Trinity DAC

[Mike Lavigne]

The moral of the story is as follows: do not ignore your computer, if you want to use it as your transport. Everyone that is still usig their MacBooks, Mac Minis or regular PC desktops / servers to play files - you don't know what you are missing !

Mike - there is more to come from the Audiophile Optimizer software and Uptone Audio linear PSU. If you gonna use your CAPS only for playing music (not for CD ripping or internet surfing) install the Audiophile Optimizer in Core Mode. This will turn your CAPS into an appliance, with no Windows desktop - only with Jriver. You will be able to use it without the monitor altogether - only with an iPad.

BTW - the computer Mike has just put together can be bought ready built, fully configured, with 24 months remote support from Lampizator, as a 'DSD Komputer' server: http://www.lampizator.eu/Fikus/KOMPUTER_-_MUSIC_SERVER.html

Mike's is even better, as it uses the Teradak ATX linear PSU instead of HD Plex single rail linear PSU (but I'm sure you can order ?ukasz to built you one with Teradak too). Mike's built will also use the Uptone Audio linear PSU to power the Jcat USB card, as the Trinity DAC uses USB +5V power (Lampis don't).

my old server will be used as the 'ripping' station and landing spot for incoming files from the web; it's already back upstairs on the network and today i'll be setting up the 50 disc Kodak disc feeder to get the big boy ripping process started. so my new CAPS v4/DSD Komputer will be music only and my son will install the Audiophile Optimizer in the 'Core' mode as you mention when he recovers from the rest of his work. and I have a VAIO SSD laptop for web surfing in my room.

even now I can switch 'players' (dacs) from JRiver Remote on the IPad. the only issue is to make sure that I hit 'stop' for the current music file I'm playing before I change players (choose a different driver) in Jremote.

I could not agree more on the cost-benefit of the server upgrade. in the context of my system it is a laughingly dramatic upgrade, and I suppose it will be getting a bit better too.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I am not surprised at all because I knew this would happen (see my prediction in one of my earlier replies in this thread). I am very happy for you and I hope that your great enthusiasm opens the eyes and ears of more (serious) audiophiles. The Trinity dac is - as Adam and myself have explained before in this thread - not only a beautiful sounding pcm dac but also an extremely well made piece of equipment that is very reliable. Mike, enjoy yourself: the Trinity dac will continuously show you how good pcm can really sound.

the Trinity dac has such a scary upside.....meaning that it seems to jump ahead with every improvement in what you feed it. it apparently is not the limitation to performance. in this aspect it reminds me absolutely of vinyl......in that we think we know about what the format is capable of until we chase perfection, then we find that there is more and more information and musical truth in those grooves to be discovered and enjoyed as we push every aspect of the playback chain.

my mind recognizes that there will be still yet another step up in performance, but my senses tell me it's as good as it can get.

at some point i'll have a few visitors who can help me with a sanity check.

 

[wisnon]

Hahahahah

Actually, the Transport has always been half the battle and your new Uber Transport will lift ALL Dacs in your collection.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

btw; I call my old server 'Webster' after my fav tenor sax player; the new CAPS v4/DSD Komputer server is 'Hendrix' with an 'x'......a local boy made good who could play the guitar a bit.

 

[microstrip]

The moral of the story is as follows: do not ignore your computer, if you want to use it as your transport. Everyone that is still usig their MacBooks, Mac Minis or regular PC desktops / servers to play files - you don't know what you are missing ! (...)

Adam,

I feel happy you highlight this aspect, as I have always felt that the computer was the ugly duck of virtual music. It is why I (an others - I can not forget Loyd) sticked with a great CD transport for the last few years and enjoyed my CDs when people were abandoning them and praising DSD.

One aspect, however still worries my "transport" biased mind , Have you directly compared the CAPS4 server with the Trinity server in the same system? I usually have great confidence in the coherency of the approaches taken by a manufacturer and considering the price and performance of the DAC, I would feel uneasy about not getting the last drop of its performance.

I am reading all I can about the CAPS4 and soon I will contact you by email.

Many thanks to you and Mike for these great and elucidating posts.

