryston buffers, I don't know if the slower read speed of the PNY makes a difference?
For me, the absolute best sound I've gotten out of BDP-1 has been from a damped hard drive. BTW I have tried other flash drives in the past and it sounded the same as the current one. The hard drive is still the winner. I would love to be able to have a bigger pool of hard/flash drives for comparison, but currently, the hard drive satisfies me quite well.
P.S. Bryston must think they have some of the Looney Looniest customers. :green:
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Hi Folks
Try mounting a rotary drive inside the BDP2.
James
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Current sample size:
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=150331)
Ghetto DIY Dampening:
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=150332)
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Hi Folks
Try mounting a rotary drive inside the BDP2.
James
Hmmm, I don't know if that's sarcasm, but I'll pretend it's not. Why would you want to introduce vibrations inside the BDP? How would a mounted drive compare against an external drive. Is the method of connection different when mounted inside?
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Hmmm, I don't know if that's sarcasm, but I'll pretend it's not. Why would you want to introduce vibrations inside the BDP? How would a mounted drive compare against an external drive. Is the method of connection different when mounted inside?
I reckon it all has to do with the communications protocols. USB is really not the greatest; it's a multipurpose connection protocol and there's sort of a "translation" step in sending data. The hard drive eSATA connections are more "pure" in that sense.
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I reckon it all has to do with the communications protocols. USB is really not the greatest; it's a multipurpose connection protocol and there's sort of a "translation" step in sending data. The hard drive eSATA connections are more "pure" in that sense.
Ahhh okay gotcha. I know it would be somewhat unpractical, but it could be fun to try a hard drive connected by eSATA that resides out of the Bryston player to avoid vibrations.
I will say that Audirvana Plus sounds better on the Macbook Pro that has a SSD vs. the other Macbook Pro or iMac that has a hard drive. Of course, there are other differences, but each of the 3 devices are very well equipped in RAM (8-16 GB) and processors (top i7).
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If you're worried about vibrations, why not get a solid state drive?
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Hi
Yes I have SSD drives mounted internally on my BDP's - the internal bypasses any USB processing.
james
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Hi Zoom,
There was a discussion on this very issue a while back. I found subtle but reproducible differences between drives and power supplies. I have always noted less dynamic sound from flash drives compared to hard drives (either spinning or SSD) I also suspect it's due to power and noise (ie. "hash" not "hiss"). My current setup is a BDP-2 with IAD upgrade, and BDA-3. I have an external 2TB Samsung EVO-850Pro, connected to BDP by a USB-Micro Wireworld cable. BTW, like you I also find WAV superior to FLAC.
Here's a link to the discussion on the BDP-2 forum: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=110296.1400
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Ghetto DIY Dampening:
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=150332)
Would you get tighter bass and clearer highs if you reduced the depth of that sandbox?
:lol:
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If you're worried about vibrations, why not get a solid state drive?
I read somewhere that some SSDs might be electrically noisier. Although, so far I've only had positive experiences with SSDs in Macbook Pro. Flash stick drives have been underwhelming. Perhaps, I'll eventually look into external SSDs for music, as the BDP-1 can't do internal eSATA drivers.
Also, the newer top of the range HDDs by Western Digital are much better built and quitter than their previous iterations spanning from the last ten years that I've bought and owned on a bi-annual basis.
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Hi
Yes I have SSD drives mounted internally on my BDP's - the internal bypasses any USB processing.
james
Wait, can this be done on BDP-1?
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Would you get tighter bass and clearer highs if you reduced the depth of that sandbox?
:lol:
Obviously not. It's not about the quantity, but rather the quality of the rice being used. Basmati for example gives a better sense of air. :lol:
I do it because in my current rack, I'm forced to put the hard drive on top of the DAC because of the short cable length. So I put the rice box on top of the DAC which holds the HDD.
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Hi Zoom,
There was a discussion on this very issue a while back. I found subtle but reproducible differences between drives and power supplies. I have always noted less dynamic sound from flash drives compared to hard drives (either spinning or SSD) I also suspect it's due to power and noise (ie. "hash" not "hiss"). My current setup is a BDP-2 with IAD upgrade, and BDA-3. I have an external 2TB Samsung EVO-850Pro, connected to BDP by a USB-Micro Wireworld cable. BTW, like you I also find WAV superior to FLAC.
Here's a link to the discussion on the BDP-2 forum: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=110296.1400
Thanks for the read. So far I've avoided using the bigger external hard drives that come with a wall wart. I use the portable hard drives that run of the bus power from BDP-1's USB port. I figured it's best to avoid external power supplies altogether. The Samsung's have been on mind for some time.
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Obviously not. It's not about the quantity, but rather the quality of the rice being used. Basmati for example gives a better sense of air. :lol:
I do it because in my current rack, I'm forced to put the hard drive on top of the DAC because of the short cable length. So I put the rice box on top of the DAC which holds the HDD.
I use Saffron Rice myself. Adds more separation. :o
Your USB cable that emerges from each drive -- those will still transmit internal vibrations from each drive. You need to try using cable lifters for each of your drives. Otherwise, your BDP will still experience mechanical vibrations, like the Beach Boys once sang about.... :lol:
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Wait, can this be done on BDP-1?
No sorry only the 2
james
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I ordered the Audioquest Jitterbug to see if it'll make any differences to either the flash drives or the portable WD hard drives connected directly to the BDP-1's USB inputs. I'll also test it to see if it makes any difference on the regular USB input on the DAC coming from the Mac.
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I ordered the Audioquest Jitterbug to see if it'll make any differences to either the flash drives or the portable WD hard drives connected directly to the BDP-1's USB inputs. I'll also test it to see if it makes any difference on the regular USB input on the DAC coming from the Mac.
Will be interested in the tests with the USB drives directly connected to BDP-1.
What is your DAC? :scratch:
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Will be interested in the tests with the USB drives directly connected to BDP-1.
What is your DAC? :scratch:
Dangerous Music Source (w/ a Teradak LPS).
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zoom25 and CanadianMaestro, Thank You for making my day.
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fado, I didn't do anything, but I appreciate your candor.
cheers
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Wanted to update some info. This is the portable 2TB Western Digital My Passport Ultra drive I have been using for the past year: WDBBKD0020BWT
It spins at 5400 RPM and it's very silent among the hard drives I have. Almost impossible to hear it when it's plugged into the back of the BDP-1 and I'm sitting a meter or two away without any music playing.
Still waiting for the Jitterbug to ship out.
