Thanks, Elk. Yes, that is my assumption too, that the transport should be irrelevant. But as Yogi Berra famously said, in theory, theory and practice are identical, but in practice, they're not. Theory must always be tested by experiment. As for the monitor, I bit the bullet and bought the $49 one from Amazon. Borrowing a monitor would be ok once but would be awkward if ever have to change the settings again. BTW, I looked at the BDP-S6700 manual again and don't see any setting for selecting the SACD layer of hybrid discs. Do you think it will play the Redbook layer by default? That would defeat the whole purpose of this scheme, since most of my SACDs are hybrid. LATER. Looked at the manual of the Sony UBP-X800M2 as well (more expensive model) and that doesn't have a hybrid setting either.
Greene, like Miller, did inject high-levels of jitter into the Benchmark, and the DAC did what it is supposed to do, reject it. If there are audible differences (a) the cause is not transmission jitter, or (b) it is in the mind of the listener. With regard to manual: Page 28 DSD Output Mode = Auto Digital Music Enhancer - Off Audio DRC - Off (last two just to be on the safe side) Page 31 Super Audio CD Playback Layer - Super Audio CD Super Audio CD Playback Channel - DSD 2ch
That's a proprietary data connection between the manufacturer's transport and DAC. Such systems have existed in SACD since the outset (Sharp and Accuphase), see, for example: Accuphase DP-100 Super Audio CD transport & DC-101 Digital Processor
I bought a Tripp-Lite HDMI to coax converter from eBay to get a HiRes SACD signal from my Oppo to my Naim DAC. When I first hooked it up it didn't seem to work. Gave it another go and realized I didn't have the 5.1 button pressed on the converter. Now it's working and a definite improvement over Redbook! HD lamp is now lit on the nDAC. It's made in Vietnam. Tripp-lite has been around for a while with a decent reputation unlike some of the cheap Chinese options. HDMI Audio Extractor with TOSLINK, 3.5 mm Stereo 4K | Tripp Lite It looks similar to the Kanex box. I wonder if they are made in the same place?
This de-embedder is actually even more pedestrian than that. This one doesn't even have an I2S output port (I2S is one of only two possible methods for getting unencrypted DSD data from an SACD player in real time). So this unit can only play SACDs when they have been transcoded to PCM.
Yea, I don't think a product from a US company that is licensed here could do the things the Chinese de-embedders do
There are devices that extract (that’s what de-embed means, right?) the audio from HDMI, made in the US, the D.BOB (digital break out box) from Geer Fab. Music Direct sell it buts it’s a grand. Or am I talking apples to oranges?
No, you are right, the GeerFab is a licensed device (made in China, but US company), but it only provides DSD via DoP, which is a HDMI compliant interface. Some of the Chinese devices don't provide any security and output DSD over non-compliant interfaces such as I2S, which is part of the attraction for many (you can use something like a Denafrips DAC that pays no licensing fees for HDMI since it doesn't support it). That's all I meant. We did mention the GeerFab earlier in the thread, but the $1000 price is a non-starter for many compared to the under $100 Chinese devices. Anyway, I don't know all the rules and legalities, but assumed the GeerFab was so much more expensive because of the legalities, but maybe it is just because it is a US company. Presumably they are incurring some licensing costs for using HDMI, though.
True but not all DAC's have a I2s input (mine doesn't) nor is HD PCM miles from DSD. Many players won't output DSD as well. For a cheap, non Chinese made box it was a nice uplift for me.
I noticed in Fremer's YouTube vid of the recent Munich HiFi show that the rep from GearFab mentioned they have a new box coming out in July. I'm sure it will still be more than I'm willing to pay for such a box though.
The inexpensive Sony BDP-S6700 has been a disappointment as a transport. I believe the problem is not jitter, to which the Benchmark DAC3 is immune. Rather, there seems to be another source of noise contaminating the signal. I suspect the power supply. I’ve found power supply noise to degrade the sound of digital components in the past. I’m going to try running the BDP-S6700 on battery power, if possible. If that doesn’t work I will have to look for a transport with a better power supply and/or shielding.
When you get the HDMI embedder, you will be able to play SACD and CD out the SPDIF coaxial output to your DAC. That may alleviate the noise issue. But, a good power supply for your Sony BDP-S6700 won't hurt it.
Interesting... It sounds like the benchmark isn't living up to its illustrious claims of total jitter immunity after all. Because the fact of the matter is that noise in the digital domain impacts a digital signal in much the same way as jitter does. FWIW: If you are willing to spend more money on a really excellent solution (something that you can run long term and which re-clocks everything) then you might want to look at the Audio Praise's Vanity HDMI convertor box instead of that cheap Chinese convertor.
The DC adapter arrived that lets me run the inexpensive Sony BDP-S6700 on battery power. I compared it again to the VSE-modded Sony XA5400ES, both used as transports feeding the Benchmark DAC3 via coaxial cable. The BDP-S6700 sounds a lot better than it did, but is still noticeably inferior to the XA5400ES. The BDP-S6700 sounds a bit flat and grainy by comparison. Not a night-and-day difference, but definitely enough to diminish my enjoyment of music played through it. It seems obvious to me that there is still some noise contaminating the signal, but I can only speculate as to where it's coming from. Power supply noise is no longer an issue, but perhaps electrical noise from other sources is leaking into the BDP-S6700 due to inadequate shielding. In any case, I'm not sure where I go from here. There are more expensive and more sturdily constructed Sony units available, for example the UBP-X800M2, which Amazon has for $248, or the X800 for $449. Or I could bite the bullet and source one of the better Oppo players from eBay, although that may be overkill as I probably won't use the analog outputs anyway. Thoughts?
I again compared a Redbook CD track played back from my MacBook Pro (using the VOX player) vs. the same track played back on the Sony XA5400ES, both feeding the Benchmark DAC3. Sony wins. Ripped CD tracks don't sound as good as the discs themselves. I don't know why; perhaps it's the OS X sound driver. So ripping my discs is not the answer. Finally, the Chinese de-embedder arrived. It doesn't work. Output is intermittent, and the Benchmark sees it as 48k, not DSD64. Maybe it's just a defective unit. I've written to the seller. A trifecta of unsatisfactoriness.
You might not have your DVD player set to the proper settings for it to output DSD. This is the adapter that I keep recommending to you. It's not cheap, but the best things rarely are. VanityPRO | Audiopraise And as far as Oppos go, the 93, 103, and 203 will all work perfectly for your purposes.