 

[LL21]

Adam,

I feel happy you highlight this aspect, as I have always felt that the computer was the ugly duck of virtual music. It is why I (an others - I can not forget Loyd) sticked with a great CD transport for the last few years and enjoyed my CDs when people were abandoning them and praising DSD.
...

Many thanks to you and Mike for these great and elucidating posts.

Yes, I have also enjoyed reading these posts from Mike about Trinity and the new server. And as Micro says, i also enjoy playing my redbook while doing so!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

this afternoon I got the Kodak 50 disc loader set up (I watched my son set it up remotely) on the old server; did a test run of 5 discs, and now it's off and running on the first batch of 50 discs. I figure 50 a day for however long it takes. the old server moves the file onto the NAS and it is immediately available on JRiver.

cool.

 

[microstrip]

this afternoon I got the Kodak 50 disc loader set up (I watched my son set it up remotely) on the old server; did a test run of 5 discs, and now it's off and running on the first batch of 50 discs. I figure 50 a day for however long it takes. the old server moves the file onto the NAS and it is immediately available on JRiver.

cool.

Mike,

Is this the Kodak loader you are using? http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-50-disc-Loader-Ripping-Package/dp/B00065DGBO/ref=pd_sxp_redirect

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike,

Is this the Kodak loader you are using? http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-50-disc-Loader-Ripping-Package/dp/B00065DGBO/ref=pd_sxp_redirect

yes; that is it.

very simple device; designed to copy photo files easily.

it did miss load once today after 20 discs for some reason and had to help it a bit. we will see how much I have to do that. seems built like a tank though.

just a power cord and USB cable.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Kodak Loader bottom, old server top left, NAS top middle.....CD boxes and CD's ready be ripped. notice plastic CD sleeve under loader to catch ripped CD's


CAPS v4, Trinity


CAPS v4 and Teradak ATX Linear Power supply


Jcat battery power for the USB card, sitting behind the CAPS v4 box

 

[Jazzhead]

Seriously awesome . Any build thread on the CapsV4 ? Entreq on footers will help further matters ... Enjoy !

 

[Al M.]

totally agree that it is so hard to assign cause and effect unless you tame the room issues. no question that musical textures such as massed strings are masked by reflective energy in an untreated room. and any slight digital edge gets multiplied by reflective hash.....which also tends to change the tonal balance adding high frequency energy.

the combination of acoustic balance in the room and a better digital source gets one a long ways.

Mike,

yes, artificial digital harshness tends to be amplified by problems with room acoustics (and perhaps by problems with downstream electronics too). I am afraid that this issue has muddled the analog vs. digital debate over the decades as well -- system/room units that had problems may not have been challenged as much by vinyl playback, this being an additional factor tipping the scale in favor of vinyl in these settings. Of course, once the room is addressed, vinyl playback greatly benefits as well, but that is a separate issue.

Having said that, I agree that the best vinyl playback on the best recordings/pressings still has an edge over digital, at least over the digital that I have heard as of yet, which is not SOTA. Certainly I haven't heard the Trinity DAC, nor a unit like the Berkeley Reference DAC, for example.

I say this as someone with digital playback only, but with open ears that tell me what I hear in other people's systems with vinyl playback. On the other hand, I do not share the digiphobia of others, and I enjoy music on my CD based system just as much as I can enjoy vinyl elsewhere, and I find it just as involving.

i think 176khz/24 and 192khz/24 seem to be 'sometimes' much better, even occasionally astonishingly good. 88khz/24 and 96khz/24 a bit less so.....even 48khz better than 44khz. but it's just that each level simply seems to have blacker backgrounds, degrees more textural nuance and delicacy, more ease and 'see into' refinement. but it's really too soon to have fully formed opinions as many of the files i have are of mixed sources. so these opinions are provisional at this point. as i acquire more hi rez i'll likely get a more definite opinion about it.

but make no mistake that with the Trinity dac higher sampling rates are better than lower generally. you hear farther into the music.

it's more than a subtle difference. however, like always the very best recordings are outstanding regardless of format frequency response.

Thank you for this assessment, very interesting.

 

[bonzo75]

Seriously awesome . Any build thread on the CapsV4 ? Entreq on footers will help further matters ... Enjoy !

There is a lot of CAPS build info on Computer Audiophile.

