“Skysong” XMOS-USB XU208->first impressions+experiences (Win10)

so, 😉
first, i must say: “Unbelievable” 😉
(first impressions after arrival:looks very neat and very well manufactured !!”)

hadnt expected so much; just wanted to uprade my PC-soundcard a little bit (Asus Xonar DX) and get rid of those horrible clicks/pops on the raspberry pi..
use now my “ES9018K2M” cause i dont wanted to f*** up my raspberry-setting with the ES9028Q2M..
and now i know what i already knew 😉 , that the ES9018K2M were already “High-End” in the right circumstances/surroundings..(and they were implemented on these/our “cheap” chinese-boards with low-quality components !!)


i also read somewhere that our lovely chinese-boards were specially designed for XMOS-USB devices; don´t know if its true but i can confirm that it is almost unbelievable what i now hear here ;-)..
so “dry”, such a lot of details, spaciousness, so less latency..
(it really upgraded my hifi-gear by 10-15%, and i have here a Cambridge Audio-Amp and Mission Cyrus Speaker)

okay, use now the standard-Win10-driver; had problems with Win8..
Krunoslav Kovacic” send us fortunately the driver for the Skysong/Singxer for DSD on Win10 (hadnt test it yet by myself) and moved it also to the forum..(and some “standard”-driver)..->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/forum
it says “XMOS USB Device” and “Skysong DFU” in the device-manager..absolut no hassle or problems while installing..
u can select up to “24bit/384khz” in the audio-properties->(see picture)

VLC-player plays 192khz but no more; Windows Test works with 384khz..
use now here JRiver (“XMOS USB Audio-WASAPI”) will test then foobar, ASIO etc..
(and this is all on a PC; hadnt started the whole Raspberry/Dietpi/Moode-thing right now 😉 ..)
Conclusion (for the moment): absolutely super to recommend !!->47$/39€ inkl. shipping (23 !! days to deliver from this seller)
https://www.ebay.de/itm/XMOS-XU208-Asynchronous-USB-coaxial-fiber-output-IIS-DSD256-spdif-dop64/122848729137?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

10 Kommentare

  • Krunoslav Kovacic

    Hi,

    can you please show how does the “Sound” window (the one under the “Eingenschaften von Lautsprecher” window) look like?

    Do you see your XMOS device in the Sound window when you connect it with USB?

    Br
    Krunoslav

  • Krunoslav Kovacic

    Yes, that’s what I meant, thank you! 🙂

    If I understood you correctly “XMOS USB AUDIO” sound device appeared as a sound device after you connected your XU208 board via USB to your computer? It also appeared as “Skysong DFU” in the device manager?

    Btw, your project looks excellent to me and I think ES9018K2M is a very fine choice toward some seriously good sound. Do you plan to put it into separate metal case to avoid interference with the analogue signal?

    • yes !!
      looks u have some plan/clue ;-)..yes, exactly..”XMOS USB AUDIO” device appeares in the device-manager and also this “Skysong DFU”->(but for now with a “exclamation mark”; guess have to install your v4.36-“pack”)
      http://www.sfb2.com/device-manager2-dfu.jpg
      and yes, whats really more interesting is, that the ES9018K2M sounds especially on this Skysong really really better in comparison to a ES9028Q2M on the Raspberries (via I2S) for example..!!
      on a Raspberry (over I2S) there is no other choice imo->the ES9028Q2M “sounds” far more better than the ES9018Q2M..but on these Skysong XMOS-USB(or XMOS-USBs in general) the ES9018K2M has a better/rougher/more spaciousness sound..okay, its not so soft as a ES9028Q2M..(i will post this interesting behaviour/discussion also in the forum)..
      (i hardly remember that i read elsewhere that these ES9018K2M-boards are specially designed (or vice versa) for or at the time the XMOS-bridges initially appeared on the market)
      the two chips have really different “characteristica”; what lacks on the one, has the other one and so on..;-)..
      and in changing the OP-Amps to a Muses8920 here for example u have also much more choices/ways 😉
      and yes third: to put the ES9018K2M in a metal case could be a good possibility/choice cause i have more problems with interferences with this board than with other..
      so, i really think at present to change back the ES9018K2M for the ES9028Q2M which i´ve changed a few hours ago ;-)..
      so thx again and greets for now (hope it helps a little bit 😉 )

  • Krunoslav Kovacic

    Thank you for your help! I believe that XMOS board was recognised by your Windows 10 thanks to the new Microsoft USB 2.0 Audio driver, but I’m not sure that it would function properly with it, especially when I see that yellow exclamation mark. Would it be a problem for you to try to install v4.36 driver? 🙂
    In case you were to do it I would advise to first remove all existing XMOS entries from Device screen in order to disable the Windows driver.

    I plan to use the XMOS board with the MiniPC (like this one: https://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_635379.html?lkid=12187803) – that’s why I am bothering you with this.. 🙂

    Well, as an electronic engineer I can tell you I strongly believe that analogue output of D/A circuits can be affected by digital noise. I also believe they need to have well filtered and stable power supply. For the USB bridge devices like your XU208 all this is not important at all.

    One more thing: as you can see from these links ES9028Q2M is meant for mobile phones while ES9018K2M is meant for HiFi and other audio equipment, so if I were you I would stick with ES9018K2M. 😉

    ES9028Q2M: http://www.esstech.com/index.php/en/products/sabre-digital-analog-converters/sabre-hifi-mobile-dacs/

    ES9018K2M: http://www.esstech.com/index.php/en/products/sabre-digital-analog-converters/audiophile-dacs/classic-sabre-8-channel-dacs/es9018/

    • thx to you too ;-)..
      I will try to install the v4.36 on Win8.1 in a few hours i think..for the moment i would like to have it on Win10 “as it is”..(before i get here in trouble with this Usb-device-ids and so on 😉 ) (but in a few days/weeks maybe (post the results than here))
      I knew that the ES9018K2M has its very own special capabilities/specialities but on a raspberry there were not the right dt-overlays; searched for it for a long time..and so we, i, had to use the “standard/compatible”-overlays/drivers..and that doesnt sound “really” well..
      another thing was with the ES9028Q2M..u could also use again the “hifiberry-dac”-dtoverlay..and the ES9028Q2Ms sounds really good on a raspberry..
      so, sorry for the moment, no V4.36-test on Win10, but i will test them at Win8.1 in a few hours i think..(post results here)
      and yes, after i got these Skysong-XMOS-USB the PC/Mini-PC with Win10 is an alternative again; cause without these phenomenal XMOS-USB-bridges a Pc/Mini-PC was absolute no alternative to a raspberry/I2S-solution 😉

  • Krunoslav Kovacic

    Thank you – Win8.1 is also fine because if the v4.36 driver would work fine with them it should also work fine with Win10 as well. But please be sure to first install the v4.36 driver and then plug the XMOS into USB port. 😉

    Ah ok, I see – I was not aware of the overlay issue.. Well, 9028 should probably sound equally well, especially with the high grade op amp like the MUSES one you mentioned. 🙂

  • Hi so is this device a DAC?

    Does it have the ES9018K2M?

    Can I use this to convert sound to amplifier with coaxial to RCA?

    • No..
      you can use it via I2S WITH a DAC, it has no ES9018K2M, but u can “convert” USB as IN and via the RCA-connector at the other side of the USB-port as OUT (coax and optical)(to the amplifier or similar) (it has an own software-mixer-control-slider for it)….

  • Hello! Unknowingly ruined the firmware on his sky song xmas xu208. After that, all LEDs are lit, but the computer does not see the device. Maybe somebody can help me to restore the firmware?

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