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Digital Pulse Transformer, Capacitor & Resistor.
Rank: Member
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Joined: 7/29/2010(UTC) Posts: 24 Location: Malaysia
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I'm using BII with Placid + IvyIII with Placid BP, currently connecting BII DAC after my Squeezebox Touch. Is it beneficial to add a digital pulse transformer between BII & Squeezebox Touch? If it is good for the sound quality, can i add one between the BNC connector & SPDIF output on the board? Which are the critical signal coupling capacitor & resistor to upgrade? Thank you in advance.
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Rank: Member
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Joined: 8/6/2008(UTC) Posts: 128 Location: Baltimore, MD USA
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I am using BII with IVY and SB Touch. I just use digital out of the Touch (SPDIF) in to Buff with no problems (I am using the MUX because I have multiple digital sources but you can just have one SPDIF in to the Buff
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 1/11/2009(UTC) Posts: 70 Location: Greece
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I think the MUX already features digital transformers at its inputs. I too was wondering if it'd make sense to add such a pulse transformer when using a direct SPDIF connection to Buffalo. Edited by user Monday, March 21, 2011 4:25:01 PM(UTC)
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Rank: Member
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Joined: 7/29/2010(UTC) Posts: 24 Location: Malaysia
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Pelliott123: Yes I'm using SBT spdif to BII spdif too, just wondering if it's beneficial to add a digital pulse trans in between SBT & BII.
Shaman: I was browsing through the forum to find out but yet to get a concrete answer regarding this matter. Maybe I never find hard enough?
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Rank: Member
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Joined: 7/27/2010(UTC) Posts: 48 Location: Malaysia
Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)
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No harm using a good 75ohm specific 1:1 pulse transformer. What it will do is to provide isolation between your BII and Squeezebox. If possible mount the transformer as close to the BII's SPDIF input connection. There is an existing 75ohm smd resistor that loads the SPDIF input of the BII and you will want to leave this in place. Will the transformer improve the sound? Possibly. Read all of this thread even though it talks about 110ohm connection: http://www.twistedpearau....aspx?g=posts&t=1036Edited by user Monday, March 21, 2011 10:35:58 PM(UTC)
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Rank: Member
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Joined: 7/29/2010(UTC) Posts: 24 Location: Malaysia
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David: Thanks again for your kind reply. Will try it out then.
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 2/10/2009(UTC) Posts: 299 Location: Italy
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I'm using the SB Touch with the BII and have tried with and without pulse-transformer. I cannot hear any sonic difference..... The pulse transformer provides galvanic isolation, which is a good thing, but it won't fix a bad or noisy S/PDIF signal. Junk in junk out.
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Joined: 8/6/2008(UTC) Posts: 128 Location: Baltimore, MD USA
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Are you saying that the SB Touch has a bad SPDIF signal. It looks pretty good on my scope, much improved over the DUET
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 2/10/2009(UTC) Posts: 299 Location: Italy
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Absolutely no - the SB Touch S/PDIF output works great with the Buf II ! Old "high-end" devises, like the CDPRO-2M transport, are terrible and there is no pulse transformer that will fix it.....
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Joined: 7/27/2010(UTC) Posts: 48 Location: Malaysia
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NicMac wrote:I'm using the SB Touch with the BII and have tried with and without pulse-transformer. I cannot hear any sonic difference..... The pulse transformer provides galvanic isolation, which is a good thing, but it won't fix a bad or noisy S/PDIF signal. Junk in junk out. On a high resolution system, you should be able to hear a difference. Whether you like what you hear is another matter. My experience with CS8412/4 type SPDIF receivers suggests that inputs fed with a good pulse transformer always betters configurations without transformers. The transports used were a range of high end dedicated CD transports and budget DVD-type players. I have yet to try a BII with a transformer simply because a friend liked my BII DAC so much he plonked down hard cash and did not return my DAC having borrowed it for a week. There are others who will swear that not having (and removing any if fitted) input transformers will improve the sound. Lukasz Fikus is one such guy and his opinion should not be taken lightly and he has measurements to prove it. The best way to decide is to test for yourself. Listen for a few weeks before deciding which you prefer.
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Rank: Administration
Groups: Administration, Customer Joined: 10/24/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,868 Location: Massachusetts, USA
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Quote:Lukasz Fikus is one such guy and his opinion should not be taken lightly I take his opinion as lightly as anyone else's. NicMac is 100% correct in his comment.
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Rank: Member
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Joined: 7/29/2010(UTC) Posts: 24 Location: Malaysia
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I tried a Newava S22083 digital PT between SB Touch and BII. The sound improve in terms of lower noise floor and better separation. So I soldered it inside the BII, just before BII SPDIF output. YMMV. Can I know which resistors and capacitors are critical to upgrade? Thanks.
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Twisted Pear Audio Support
»
Product Support
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Digital
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Buffalo DAC
»
Digital Pulse Transformer, Capacitor & Resistor.
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