Clairixa USB

[PeterSt]

So about yesterday's findings ...

Yesterday I played far more random "normal stuff";
Looking in yesterday's playlist I see that I started out with Hotel California. Just curious because it never had been the best SQ wise, while it seems to have much potential. And is a great song of course.
Well, in my perception it was all over better. The first I noticed was the now refined cymbal (right speaker) and otherwise I thought it had improved a lot. Then I was told that it was a bit sharp, which indeed would be the case when you're in direct line of one of the horns. This is not what I told, but what I was told ... "oh, here (at the sweat spot) it indeed is quite good !". Ok.
Oh, I actually was finished with this post (below) and now I suddenly recall why I said "all over better" which actually is nothing for me to express, but it was this :
Maybe some are used to it from this track, but did you know this is all over *slamming* the toms (and flor tom) of the dum kit ? I did not. Dang-dang-dang all over with two sticks at the same time, if you ask me. Suddenly this really makes the track and I never noticed it before.

Then the real thing happened for me in Yeat of The Cat. Now *what* a what I call mid bass (instrument) is playing there ! Never heard it before, with the notice that I played this only 2 weeks ago (because all from Al Steward can be way lean in digital, and it is something to regularly check). Can't explain really about that guitar, but what a difference there now is suddenly between the guitars ...

From there I explicitly played Yours is No Disgrace (Yes). This is because a same guitar, but lower keyed, is playing there. Ok, this did not get more profound. But to my surprise something else happened : what a find sounding track (and album - The Yes Album) this now suddenly is. And then to think that this one is really in my Nice Stuff to regularly check it for improvement, mainly on the cymbals. Same thing : seams to have a lot potential. Well, for that reason it can now go out of the Nice Stuff, because it is there. Of course I will leave it in for it being Nice Stuff really in the first place.

I tried The Beat Hotel again (Allan Taylor) because it was that one which seemed nice at first, but actually completely flawed on the YFS for me. Well, all the strange sounds were there while it sounded beautiful to me at the same time. And the voice, once that jumps in, shivering, so forward and profound (and honestly sounding).

Because of the nice guitar in there (explicitly and urging for more "guitar") I played a few tracks of Ahmad Jamal - Digital Works. Well what to say. Can sound very processed and therefore interesting, but can also sound plain beautiful and not processed at all, like it did now. And now interesting because so beautiful.

A strange one : Animals (Pink Floyd). I played Sheep only, and this album is on my list for improvement (against all odds) for it's too dull sound. Something like not enough highs, but different like Machine Head). What I now noticed was not dullness at all but roughness (end explicitly not dull). I said "strange one" because it tells something which is similar to what I noticed before (first post) : those "holes" in the sound "required". So here seems to happen something like that too, but now at the way lower frequency; things get more separated and more square because of that, instead of a flat mush. Eh, dull.
But it sounds ugly because of that, and I guess this album will never make it really. N.b.: This is about the original, and the Remaster of this is better but I didn't try that.

Of course I played more, but the general consensus of the evening is again that without exception all was better, sometimes not by a small margin. But far more important : there hasn't been a single track that disturbed anywhere. On this matter a last one which won't tell you much : Shulman;

This is again "ambient" stuff, and a most difficult one to play throughout without thinking anywhere "oops" and "hmm" and "maybe not". One of the tracks I ever used to show how a Weiss completely chokes on it, where the end of it ends up in plain distortion which turns out to be just some frequency combination, and which distortion isn't even noticable because synths. I don't play this often, say once per 6 months, because really too difficult to enjoy it. But I felt now I should try it again.
Didn't even recognize it much. All so fluent and all so "meant to be" that I now start to wonder how super badly rendered much more will be without us realizing. Because that is the point : you will only know once you hear the better version.
How to explain it ...

Again I noticed the easyness of all what I played and how it allows for being background music, no matter the level is 90dBSPL or so. Really. So what is interesting about this is that when you are busy with something you are not distracted by the (loud) music, and when you want to listen explicitly all is there (I say after two days). To us this should tell that nothing is going on for strange "math" in our brains, hence nothing jumps out for the wrong and nothing must be corrected to we can adapt to it (and which would be tiring I'd say).