_______________________________________ _______________________________
In the meantime, a quick question. Perhaps James might be able to help me out. I've seen comments about the Sandisk Cruzer being warm and pleasant sounding. I wanted to know if there are any flashing led's in the units. I have a Cruzer from like 2006 and it looks nothing like the ones being sold in the past few years. All my current flash drives have blinking lights.
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My Lexar 256GB has a red LED that flashed when it loads into my BDP. Pretty fast and inert. As far as SQ, I haven't done/don't do A/B comparisons.
Look forward to reading your subjective impressions/comparisons.
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My Lexar 256GB has a red LED that flashed when it loads into my BDP. Pretty fast and inert. As far as SQ, I haven't done/don't do A/B comparisons.
Look forward to reading your subjective impressions/comparisons.
Mine has its lights on both at startup and when music is being played through it. If another drive is being used, then it won't have its light on. It flickers periodically and constantly as the music is playing since the buffer is continuously being updated. Yours doesn't flicker when music is being played?
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Mine has its lights on both at startup and when music is being played through it. Yours doesn't flicker when music is being played?
I don't look. It's hidden from my view, buried at the back of rack.
I'm too buried in the smooth melodies, anyways..... :dance:
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My Corsair GTX 256G has a bright flashing blue light while in operation. Definitely a distraction in a front port, the light is obvious even if plugged to a rear USB port, if close to a wall in a darkened room. Easily covered with a small strip of electrical tape.
I do find the sound better (solid low bass, less edge) than many lesser flash drives, essentially on par with my Samsung 2TB SSD. Built like a tank, actually a little too heavy for flimsy USB ports IMO.
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My Corsair GTX 256G has a bright flashing blue light while in operation. Definitely a distraction in a front port, the light is obvious even if plugged to a rear USB port, if close to a wall in a darkened room. Easily covered with a small strip of electrical tape.
I do find the sound better (solid low bass, less edge) than many lesser flash drives, essentially on par with my Samsung 2TB SSD. Built like a tank, actually a little too heavy for flimsy USB ports IMO.
How does your Flashdrive sound out of a desktop? The better SQ might carry over?
from a player like VLC.
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I had an eloquent post ready until my computer froze near the end. So I'll quickly re-sum up what I had written:
- I think all my flash drives are utterly on the cheap end. I never cared for flash drives as a music tool until recently. At this point, I don't need constant ABing to hear difference in flash drives vs. hard drives having put high mileage on both. It's obvious all the time, although both are very much enjoyable.
- It's a waste of time describing the full difference I hear in sound between the two, but the main are as following: cleaner transients and what appear to be more detail on the flash drives. Everything is tighter sounding. However, the hard drive is more relaxed and without the edge/glare. Now I haven't been able to nail down if what I'm perceiving as non-glare on the HD is simply loss of detail. This is where having the incoming Jitterbug is going to be helpful in revealing any noise/jitter issues. Additionally, having a top drive the Corsair would have further helped.
- Regarding storage mediums, I found a lot more useful info on ComputerAudiophile. A lot of people seem to absolutely love their SD cards. Apparently the best in shootout for a few.
- FLAC vs. WAV vs. AIFF ---> I found far more info and experience that mirrored mine on the BDP-1 on the Naim forums using their own dedicated players. Lots of good info there about noise ripples and patterns, clock destabilization, jitter, closed system intermodulation, inherent architecture preference for little endian and WAV in particular. I don't know how much of it applies to the BDP's, but it definitely mirrors my experience. A lot more crazy folks there, who apparently know what they are talking about.
I think FLAC vs. WAV is something easier for people to swallow, however, WAV vs. AIFF/AIFF-C is something even too crazy among the crazies for a discussion given that they are both uncompressed and only vary in order of data. Surprisingly, I did come across people working on this at Naim forums and others that apparently think there might be a difference in the noise and ripple pattern even between WAV and AIFF.
This is where I'm personally at from my testing at this moment in time:
FLAC vs. WAV - I think when people that haven't put a lot of time testing these both, go and do A/B comparisons (especially in shorter time intervals) they might actually prefer FLAC because its more intimate and appears more detailed and crisp on the vocals, whereas WAV is more open sounding and dynamic. WAV is more 3D sounding. It becomes apparent after some time. It's a non-issue for me as I have my library replicated in both FLAC and WAV (with tagging).
AIFF vs. WAV - Doing testing between these two actually kind of helped me figure out why I liked WAV over FLAC/ALAC. Because for all intents and purposes, I genuinely found WAV and AIFF to have the exact level of detail and soundstage and dynamics....BUT....it was only after reading a comment from someone else on a Naim forum that tested these two extensively that one particular word clicked in all of a sudden that helped explain what I was FEELING RATHER THAN HEARING over the last year and a half. That WORD IS FLUID.
This is why I think when people discuss doing A/B sessions they should first consider if they have actually put mileage testing both formats for a week period getting used to the sound of each format. Next, when it comes to doing the actual A/B tests, the time interval is actually super important. The more nuanced the detail, the more time you'll need to both feel it and hear it.
For example, if there is a massive change in soundstage, you might only need 5-10 seconds to tell that the soundstage has shrunk or grown. It's very much a hearing thing. But for something like very subtle noise patterns that might have equal bearing on the overall feeling and hearing as it relates to the music being FLUID, it takes a lot of time to fully figure it out. I still don't know what measurable parameters exactly influence this fluidity component. The difference was explained in the difference in the pattern of noise created. Who knows.
I'm still not certain myself on WAV vs. AIFF at this time, but adding fluidity as a component really helps in figuring out which file format I prefer in the long term. This actually mirrors what I had been saying all along. WAV wins each time when you play an album front to back without stopping because it FEELS LIKE MUSIC. There is a swing and uninterrupted quality about it that FLAC doesn't have, along with compressed soundstage and more top end detail...but perhaps a tiny bit more fluidity over AIFF as well. Again, the jury is still out on AIFF vs. WAV for me. If there is actually a difference, I hypothesize it's going to be near impossible in hearing it, before one can first feel it. Listen with your body.
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How does your Flashdrive sound out of a desktop? The better SQ might carry over?
from a player like VLC.
My desktop audio has no where near the fidelity to demonstrate the flashdrive differences, that are writ clear with the main gear (Bryston/Cary/Classe/Magnepan). And regarding Zoom's thoughts, I am firmly in the WAV camp for PCM, and also enjoying DSD a lot.
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I had an eloquent post ready until my computer froze near the end. So I'll quickly re-sum up what I had written:
------ [LONG des]
You ever consider doing a thesis for an MSc? :lol:
At least you will get somethin' tangible for all that work......