If you scroll down on this link, it will give you a link for the SKU of each component that you need to order http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/612-computer-audiophile-pocket-server-c-p-s-v4-pipeline/


Motherboard: Supermicro X10SLH-F
Case: Streacom FC10 (Right now you can get the FC10 Alpha, but there is a waiting time)
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1241 v3 (BX80646E31241V3)
RAM: Crucial (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM ECC Unbuffered DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Server Memory (CT2KIT102472BD160B)
SSD: Samsung 850 Pro 128GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-7KE128BW)
HDD: Seagate Desktop HDD 6TB 6Gb/s 128MB Cache 3.5-Inch HDD (STBD6000100)
PSU: HDPlex Linear Power Supply in combination with the HDPlex 250W Internal DC-ATX PSU (Instead of this, you can get the Teradak PSU like Elberoth, but since I have the Paul Hynes linear power supply I will connect it to a Picopsu)
Music App: JRiver Media Center (try HQPlayer or Bug head emperor instead. Less user friendly but better SQ
USB Card: SOtM tX-PCIexp (You can get the Jcat USB card for a higher price)

Some of the above can be substituted by Jcat or Paul Pang products. Lots of info on computer audiophile


If you search for the SKU numbers, you should get it off amazon

Add Win 10 and Audiophile Optimiser (AO).

Tweak geeks can keep changing stuff. e.g swap motherboard (MoBo) for Paul Pang's MoBo + Clock. Every 4 - 5 years change MoBo, RAM, CPU. Try different Media Players. Etc.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike,

yes, artificial digital harshness tends to be amplified by problems with room acoustics (and perhaps by problems with downstream electronics too). I am afraid that this issue has muddled the analog vs. digital debate over the decades as well -- system/room units that had problems may not have been challenged as much by vinyl playback, this being an additional factor tipping the scale in favor of vinyl in these settings. Of course, once the room is addressed, vinyl playback greatly benefits as well, but that is a separate issue.

Having said that, I agree that the best vinyl playback on the best recordings/pressings still has an edge over digital, at least over the digital that I have heard as of yet, which is not SOTA. Certainly I haven't heard the Trinity DAC, nor a unit like the Berkeley Reference DAC, for example.

I say this as someone with digital playback only, but with open ears that tell me what I hear in other people's systems with vinyl playback. On the other hand, I do not share the digiphobia of others, and I enjoy music on my CD based system just as much as I can enjoy vinyl elsewhere, and I find it just as involving.

Thank you for this assessment, very interesting.

I've always wondered why I hear system differences more clearly with digital than vinyl? when I change something I always go to my trusty 30-40 digital references and sure enough, I can hear slight changes to my reference. but the vinyl is less effected.

and I think the heart of it is that that harshness of digital is like a jab in the eye that is so very sensitive. and when it's lessened or eliminated it's startling. so as you tame the room of it's reflective glare it's so profound what it does for the digital side of things (the analog side has much less of the harshness to be reflected). and once done all of a sudden you more clearly hear other things such as noise floor or expressiveness more clearly.

I suppose it's a natural progression.

 

[microstrip]

I've always wondered why I hear system differences more clearly with digital than vinyl? when I change something I always go to my trusty 30-40 digital references and sure enough, I can hear slight changes to my reference. but the vinyl is less effected.

and I think the heart of it is that that harshness of digital is like a jab in the eye that is so very sensitive. and when it's lessened or eliminated it's startling. so as you tame the room it's so profound what it does for the digital side of things. and once done all of a sudden you more clearly hear other things such as noise floor or expressiveness more clearly.

I suppose it's a natural progression.

Since long I am not using vinyl for system tuning, exactly for the same reason. Differences are more perceptible with digital. Also, some times something that sounds better with vinyl makes digital worse and I want to have a system for both sources. Curiously the reverse is not true - if it sounds better with digital it seems to benefit analog!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

this morning I went to inspect the Kodak ripper and all was well, 62 had been ripped since mid-day yesterday. I had planned on reloading last night but fell asleep and was not in the mood to crawl around on the floor when I did wake up later.

this morning it took about 30 minutes to repack the ripped CD's, and open and insert 50 more. they have been ripping and so far am at 79 discs ripped.

no further miss feeds since the one yesterday at disc 20. we will see how it is tonight. seems to be the hot tip way to do this.

