Legato USB-SPDIF converter is ready

art · « **Reply #40 on:** 9 Dec 2009, 06:59 am »

Good question. I can not explain the reason for the differences; I can only comment on what I have experienced.

The instances have been few, but saying that there are absolutely none wouldn't be right.

So, here is what I have experienced on a few occasions:

"Uh............it kinda sorta sounds ok............I think.............no, the more I think about it, I don't think that I like it."
"Do you have a Mac?"
"Yes."
"Wanna try it and see what happens?"
"Sure."

Same unit, same system, same listener(s), it sounded much better on the Mac.

Now what causes that?

I dunno. My guess is the s/w. Or some setting in the s/w. Maybe the s/w is telling you it is set one way, and it is operating in a totally different way. What can I say? It is WinDoze.

Most times, but obviously not all, it sounds about the same on the PC or a Mac. I have talked to others about this problem. They agree: sometimes PCs sound good, and other times they don't.

Now, if I was into this computer audio stuff, and I will admit that I am not, I would have a dedicated computer just to act as the transport. No e-mail, no web surfing, nothing else. Feasible with a PC. Not feasible with a Mac. Which makes for a difficult choice.

We are doing everything that we can, to hold down the price on this product. Mainly because we feel that you need to spend a big chuck of change on a transport.

And the DAC. Which we do not make.

Yet.

If and when we do, it won't be $500. I can tell you that now, before we have the basic design done. Probably $1000. Maybe more.

And no, the front panels still are not here!

Pat

Firefly · « **Reply #41 on:** 13 Dec 2009, 08:20 pm »

Quote from: art

And the DAC. Which we do not make.

Yet.

If and when we do, it won't be $500. I can tell you that now, before we have the basic design done. Probably $1000. Maybe more.

Pat

...and when you do, run logic level high transconductance su**er for each supply pin & shunt them hard, shunt them hot

Firefly · « **Reply #42 on:** 16 Dec 2009, 11:56 pm »

@art (or pat or jh)

try PC computer with this player: http://www.xxhighend.nl/
This is PITA to install & configure, but sound better than Winamp, Fooobar, WMP,....
Why difference? I can not explain

*Scotty* · « **Reply #43 on:** 17 Dec 2009, 12:27 am »

Pat,You might try Linux as yet another option. I have had good results with eeebuntu loaded onto an ASUS eee1000HE using the Rhythmbox player.
Scotty

lindamar · « **Reply #44 on:** 21 Jan 2010, 12:42 pm »

Greetings from Spain,

Any chance to get the Legato shipped to Spain ?

Best regards,
Linda

art · « **Reply #45 on:** 21 Jan 2010, 05:02 pm »

Yes, but not until we get enough experience to make sure there are not bugs or other glitches. Please give us a few more weeks before we are comfortable to ship outside of the country.

OK, maybe Canada...........not so hard or expensive to get stuff back and forth.

Thanks,
Pat

art · « **Reply #46 on:** 5 Feb 2010, 09:06 pm »

Ok, front panel issue may be solved. Scratch one distributor (aka "The Hold-up).

Comments appreciated. This uses a fairly new technique called fiber marking. Can't tell you much about it, other than it costs more than we would like to pay.

Pat

tonyptony · « **Reply #47 on:** 6 Feb 2010, 12:21 am »

Looks nice. Is the front panel itself colored in some way, or is that its natural finsih?

It would mean using a different fastening method, but if there were a way to countersink the front panel screws it would look a bit slicker.

art · « **Reply #48 on:** 6 Feb 2010, 01:02 am »

Well, it comes countersunk, but.........

It uses some weird head, and looks horrible. The problem is it has the head of a 4-40, but is a 6-32 screw.

The color is clear anodize. It is off a bit in this photo. Poor lighting, which is what happens when someone who knows diddly about photography takes a quick picture to post on the web.

Pat

jtwrace · « **Reply #49 on:** 6 Feb 2010, 01:06 am »

Quote from: art on 6 Feb 2010, 01:02 am

Well, it comes countersunk, but.........

It uses some weird head, and looks horrible. The problem is it has the head of a 4-40, but is a 6-32 screw.

The color is clear anodize. It is off a bit in this photo. Poor lighting, which is what happens when someone who knows diddly about photography takes a quick picture to post on the web.

Pat

So the head isn't .307" dia? You could certainly have the countersunk done that way...

Personally, I like the look of a SHCS.

joeling39 · « **Reply #50 on:** 6 Feb 2010, 09:35 am »

Hi Pat,

I'm still interested.

Regards,
Joe Ling
Malaysia

art · « **Reply #51 on:** 6 Feb 2010, 03:45 pm »

Quote from: jtwrace on 6 Feb 2010, 01:06 am

So the head isn't .307" dia? You could certainly have the countersunk done that way...

