XXHighEnd

Ha ! what would this be eh ?

(http://www.stordiau.nl/Phasure NOS1/Phisolator USB Isolator.png):drums:

The USB Isolator (PCB) I have been implying in between quite some lines.
But didn't I say that it did not want to work ?
yes I did. Well, sort of.

Because of unreliable results, I had to take out the prototype I had been using for two months or so, out of my chain. I mean, I still think it is without sense to have me listening to some better SQ for one or the other reason, with that making all SQ observations on behalf of you all, moot.
It didn't want to work - bad luck.

Sadly (for me), I missed the sound from it too much, so things were itching. D*mn, I *had* to get the thing to work !
So I can see by means of some invoice that from of Sept 1 we have been working on it again, quite continuously. Try this, try that. Shortcut this, let explode that. And yes, you may have seen me writing about blowing up something in my NOS1a only a small week ago. That was my USB Interface.
But exactly that thaught me how to go about with it all, and now it works.
AND HOW !

I have it now built in my NOS1a (per yesterday morning in definitive version);
The sound is super special and in general I'd like to call it "sparkling". But I think that it is better to express it as : all is 10 times more emphasized. Could it get more crazy again ?
So Yes.
The sound is so super extraordinary clear that it is jaw dropping. I'll also insert this text which I yesterday (when I wrote the main part of this post) scratched because I thought it was overdone. But yesterday evening I ran into "the thing" again, so I re-inserted that text :

This I had running yesterday and I was blown out of my socks. So :wtf: ?

Think a moderate louder level (so really not crazy loud). Then there's this hit on the snare throughout the 8 minute or so track. Say once per 1,5 - 2 seconds this hit.
Side note : yes, this undoubtedely is working in combination with the B'ASS and with the notice that the last reincarnation of that was developed with this same Isoator in my chain, with same effect but 10 times less emphasized (different configuration back then). So :
At the first hit on that snare I was blown out of my socks. Not because so crazy loud or dynamic, but because it was so realistic for loudness in the middle of the other instruments. So yes, it *was* dynamic and yes it *was* crazy loud. But now this :
At the second hit (just 1,5 second later) I had landed back into my socks, but was blown out of them again.
And again. And again. And 450 seconds and 300 hits later, the same was still happening. Minutes earlier I already started to explicitly wonder how it could happen that I kept on being surprised. I mean, after 10 hits you know how they go, right ?
No, somehow not. I don't know what kind of dimension I have entered, but it must be about some vision on the artists, playing their instruments, and although I don't want to "see" at all, it just happens and now this new dimension makes it super much more interesting, if you want it or not.
Didn't I tell the other day about seeing a drummer jump in the air to let land the sticks on to the drum with his full body weight behind it ? that. But that was a few days ago and now this is worse (better). Yesterday I saw that all the time throughout, never mind what was playing. You now see *how* it is played.

Thus, I initially scratched this text, but during last night's listening session it kept on occurring to me as *the* feature of the Phisolator; The text deserves to be there ...

Another very clear virtue is the "shortness" of all. Super super dry. Just what a snare drum likes to have. But a good vibrating bass no different.
So Yes, try to envision how sparkle emerges from super dry. This is just the twinkles etc. being sufficiently isolated; no smear happens now.


Like with the versatility of the B'ASS and offering people the means of going back to the original situation, here too I would like to offer the facility to compare old with new. With an external box (small case) that facility would be available naturally, but this is of course not so when it is built in the NOS1a's case. Besides that, USB is so fragile that it better not be mangled with by means of rambling in the case. It should go by means of official connectors, you just swapping cables.

---

Setup

At the place where now 2 USB inputs are visible in the NOS1(a)'s case, one USB terminal will be added and the one for the not-operative display will now also be utilized for the Phisolator setup.
Mind you, the configuration is such that you can keep on using the normal connection, electrically the same as it always was. Why is this ?

1. So you can go back to that situation, might you want that or migt another USB Isolator come available;
2. So you can compare the two different means;
3. So you can compare outside of the B'ASS upgrade.