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You ever consider doing a thesis for an MSc? :lol:
At least you will get somethin' tangible for all that work......
LOL a point will come where/when I won't be posting anymore. Right now I'm trying to get out info on things that I cannot quite find or at least not in one place to put all these things in perspective. Over the years, I've run into very helpful posts that really got to the heart of some things and helped me quite a bit. Some of those posts were made on random forums over a decade ago. I'll post some info and then my job is done.
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(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=158976)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=158977)
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@zoom25 ... Nice! I've read great things about the Amphion speakers and would love to audition a pair.
On the WAV vs. FLAC side of things, I don't understand how anyone is getting WAV to work with the BDP-1, unless you are only browsing by folder.
I've tried a variety of tagging apps, transcoding FLAC or AIFF files to WAV and loading onto a flash drive for the BDP-1. I can never get MPD or Manic Moose to recognize the tags. Even if I use XLD to transcode and set it to include both INFO and id3 chunks for mete data tags. Of course these same files work everywhere else (tag-wise), so I have given up on WAV.
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@zoom25 ... Nice! I've read great things about the Amphion speakers and would love to audition a pair.
On the WAV vs. FLAC side of things, I don't understand how anyone is getting WAV to work with the BDP-1, unless you are only browsing by folder.
I've tried a variety of tagging apps, transcoding FLAC or AIFF files to WAV and loading onto a flash drive for the BDP-1. I can never get MPD or Manic Moose to recognize the tags. Even if I use XLD to transcode and set it to include both INFO and id3 chunks for mete data tags. Of course these same files work everywhere else (tag-wise), so I have given up on WAV.
Yeah the Amphions are worth the audition for desktop use with the Amphion amp and cables. You might be surprised...In a good room, you might give up on headphones because these can play quite low while remaining linear for those late night sessions.
I've disabled the Database on the Manic Moose. I still see the cover image and stuff that was there back when database was enabled. I do navigate via folders though. In Audirvana Plus, FLAC files appear the same as WAV in terms of metadata. Hasn't been an issue for me. I've gotten used to it. Even when I was using FLAC on BDP-1 and with the database, it wasn't always coming out properly, so I gave up.
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LOL a point will come where/when I won't be posting anymore. Right now I'm trying to get out info on things that I cannot quite find or at least not in one place to put all these things in perspective. Over the years, I've run into very helpful posts that really got to the heart of some things and helped me quite a bit. Some of those posts were made on random forums over a decade ago. I'll post some info and then my job is done.
Actually, I was not joking about the thesis. I've seen far less pass for an MS or MA degree. You should consider it.
Did the Bug make a reliably audible difference in SQ from a stick?
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Few updates:
1) Will likely be ordering another Jitterbug.
2) Ordered a few Hubbell 5262 cryo treated outlets that will be replacing the stock outlets that came with the house. Will still be using the stock faceplates that are already there.
3) The Mogami 3173 AES (10 and 18 feet) cable has now been completely dropped from being used in both digital and analog applications. Switched over to TPR for both at the moment. Will reassess the whole cable length thing again. Although, at short lengths (2 feet) it's still a bit weird. I actually daisy chained 2 of these 2 feet TPRs to make a 4 feet TPR that I'm using between the BDP-1 and Source. Despite the daisy chaining and adding extra pair of connectors in the middle, the result is still better than a single 2 footer TPR.
4) Stopped using D-Link AV500 Powerline adapters. Instead now have a BDP-1 connected to a separate spare router that has its wireless broadcast turned OFF.
5) De-stacked all components. Everything on its own shelf.
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^ zoom, so what SQ improvements did you hear that caused you to make those changes?
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^ zoom, so what SQ improvements did you hear that caused you to make those changes?
I'll be adding feedback soon. I sat with a pen and paper during my testing and took lots of notes. Lots of things to go through. Still contemplating how much to post and in what format. How much will be useful or read, etc...
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In the meantime this arrived:
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=160434)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=160435)
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^ Good upgrade. Surprised you didn't do it sooner. Hubbell outlets are very good and economical. Just to be safe, make sure a qualified electrician installs these in your house.
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Yeah that's the plan. Will call an electrician for this and some other stuff.
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^ Good upgrade. Surprised you didn't do it sooner. Hubbell outlets are very good and economical. Just to be safe, make sure a qualified electrician installs these in your house.
Why? it takes 5 minutes per outlet to swap, just make sure you flip the correct breaker
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Why? it takes 5 minutes per outlet to swap, just make sure you flip the correct breaker
Why NOT? What's the argument against having a certified electrician install and inspect?
May be more than meets the eye, esp in older homes with rotting wiring etc.
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This is what can happen to an outlet when there's an unknown mismatch between demand, supply, and wire material/engineering: (yes, an audio upgrade gone wrong)
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?16083-Fire-Alarm!
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=160452)
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Tiny update that I also posted on Head-fi:
In the month that I've had it, I did notice that its sound changed in the first 2-3 days. It was initially dark sounding. After the first week, the sound has been stable. I've found that the Jitterbug in different applications and gear will make different sonic changes or little changes. For example, I used the Jitterbug in three places:
1) At the iMac's USB output when feeding to my DAC's (Dangerous Source) USB input.
2) Connected to Bryston BDP-1's USB input being fed by a Western Digital 2TB portable hard drive (5400 rpm)..it's 2 years old
3) Connected to Bryston BDP-1's USB input being fed by a 128 GB PNY Turbo flash drive.
The BDP-1 outputs to my DAC via AES to AES.
I will post more detailed notes at some point about the 3 configurations. I've currently left the Jitterbug stay in configuration #1 for a week and a half. My library is also around a 1TB so I have put the least effort in the flash drive testing. However, initially, I did feel as if the Jitterbug made a bigger difference with the flash drive and that glare, despite sounding more transparent and tighter over the WD hard drive.
I took notes during the first 2 weeks. I'll do another batch of notes when I compare them next and see how the previous notes hold up.
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Tiny update that I also posted on Head-fi:
In the month that I've had it, I did notice that its sound changed in the first 2-3 days. It was initially dark sounding. After the first week, the sound has been stable. I've found that the Jitterbug in different applications and gear will make different sonic changes or little changes. For example, I used the Jitterbug in three places:
1) At the iMac's USB output when feeding to my DAC's (Dangerous Source) USB input.
