SPCR

I might give the other inputs a try. I doubt I'd hear much difference, but that speaks as much against my preference for TOSLINK as for your recommendation of USB (and I still haven't been able to place the speakers the way they were designed to be, either, further mudding the waters). The specs indicate that USB input is limited to 16 bit 48 kHz, with coaxial and optical apparently supporting 24 bit 192 kHz, but that's a moot point because I don't have any HD material. Of course, I could try it on my main speakers, it's powerful enough for them I think.

I bought the little brother, the DA1, for Mummy's desktop, and I think it's a rebrand, but I cannot for the life of me remember the other name, and I don't know if Argon (in-house brand of Scandinavian hi-fi chain Hi-Fi Klubben) uses a single supplier for their devices or if they just shop around and slap their name on stuff... Edit: The DA1 looks almost identical to the Big Joe III by "Firestone Audio", whoever they are. Some of the other Argon-branded products also seem to have equivalents from Firestone.

JJ wrote:But jitter on the S/PDIF out from a typical sound card or motherboard is terrible. Asynch USB should be nearly jitter free.

I'm using opitcal S/PDIF and never noticed anything. I always thought jitter would be caused by the source, such as a CD player, but shouldn't be an issue with ALAC/FLAC files.

I wish I could find the Argon DA2 in the US, but it doesn't appear to have a distributor here. It's the perfect size and configuration for my desktop audio system. I'd use the USB input from the computer and would use the coax S/PDIF or analog input for a Squeezebox Touch in my office.

Have you looked for Beresford DACs? They are tiny, hand-assembled and received raving reviews. I use one (the very basic model), however as I wouldn't describe myself as an audiophile, I'd not dare to judge its performance.

Cistron wrote:

JJ wrote:I wish I could find the Argon DA2 in the US, but it doesn't appear to have a distributor here. It's the perfect size and configuration for my desktop audio system. I'd use the USB input from the computer and would use the coax S/PDIF or analog input for a Squeezebox Touch in my office.

Have you looked for Beresford DACs? They are tiny, hand-assembled and received raving reviews. I use one (the very basic model), however as I wouldn't describe myself as an audiophile, I'd not dare to judge its performance.

What appeals to me is the DAC + amplifier combination, the size, the volume knob (I dislike being stuck with only the computer's volume control, which isn't always handy), and the multiple digital plus an analog input. It's ideal for driving a set of passive speakers of my choice.

Cistron wrote:

JJ wrote:But jitter on the S/PDIF out from a typical sound card or motherboard is terrible. Asynch USB should be nearly jitter free.

I'm using opitcal S/PDIF and never noticed anything. I always thought jitter would be caused by the source, such as a CD player, but shouldn't be an issue with ALAC/FLAC files.

Can someone explain what you guys mean by "jitter"? I understand the concept of mechanical vibrations from reading a CD resulting in errors in the bitstream, but it seems like unless there is an issue with the conversion from bitstream to optical on the motherboard/sound card output end, the input to the DAC should be error-free (or at least correctable by whatever protocol is used).

lhopitalified wrote:Can someone explain what you guys mean by "jitter"? I understand the concept of mechanical vibrations from reading a CD resulting in errors in the bitstream, but it seems like unless there is an issue with the conversion from bitstream to optical on the motherboard/sound card output end, the input to the DAC should be error-free (or at least correctable by whatever protocol is used).

Here's is a technical discussion from a D/A manufacturer of renown: http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/appnotes-d/jittercu

There is some controversy about jitter on S/PDIF. Most high end DA makers have accepted the truism among audiophiles that it is the worst (for jitter) of all the digital transfer interfaces. Here is a technical overview: http://www.audiocraftersguild.com/AandE ... itter2.htm

Thanks, Mike!

The motherboard died, so I took the opportunity to upgrade to a Z-series chipset. Browsing the voltage options I noticed that the Asus board defaults to a significantly lover core voltage - over 100 mV less than the old Intel board. I found that an additional -25 mV offset is stable at a 4 GHz core clock, which results in temperatures comparable to stock settings on the old board. The BIOS is rather nice, and I really like Fan Xpert. And, at long last, I have a header to plug the front panel USB 3 cable into.

I took a few new pictures, click for full size...


Now with 3 PCIe x16 slots!


Front panel USB 3 plug has finally found a home.


HDD suspension.


Spaghetti al cavo.

Specifications:

• Case: Fractal Design Define Mini
• Case fans:
  • 3 Scythe Slip Stream 120 500 rpm
  • 1 Scythe Slip Stream Slim 120 800 rpm w/ Noctua U.L.N.A.
• PSU: Seasonic X-400
• Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-M Pro
• CPU: Intel Core i7-2700K @ 4 GHz, -25 mV
• RAM: Corsair XMS3 4x4 GB 1333 MHz
• GPU: Sapphire HD 7750 Ultimate
• SSD: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB
• SSD: Intel SSD 510 Series 120GB
• HDD: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB WD10EARX
• HDD suspension: Sharkoon Vibe Fixer
• CPU cooler: Noctua NH-C14
  • CPU fans: 2 Scythe Slip Stream 140 PWM Adjustable VR
• DVD burner: Plextor PX-L890SA
• Monitor: Dell U2412M
• Keyboard: Logitech Illuminated Keyboard
• Mouse: Logitech G500
• Gamepad: Microsoft Xbox 360 Wired Controller
• OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Audio:

• Amplifier/DAC: Argon DA2
  • Rated power: 2 x 40 W, 4 Ω, 1% THD
• Speakers: 2 DALI Zensor 1
  • Frequency response: 53-26,500 Hz, +/-3 dB
    Impedance: 6 Ω

Nice.

I can't remember the last time I had a motherboard simply die.

Well, it didn't quite go "poof" out of nowhere, but it was obvious that things were going south. Details here.

A nice built, so far I've made two silent PC's in the Define Mini. A splendid case, I love it.

Can I ask you a question about the PSU and GPU combination? I've been talking about this in another thread, but I feel that a passive PSU isn't an advantage in this kind of set-up because it will heaten up the GPU. Have you encountered problems in terms of heat (GPU) when under stress?

I'll quote myself from earlier:

Jens Lyn IV wrote:I bought a Sapphire HD7750 Ultimate, favourably reviewed by SPCR. My experience mirrors that of the reviewer - the card never exceeds 70 degrees C. Interestingly, high CPU loads reduce the GPU temperature thanks to peripheral airflow from my top-down CPU cooler.

These observations are still valid. Even without a top-down cooler, and even with a much higher load on the PSU, I still would't expect any problems with this combination. The card has loads of thermal headroom, and the same can be said of the PSU. If you haven't, I encourage you to read SPCR's review of the X-400, specifically the torture test.