Ad 3.
Yes, of course we are going to combine this upgrade with the B'ASS upgrade ! But either changes the sound so much that I think you really want to know which causes what (hence #2).

With the notice that nobody should be worried by additional connectors or pieces of USB wire/cable (like you also are not worried about the additional connections the Intona implies), this is how the connections go :

Envision 3 USB terminals, A, B and C.
C = Direct Input (coming from PC).
B = Output from internal Isolator.
A = Input to internal Isolator (coming from PC).

We have a direct Connection from PC to the regular USB Interface, as how it always has been (and include an Intona in the path if you like, only to indicate what "direct" means in this case). So the PC connects to terminal C in this situation. Thus :
PC Cable -> C Input -> USB Interface.

We now take the provided small USB Cable (explicitly not a Clairixa) and loop through from connector B to connector C. Meanwhile we put the USB Cable from the PC to connector A. Thus :
PC Cable -> A Isolator -> B Output -> Very short USB Cable -> C Input -> USB Interface.

The lot is set up such that no user mistakes can be made with the connections, with the knowledge that the only mistake possible is that you put a USB Cable from A to B which would connect the output of the Isolator to its Input. The means to protect from this mistake will be the length of the provided USB Cable (think 10cm/4") and the positioning of the A, B, C terminals. Thus, if A and B are outside with C in the middle, then the very short cable will be as short as the distance from B to C requires, that being too short to go from A to B. A to C is not possible anyway because no connectors will fit to both (it would require an USB-B to USB-B cable and normally they don't exist).

---

Technically

What the Phisolator does, is first of all isolating the signal galvanically. Nothing different here from e.g. the Intona. What the Phisolator does NOT, is "processing"; all it does is passing on the USB data (back and forth) and take care of the (handshaking) protocol.
What it does foremost is recondition the downstream signal (from Isolator to DAC). Still it does not really re-generate the signal; it operates quite similar as the NOS1a's internal isolation but now not in the i2s path but in the USB path (might people recall, there is no reclocking in order in the "a" version as such). The "a" means also implies that the power regulation is completely separated on both sides of the isolation barrier (the output/clean side does by not any means depend on the input/dirty side, for voltage as well as for ground). A difference with the "a"'s internal isolation is that this regulation is again lower noise and the lowest possible these days (2016).

Because of the in-DAC application, the grounding could be made as special as I could think of, and then referring to the now three different electrical circuits (each galvanically isolated from the other) - PC to USB Input, USB Input to i2s, i2s to D/A + Analogue out.
What I regard crucial is that where the signal is electrically regenerated for sure, the means doing this now only needs to drive the total of 20cm or so of USB wire with no further downsides of radiation of any kind (I check that these days by means of meters for it). This (no radiation) is to be compared with isolation transformers which for DC Voltages are true AC switchers (at a rate of say 80KHz to maybe 500KHz, depending on the type). There is NO isolation transformer in there.

---

The future

Believe it or not, but the Phisolator configuration is future proof. How ? well, it can be updated and it can be updated by yourself. Not that I know of anything at this moment, but when time progresses we will see that most proably I will be able to think of new means within the same setup. Thus, we'll have a new PCB produced, we'll apply some soldering to it and for maybe 150-200 euros you will have the upgrade with low shipping costs because so small. You just replace the Phisolator with the new one, at the time.
So only the first time is more expensive because of the initial assembly work. Any next time is 10 seconds of work (no soldering) plus a few minutes for taking off and back on the lid.

I am confident that the future of improving SQ is in the USB Interface.

---

Price

Let me first notice that there's a crazy expensive chip on there - 80 euros. So there it starts.
PCB + further parts maybe costs 40 euros (including the additional USB terminal for in the chassis) so let's say that 120 euros is the cost price of the Isolator parts. Soldering ? maybe 30 minutes per board.

The soldering / assembly in there ... I say 60 minutes for everything and this includes the changes (USB wiring) to the existing USB Interface and changing the output voltage of the PSU in the left leg.