2) Connected to Bryston BDP-1's USB input being fed by a Western Digital 2TB portable hard drive (5400 rpm)..it's 2 years old
3) Connected to Bryston BDP-1's USB input being fed by a 128 GB PNY Turbo flash drive.
The BDP-1 outputs to my DAC via AES to AES.
I will post more detailed notes at some point about the 3 configurations. I've currently left the Jitterbug stay in configuration #1 for a week and a half. My library is also around a 1TB so I have put the least effort in the flash drive testing. However, initially, I did feel as if the Jitterbug made a bigger difference with the flash drive and that glare, despite sounding more transparent and tighter over the WD hard drive.
I took notes during the first 2 weeks. I'll do another batch of notes when I compare them next and see how the previous notes hold up.
I will look forward to seeing your notes. I assume all of this testing is being performed "sighted"?
I am really curious if you've tested with the JitterBug in an unused port - not necessarily one of the ports being used by the flash drive. I ask because AudioQuest makes the case that the JitterBug can "clean up" noise from the USB bus, even plugged into an unused port. I am skeptical that much noise is generated by a flash drive, although it does draw *some* power, so maybe there is a benefit.
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Why NOT? What's the argument against having a certified electrician install and inspect?
May be more than meets the eye, esp in older homes with rotting wiring etc.
At a minimum you must know a) size of your breaker (amperage), b) size of your wiring (if pre-existing probably sufficient for what the breaker will allow through), c) amp rating of your outlet, which must not in any case be lower than the breaker. The breaker is what limits the current, everything downstream must have at least the same rating.
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I will look forward to seeing your notes. I assume all of this testing is being performed "sighted"?
I am really curious if you've tested with the JitterBug in an unused port - not necessarily one of the ports being used by the flash drive. I ask because AudioQuest makes the case that the JitterBug can "clean up" noise from the USB bus, even plugged into an unused port. I am skeptical that much noise is generated by a flash drive, although it does draw *some* power, so maybe there is a benefit.
Yeah this has been all sighted. It's quite hard to setup blind tests with the Jitterbug, especially when used with the BDP-1. On the computer, you have to make sure that the USB port is the same one each time you plug and unplug. Nothing else plugged in to other ports. All unnecessary apps closed. Wifi off. Audirvana running full System Optimization.
On the BDP-1, if you unplug and plug back in, the music and directory stops working and with a huge library it take time to reset it. The work around I found was to actually stop MPD and start Roon Ready. During that time you can unplug and plug drives back in and then restart MPD and the directory will still be there. It's the fastest method I've found so far.
All of these things isn't something a family member can easily help me out with. With cables and toggling buttons for comparing inputs, that's a lot easier than dealing with Macs and BDP-1 and MPD and Manic Moose.
I have gone and back and forth on the flash drive vs hard drive thing way before I knew of the Jitterbug and other noise stuff. It was always a toss up because of the trade-offs that I've noticed all along. So I don't think it's some bias I developed in anticipation of the Jitterbug and other knowledge.
The two Jitterbugs is also interesting, and I might give that a go if/when I get another piece. Most likely, I'll be using one with iMac and another with drives. Two is the limit on a bus drive. I'm not sure of BDP-1's USB schematics and how many and where I can put at a time.
Although, regarding the location of the flash and hard drives on BDP-1, I didn't find any differences in sound quality if a flash drive is plugged in the back or front. I plug the WD Drive in the rear bottom location. The flash drives typically go at the front. Another place where I didn't find a difference is if both flash drives and hard drives are plugged in at the same time or only one at a time. No difference if say the hard drive is plugged in the bottom rear permanently, and then I move the flash drive to either the 2 front ports or the rear top. So bottom line for me was no difference in sound with respect to location.
If I had to make a guess on which configurations would be the easiest and which would be the toughest to pick up in a blind test, I would say that configuration #1 with the iMac would be the easiest. The hardest would be the 2 TB WD portable hard drive. Flash drive in the middle.
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I have a question.
Today I changed three stock outlets that I use for audio with the Hubbell 5262 CRYO. I actually bought 4 and have one in reserve.
In this upstairs room, the breaker for this room is on a split circuit that powers 6 outlets that are close to each other. I know the order of the circuit and the actual 3 that I use for audio are the last three in order. It looks like this in proper order with the devices listed for each outlet:
1) Sony dock (on 24/7): https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page-2/B002OB4BK8-1.jpg
2) Costco Fan that very frequently gets used (only in summer) https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/9e/c6/97/9ec6975cc98498e7b1d6bb5b621dc264.jpg
3) Nothing plugged in because it's behind a bed.
4) Audio gear (Amp + Linear power supply for DAC)
5) Audio gear
6) Audio gear
In terms of power usage, the first 3 outlets use next to nothing, however they still have stock outlets. Will it make a difference in sound if I also upgrade them (first three) to the Hubbell? Are the first three limiting in any way?
Sound Impressions so far:
This is a cryo-treated outlet, but I didn't opt for the burn-in extra. So far I do think that there is less "glare/edge" which is noticeable in treble. It's a similar experience to getting better cables when they are new. Similarly, while I can tell that there is less glare, I also feel as if the sound is somewhat "restricted" and not fully opened up where the sound is dynamic from top to bottom. Almost like a veil that's holding it back. Despite that, I can tell it sounds 'musical/groovy' or less 'disjointed' and a bit warmer in the mids.
Future and Suggestions?
I find my interconnects (Grimm TPR), speaker cables (Amphion), digital cables (Grimm TPR), transport (BDP-1), amps (Amphion), speakers (Amphion), DA w/LPS (DM Source) are at a decent level. I might upgrade the DA in the next year or two, but it's by no means low end or even mid-fi. Everything is at a point where further improvements is pushing the envelope from 90%+ towards 100%...whatever that may be.
The only thing that I can think of as 'low-end' are the power cables. I have been using the stock included power cables with all my gear. I have no idea where to start and if there are cables that are more suited for analog vs. digital gear or shielded vs. unshielded. Any suggestions are welcome. I try my best to find stuff that performs quite well for its price and can be backed by science but also earn the love from their users...very much like the Grimm TPR.
Aside from power cables, I might later on look towards something Bryston BIT 15/20. Also, room treatment is a whole another thing. Anything I missed? :lol:
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I have found the DH Labs SilverSonic power cables excellent for both digital and analog components, providing substantial improvement over the stock computer-grade OEM cables. I use them in my second system (Cambridge Audio) but also tried them on my BDA-3 and BDP-2. Fuller, more resonant bass, wonderful soundstage, great "boogie" and pace. At $250 they won't break the bank. DH labs consistently offers great value. break them in for a minimum 3-4 days.
