With the latest firmware for the higher-res Puffins, the SP/DIF output is now software selectable between 24/96 and 24/48 resolutions. So the more recent Puffins are now 100% compatible with recording via an interface which is limited to a 24/48 digital input.
It would not be difficult to have the magic software flag clicks which repeat at or near a 1.8 second interval and account for their duration and severity in grading. Perhaps it already does that.
Another affordable toslink to usb option that comes to mind is USB Phono Plus – Project Series – ART Pro Audio I'd write to Parks Audio, maybe he knows some more.
Good find. Has coax/SPDIF too. Shannon suggested some interfaces when the digital mod was first offered, but this wasn’t one. Would have bought this over the Creative Soundblaster HD (long discontinued) plus SPDIF to toslink converter.
I remember that, but couldn't find it. Those were some Amazon finds he tested, iirc. This one showed just now: https://hifimediy.com/product/hifime-ur23-spdif-optical-to-usb-converter/
My Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD PCIe has 96k optical in and out - optical is inside the RCAs for line-in using a special cable. It is simply not a recommendation because it is near-unobtanium, being one of the best audiophile cards made and beating any other interface I have. USB Phono plus? It alone is a strong MM competitor to the Puffin.
The optical transmitter or receiver is inside the RCA combo receptacle. The special optical cable has your standard JIS F05 connector at one end, and "mini-toslink" at the other that fits in the RCA hole. Others like Sound Blaster G5 or $50 G3 use this but with 3.5mm jacks, so the optical isn't apparent just looking at the box (except for the red light coming out of an RCA jack!).
I've decided to send mine back to Shannon for the Toslink upgrade. Been searching for sound cards with hi-res capability, I prefer 24/96. Prefer external.. most I see have only have optical out.. Looks like will have go the PCIe route Sound Blaster Z SE & StarTech 7.1 channel - These two don't break the bank.. Leaning towards Sound Blaster.. Any other options that would work?
You can buy SP/DIF to toslink convertors for about $15 from amazon. These work perfectly and do not seem to have any detrimental effects on the sound in my experience. I have tried the startek card. And I'm not sure what the issue is, but I've one a hell of a time getting the toslink input to successfully pass anything beyond 16/48 despite its impressive specs. I suspect that I am having some sort of windows 10 drivers issue with this card, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to resolve it. It actually accepts a 24/48 input, but the signal is definitely being truncated to 16/48 when I do. If it were getting dithered down to 16 bit first, I would be ok with this scenario. But its not. It's definitely getting truncated straight from the driver. Many might not notice the difference between the signal getting truncated and it getting dithered. But it bugs me.
For those who have ordered directly from Parks, how quickly did you receive delivery? I am looking at getting one with digital out and debating whether to order from Canada or wait until I am in the US for a week in March and ship it to where I will be staying to save on international shipping costs.
He sent mine USPS priority mail the next day. It arrived a few days later. But I would not count on super fast mail with the recent winter weather. But I'd personally wait until after your present massive trucker convoy/boycott in Canada has ended before I'd be risking shipping anything over the border.
These cheapos will have 48kHz bandwidth optical receivers. Optical inputs that can transcribe 96kHz+ (or 4x 96k lightpipe like the Focusrite) cost more. Plus one more wall wart and wire. Though I haven't tried one, this G3 I mentioned above seems like today's $50 choice if you don't need analog perfection, just the digital in (maybe without 44.1 support), and for Windows 10: Recording Resolution Mic-in: 16-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz Mic-in: 24-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz Optical In: 16-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz Optical In: 24-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz Line-in: 24-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz Line-in: 16-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz
Are you referring to SP/DIF to toslink adapters or toslink to USB? The SP/DIF to toslink adapters that I have been using have worked absolutely flawlessly up to 24/96. I know this because my DAC accurately reports both bit-depths and sampling rates. I can't be certain, but I doubt that these would do 24/192 though. Amazon.com: Optical-to-Coaxial OR Coaxial-to-Optical Digital Audio Converter, ROOFULL Bi-Directional Digital Coaxial to/from Optical Toslink SPDIF Audio Converter/Adapter/Repeater : Industrial & Scientific
I ordered mine directly from Shannon on a Wednesday and received it on the following Tuesday in Sudbury Ontario.
You've found one that at least mentions the sample rate supported in the listing. If it doesn't say, it probably doesn't do. (yes, I know this example goes the wrong direction...) The "analog" TTL signals of the optical receiver and the output buffers have a limited slew rate that will just give a less defined transition as the rate increases, and more errors at a decreasing distance, so you might not get a distinct "doesn't work". The sync pulse of S/PDIF particularly uses twice the bandwidth as the rest of the encoding.
If anybody needs this, please PM me. I’m pretty sure I have that exact converter from Monoprice. I haven’t needed it for some time and I would love if somebody could use it. Hate to see it end up in a landfill. Free to a good home. EDIT: Ooops. I have the one that is Optical IN to COAX OUT.
If you have a recording device or pc with coax input, you could use this for your Puffin needle drops.
Don't forget that grading will also be greatly influenced by your stylus choice. A typical '70s rock record will probably grade better with an AT-LC than it will with a low end Grado for example.
Yes, I posed that very question several pages ago: I shared Shannon's response here (along with details of the cartridge I am using for grading):
Just to add to the grading discussion, I just wet cleaned this record that visually I would say is a VG- to G+, there are no skips or major scratches but it is covered with hairlines and so on. Graded at an A on the Puffin. Again, I really like the Puffin and I dig the grading function. and it sounded great with the Magic applied. But take it with a grain of salt.
I used bassboost for a while but found it a bit boomy, instead I put bass on the Puffin on +2 and find the bass to be more natural sounding now.
This is what a VG- looks like?! Wow. I will say the grading has been a little hit or miss but did confirm a suspicion I had on an original copy of Wings Greatest that I bought, listed as VG+ (and in the seller's defense, looked it). It sounds absolutely abysmal and I of course blamed my equipment, my ears and my long-held beliefs about Sir Paul McCartney. My Puffin gave it a D-. I think it must have been handled like a newborn princeling, but played one million times with a rusty nail.