We must make that very short USB cable of which I say it takes (apart from a 1$ USB cable) 30 minutes, including testing it (en masse).

Testing (analyser) will be 30 minutes,

Because things can fail, I count 30 euros for that (now one out of 10 can completely fail (USB is really fragile stuff) and it is covered for).

Counting the numbers of the blue texts above, I count 150 minutes and at a moderate rate of 60 the hour this comes to a total of 300 euros including the cost of the parts and coverage for failure.
Because I like a bit of profit for all the trouble of designing and trialling and what not what actually can't be changed into $ when keeping it civilised, I add 50 euros for profit. That's 350 euros in total (ex VAT for those liable to VAT).

---

Availability

There's a small catch here;
In the text above I suggested that we "of course" combine this with the B'ASS upgrade. The PCB's are available already, but the chips have a lead time of 8-10 weeks, except 31 of them which we will have very soon (can be this week). This is only a few more than the current B'ASS orders, also knowing that the PCB's for the B'ASS are in the DHL air plane right at this moment (finally). This means that on a first come first serve base, only a few more orders for the B'ASS/Phisolator combination can be served from that first batch of chips. After that it will be waiting for a next batch of 25 until the end of January 2017.

I am assuming that everyone who is on the list for the B'ASS also wants to be on the list of the Phisolator. Still I obviously like to know it explicitly. So please apply in this topic for the Phisolator, which is also nice for those who may or may not be served by that first batch of 31 (start counting).
For the sequence of upgrading we will use the original B'ASS list, unless you are not on that list and don't want to be either. This also implies that when you are not on the B'ASS list but like to have the Phisolator (and now B'ASS as well, or not, which does not matter), you really need to be the fastest or otherwise someone else beats you to it and you must wait until the end of January at least.

Questions ? don't hesitate.
But man, what am I glad that this worked out !

Peter

(from Star Trek)
- (Kirk) "Scotty, beam the NOS1a to Peter's place - on the double!".
- (Scotty) "But Captain, there are too many radiations to pin point the right location! Should we send it by UPS instead?".
- (Kirk) "You are right. So be it and wait for a new discovery!".

Yes I want a piece of that stuff ;) But my short Clairixa is longer than usual and my "C" USB input is at the rear of the left "H" branch on my NOS1a as you know. Will that be a problem? (I will send the short USB Clairixa with my NOS1a, so you will be able to test with it).

"Kirk out." ;)

Alain

Hi Peter,

Yes, put me on the list!

regards, Arjan

    :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Count me in :-)

Hi Alain,

I know, and it is not a problem. We make the USB Cables anyway and a little longer or shorter is fine.
We do NOT provide Clairixa's for it because (somehow) the sound will be poor because of that. When working on this we ran into the piece of wire which has been used for testing in the past (piece inside the NOS1) and it has a tag "NEVER TRY THIS AGAIN". I put the tag on it because it has been a complete waste of time to try it out, not once, not twice but three times. Btw, Mani knows. :)

Btw, in normal fashion everybody should be able to try his short Clairixa just the same (I now realize I can do too, because it is just there and can right away be used for the "loop through") but I dare to guarantee that mysteriously it won't work out.

Kind regards,
Peter

I'm definitely in Peter!

Let's just say these upgrades come at a good time, because your description of the resulting sound is exactly what I've noticed is currently lacking.

Thank you for your never ending quest of "taking things to the next level"

It's nice to know we all hav a foundation that allows it!

Todd

Hi Peter,

Yes, Please add to my order  :)

Hi Peter,

You know I was asking about your isolator few months ago. Since it is not clear to me, let's have it cleared: Do I have to
send NOS1 to you or isolator will be available for purchase & shipment? No matter when available, first batch or later one(s).

Brgds,
George

Hi George,

Things changed since those few months ago, as I planned to have it externally. That idea changed but in the end improved SQ vastly.

