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Hifi-fine-tuning / some little thoughts / external 5V – XMOS-bridges (“Skysong” here)

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so,  😉

today some little thoughts about hifi-fine-tuning here..

as i´ve ordered again some “green” “SMPCB V1.07” (its the fourth meanwhile, burnt one as testing out some dual dc ;-( ) and as i´m stuck now to buy some new bluray-player (for hdmi to i2S) i´ve reactivated my Skysong XMOS-bridge (http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=1883) ->I2S->ES9038Q2M (green V1.07) to get some hifi “with ease” (from PC)..

cause i´ve got a little trouble at higher-resolutions (24/192) i´ve feeded the xmos-bridge (think its the same with all of them) again with an external 5V power-source, et voilá, again such a great difference to the usb-powered thing (said a lot about it in the above mentioned blogpost)->really again 10-15% better tune, hifi-began 😉 , means the music “disengages” from the speaker..

okay, and as i think my new Mission LX-2 are very “roomy” + “light”, i´ve got sometimes the feel that the old Mission 780 sound a little bit more “hifi” in some cases; they seem to be more “vocal”-focussed..

to “compensate” this i thought i change the standard NE5532 to my “heavenly” AD797ANZ (http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=1693) as they have these unbelievable room, and some 3D-ish at their own and correspondent absolutely perfect with the sabre-chip-characteristica->”..i think the speciality on these Sabre-Chips is this digitally room/3D-feeling + also with the great soundstage..so i stay, as said, with the AD797ANZ“

(we had a schematic of the recommended op-amps for the ES9038Q2M, also with greater dynamic + thd/dnr etc..))->

so, i´m listening right now to these “combo” with the “heavenly” AD797ANZ (although i think they sound also a little bit “distorted”) and try to get the best out these special (what i like so much) roomy/3D-ish ess-sabre “hyperstream” technology (and to find the right speaker + amplifier for it)..

will post more in future, stay tuned and have a nice “happy new year” !! 😉

Mission LX-2 arrived / (vs. 780/780 MK.II)/ Amazon Smart-Plug

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so folks ! 😉

“long time not heard” 😉 ,

unfortunately nothing new for the main-theme here ->”ES9038Q2M“-s..but i´ll maybe post more about in future”..

so, my long awaited “Mission LX-2” (first version, not the Mk.II) arrived here today..

first, overall impression: retains the “clarity” but with more “punch“; as said as the old Mission 780/780 MK.II were “too thin” (see these posts before->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=2797..)

absolutely more “room-filling“, and much more “controlled“, not so “vocal”-focussed” as before (what i miss a little bit (but they are just arrived, maybe i´ve heard it before a little bit wrong))

the slightly greater “volume” of the chassis has absolutely its sense..(i guess your amplifier needs btw. 10-20Watt more).

the agility is also greater..

2. Amazon Smart/Power Plug (12,99€)

itself nothing spectacular, works absolutely flawless with Alexa/FireCubeTV, but the interesting thing is that it works also as a great “AC/DC-noise-blocker“, de-“ripple-pickup” !! (thats why i mention it here.)

have some “uplighter” which causes this heavy “ground-loop”, tried millions of things before, different wall ac/dc outlets etc..was just before to buy a hifi-high-end-power-outlet-strip of about 50-60€, but put then amazon-power-plug between the uplighter and the ac/dc wall outlet et voilá : no more heavy noise/groundloop ! absolutely great !! 😉

so many greets for now, more to come.. 😉

SFB2

Cambridge Audio (or other) IR-repeater Option 5 / Broadlink RMmini3 / Fire TV Cube (2.Gen)

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so, folks 😉

unfortunately nothing new from here concerning ES9038Q2Ms (or audio-sound-wise) but got today some “Broadlink RMmini3” for cheap (7,50€ incl.shipping/Ebay, “normal” about ca. 20€) to test out the “Alexa” (-uuaargh ;-( )-functionality of my new bought Amazon-Fire-TV-Cube (was on “easter-sale” on Amazon, 60€ instead of 120€ (more later))..

i primarily wanted to use the RM3mini as an alternative for my Cambridge-Audio IR-remote which is really,really bad in terms of ir-range (i think 3cm max directly right in front of the amp 😉 )..

