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Author Topic: CD Transport (A-GD, Theta, Marantz) Face-Off  (Read 4933 times)

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ultrabike

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Re: CD Transport (A-GD, Theta, Marantz) Face-Off
« Reply #20 on: November 19, 2014, 10:08:23 PM »
Quote from: schiit on November 19, 2014, 06:38:06 AM
Because you know that as soon as we do a transport, they'll want to see if it can connect to their phone and network and their Chingadera 3000 DAC.

I needz that (+ some Doritos), and so does Dave whether he knowz it or not. Enders Game.
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schiit

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Re: CD Transport (A-GD, Theta, Marantz) Face-Off
« Reply #21 on: November 19, 2014, 10:50:41 PM »
Quote from: Maxvla on November 19, 2014, 07:43:58 AM
Ready to order a yggy when it hits the site. ST connection sounds interesting, but how would you best use it with a computer based player?

That's the giant catch. Same with I2S. What's the source?

Really two choices:

1. External converter box like an Offramp, but with ST out. Problems being in the conversion of USB to ST, and formatting (does it come out SPDIF? Likely, that's what Theta used for ST.)

2. A dedicated transport, with all the vagaries noted above. Is it just a network player? Does it also spin disks? If it spins disks, does it rip/store them? What's the interface--screen or app? What's the basis--Linux, etc? What other features does it have (optical, coax, WiFi, Bluetooth?). It's a messy product, with very high support and service costs, which scares us a bit...
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Anaxilus

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Re: CD Transport (A-GD, Theta, Marantz) Face-Off
« Reply #22 on: November 19, 2014, 10:53:59 PM »
OR.  So what's the argument in favor of ST over AES or I2S versus toslink?
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Marvey

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Re: CD Transport (A-GD, Theta, Marantz) Face-Off
« Reply #23 on: November 19, 2014, 11:09:50 PM »
I'll try the AES tonight. Sees how it compares to the ST/AT&T optical.
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Marvey

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Re: CD Transport (A-GD, Theta, Marantz) Face-Off
« Reply #24 on: November 20, 2014, 05:31:54 AM »
ST/AT&T still rules all.

I hooked up the AES from the Data III. Usually, I have a hard time with quick A/B, but the Gen V has a switch where I can just toggle between ST and AES3 connections from the transport. With a flick of the switch, the difference was immediately obvious.
  • DataIII/AES3 sounds duller with the slightest veil. Note that we are really splitting hairs now. Still, nice to know Mike Moffat wasn't full of crap or forced by his business partners to add extraneous odd connections for no reason other than making customers pay more.
  • OR5/AES is cleaner, less dull, but somewhat more analytic. AES3 despite being less transparent wins because of its more immediate and real sound.
  • ST/AT&T is scary real sounding. This is what audiophiles dream of. Creating the illusion of reality.
I guess I have to find the part # for the AT&T connector and receiver box and figure out where to jimmy it in the Yggy.



« Last Edit: November 20, 2014, 07:57:20 AM by marvey »
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Solderdude

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Re: CD Transport (A-GD, Theta, Marantz) Face-Off
« Reply #25 on: November 20, 2014, 07:36:26 AM »
I can help you with FO receivers (have loads of those here) but they are all balanced ECL level (need to be fed with 5V)
You may need to add an ECL to TTL level converter.
They are either 32MBd or 155MBd (will need to modify them for this speed) and have receivers for 850nm and 1300-1550 nm but assume 850nm will be used.
I also assume it will be MM (multimode) fiber but for receivers that doesn't really matter that much.

I also have TTL receivers (HFBR2412) but these are only 5MBd and open collector.

http://datasheet.octopart.com/HFBR-2412-Avago-datasheet-7277186.pdf

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Re: CD Transport (A-GD, Theta, Marantz) Face-Off
« Reply #26 on: November 20, 2014, 07:50:31 AM »
This is... surprising somewhat. Wonder what is going on inside. Obviously the decoupling has major benefits. Compared to the OR5 the Theta is a monster though.
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Marvey

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Re: CD Transport (A-GD, Theta, Marantz) Face-Off
« Reply #27 on: November 20, 2014, 07:55:27 AM »
There is a good reason why you see the supporting bricks under the middle of the entertainment center.


Maybe the ST / AT&T optical provides a path with no shared ground. Toslink would be similar, but that's fake plastic fiber.


I think the optical interface is single-mode. There are little boxes inside.
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Re: CD Transport (A-GD, Theta, Marantz) Face-Off
« Reply #28 on: November 20, 2014, 08:08:45 AM »
Single mode is generally only used for long distance links.
It's between 1300nm and 1600nm by definition (often 1310nm or 1550nm).

Short interlinks usually are 850nm Multimode.
Mostly between 50 micron (50/125) and 62.5 micron (62.5/125)

Those links are MUCH faster than TOSLink.
Kilometers of fiber shouldn't even be much of a problem.

The manual of the source (transport) should have the data about the to be used optical fiber and possibly the wavelength.

IF the source is single mode you can still use MM cable.
You can't do it the other way around.. when you connect a MM source to a SM fiber there won't be much light left at the end.

If you can literally see the source emitting some faint red light (has to be dark to see it) you can be pretty sure it is 850nm MM.
« Last Edit: November 20, 2014, 09:50:16 AM by Solderdude »
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schiit

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Re: CD Transport (A-GD, Theta, Marantz) Face-Off
« Reply #29 on: November 20, 2014, 03:57:11 PM »
Theta was single mode. Mike is crazy.

It was also a $1000 option at the time. Ouch.
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