And so again I must conclude with the "rock-steadyness" I seem to perceive from it all. No false influence from anywhere.

3 days to go.
Peter

[esimms86]

OK, so here I am once again late to the party, as my friend Alain and others have found their way ahead of me into the top ten for what I shall refer to as Peter's Valentine's Day surprise. My bad, of course, for yesterday spending less time with my laptop and more time with my wife(!).

So, yes Peter, put me down for a 1 meter run of Clairixa usb in production run #2.

Esau

[AlainGr]

Hi Esau I normally am late at the party, so I was surprised to see there was a small place for me this time

Maybe we should have a "subscription list" for those who are interested ? I would certainly adhere to it

Peter ?

Alain
PS: Maybe we should start another thread...

[esimms86]

You know Alain, sometimes you just get lucky! With all due respect, I think that this thread is sufficient and that people should send Peter a private message if they want to place an order. We all know that we can trust Peter in keeping our place in the queue.

Esau

[PeterSt]

Hi Esau I normally am late at the party, so I was surprised to see there was a small place for me this time

Maybe we should have a "subscription list" for those who are interested ? I would certainly adhere to it

Peter ?

Alain
PS: Maybe we should start another thread...

Hey Alain,

I understand Esau's response (I think) but I do not understand yours here. Maybe it is not important either ? ...

Peter

[AlainGr]

While I do attend here on a regular basis (generally at least 2-3 times a day), I was suggesting that there could be a "mailing" for the announcements.

So I would receive an email as soon as a new XXHE version emerges, a new upgrade of some kind, anything that sounds like something of importance.

Not that it is necessary, but since we are under different time of day, we would receive something through our email.

And this would justify my need to wake up at night

Alain

[AlainGr]

You know Alain, sometimes you just get lucky! With all due respect, I think that this thread is sufficient and that people should send Peter a private message if they want to place an order. We all know that we can trust Peter in keeping our place in the queue.

Esau

Hi Esau. Yes of course, I have full trust in Peter. It is not about this...

I do understand that it is not a good idea, as it would put more work on Peter's shoulders, so I guess you are right.

Alain

[PeterSt]

OK, I understand now Alain.
But as you know I already receive far too many emails which could go in the forum just the same. And in the forum at least I can keep track of things (they are grouped automatically). So I don't want to encourage for more emails ...

But hey, there are not *that* many of these announcements ! Although ... I already know the next one.

Regards and thanks,
Peter

[manisandher]

But hey, there are not *that* many of these announcements ! Although ... I already know the next one.

It had better not be about an ATX linear power supply because I just ordered one, which should be here sometime next week.

So, if not an ATX PSU, maybe... hmm... a new PCIe USB card perhaps??? Anyway, something USB-interface related.

Anyone else want to hazard a guess?

Mani.

[Scroobius]

Hi Peter - count me in length 30cm usb a to b

Cheers

[acg]

So about yesterday's findings ...

Yesterday I played far more random "normal stuff";
Looking in yesterday's playlist I see that I started out with Hotel California. Just curious because it never had been the best SQ wise, while it seems to have much potential. And is a great song of course.
Well, in my perception it was all over better. The first I noticed was the now refined cymbal (right speaker) and otherwise I thought it had improved a lot. Then I was told that it was a bit sharp, which indeed would be the case when you're in direct line of one of the horns. This is not what I told, but what I was told ... "oh, here (at the sweat spot) it indeed is quite good !". Ok.
Oh, I actually was finished with this post (below) and now I suddenly recall why I said "all over better" which actually is nothing for me to express, but it was this :
Maybe some are used to it from this track, but did you know this is all over *slamming* the toms (and flor tom) of the dum kit ? I did not. Dang-dang-dang all over with two sticks at the same time, if you ask me. Suddenly this really makes the track and I never noticed it before.