I use upper-end HiDiamond cables for my main gear (power, IC, speaker, AES). The DH labs come quite close at a fraction of the cost.
http://www.silversonic.com/docs/products/PowerPlus.html
Once you upgrade the Power Cables, a fuse upgrade will be very audible.
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I have found the DH Labs SilverSonic power cables excellent for both digital and analog components, providing substantial improvement over the stock computer-grade OEM cables. I use them in my second system (Cambridge Audio) but also tried them on my BDA-3 and BDP-2. Fuller, more resonant bass, wonderful soundstage, great "boogie" and pace. At $250 they won't break the bank. DH labs consistently offers great value. break them in for a minimum 3-4 days.
I use upper-end HiDiamond cables for my main gear (power, IC, speaker, AES). The DH labs come quite close at a fraction of the cost.
http://www.silversonic.com/docs/products/PowerPlus.html
Once you upgrade the Power Cables, a fuse upgrade will be very audible.
I checked out their cables and prices. I need at least 3 cables, probably 4-5 when I add more components. That's like $1500 CAD in cables. :o
I did pay $500 for my speaker cables but that was because I knew for a fact that the cable was picked out specifically by the manufacturer and used inside the gear as well for synergy. So I am not against it in the long run.
I did notice that they sell all their cables in bulk for much cheaper. The Power Plus is at $8 per foot and more digestible. I might consider DIY options if the results will be similar. Any thoughts? Have you done DIY with their cables?
I have read about this fuse thing a couple of times, still not sure which ones are recommended? I'll probably be doing the PCs first as you suggested.
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Update on the outlet:
It's sounding better than yesterday. It might be simply letting the gear warm up again, as I leave them on 24/7. There is definitely less glare than before in the treble, which is much appreciated on the HD 800 in comparison to Amphions. There's a bit more to it than that, but I'll keep that to myself for now and see how things progress over time. Well worth the price.
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This will help answer your question about the USB drives. According to the manual the back two are more powerful.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=161129)
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This is what can happen to an outlet when there's an unknown mismatch between demand, supply, and wire material/engineering: (yes, an audio upgrade gone wrong)
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?16083-Fire-Alarm!
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=160452)
I dont know about that. To me, it looks like a short with an improperly fastened wire came lose. Missing one wire that was not cut. Can't see the ground so i cant tell if it was a hot.
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This will help answer your question about the USB drives. According to the manual the back two are more powerful.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=161129)
Yeah I came across that awhile back when I read the manual. I didn't further investigate it, but in my experience with the unit, I couldn't find any difference between any of the ports.
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1 Week update on the Hubbell outlet:
I've had all my gear running ON 24/7 this entire time (as usual).
I'm still enjoying the lack of glare. The mid range is finally starting to open up, although I don't think the bass is fully there yet 100%. More dynamics and punch since day one. The lack of treble glare is still the best attribute though. Slowly, the air up top is returning.
To put it in context, I couldn't touch the stock HD 800 for more than a few minutes at max. I was physically cringing with treble outbursts where I would have to take them off and just walk out of the room. Even with Sonarworks at 70-100%, I was getting fatigued and not enjoying it. Now, I'm using stock without problems. If that doesn't get the message across... :thumb:
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1.5 month Update:
Hubbell outlets are still performing very solidly. No fatigue.
I finally got around to trying the Jitterbug away from the computer and into the USB input of the BDP-1. As before, I'm still using the WD portable hard drives.
I've already gotten used to how Jitterbug sounds with USB output on computer (iMac). At first the experience felt off, but quickly got used to it and appreciated the change. It was a similar experience this time with using it on BDP-1. Felt a bit weird initially when I connected it to the WD drive. I noticed that I kept wanting to turn up the volume, which in itself could be an indication for lack of noise. Maybe.
After an hour, I finally got used to it and I have to say that is quite engaging and draws you in more with a less shouty sound. It's also slightly more smoother sounding across the band.
I think it's time to get the 2nd Jitterbug.
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I'm noticing less grain as well. Although, there wasn't much to complain about previously.
However, the added depth in soundstage and the rendering of ambience is something else. At first, you may think it is less detailed because there is less there, but when you get used to it, it's actually more easy to follow. Less is more.
I highly advise for people wanting to try this to make sure to give a decent amount of time listening to get used to it.
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Interesting. The BDP-1 generates very little jitter (< 20ps from the specs). And since it has no analog output, zero THD by defn.
So then what is Jitterbug doing to improve the performance? Is it really reducing jitter from the pocket drive into the BDP?
:scratch:
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When you're connecting the Jitterbug to say the iMac's USB output going to DA's USB input, maybe you can make a case for jitter and noise.
In the case for hard drive connecting to BDP-1's USB input, I don't even think jitter comes into play? It could be purely noise instead? Like why flash drives sound different than hard drives.
I don't fully get it either. I just listen. A lot. Then come to my conclusion. Wish I had the gear to measure it, knew how to work it properly, and most importantly knew what and how to look for the right things for myself.
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If it sounds better to you, that's all that matters.
Some of the buyers on Amazon say that they heard improvements on some devices (e.g. computer) but not on others (e.g Cambridge DAC -- higher-end).....probably correlated wth how much grunge is generated from the source. The more there is, the bigger the contrast and the more obvious the improvement. :scratch:
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From my reading, most can tell some kind of variable difference on each device. Surprisingly, not many that couldn't hear any difference. However, it was interesting to note that not everyone liked what it did for the sound. Some say it got dull and thinner. Most of it was tonality based feedback. It could've been due to their particular gear or where their current listening skills/preferences were.
For example, a lot of people would think something is better if there is "more" in the sound. More harmonics or distortion. It's an easy thing to mistake with higher fidelity and more detail. Not everyone likes more accurate from the start. It is a learning curve.
Tonality aside, what was not debatable for me was what it did to the stereo image. With the Amphions locked in, it was easier mentally to follow the phantom center. Sound Liaison recordings are good at showing the depth difference.
Besides the equipment involved, there's also the listener, their brain and their training that could play a part in whether they would like it.
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Update on Jitterbug: Details matter
I use portable WD hard drives over their desktop counterparts because they are physically quieter. Even without music playing, you can never hear the portable drives. They are 5400 RPM and you have to touch them to see if they are spinning. The desktop on the other hand are much louder.
So let's see what configurations I've tried:
1) USB drives plugged in directly to BDP-1 ports
2) Portable WD hard drive plugged directly to the rear bottom.