I´ve made 4 “tutorials” of this, “Cambridge IR-repeater”->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?s=cambridge+audio, first via bluetooth (DIY), then “web-controlled” (html), third with some mqtt-broker-thing on a Pi, and then “over-simple”, only with an Arduino, some ir-transmitter + -receiver +some dupont-cable->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=1939,

and now  i thought, i say “Volume down” or “Aux” in the firecube remote and the RM3mini will do it (more maybe later)..

okay, got it today, and it has really a superb ir-coverage (there a 5 or 6 led-transmitter in it), the apps according to it (“Broadlink IR-remote” etc..) are a little bit tricky to install, but the “learning-procedure” (in using the buttons on the original remote) itself is very simple..

fine..u have a great “template”-collection, i used a very simple one (see above) but u can easily customize it..

so, just started the “Alexa”-integration with the “Broadlink”-Skill, but its a bit more complicated then for 5 minutes..

okay, now to the Fire-TV-Cube (2.Gen)->absolutely greater video (+20% compared to Fire-Stick 4K)-quality (“deeper” colors + contrast) + also audio is much better..

in these Fire-Cube 4Ks is some Amlogic S922x with 6-core and 2GB Ram..these Amlogic S922x were the “high-end-boards” of the other Android-TV-Boxes..got years ago 2 of them here (and still) , the first also had some spdif-output and could play flac-files up to 96khz or 192khz (which was not common in the early times of mini-media-player (“WD-player”, Asus O-play and such) and i used Kodi on these boxes..(okay, now with all the “HDMI”-tutorials here on the site, u can still get a good clean sound/tune out of it)..

anyway, “Kodi V19.4 (ARMv7/32bit)” runs absolutely great, fast and very good on these 4K-Cubes (as said 6-core, 2GB Ram)..

and because Kodi runs so absolutely smooth, i thought about to “pimp-up” the audio-line a little bit (besides the normal HDMI-output), and i knew that these Amlogic 922x also has some I2S-output (original design) but on the Amazon-Cube-board its after the first “check” not available/disabled/not carried out->

(more here ->  https://de.ifixit.com/Anleitung/Amazon+Fire+TV+Cube+Motherboard+Replacement/116369)

anyway, we could use (with the help of our great “HDMI”-tutorials here 😉 ) the hdmi-output with some hdmi-audio-extractor to I2S and tell Kodi to put it out “native”/bit-correct/”hdmi-passthrough”..(havent check it out here at present)..

so, that was it for now, as said “hi-fi”-bricolage (with case,toroidal,es9038q2m) is a little bit on hold but i´ll post then maybe more about it..

but many greets and have a happy easter !! 😉

 

Little update: ES9038Pro / SMPCB v1.07 better than Skysong ES9038Q2M / new ES9068AS

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so, 😉

a little update:

re-checked a few days ago these “SMPCB 1.07″ (Green) against the Skysong ES9038Q2M and for me, the “SMPCP v1.07” has a much better sound/tune than the Skysong-board: more crispy + dynamic (IMHO)..

by that, as we are now “through” with the ES9038Q2M, the next step will be a ES9038Pro (or ES9068AS, see at the bottom) 😉 (the “balanced” output-options are also very interesting..)

also i´ve heard some new AKM4495 in a high-end headphone-amp surrounding (by a friend), and for me these “velvet-sound”-(branding) from these AKM-chips is for me (as ESSabre-“enthusiast”) still “hearable”/present, although these two approaches (Sabre+AKM) are coming more and more close to each other the more “high-end” they come..very close meanwhile..

(update: SMSL-8U (ES9068AS-chipset)-review->https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/s-m-s-l-su-8s.25206/reviews ->”..to put it shortly, it sounds very good considering its price. A trained ear will quickly recognize that quick and sharp Sabre sound signature. Highs are bright and airy, mid-range is clean and informative, emphasizing crisp edges and transients“)

so, found by chance some ES9038Pro-“implementation” in a SMSL-SU-9 (450$) (see pictures, audioscene-review is here->https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/smsl-su-9-balanced-dac-review.16150/ ) 😉

they “measured” it at a very high (they called it “Sinad”) point with 121db (SNR)->”..it is my pleasure to highly recommend the SMSL SU-9. Great job.”