Point at this moment is that I can't tell yet how difficult it will be to change the internal USB wiring and how large the chance is that it does not work (shows USB errors). So far I have only my own NOS1a's example and that has been very difficult up to a few days ago. So now I think and obviously hope to do it in a few hours but only when say 10 passed without difficulty, I will be able to tell that it is fine and maybe also what to avoid or apply in order to have the best chances.
In your case it is even more special because you have no "a" (i2s isolation). Maybe that does not even work at all ?
Or bite the dust and have all upgrades in one go ? (at least you would be on the list of the first batch as how it looks now)

Best regards,
Peter

Thank you Todd.
But a question : is it correct that I don't have you on the second list for the B'ASS (B'ASS built in in NOS1(a)) ?

Best regards,
Peter

Peter,

i want this too


Tore

Hi Peter,

Count me in for the Phisolator/B'ASS.

Regards,
Stanley

Hey Peter here is where I responded to the change in plans on the B'ass to be put internally into the NOS1 on October 30th.

Hope my original place in line for the upgrade is still in effect :sad:

All fine Todd !
Sorry for the confusion; I must have forgotten to put you on that list. Quite disrespectful eh ...

Thank you !
Peter

All I know is that USB is the weirdest interface on the planet!

(Oh, and I also know that I'd like both my 'sheep' upgraded with the Phisolator/B'ASS, of course!)

Mani.

PS. This upgrade comes at a really good time for me. I have to say that I haven't listened to either of my 'sheep' for weeks now. I've been very much enjoying listening to the AR-T Legato USB-to-spdif converter feeding my TDA1541A S2 DAC (modified to run in NOS mode with a Crystek femto clock). There's a 'musicality' with this setup that is so addictive.

Hi Peter,
  I am also interested in adding the Phisolator to my B'ASS upgrade.

Cheers,
Matt

Hi Peter,

please count me in.

Thanx

Joachim

Yes of course I will have one!!

Cheers

Paul

Peter,

Please also add me for the Phisolator.  I should already be on the B'ASS built into NOS1a list.

Ramesh

Hi Peter,

please count me in.

Best Regards

Johan

Hi Peter
Count me in.

Fred

Peter,

I'll pass ....







Just kidding!!

VJ

P.s.: presuming Intona will no longer be needed?

Hi Peter,

I'm in.

Best regards,

Arvind

VJ, You got me there ! (at first)

I don't know yet about the Intona. The sound is so smacking good and music is so interesting right now, that I did not like to try. I must first get used to this sound so I can compare better, later.

From theory I don't think the Intona will be able to improve because only "baddies" are left with the Phisolator also in there. So isolation already happens and the Intona may exhibit its "processing". OTOH isolation at the beginning of the cable plus isolation at the end of the cable, may bring something. But I wouldn't hold my breath ...

Regards,
Peter

Dear people, thank you all. I see no new subscriptions yet regarding the B'ASS list, so there is still room for a few new.

Meanwhile, let me add a kind of new phenomenon which occurred yesterday :

I am playing Gare du Nord - Kind of Cool;
If there's anything completely changed it is that album. On a side note : if I say I play that once in two years I will be exaggerating. Still, somewhere into the first track I play of it, our son Paul turned around from his gaming rig (headphones on as always), he said "hey dad, did you hear that ?". I said Sure. "No but, that sound ?!"
I already knew, but I also like to hear such new things (as in Placebo). But what happened with this is the testimonial of really totally new sounds which just could not happen prior to the Phisolator and its position as of now. Thus mind you, not a new sound in a track, but a new sound overall.

Mind you, Gare du Nord is just a Jazz band with gear which is as ancient as the Way to Rome (at least at the time of this recording), but they use a synthesizer (as ancient) just the same. So a few strange things could happen and sort of nothing of that was audible before.

3 hours or so later Ciska and I were talking through the "session", me referring to my announcement a few days earlier that everything would change. Her first response : Kind of Cool showed new sounds only and I saw her being proud of being part of it (she must have created 30 versions before it started to work).