3) Portable WD hard drive plugged directly to the rear bottom WITH an Audioquest Jitterbug attached to it.
Impressions:
#1 - The USB drives I've always felt they were tighter than hard drives and with more resolution, but sometimes with some kind of grunge (maybe?). But certainly the best sound when directly making connections to the BDP-1 without anything in the middle.
#2 - With the portable drive connected directly, I felt they sometimes smeared the transients and made it kind of sloppy. Not as clean sounding as flash drives.
#3 - When I added the Jitterbug to the portable drive connecting to BDP-1, I noticed there was a tradeoff but wasn't sure at first. It felt as if it got cleaner, but something felt off. I started to notice that I was actually getting fatigued with my WAVs. I actually started to prefer the compressed FLACs over the WAV because of the treble alone. The WAVs were more extended, but with a harshness and fatigue.
I noticed that with my iMac outputting to DAC, I did like it, but not so much with the hard drive. So I did some research and tried to find how the Jitterbug actually works and how they deal with voltage.
So I got an idea to break out my 10 port external powered USB Hub with switching power supply. Something generic from Canada Computers. So I plugged my portable hard drive into one of its 10 USB ports and immediately it was powered on. For the main output cable, I used my regular Belkin Gold from the hub and connected that to the BDP-1's USB input BUT with the Jitterbug at the end.
This finally resulted with a much better sound from the hard drive. Majority of treble glare gone and tight sounding like flash sounding. It seems the Jitterbug doesn't mesh well when a lot of power is going through it to power the drive as in configuration #3.
Now with an external hub and Jitterbug, the sound is very close to the flash drive. It's still not identical and I can hear it slightly in the highs and the harmonics in the vocals. Will have to do more listening.
What's next:
I want to either try a cable that only sends the data and not the power (if that can work) or an adapter that can block the 5V line in the USB cable (like Sbooster). I feel with filtering, there's always a tradeoff. This tradeoff varies depending on how and what things are connected. So I figure, maybe instead of filtering, why not get just get rid of the problem completely? I still have to learn more about this and if there are any downsides to this approach.
If anyone has experience with data only cables or blockers, I would love some suggestions and your experience.
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I tried the obvious next configuration by taking the Audioquest Jitterbug out of the USB hub system's output connecting to BDP-1's USB.
That sounded the worst.
Just to be clear, this was: WD portable hard drive -> USB external hub -> USB A to B cable from the hub -> Jitterbug (removed) -> Bryston BDP-1's USB input.
The removal of Jitterbug in this configuration just made it worse across the board. Makes me think about people who have been using external power drives with switching PS or hubs or some combination.
Let me know if someone's confused and wants pic to follow along. :thumb:
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^ Every system is different (cliche). I use a powered USB hub and pocket drives plugged into it then a single A-B to BDP. No issues with SQ whatsoever, love it. Tried a Bug from a friend like you suggested. Heard no improvement, on many tracks. So, back to the shortest possible path (for multiple drives) -- hub and cable, no bug. Will stay put. Shorter path always. For my system. :thumb:
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Nice. That's great to hear. Very lucky! Was this with BDP-1 or BDP-2?
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Nice. That's great to hear. Very lucky! Was this with BDP-1 or BDP-2?
Both. :thumb:
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Both. :thumb:
You would've heard it if only you used MQA!!! :lol: :lol:
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You would've heard it if only you used MQA!!! :lol: :lol:
Darn!! I knew I was missing something! The SQ was too clean and clear to be believable!
MQA = Most Questionable Audio :lol: :lol:
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MQA = Most Questionable Audio :lol: :lol:
:lol: :lol:
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For all that have tested hard drives against flash drives and found that the hard drives were more veiled sounding and slower and neutral...
Well, in the past two weeks with the addition of the Jitterbug on the external hub powering portable hard drive, that (WD drive + hub + JB) combo did to flash drive what flash drives had done to hard drives when they were just plugged in directly.
The flash drives sound warmer in the mids and slightly less tight across the spectrum. However, the highs are much better on the Jitterbug and more detailed and extended without any artificiality. Also, the dynamics is improved even further with the hard drive combo. The sound is more linear and to my liking.
Cool. :thumb:
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Hi Zoom,
Reading your enthusiastic post about the Jitterbug persuaded me to finally try one. 39 euro can't cause any misfortune...
I use the exact same setup as you, feeding my BDP1 with the Usb HDD's hooked up to a usb Hub with its own (not yet linear) power supply.
And thats why my next question would be what kind of power supply you use.
I have several devices using a cheap provided wall wart, and to try and isolate these as much as possible, they're powered on their own dedicated power strip, fed from another wall outlet than my main setup.
Still, inevitably they're connected to that main setup. Not only the network interfaces (which don't bother me that much since they're supposed to be isolated transports). Neither do the optical ones worry me. More so do the HDMI and digital coax connections. Think of a cable setup box, or an AppleTV for that matter. Think of USB devices, as my fake BOT drive connected to the BDP. (will test that too with the jitterbug to see if any progress is to me heard.)
All in all, please let me know about your power source, and thoughts on setting several of these up as isolated as possible..
Cheers,
Marius
For all that have tested hard drives against flash drives and found that the hard drives were more veiled sounding and slower and neutral...
Well, in the past two weeks with the addition of the Jitterbug on the external hub powering portable hard drive, that (WD drive + hub + JB) combo did to flash drive what flash drives had done to hard drives when they were just plugged in directly.
The flash drives sound warmer in the mids and slightly less tight across the spectrum. However, the highs are much better on the Jitterbug and more detailed and extended without any artificiality. Also, the dynamics is improved even further with the hard drive combo. The sound is more linear and to my liking.
Cool. :thumb:
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Hi Zoom,
Reading your enthusiastic post about the Jitterbug persuaded me to finally try one. 39 euro can't cause any misfortune...
I use the exact same setup as you, feeding my BDP1 with the Usb HDD's hooked up to a usb Hub with its own (not yet linear) power supply.
And thats why my next question would be what kind of power supply you use.
I have several devices using a cheap provided wall wart, and to try and isolate these as much as possible, they're powered on their own dedicated power strip, fed from another wall outlet than my main setup.
Still, inevitably they're connected to that main setup. Not only the network interfaces (which don't bother me that much since they're supposed to be isolated transports). Neither do the optical ones worry me. More so do the HDMI and digital coax connections. Think of a cable setup box, or an AppleTV for that matter. Think of USB devices, as my fake BOT drive connected to the BDP. (will test that too with the jitterbug to see if any progress is to me heard.)