point is, that u also see, that these dual DC is absolutely “uber-important” + by that the SU-9N uses the xmos216 + theres also a “new” ES9068AS on the market, for example in some Topping E50->https://de.shenzhenaudio.com/products/topping-e50-dac-es9068as-mqa-xu216-32bit-768khz-dsd512-decoder-ultra-low-noise-preamp-headphone-dac , also with some “CPLD” jitter reduction (guess its a hardware-solution like in the Chord-Mojo (FPGA) for example)

will have to check out the difference (and price) to an ES9038Pro and if this chipset (ES9068AS) will also being implemented on some cheap chinese-boards..we will look  for it 😉 ->”A18 (AK4499) vs X16 (ES9068AS)-“shootout” is here->https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/new-gustard-twin-shootout-a18-ak4499-vs-x16-es9068as.17428/

so, and as we´ve learned soo much about the right power-supply-chain and i2s-hdmi-connection-things and and and 😉 , we can just sit back and relax and wait for the new cheap chinese-essabre-boards to come out 😉 ..

many greets for now ! 😉

Happy New Year !! ;-) / momentary “gear” / nothing new / I2S over hdmi far better than via spdif

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Hi there !! 😉

first, Happy New Year !! 😉

second: unfortunately absolutely no news from here 😉 ..i´m “stuck” at present to find the right toroidal transformer + the right rectifier for it (Dual DC +-15V) (as written here a thousand times) (btw. “burnt” meanwhile 2 rectifier + 1 Philips power-board + 1 ES9038Q2M-board ;-(  (so, be careful 😉 ) 

and because its always the same here lately, i just want to wish you a happy new year !! 😉

hope i´ll get something more interesting in future about this whole DIY-DAC-thing + ESSabre-boards !! 😉 

(some quick and dirty pics (only for happy new year) ->Sony BDP-7200->HDMI->HDMI-extractor->I2S over hdmi receiver->I2S->Skysong ES9038Q2M (only single 12V at present)..(+but after connecting it via I2S its really really far better than the normal spdif/coax-line from the Sony BDP7200)..

many greets !! 😉

Skysong ES9038Q2M / very handy..

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so, 😉

finally (and last for this), the Skysong ES9038Q2M with display and voltage-poti arrived today (see post before)->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=2768 ->

meanwhile i can´t determine exactly the differences between the ES9038Q2Ms like this Skysong and some green SMPCB V1.07, cause they “sound” almost exactly the same (maybe these Skysongs are a little bit more “warm” and not so “crispy” like the SMPCB-versions of it (its the same with the Skysong-XMOS-Bridge) , but can´t say this for absolutely sure..

anyway, a real improvement in sound/SQ on these boards is to use a dual-DC -power-supply chain (with +-15V !!) (also see posts before), i would tell it like so (and come to an end with these ES9038Q2M-chinese-boards) (but its very “speculative”, only some guess/feel by myself 😉 ):

  1. 100% -> SMPCB V1.07 (Green) with Dual-DC +-15V
  2. 98%    ->Skysong ES9038Q2M with Dual-DC +-15V
  3. 82%    ->both boards with Dual DC +-12V
  4. 72%    ->SMPCB V1.07 (Green) with single 12V/15V
  5. 70% 😉 ->Skysong ES9038Q2M with single 12V/15V
  6. 68%     -> “Blue” ES9038Q2M with single 12V/15V

but as said, very “speculative” 😉

by that these new Skysong ES9038Q2M with the display, volume-poti and possibility to “control” it via some cheap (3$) Apple-TV-remote is very “handy” usability-wise; very nice to adjust the volume on the board too (its a “hardware”-volume mixer (bit-wise)) and has very little impact on the sound-quality, almost nothing..(by that i can finally change the different filter-types “on the fly”, will maybe post a little bit more of it) as originally wanted here on the site..

so again, sorry about it, but i guess thats the final post concerning the differences on these ES9038Q2Ms, maybe we´ll get some ES9038 Pro in future 😉 ,

greets for now 😉

Hifi-Speaker test/review: Mission 780 MK.II vs Mission 780 / Mission LX-/QX-2 MK.II

