USB decrapifiers....

[Roscoe Primrose]

Tom and I used this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MSZTD8N/ You'll need RAM and a small SSD if your media is all on a NAS or the Internet, a larger SSD if you want to store music locally.

Roscoe

Is it better than the small form factor PC I am using?

Hard to say since I don't know anything about the PC you're using...

[ratbagp]

Thank you to those who recommended the Khadas DAC. I managed to ruin my ODAC when I dropped it a couple of months ago and was using a DragonFly red on a temporary basis. The Dragon was ok with my headphones but was awful into my regular system. The Khadas arrived this afternoon and already sounds quite promising.

Getting back to the crapifier, I'm wondering if using a powered multi USB port extender is effectively a de-crapifier. My mini PC is severely lacking in USB ports and one has to be used for the USD hard drive, but maybe I can do a comparison.

ray

[Grover Gardner]

Thank you to those who recommended the Khadas DAC. I managed to ruin my ODAC when I dropped it a couple of months ago and was using a DragonFly red on a temporary basis. The Dragon was ok with my headphones but was awful into my regular system. The Khadas arrived this afternoon and already sounds quite promising.

Getting back to the crapifier, I'm wondering if using a powered multi USB port extender is effectively a de-crapifier. My mini PC is severely lacking in USB ports and one has to be used for the USD hard drive, but maybe I can do a comparison.

ray

When Uptone Audio came out with their first Regen, there was talk about using a stock powered USB hub as a poor-man's Regen, and some people claimed to get good results with a certain brand (I can't remember which). But more than likely you're going to add *more* noise than not.

[ratbagp]

Since the port extender has a socket for the power thingy cable, I was pondering if I should build a proper low noise supply.

My other thought is that maybe the other items plugged into the extender such as the hard drive would affect the cleanliness of the power as well.

ray

[Stuart Polansky]

Take this for what it's worth, probably nothing, but I've had positive results with a DIY USB cable.

Taking the advice of the smart guys (who also have good ears), I made a simple USB cable using cotton insulated solid silver twisted pair conductors from Handmade. Overall covered in mesh tubing. Junky USB connectors (I want to make another with higher quality connectors). Used a tightly twisted pair of PVC insulated 20 AWG conductors in the same mesh for 5V power.

Much better than the typical printer cable I'd been using.

Step two, once the linear supply was in place (thanks again Grover! Still waiting for that other shoe to drop!) the next step was to connect to the linear power supply. My DAC only needs it for a handshake, so I didn't expect any difference. After all, I've changed output op amps from the (suspect) AD811 to Tom P.'s super whizbang SOTA chips and heard no difference.

Took an Amazon special USB A-C cable and cut it in two. Used the "C" end and spliced it to the leads coming off of my crap-ass "B" connector (trying to remove the wires completely from the connector will end it.

Plugged the DAC back in, A to the renderer, B to the DAC and C to the linear supply.
Clear and definite improvement in clarity, lack of edge, soundstage, etc.

Cheap and easy if you want to give it a shot. Also very easy to undo!

Best of luck, and respectfully,

Stuart

[HAL]

Stuart,
I had the same response to using a 5V regulated linear supply spliced into a USB2 cable, even though the DAC did not need power to run

I am attributing it to the switching PS noise the 5VDC from the PC supply puts on the USB cable data lines and the USB receiver has to deal with.

[Grover Gardner]

I've had very good results with the Uptone USB A>B Adapter and the shortest possible USB extension cable. The Uptone has a tiny switch for turning off the USB power.

https://uptoneaudio.com/products/uspcb-a-b-adapter