All in all, please let me know about your power source, and thoughts on setting several of these up as isolated as possible..
Cheers,
Marius
Hi Marius,
Good questions. I'll try to tackle them. They might be all over the place and without a clear defined structure. Hopefully it provides some context. Your main response is at the end.
I think the first thing to know is exactly what is on your circuit. On the particular one for my desktop with the Bryston and Amphion, I only have 2 switching power supplies. One of them is a Sony dock in another room. I haven't had any problems with that. The other switching power I had until now was a router in a closed network. I disabled it's SSID broadcast and so the BDP-1 is not connected to the internet, but only the router which in turn is connected to the ethernet port of my iMac. So I get the internet for my iMac via it's Wifi and use the ethernet for BDP-1.
I used to use a Powerline adapter on the circuit in the past as the router is too far away to run an ethernet cable, which would have been preferable. Powerline adapter is bad in so many ways. If you put your ears close to them, you can actually hear a high pitch whine. Furthermore, they would make some of my headphones buzz. My BDP/DAC/AMP/speaker combo is all balanced and I couldn't hear any problem directly like with headphones, but could tell the dynamics and blackground were comprimised. So Powerline is gone.
I'm looking into some other bridge devices if I need the internet aspect or being able to control the BDP-1 from a tablet again. You need two cards for two network connectivity at the same time. Only the iMac does this for me. I also have to look into if/how much and what kind of crap they are going to put into the mains.
Another thing about Powerline is that it can creep in other circuits. All of those dimmable LED lights should also be avoided. I've played around with different bulbs from different brands. Some high end ones with high CRI and can tell you that not all dimmers and bulbs are made equal. Some can be very noisy when attenuated. However, it's best to avoid them throughout the house. Both the bulbs and powerline put out a lot of RF! I have tested this with headphones connected to a Macbook Pro which was running on battery with power adapter unplugged, so the power couldn't have been a problem. They
Our rigs should are good enough that you won't notice any concrete evidence of problems. It's more of a subtle change in sound that can be fatiguing over time. There's surprisingly a lot more discussion about power, media storage, and format testing on Naim forums. You might want to also look into that.
Solutions:
Isolation Transformer: I'm looking into this more and more for the system. I'll probably be fine with BIT15. I'm already good on the outlets as I upgraded them to some nice Hubbell a few months back. That was a good upgrade.
Switching power supplies: Not all of them are bad and certainly not to the same extent. In general, I try to remove as many as possible, especially on the circuit.
Ethernet: Like USB, ethernet can also be noisy. There are fiber converters where you need to buy a pair of two of them and the incoming ethernet is converted to light and back out to ethernet in second box. Again, good option. Except both of those devices also run on SMPS. So either you then have to worry about how noisy those boxes are vs. the benefit of their conversion. Or get a linear power supply for them as well. It's part of the reason why I didn't get an Uptone Regen and went with the passive Jitterbug as I didn't want to deal with another SMPS and having to replace that with a LPS as well. My goal is to keep the number of devices to a minimum.
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Before discussing the power supplies of hard drives, let's just talk about them in practical use. The bigger external hard drives are cheaper by a little bit and can offer bigger max sizes in general and for the money in comparison to the portable hard drives. However, I have yet to find a single external hard drive that was anywhere as quiet sounding as the 5400 portable WD Drives. You cannot hear them even when music is not playing. They are sitting behind the rack along with the hub. So for that reason, I only stick with portable drives....HOWEVER, the external drive runs on 12V. I'll get back to that.
The BDP-1 has its own LPS, so need to worry about that. If you have a BDA-X, then you're good. I use an external Teradak for my DAC, so I'm also covered in that areas: http://www.teradak.com/products/66.html
My amp is a Class D, but it's the cleanest implementation of SMPS I've seen. It's better than some top Class A/AB I've heard in being linear and neutral. Plus, I can leave it on 24/7. So I'm not concerned about any of the major hardware in my rig in terms of power or pollution.
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Now back to the remaining two SMPS: router for me and portable hard drives and hubs (for both of us).
I checked my SMPS and found that the router and the big WD external hard drive use 12V. The USB hub on the other hand uses 5V. The portable hard drive on the other hand needs a USB input. Here's where you can do a 2-1.
I can get either one 12V LPS that gives 2 root lines: 1 for the router and one for the external big drive. For USB hub, I'll need a separate LPS as its 5V. However, most modems/routers nowadays have USB slots so you can plug the portable hard drive directly to the router which is powered by the LPS. That way you only need one LPS with one output
If you do it this way with the portable drive on the router, then you'll be sending music via ethernet. So you cannot add Jitterbugs to that. However, if needed, one could add the fiber converter I previously mentioned that are also being powered with LPS.
OR, if routers/switches are not needed at all and you're just big external drives or small drives with a LPS, then you get either get a 12V for the big drives or a 5v for the hub. There's many ways a system can be hooked up.
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Here's another crucial thing I've noticed that I have not seen mentioned yet at all. if you connect say a flash drive and a portable drive directly to the BDP-1 and also an external drive all at the same time, and load the same WAV file on each of them, and then that file from each device, it will sound different! (Which we know)
However, the mere act of plugging in the devices to the BDP-1 doesn't affect them badly. I think the problem arises it's when drawing the stream from each source that the noise type of each source becomes relevant. There doesn't seem to be an adverse affect from having other noisy drives plugged in as long as they are not being used for the music. So that's a positive for Bryston!
You will notice that the BDP-1 is constantly buffering. Unlike with some computers and softwares like Audirvana, you can actually load the entire album and unplug the drive and the entire album will play out. This is the best way to stop worrying about noise from source.
If you've read the forums on memory playback, then you've heard about this: "Our software plays from the memory and not the drive itself so the noise doesn't matter."
To me that's true, but doesn't fully solve the problem. Even then the actual music is being played from memory which it keeps buffering in advance, HOWEVER, the buffer is being updated continuously so the MEDIA STORAGE is ALWAYS in play in the circuit.
I even mentioned this for the BDP-3 as a feature. I want true buffering of all tracks in advance. I don't mind the wait of a few seconds or even the first minute. I want to be able to load all the tracks in the memory and then either put my drive to sleep or even be able to plug the hard drive from the USB port and let it finish the album.
However, there's no need to unplug or put the drives to sleep as there doesn't seem to be an adverse affect of just having the drives plugged in.
I haven't seen any BDP-3 impressions yet, but I'm interested in hearing about what the 8GB of RAM can do for the sound and if it can take the drives out of the scenario after a few seconds.