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so, 😉

as i wanted to upgrade my hi-fi in general, i´ve bought 2 month ago some Mission 780 MK.II; they were two times “speaker of the year” and as i´ve tested my old 780 against  some Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 ->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=2137 and was absolutely disappointed (see the post) i thought i stuck with the “Mission-direction” (and okay, have to test some KEF, Dali Zensor, Monitor Audio etc.,etc.,etc.) but for the present i´ve ordered them with 2 not “original/Mission” bass-driver (these Mission 780 MK.II were extremly “rare” ->https://www.hifishark.com/model/mission-780 )

but in a very good condition + niciest wood-veneer and bought afterwards the missing 2 bass-driver also..

got them at home, replaced the driver and voilá: wonderful, lively, unbelievable, “roomy/airy/3D-ish” “Mission”-sound ! 😉

BUT: to thin ;-( ..no wonder, the overall “volume” of the speaker-cases is unsufficient (IMO)..) by that, the “old” 780er sounded really better/more hi-fi then the new ones (but absolutely not so lively/clear like the new-ones, MK.IIs)..

and so as i was unsatisfied with the case-volume of the MK.IIs i came across the much newer Mission LX-/QX-2 (MK.II) !!->399€->

(last 2. picture: Philip Thielen -> https://www.lite-magazin.de/2021/03/mission-lx-2-mkii-fuer-hohe-ansprueche-und-kleine-geldbeutel/)

and yes, as u see, they are much more voluminous, “bulgy”, thats what i also thought, want to have 😉 (in comparison to the 780 MK.IIs)

so, i guess that would be the next “goal” 😉 (and afterwards maybe some Monitor-Audios or KEFs or Dali or or or or 😉 )

in these sense, many greets for now 😉

PROJECT IV: PART 3 / Dual DC +-15 / LibreELEC / Toroidal T.+ LM317/337

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so, 😉

as said, burnt my Philips BDP9500-powerboard with these fabulous dual DC (+-12V) ->(see post before) but i didn´t give up 😉 and so i tried another way to get my wonderful dual DC 😉 ..

okay, as i have now only straight/normal +12V DC (via another line on the powerboard (have still of course the toroidal Dual AC (18V1 + 18V2, more later)) i thought why don´t buy a single DC to Dual DC-converter !! ? (found it by chance,  didn´t knew its possible)-> 5,50€ Aliexpress-> https://de.aliexpress.com/item/32924044001.html

and so i could test-out again the “benefits” from dual DC..

okay, the dc-dc converter runs a little bit hot (had to screw the poti a little bit up (from 12V to +- 15V)(use a little 5V-fan to cool it) but again, such a nice sound/tune from dual DC (absolutely better channel separation etc., see also post before) (and now with the, for me missing, “push” from the +-15V instead of +-12V before !!) + and this time i used “LibreELEC“->https://libreelec.tv 

because i´ve got the Rasberry Pi Zero 2 earlier, (and wanted to check the usability as a media-center with only 512MB Ram from the Zero 2) and voilá also a nice sound via Pi 4->Skysong XMOS-USB-bridge->I2S->ES9038Q2M; really a little bit “airier” maybe better as with “Volumio” for example (but also a little bit more “distorted”, have to evaluate it more), but absolutely nice, these better dual DC-sound 😉 ..

and because i´m an absolutely dummy/noob concerning electronical things like these whole dual AC/DC.-thing (but made these site also for people with no knowledge in these things 😉 , to learn about it) i also found out by connecting the toroidal 18V1/18V2 to a simple dual AC to dual DC-converter (see post before) that i got a massive voltage drop under load (means: set to +-15V out, dropped under load extremly about 4-5V (to 11V for example), had not such a drop with the single DC-rail/line, discussed it with some friends and yes, absolutely clear, u need some capacitor to “buffer”, like with these ->”regulated LM317 + LM337 power supply board AC-DC” with some 35V/2200uF capacitors for example ! 😉 (as said, totally clear for some electronical-hifi-freaks but not for me till this point); there are a lot of them around, also with greater capacitors, but just to learn about)..this thing cost about 9€ ->https://de.aliexpress.com/item/32570124466.html

(Voltage input-range: Dual AC28V (three lines), Voltage output-range: ±DC1. 25 V to 30 V adjustable.)

good 😉 ,

so, and now we´ve learned:

you have to use/need a regulated power-board behind some toroidal transformer !! 😉 (and some “thermistor” before, another time..)

more to come + greets for now 😉

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