There's also this, and it relates to my expression in the first post about the so firm hitting the cymbal. Mind you, the example of now is incomparable, but net "result" so t speak is the very same.
So we have this "S'es" testing. We always do because it is crucial. An S turning into Z is bad, and an S turning into a hard Shhh is also bad if not worse (this is hurting at the louder levels). In the current setup this is what's happening, with the notice that it will be 14393.0 adding some extra of it; my expression, literally :

"See what's happening ?" (talking in a comfirming fashion of speaking) ... "If you want, you can judge those S'es as too sharp. You can hear that it is not 100% natural. But what happens for real is that you are not bothered the slightest because you can see the guy singing through the microphone and that microphone just isn't going to perform better than it does."
There was full agreement with also the obvious notice that nothing hurt in the first place while the more square decade of the S'es were obviously present.

Something is making it natural to our brains and it can't go wrong (?).

Peter

This is what I would refer to as 'post-rational' thinking:

- 'Pre-rational' - let's start dancing and hope the Gods hear us and send us rain
- 'Rational' - it's all about complex weather systems, none of which give a damn about us humans
- 'Post-rational' - it's strange, but when I start living a 'congruent' life, the universe almost seems to start coalescing around me to help me - maybe there's more to this whole endeavour than we currently understand?

My belief is that progress in hifi will now only be made by post-rational thinking - electronic measurements up to a point, but the human ear/brain beyond that. I mean, how much lower do we need to go with THD+N than we can currently achieve? To my ears, zero feedback amps with relatively high THD+N simply sound better (more musical, more interesting) to my ears than amps with massive amounts of feedback and THD+N that is almost immeasurable.

Mani.

me too!

I mean : I would like to order the phisolator

Leo, all clear !

Hi Peter,  I'd also like to have the Phisolator with my B'ASS.

Regards,
Juan

Count me in.

Me too Peter +1 here please.
Nick.

Hi Peter,

Please count me in. Thanks

Leung

Thank you new subscribers !

The first batch of chips arrived last Friday and all of the other parts arrived as well, so all is good to go.

Last night we had fun with comparing a few things and we did that with Three Wishes (from Amused to Death). I actually started out with it because Amused to Death sounded as never before and it is quite easy to let it fail (because of its Q Sound).

I don't know how it happened or works, but the partner in crime here said "wow, this Three Wishes feels like Harry Potter". OK, I am not into Harry so much and all I did with him was - 10 years back or so - finding that "famous" railroad which is in Scotland somewhere.

Now it was time to test the Short Clairixa and put it in the place of the "loop through" $1 USB cable.
Remarks were thrown at me like "now all is a mess" and "now I can't hear any more what the lady says at the start of the track" and "Harry Potter has gone". I understood all of it except the latter, but alas. I could add myself that all became "sharp" of it and at the levels we played it it was "not nice", as I told.

Short Clairixa went out and now the direct connection avoding the Phisolator was used.
"Dynamics are less".
I added that the sound was ugly. So yes, mind you, the cymbals in this track can be silk like, and they weren't any more. Strangely enough I would not call the previous situation (Short Clairixa) ugly - just too sharp. But this now was ugly; mudded without the smoothness of mud. Relative of what I was used to the past year, nothing really worked. OK, I just did not like it.

Back to the original situation (Phisolator and $1 loop through);
"Potter 's back !"
Then the explanation : "Yea, you know, now that inside-out phasing noise rolls towards you and back. You're in it now".
Admitted, when Amused to Death (and the Q Sound) works out, things roll over you. Being "in" it undoubtedly requires the real Potter experiences.

Anyway, most easy to hear : The Phisolator USB Isolator does a job which seems uncanny. This would be my own expression about it, but when someone else comes up with Harry Potter ghostery then something should be going on for real indeed. :grazy:

Peter

This post raises a question with me:.....so does the short Clarixa not perform optimally or does the Phisolater need some extra work?

(just pushing the limits :evil:)

regards, Coen

Coen,

No, this is the mystery of the Clairixa not liking to cross (!) bariers like chassis terminals in the chain. Something like that.
So I did this test while knowing the result in advance (I talked about this a few posts (of mine) back. Or maybe it was in the first post; I deliberately created the cheap USB cable because I know that works, while I also knew already that the Clairixa won't work out in that place/position. But everybody can try it themselves because they just have a short Clairixa, just like I have mine ...