Then the real thing happened for me in Yeat of The Cat. Now *what* a what I call mid bass (instrument) is playing there ! Never heard it before, with the notice that I played this only 2 weeks ago (because all from Al Steward can be way lean in digital, and it is something to regularly check). Can't explain really about that guitar, but what a difference there now is suddenly between the guitars ...

From there I explicitly played Yours is No Disgrace (Yes). This is because a same guitar, but lower keyed, is playing there. Ok, this did not get more profound. But to my surprise something else happened : what a find sounding track (and album - The Yes Album) this now suddenly is. And then to think that this one is really in my Nice Stuff to regularly check it for improvement, mainly on the cymbals. Same thing : seams to have a lot potential. Well, for that reason it can now go out of the Nice Stuff, because it is there. Of course I will leave it in for it being Nice Stuff really in the first place.

I tried The Beat Hotel again (Allan Taylor) because it was that one which seemed nice at first, but actually completely flawed on the YFS for me. Well, all the strange sounds were there while it sounded beautiful to me at the same time. And the voice, once that jumps in, shivering, so forward and profound (and honestly sounding).

Because of the nice guitar in there (explicitly and urging for more "guitar") I played a few tracks of Ahmad Jamal - Digital Works. Well what to say. Can sound very processed and therefore interesting, but can also sound plain beautiful and not processed at all, like it did now. And now interesting because so beautiful.

A strange one : Animals (Pink Floyd). I played Sheep only, and this album is on my list for improvement (against all odds) for it's too dull sound. Something like not enough highs, but different like Machine Head). What I now noticed was not dullness at all but roughness (end explicitly not dull). I said "strange one" because it tells something which is similar to what I noticed before (first post) : those "holes" in the sound "required". So here seems to happen something like that too, but now at the way lower frequency; things get more separated and more square because of that, instead of a flat mush. Eh, dull.
But it sounds ugly because of that, and I guess this album will never make it really. N.b.: This is about the original, and the Remaster of this is better but I didn't try that.

Of course I played more, but the general consensus of the evening is again that without exception all was better, sometimes not by a small margin. But far more important : there hasn't been a single track that disturbed anywhere. On this matter a last one which won't tell you much : Shulman;

This is again "ambient" stuff, and a most difficult one to play throughout without thinking anywhere "oops" and "hmm" and "maybe not". One of the tracks I ever used to show how a Weiss completely chokes on it, where the end of it ends up in plain distortion which turns out to be just some frequency combination, and which distortion isn't even noticable because synths. I don't play this often, say once per 6 months, because really too difficult to enjoy it. But I felt now I should try it again.
Didn't even recognize it much. All so fluent and all so "meant to be" that I now start to wonder how super badly rendered much more will be without us realizing. Because that is the point : you will only know once you hear the better version.
How to explain it ...

Again I noticed the easyness of all what I played and how it allows for being background music, no matter the level is 90dBSPL or so. Really. So what is interesting about this is that when you are busy with something you are not distracted by the (loud) music, and when you want to listen explicitly all is there (I say after two days). To us this should tell that nothing is going on for strange "math" in our brains, hence nothing jumps out for the wrong and nothing must be corrected to we can adapt to it (and which would be tiring I'd say).

And so again I must conclude with the "rock-steadyness" I seem to perceive from it all. No false influence from anywhere.

3 days to go.
Peter

Hi Peter,

Just wondering if you had realized the irony in the fact that you are now well on your way to becoming a "ridiculously expensive USB cable vendor".

No $1 cables any more!!

Cheers,

Anthony

PS: All in good fun - I see this as a very interesting development in the whole Phasure system mantra.

[PeterSt]

Just wondering if you had realized the irony in the fact that you are now well on your way to becoming a "ridiculously expensive USB cable vendor".

No $1 cables any more!!

Hi Anthony - Yes and it is a sad thing. I have seriously been thinking "now me too ?". But the point is that it seems necessary, so to speak. And honestly, when I think back of when I was 20-25 of age, I loaned interlinks of 200-250 euros and was always happy that they didn't work out (for me) and I could bring them back.