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I'll link some LPS in the future for the hard drives/switches/routers/hubs etc.
I might have missed a few things here and there. It's all over the place with lots of variables that one can choose to control or not if they wish.
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BTW forgot to ask: how did you like the Jitterbug so far?
When I initially got it, I was not using it with hard drives, but rather at iMac to feed my DAC. I noticed it took 3-4 days for the sound to open up. It felt dark sounding initially. The extreme top end wasn't there yet. Just factor that in and feed stuff through it for a couple of days 24/7 if you already haven't.
Cheers!
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Maybe something like this: http://www.hd-plex.com/HDPLEX-Fanless-200W-Linear-Power-Supply-for-PC-Audio-and-CE-device.html
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=166112)
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BTW forgot to ask: how did you like the Jitterbug so far?
When I initially got it, I was not using it with hard drives, but rather at iMac to feed my DAC. I noticed it took 3-4 days for the sound to open up. It felt dark sounding initially. The extreme top end wasn't there yet. Just factor that in and feed stuff through it for a couple of days 24/7 if you already haven't.
Cheers!
It just arrived in the mail! No listening yet, just a first try on the front USB ports of the Bdp. It won’t play at all..... :scratch:
Will study your other post in detail a bit later, have to run now, but thanks!
Marius
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Hi Zoom,
No luck sofar... my BDP1 won't recognize any drives on my usb hub through the Jitterbug. Ive attached a dvd drive and 3 usb drives to the hub, and that worked perfectly before. I hear them spinning and see the hdd leds lit, so they must have power. :scratch:
In the manual Audioquest states they make usb 3 drives behave like usb2 and spin them down, maybe thats conflicting in my setup.
ive installed the latest firmware at the same time. hope thats not buggy, which i can't imagine tbh.
My ancient Macbook Pro has no issues reading the usb3 drive through the jitterbug.
Cheers,
Marius
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Hi Zoom,
No luck sofar... my BDP1 won't recognize any drives on my usb hub through the Jitterbug. Ive attached a dvd drive and 3 usb drives to the hub, and that worked perfectly before. I hear them spinning and see the hdd leds lit, so they must have power. :scratch:
In the manual Audioquest states they make usb 3 drives behave like usb2 and spin them down, maybe thats conflicting in my setup.
ive installed the latest firmware at the same time. hope thats not buggy, which i can't imagine tbh.
My ancient Macbook Pro has no issues reading the usb3 drive through the jitterbug.
Cheers,
Marius
I noticed my Jitterbug did not work with some USB cables. Wireworld in particular. The Jitterbug did work with Audioquest cables. I use a BDP-1 and a BDP-2. Waiting for a BDP-3 and will report if the jitterbug will work with Wireworld cables.
I have Legacy Aeris speakers and now using the Legacy Wavelet as the Preamp. I have switched the the power supply to HDPLEX. The HDPLEX has lowered the noise floor and increased definition.
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Hi Marius,
I've taken a look at my flash drives, hard drives, and the hub.
I've used both USB 3.0 and 2.0 for both the flash drives and the hard drives. The hub is USB 2.0.
Can you confirm whether the Jitterbug is working at all? Try plugging it to the BDP-1 with a flash drive attached or with a USB output from a computer to a BDA. Or if you have a big external drive, try connecting that to the BDP-1 as well via the Jitterbug. If all of those work, then it might be the USB hub.
I do remember that the Jitterbug limits the performance of USB 3.0 to USB 2.0. Although, I didn't think it would completely block it. Let's make sure that the device is actually working. If it's not working, get a refund ASAP. If it is, I'd contact Audioquest for help. Also, I'm using stock Belkin Gold USB cables. They meet the spec quite well. I've had USB and HDMI cables that worked in some setups, but not others. Maybe if you have a different A to B USB cable, that could also be worth a try.
Let's figure out if the things works at all, and if so, in which scenarios.
EDIT: Just read: "My ancient Macbook Pro has no issues reading the usb3 drive through the jitterbug."
Okay, so the thing works. Try connecting one external powered drive without the hub and see if that works. Either it's the hub itself or the USB A to B master output cable in the hub.
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I noticed my Jitterbug did not work with some USB cables. Wireworld in particular. The Jitterbug did work with Audioquest cables. I use a BDP-1 and a BDP-2. Waiting for a BDP-3 and will report if the jitterbug will work with Wireworld cables.
I have Legacy Aeris speakers and now using the Legacy Wavelet as the Preamp. I have switched the the power supply to HDPLEX. The HDPLEX has lowered the noise floor and increased definition.
For which product did you get the HDPLEX?
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For which product did you get the HDPLEX?
Legacy Walet Preamp.
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Hi Marius,
I've taken a look at my flash drives, hard drives, and the hub.
I've used both USB 3.0 and 2.0 for both the flash drives and the hard drives. The hub is USB 2.0.
Can you confirm whether the Jitterbug is working at all? Try plugging it to the BDP-1 with a flash drive attached or with a USB output from a computer to a BDA. Or if you have a big external drive, try connecting that to the BDP-1 as well via the Jitterbug. If all of those work, then it might be the USB hub.
I do remember that the Jitterbug limits the performance of USB 3.0 to USB 2.0. Although, I didn't think it would completely block it. Let's make sure that the device is actually working. If it's not working, get a refund ASAP. If it is, I'd contact Audioquest for help. Also, I'm using stock Belkin Gold USB cables. They meet the spec quite well. I've had USB and HDMI cables that worked in some setups, but not others. Maybe if you have a different A to B USB cable, that could also be worth a try.
Let's figure out if the things works at all, and if so, in which scenarios.
EDIT: Just read: "My ancient Macbook Pro has no issues reading the usb3 drive through the jitterbug."
Okay, so the thing works. Try connecting one external powered drive without the hub and see if that works. Either it's the hub itself or the USB A to B master output cable in the hub.
Its the HUB. Very peculiar. All lights are on, with in the Hub and the drives. The drives spin, as does the dvd drive, but none of them can be read. :scratch: somehow the hub got toasted. luckily theres still a year of warranty on that....
Does make one wonder.
Cheers,
Marius
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Its the HUB. Very peculiar. All lights are on, with in the Hub and the drives. The drives spin, as does the dvd drive, but none of them can be read. :scratch: somehow the hub got toasted. luckily theres still a year of warranty on that....
Does make one wonder.
Cheers,
Marius
Yeah that sucks about the USB hub. At least you know now. Hope it all works out for you.