Regards,
Peter

PS: One of the tests in the past was connecting the (long) Clairixa directly to the USB Interface. That too did not work out at all. I'd say that somehow such a Neutrik chassis terminal gives the proper impedance for the longer cable but at the other side of it (or without it) it goes "wrong" (between large quotes because of course I am nit picking, but still ...).

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the clarification, horses for courses as they say!

regards, Coen

Peter,

Any houses for sale in your neighborhood ? Might as well retire and move close, within walking distance, to you so I can walk my unit over for all future upgrades. Phasure Boulevard ?

You wouldn't like the weather on Phasure Boulevard !
Florida is really different. :)

yes, please put me on the Phisolator list too.
I am (hopefully) on the B'ASS list since you had anounced it.

I have got one question about the latter:
Could B'ASS be installed switchable into the NOS1a case? So I  would be able to run the NOS1a with and without the B'ASS unit?
I am asking this because I am a very happy user of my NOS1a over my Ayon Polaris preamp for various reasons and they love each other... the sound is great. Therefore I would love it to compare it with and without B'ASS.

kind regards
Richard

Hi Richard,

Very good that you announced yourself, because you were not on the lists yet. First of the B'ASS yes, but not the second. Probably my bad and sorry to be so unthoughtful.


Yes. This is the whole idea of the latest B'ASS incarnation. You can configure it to be your old gain stage with the notice that even the (SQ critical) chips on your old gain stage (the one you're using right now) will be moved to the new one.
If you like to know more, don't hesittate to ask in the B'ASS topic.

Best regards,
Peter

Hey All,

Some times I don't believe what is happening, or what actually can happen. Yesterday was such a case.

First try to envision that the Phisolator has a kind of impact which is hard to put in words, but say it implies more clarity above all. More "undistortion". Be used to this and take it out, and what remains is a stuffed ear feeling.

On behalf of a customer I tried something which I suggested myself many moons ago, because I thought it maybe could be possible under certain circumstances.

:wacko:

The day before was ended with Tusk (Fleetwood Mac) half way, so this is where I continued just for first trials and from my sideways positioned office chair  (next to one of the walls).
I said WHAT ?!

Yeah. That's what blurped out of me.
One thing that withold me of being serious about it, was that fact that I wasn't in any listening position; I saved that for the evening.
But there was no difference with whatever I played ... an enourmous amount of hall in everything. But wait, I should call that spaciousness. And this time I couln't even recognize the Tusk tracks. Hmm ...

Now what the heck could imply this sort of largest change ever ?

...

I tried two Phisolators in series.
Uhm ...

Yes. With a trained ear you can hear that the second actually does the same as the first, but now with "overkill". Well, overkill as such is a negative, and I don't mean it like that. What I do mean is that some noise hurdle seems to have been taken suddenly, and now all pure music is let loose on you.

I squeezed my arm a few times prior to deciding to ask whether I was dreaming. So, what do you perceive from this ?

She : Way more clear.
Me : again ?? haha, yes. But no, that is not what I mean.
She : Yes, but the voices are so easy to understand now !
Me : Yes, I hear that too, but t is not what I mean.
She : Much more detail ?
Me : Yes, that was my first notice too. And FYI, when much more detail does not come along with more sharpness as such, it is of the good kind. And look how loud I play.
She : Yes, I wanted to say that too.
Me: OK, I won't give up, but why don't you perceive what I perceive in really everything ?

...

30 minutes later or so I started to get the hunch that some kind of special acoustical thing must be happening, with the notice that I was listening 2 meter further away from the speakers than she. So :

Me : Maybe you must listen from over here ?
[ Instead she just swings the barstool 180 degrees and thus does not change position at all and within 3 seconds ... ]
She : More spacious - WOW.

Finally.