Since that age I have always been telling myself "cables later !" and I have been holding up that for now 30 years or so. And seriously ... I have been (so) proud that a 1$ USB cable worked out for the better for most, including for myself.

Maybe it shouldn't have happened that some perceivedly for the better were (virtually) spread, and that I myself tried a couple of them which were so much fo the worse. So this gave me the idea that might I try to make something for myself it just as well could turn out for the better. But of course this is since the "a" version of the NOS1 and I don't think such differences would have been there for the normal NOS1.

As it turns out, I may have been quite ignorant to never dive into these cable matters, that is, if I now look back and see that this can just be approached from dumn technical properties; extend what you're doing in DAC design to the outside of that.

Part of my changed thinking has been encouraged for with the "total system" concept, and how I in that other part of my life have always been saying that it would be rubbish to have all from the same brand (like DAC, preamp, power amp). Ok, maybe that is still so, but when you are (finally) making that a consistent whole, all now under (groundloop) control, things are really different. But how to think of that say 10 years ago, when nothing at hand for a base. So it is a (slow) process that today ends up in an "including cabling".

Still tough of course, because like with the Blaxius there is no real guarantee for those using different amps than the few owning that whole system, but that seems to have worked out as well. So apparently if someone pays attention to such things as cables, and now NOT from any audiophile ($$$$) view, things are quite easy ?

For the USB cable it still does not look easy to me at all because of the unknown influence. The 90 Ohm spec as such ? I don't even believe in that much (aha !). However, one can try to overspec so much that the impedance becomes relatively unimportant. Think like normal cable losses and how a longer length can be covered for by a thicker cable conductor. Thicker shielding. Better topology (differential). Make it so that you can't go wrong for the lengths as we use them. Take into account that at the computer side things may deal with it in a way that is out of our control anyway, but actually quite the same at the interface side of our D/A converters. Or put in the DAC (or amp) design perspective of : that for example a very carefully 50 ohm differential PCB design could be extended to "all the way through".
But who is doing that ?

Today I am, or at least I try. It is crazy as well, because normally required for ultra high speed designs only. And then thinking digital while half of what "we" do is analogue. This, while knowing that digital is to be only within the "threshold" specs of edge triggering, while looking at that "in analogue" *everything* will change the signal when approached like "digital only". So yes, analogue appears to be more difficult than digital. This is how Blaxius came forward but from there you can again think digital once you're at that anyway. And I tried that with Clairixa.
And so far so good; 2 more days to go.

Peter

[PeterSt]

OK, a small report of day 3 :

For the Sunday evening we often dive into old hits and such. This time I had the idea to only try a few so I could move on with furher different types of music so things could be sped up because 5 days should be 5 days.
But I didn't manage. What I did manage was 4 hours in a row of 60's and 70's stuff being totally amazed of how super detailed and so on par things sounded. Think of tambourines and how their individual bells can be heard; maybe 5 years ago I started expressing of those and how they can differentiate. But yesterday I learned that this doesn't require new reqordings, but actually the old. And how tambourines were used everywehere. Feels like a Woodstock kind of hippy thing. Easy to play as well.
And how all sounds so super open and completely full with hall (that in the end known from the end of the 60's I'd say).
Here some of the better known "hits" of the time I played :

Fire (Crazy world of Arthur Brown). Man, those horns.

Wild Thing (The Troggs). Rough stuff and won't be the best at any time. But how the low distorted sound expresses (what is that ? synthesizers didn't exist I think).

With a little help of my Friends (Joe Cocker). Those lady voices, soo beautiful.

I'm a believer (The Monkees). Shows those guitars again.

You really got me (The kinks). Same thing.

Out of Time (Chris Farlow). Just a modern thing now.

Listen to The Music (Doobie Brothers). Not too special except for sounding so well.
Jesus is just Alright (Doobie brothers). Very very beautiful and completely nothing wrong with it SQ wise.

If I had words (Yvonne Keeley). We talked about that to my recollection this came out in January and as how this sounds today it should have been a Christmas hit (say so intens and like how Stop the Cavalry of Jona Lewie became a Christmas hit, only because it came out just before Christmas).

