Decision support

Audio Gear Talk Lumin
1

Good morning,
I currently enjoy my H390 with spotify connect. I want to take a step forward and I need help. I am thinking between U1 mini and T2. I just want to use online services and maybe at some point my collection of CDs will be transferred to an external disk, PC…, for now I will continue with my CD player.

I have read that the dac h390 is very good, but I would not give up going directly to t2. Here I have a question about the music available on dsd512, does it exist? rock, blues, jazz?
On the other hand, what would be the best connection in both models to my h390, usb and xlr?
Thank you very much for your help

2

I think @Rockhound has a T2 into an H190 so might have some thoughts here. I use a D2 into an H360 and the DAC is overall an improvement…my hunch is that the T2 would be similarly (compared to the H390 DAC) but if it were my money I’d want to trial it. DSD512 is I believe largely (?entirely) a product of upsampling so would depend if that’s of interest to you. I’d definitely go XLR from the T2 to the H390 as both use a fully balanced topology so this is likely to give you the best results.

3

Am I thinking XLR for t2 and USB or BNC for u1 mini?

4

I suggest the T2.

5

How would I connect the u1 mini?
I don’t know if there is material dsd512?
The U1mini allows me in the future to integrate another dac, this progresses very quickly

6

If you care about high rate DSD, then use USB.

Other than upsampled ones or tests, I am not aware of recordings recorded in DSD 512.

7

For DSD 256 or lower better over BNC? Is there the possibility in the future of an external dac with T2?

8

You can do PCM 192kHz over BNC, or DSD64 DoP, but many DAC do not support DoP from non USB input.

You can optionally output USB from T2 in case you buy a high end DAC in the future.

9

Are there differences at the streamer level between U1mini and T2?

10

Resolution: Up to 384 kHz 32 bit
H390 is compatible with DSD64, DSD128,
DSD256 via DoP
Hegel H390 is MQA compliant
8X (352.8kHz / 384kHz)

11

These rates are for USB only.

T2 offers DSD512 for compatible Linux native DSD DAC, U1 MINI is DSD256 but also offers other outputs.

12

I understand u1 mini to PCM 192kHz and USB to native DSD 256?

13

Yes.
DSD64 to non USB outputs

14

Is this quality superior to what tidal offers for example? or spotify 320? I don’t need more?

15

Sure.

DSD256 is 22579kbps, 70 times the rate of 320kbps.

If you do Spotify Connect streaming to an external DAC it occurs at 16 bit 44.1kHz after decompression.

16

I would like to reiterate the recommendation of T2 for you.

17

So I can connect it by BNC to 64DoP and would I have enough? If in the future I implement roon, do I connect to the core by USB to 256DoP?
Or do I connect directly now via USB? Is there a difference in sound?

18

If you purchase DSD128 music or DSD256 music, then BNC is no good.

The sound will usually be different for different connections.

19

So always by USB? Is it the best connection? Even for tidal?

20

BNC is enough for Tidal because it does not offer DSD. It’s not enough if you buy DSD128 music.

Best bandwidth and best sound quality are entirely different things.

Between BNC and USB, what sounds best need to be determined by yourself experimentally.

IMHO The best connection is XLR analog output from T2.