Personally, I like the look of a SHCS.

No, it is something like 0.216". (Don't have one and a caliper in front of me.) There is not enough room to use that size head. To complicate things, I can not order panels w/o the countersink. It is part of the punching process, when the plate is made.

Sure, I could contract out, and have some made that way. Long story short, that line of thinking is what the last few months hold-up was about.

Pat

jtwrace · « **Reply #52 on:** 6 Feb 2010, 03:47 pm »

Quote from: art on 6 Feb 2010, 03:45 pm

No, it is something like 0.216". (Don't have one and a caliper in front of me.) There is not enough room to use that size head. To complicate things, I can not order panels w/o the countersink. It is part of the punching process, when the plate is made.

Sure, I could contract out, and have some made that way. Long story short, that line of thinking is what the last few months hold-up was about.

Pat

When you get a chance, measure the head / countersink and angle of the countersink and I'll see if I can come up with something. It's up to you!

art · « **Reply #53 on:** 6 Feb 2010, 03:49 pm »

OK. I am heading off to the salt mine in the next hour or so.

Thanks,
Pat

art · « **Reply #54 on:** 6 Feb 2010, 05:30 pm »

Ok, without getting out the calipers..........

As I suspected, a 4-40 flathead drops right in. So, 4-40 head, 6-32 body and thread. Don't ask me why they did it that way.

The ones that come with it are a trilobular, thread-rolling type. Cheap zinc (?) plating. Look very cheap.

Pat

art · « **Reply #55 on:** 15 Feb 2010, 10:32 pm »

OK, someone who knows more about photography than I do (which isn't saying much) 'splained to me what "white balance" is. (Can I say that, without someone accusing me of racism? It's a joke............lighten up.)

Anyway, after going through the process of trying to do it the hard way, the easy way of "fluorescent" works best.

"You'll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent." Or use the right setting.

Raw panels have not arrived yet..........about one week after they show up before the are done. Hang in there, y'all.

Pat

art · « **Reply #56 on:** 25 Feb 2010, 10:57 pm »

Raw panels just arrived. Going to the guy who finishes them in the AM.

Pat

art · « **Reply #57 on:** 26 Feb 2010, 09:33 pm »

This may not mean much, but those of you who are into specs and the like, may find this interesting.

We have use of an uber-expensive whatchamacallit machine, that is designed to measure "signal integrity". Whatever that means. But, we can use it to measure the jitter performance of the unit.

Measuring the clock, inside the Legato, by itself, we get jitter numbers of around 4 pSec. We are not able to put this into a graphical from yet (and even then, it may not make a lot of sense to folks who aren't engineers), but that is a good number.

Part of the problem with jitter numbers is that jitter is function of frequency. 4 pSec for our clock is a good number. If we ran the clock at twice that rate, the equivalent would be only 2 pSec. (The limit on the equipment is 2.3 pSec. So, the measurement would be in the noise floor.)

But, that isn't much help. Really doesn't tell you what the signal that comes out the back is really like. But, measuring the SPDIF is a bit tricky. It is not a steady pattern, so the changes in the pattern will show up as jitter. Which, it is not.

So, what to do?

Well, lucky for us, this whatchamacallit has a feature that allows measurements of the rising and falling edges of the waveform. This gets around the problem of not having a constant period, to the signal. The only caveat is now that it gives a reading, that can be very misleading.

Translated into language that you may understand: the SPDIF has the same amount of jitter, as does the clock. Not surprising, since the signal is reclocked by the internal clock.

So, the upshot of all of this..............

Probably has the best jitter performance, of any USB-SPDIF converter around.

"Well, that is all fine and dandy. What about us who want hi-rez?"

Well, the jitter at 44 kHz would suffer. Laws of physics, at work.

BTW.............those of you waiting on Duet and SB3 mods..............measures about the same. Just a tad higher, as everything works on 3.3 V, inside on those. More physics at work dilemma.

Pat

art · « **Reply #58 on:** 3 Mar 2010, 09:42 pm »

OK, we have front panels.

6 months too late, but at least that is in the past. Finally. (If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.)

Ok, some of you will be getting Pay Pal requests. If you take as much time responding, as we did in getting these panels, we will assume you have lost interest, and go on to the next person in the queue. (We hope you will not have, but we understand. Imagine our frustration.)

Everyone else: you will have to wait until the next batch. I am guessing 2 weeks, from now. (No, they are not vaporware, either. They are real, but just starting the process.)

Thanks to all for their patience.

Pat

drmike · « **Reply #59 on:** 5 Mar 2010, 04:55 pm »

how does one get on the list?
thanks,
drmike