So this is a bit odd. Apparently one must capture sufficient high frequency or so - and in direct fashion (not via reflections of the to the speakers opposite wall) in order to let this come together. But it would be true ...
... Yesterday, at first, it felt quite the same as if I had put (all the way) up the "tweeter" Fletcher Munson switch of the Orelo MKII speakers. That too adds spaciousness vastly, BUT that is unofficial because you just add highs (I won't last long liking that). What the Phisolator does is the same but more naturally or so. More broad. More wide banded. The first Phisolator did so, and the 2nd added goes "over the top" (see quotes) and makes all suddenly work out. All is now so sharply defined in mid space, ... but aim your ears at it or otherwise the "working together" (which could be fysiological) does not work out. It would be true that you'd still perceive those even more details, but they can only work together if your brain is in normal mode, which is not that when trying to perceive sound from behind.

Now knowing how this worked out, it remains unbelievable that "she" could not perceive right away what I have been attempting to let her hear in 45 minutes of time. Just envision a church, and that with closed eyes someone would think he's in a dead (anechoic) room. You just won't believe someone would be able to think that (like you won't believe in advance that it is quite difficult to differentiate Coke from 7Up with closed eyes). Still, all it took was turning the ears the right (normal) way to hear it instantly.

---

So ... I tell about this because somehow it implies a giant leap forward. Something to work with. I do not per se tell about this so we can get another 350 from you. It is true though that this morning we investigated whether it would be feasible to have this second one in and then as again an option (so you decide to use 1, 2 or none) and it looks like the answer to that can be Yes. However, the problem at this moment seems to be that it is not without errors for 100% and possibly this can not be solved. So, depending on whatever, like washing machines or sneezing or the mood of the DAC's minute, there may be a small glitch say one or two times in a track. or just none. Or it is there (errors shown) but you never noticed it. And I am far from sure whether I can get this out. One thing : I will keep on using it like this because it is seriously worth while.

And so we keep on progressing ... :)
Peter

Interesting Peter, have you tried Intona + Phisolator as a comparison?  Many of us already have the Intona although I do very much like the elegance of keeping everything inside the NOS1a case.

Hi Anthony,

Last week I briefly tried the Intona plus Phisolator. But the Intona did not want to handshake and I gave up fairly quickly. Later I thought that possibly the sequence of connecting matters, but I did not try that (as I was already listening through the double Phisolator).

Btw after an other day ... it is really crazy !

Best regards,
Peter

The intermittent ticks would give me the irrits though...it's not vinyl after all.  I get a tick at the moment when the cover art shows and that is annoying, plus I have a 5m USB cable from the Intona to the NOS1a and that gives me a few ticks every now and then and that annoys me too.

I sound so annoyed, yet I have had a very good day (I'm not really annoyed)!

Anthony, yes and of course.
I had it only once yesterday, but with the notice that this is not a tick but a soft scratch. This is only annoying for that it indicates that something is not 100% right. For me it is extra annoying because I will survive but can't "sell" it to a customer ike that.

As an USB error experience expert (haha) I also learned that the "ticks" as such come from sinlgle errors only. This really feels like this : there *has* to be a tick of soe sort, and its energy is or all in that one error, or the same energy is spread over the 100 errors in one go. Now it has become a soft scratch.

The errors with showing the coverart are well known, and it is only that I never could figure out for real what causes them, except for that I only last month saw/sorted out that a million times (seriously) more things need to happen for showing the coverart than what happens during normal playback. So it is some kind of cpu bandwidth problem, or access to the memory perhaps (the largest part of what all happens is registry access, but which is in RAM with the RAM OS Disk (I assume you use that).

By now I am also positive that the Processor Core Appointment setting makes a difference. So for example (and then with the PhisolatorS) the 3-5 setting causes significant more error than the 3-4 setting. Sadly the latter does not sound good at all. But maybe you can experiment with the Wallpaper tick regarding this - if it helps it is always good bagage for further thinking.

Btw, the size of the Coverart Image file should also matter; 500K really is sufficient for a "best" picture of normal size, but 20MB exist just the same. And each pixel must be dealt with ...

Peter