 

[Jazzhead]

There is a lot of CAPS build info on Computer Audiophile.

If you scroll down on this link, it will give you a link for the SKU of each component that you need to order http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/612-computer-audiophile-pocket-server-c-p-s-v4-pipeline/


Motherboard: Supermicro X10SLH-F
Case: Streacom FC10 (Right now you can get the FC10 Alpha, but there is a waiting time)
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1241 v3 (BX80646E31241V3)
RAM: Crucial (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM ECC Unbuffered DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Server Memory (CT2KIT102472BD160B)
SSD: Samsung 850 Pro 128GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-7KE128BW)
HDD: Seagate Desktop HDD 6TB 6Gb/s 128MB Cache 3.5-Inch HDD (STBD6000100)
PSU: HDPlex Linear Power Supply in combination with the HDPlex 250W Internal DC-ATX PSU (Instead of this, you can get the Teradak PSU like Elberoth, but since I have the Paul Hynes linear power supply I will connect it to a Picopsu)
Music App: JRiver Media Center (try HQPlayer or Bug head emperor instead. Less user friendly but better SQ
USB Card: SOtM tX-PCIexp (You can get the Jcat USB card for a higher price)

Some of the above can be substituted by Jcat or Paul Pang products. Lots of info on computer audiophile


If you search for the SKU numbers, you should get it off amazon

Add Win 10 and Audiophile Optimiser (AO).

Tweak geeks can keep changing stuff. e.g swap motherboard (MoBo) for Paul Pang's MoBo + Clock. Every 4 - 5 years change MoBo, RAM, CPU. Try different Media Players. Etc.

Thanks Bonzo, much appreciated .

 

[microstrip]

yes; that is it.

very simple device; designed to copy photo files easily.

it did miss load once today after 20 discs for some reason and had to help it a bit. we will see how much I have to do that. seems built like a tank though.

just a power cord and USB cable.

Thanks. Unfortunately I can not see it for sale anywhere. Do you know of any similar devices?

Otherwise I must persuade someone to build me a loader using Lego Mindstorms.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FDGKTtLWxs

 

[Mosin]

There is a lot of CAPS build info on Computer Audiophile.

If you scroll down on this link, it will give you a link for the SKU of each component that you need to order http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/612-computer-audiophile-pocket-server-c-p-s-v4-pipeline/


Motherboard: Supermicro X10SLH-F
Case: Streacom FC10 (Right now you can get the FC10 Alpha, but there is a waiting time)
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1241 v3 (BX80646E31241V3)
RAM: Crucial (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM ECC Unbuffered DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Server Memory (CT2KIT102472BD160B)
SSD: Samsung 850 Pro 128GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-7KE128BW)
HDD: Seagate Desktop HDD 6TB 6Gb/s 128MB Cache 3.5-Inch HDD (STBD6000100)
PSU: HDPlex Linear Power Supply in combination with the HDPlex 250W Internal DC-ATX PSU (Instead of this, you can get the Teradak PSU like Elberoth, but since I have the Paul Hynes linear power supply I will connect it to a Picopsu)
Music App: JRiver Media Center (try HQPlayer or Bug head emperor instead. Less user friendly but better SQ
USB Card: SOtM tX-PCIexp (You can get the Jcat USB card for a higher price)

Some of the above can be substituted by Jcat or Paul Pang products. Lots of info on computer audiophile


If you search for the SKU numbers, you should get it off amazon

Add Win 10 and Audiophile Optimiser (AO).

Tweak geeks can keep changing stuff. e.g swap motherboard (MoBo) for Paul Pang's MoBo + Clock. Every 4 - 5 years change MoBo, RAM, CPU. Try different Media Players. Etc.

I was looking at Paul Pang's site, and I saw his modified Sabre DAC. The guy is using an oven controlled quartz oscillator. That's wild to the point of insanity. (I suppose he could reference it with a GPS option.) Anyway, we were considering an OXCO for the clock in the Saskia controller at one point, but I thought is was too over-the-top crazy...

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Thanks. Unfortunately I can not see it for sale anywhere. Do you know of any similar devices?

Otherwise I must persuade someone to build me a loader using Lego Mindstorms.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FDGKTtLWxs

i'm happy to send you mine when I am done.