Don't let me be misunderstood (Santa Esmeralda). Seems impossible to hear it in this quality.

Beautiful Sunday (Daniel Boone). Same thing.

American Woman (the Guess Who). But this already sounded strangely good before. One of the prominent early rock songs.

Sympathie (Steven Rowland & Family Dogg). Must use the same instrument as above mentioned Wild Thing. But this sounds all over modern and good.

Ruby is The One (Earth & Fire). Again, just from today. I wish I had more from Earth & Fire with lead singer Jerney Kaagman with Weekend as a great hit back in the days).

Give up your Guns (The Buoys). Was a hit when I was dismantling motor cycle engines (tune them) at 12. Here too : the quality just does not fit with my perception from back then.

Hit The Road Jack (Stampeders). Want a guitar ? it has always been prominent, but nothing from today that I know is going to superseed it.

Venus (Shocking Blue). The only Dutch hit that landed on #1 in what I call today the US Billboard Sh*t 100 (not even The Golden Earring made it to that). Man, just re-release it and nobody would notice that it is from 1969.

The Most Beautiful Girl (Charlie Rich). Again, can't be from so long ago.

Davy's on the Road again (Manfred Mann). The other day I discovered that all from Manfred Mann('s Earth Band) sounds so good.

So now you know my "hits" and a few more to fill up the 4 hours. Never wanted to stop because nothing indicated that I should stop because of poor sound or the urge for better.

Then the bell rang and dinner was about to be ready (oh, this is easily 10:30 pm over here) and I quickly wanted to hear one of the albums with "test signals". My famous ambient sh*t. After two minutes into a first track I quickly hopped to the next one because that first did not satisfy me. But same thing with the next one. Remember, my "all so square" and "showing everything" ehm ... "music".
What a dull sh*t. Blanketed.

I guess tonight I will be over that, but in comparison it did not sound good at all. The old stuff was just too good ?
And this now never happened or occurred to me before. I mean, not on the global level of 4 hours of such open sounding music, with btw the notion of way more "stereo" than I ever heard it. Room filling.

One other thing I noticed too :
The balance between the low end and the mid-top end was all the way to the mid-top. So normally woofer output and mid-high output are about the same, and when I say that 90dBSPL is my share then this is from both woofers and mid-high quite equally (depending on the track of course and when you measure). Yesterday, with no real difference in perception between songs (hey, I call that songs and not tracks) I saw the meter hardly moving for the low end with the midpoint of the meter at 90dBSPL (which would mean something like 80-82dBSPL for the woofer output), while the mid-high excursed to 96dBSPL for higher pitched women voices.
This is quite ridiculous. So envision that high output from mid-high (let's stick to 90dBSPL on average) while the low end is 10dB lower. This should be pretty painful, normally. But it was not at all plus there was no way that I perceived such unbalance all the time. How can it be.
That the means of recording from back at the time was just so is an acceptable explanation, but how this will not turn out in a way too loud and shrill etc. perception, ... is strange. And by all means, it was far from lean; the contrary.

Sorry for the long post, but I guess that happens when I'm enthusiastic. Still steady as a rock ... (not my typos and I didn't check)
Peter

[juanpmar]

But hey, there are not *that* many of these announcements ! Although ... I already know the next one.

It had better not be about an ATX linear power supply because I just ordered one, which should be here sometime next week.

So, if not an ATX PSU, maybe... hmm... a new PCIe USB card perhaps??? Anyway, something USB-interface related.

Anyone else want to hazard a

My vote goes for a new PCIe USB card 

Juan

[acg]

But hey, there are not *that* many of these announcements ! Although ... I already know the next one.

It had better not be about an ATX linear power supply because I just ordered one, which should be here sometime next week.

So, if not an ATX PSU, maybe... hmm... a new PCIe USB card perhaps??? Anyway, something USB-interface related.

Anyone else want to hazard a

My vote goes for a new PCIe USB card 

Juan

Possibly the ATX Supply, but more likely the secret footers will be revealed methinks.