Yes, it does with RoPieee and the newest version of Daphile but not on ROCK via USB.
I am getting fairly regular low level background hissing on 705.6k PCM. Nothing like as bad as when using 765k PCM (which is unusable in my system). But noticeble - sounds like listening to a dirty LP record.
Itās frustrating as 705.6k worked well to start with and I havenāt changed anything system wise. Itās fed by an ultrarendu and connected to a Holo Spring DAC L3. No issues with DXD which still sounds good but not quite as holographic as 705.6kā¦ Power is provided by 2 x LPS1ās (one each for the ultrarendu and the DDC).
Any one else had this issue?
Has any one had any luck getting PCM to work consistently above DXD? This unit is rock solid with DSD512 using the xtr -2 filter in HQP. Just wish you could combine the larger soundstage and smoothness of DSD512 with the attack of higher rate PCMā¦ 705k PCM worked for a week or so and sounded wonderful but hasnāt worked since and I cant work out whyā¦
Iāve been listening to 705.6 PCM as my default setting for months without a problem. Microrendu into X-SPDIF2. I have issues with 768 which I think are associated with my Holo Spring 48k clock. But all 44.1k resolutions work fine for me.
Most of my listening now is around the apartment, rather than in front of the speakers, so the attack of PCM won out over DSD512.
1 Like
No issues with all sample rates regardless of pcm or dsd.
Hello, thanks to @Dan_Knight (I had sent my request to him) and the Allo team the Sparky SBC is another transport that supports native DSD via the X-SPDIF 2. I have updated the kernel of my DietPi version 159 by following @rahulkc_s in here. The next version of DietPi should have implemented the native support I guess.
Now I am waiting for my (new) USBridge HAT and then deciding if purchasing a Matrix X-Pro or Holo Cyan DSDā¦ scratching my head
Update concerning Roon ROCK. It supports native DSD via the X-SPDIF 2 now, too. Thank you!
Hey Joel, how did you confirm this? Did Matrix confirm or is it easy to spot the I2S isolation on the board when you open it up?
Edit: Matrix confirmed with me via email that only the SPDIF outputs are isolated, not the I2S.
"Because the IIS interface needs to transmit very high bit rate data, the bandwidth of the current isolation scheme is not high enough.Therefore, if the IIS interface is added with isolation, the output quality may be affected when playing a high bit rate signal."
Iām using the Matrix - PC USB > I2S > Directstream. Given how much it cleaned up the signal/sound Iād be very surprised if I2S isnāt as isolated as SPDIF. Whatever theyāve done is working exceedingly well for my setup.
Just got word from the designer, who was on vacation when the question first came up (hence the delay).
āThe X-SPDIF 2 supports a maximum sampling rate output of 768kHz. The USB isolation chips have a bandwidth limit that would prevent the maximum sample rate from being possible. So the USB input is not isolated. However, the IIS output, optical, coaxial, and AES output are galvanic isolated. They use a different means of communication and the isolation chips available do not limit the sample rate.ā
So there you have it. I donāt find it to be an issue regardless - as Iāve said, this little box sounds amazing.
I LOVE my X-SPDIF 2! I am using it as a USB to S/PDIF converter to my Metrum Onyx DAC, despite the DAC having a USB input. I am going to try the AES/EBU link shortly, as soon as my Shunyata AES/EBU cable arrives as it seems that the Metrum may sound best with the AES input (I donāt have the I2S module).
I could never get the best out of my MacBook Proās USB output, regardless of which DAC I used (I also had an ExaSound E32), with whatever de-crapifiers I had on hand, and I had a few! The sound was always detailed, but etched, and not nearly as natural or organic as I wanted, not did the system ābloomā like I wanted despite having tubes in the preamp and tube monoblocks.
The Matrix solved all that, and I am perfectly happy playing bit perfect to the NOS Onyx, or upsampling up to 192k; no need for DSD. The Matrix has transformed my system by truly de-crapifying USB better than anything Iāve tried. I will note that I am powering the X-SPDIF 2 via and UpTone LPS1.2. The improvement was not subtle, IMO! I highly recommend this combination!
2 Likes
Hi Mark, was it the same when you had the Macbook Pro unplugged from the wall (running off battery only)? So just a USB cable from the Macbook to USB DAC and nothing else connected to the Macbook?
Iāve tried the X-SPDIF2 - a great bit of kit.
@dabassgoesboomboom Hey Sean, it didnāt matter much whether the laptop was plugged in or running off itās internal battery. Same results. Itās the same now as well, so I donāt even worry about disconnecting it from power.
For what itās worth, I do run the MacOS from a fast SD memory card (64Gb I believe), optimized for Audio (with Roon and Tidal, and occasionally HQPlayer), and my personal music files are on a NAS. The SPDIF 2 is a great piece of kit, I agree!
2 Likes
I run Roon ROCK on an old 2012 mini PC. I put my ear to the tweeter so I can hear the system noise, then I shutdown ROCK remotely, hardware powers off, no change in system noise.
Disconnect the I2S HDMI cable from the DS, no change in system noise. Most of it is from the DS itself, a little from my preamp and amps.
Without the Matrix, the same test of powering off the PC results in markedly lower noise/different noise. The Matrix is the real deal.
Would like to try the X-SPDIF2. Any issues connecting to a Nucleus?
I see it requires a driver for PC, but not MAC . . .
No issues. It is shown to work with ROCK which is the basis of the Nucleus operating system. No drivers required in Linux, just plug enable and play.
Awesome - thanks!
Anybody else seeing reversed L and R for DSD only, using X-SPDIF 2 to feed the new Holo Spring 2?
Because thatās what Iāve been experiencing. Instruments are on their correct sides with PCM, but L and R are swapped with DSD.
My chain is: Roon -> Signature Rendu SE -> X-SPDIF 2 (I2S over HDMI) -> Holo Spring 2
Is there something Iām just obviously not configuring properly somewhere in this chain?
I thought Iād read somewhere that the Spring 2 is supposed to behave similarly to the original Spring in the important interface ways, but who knows?
I run DSD into an XSPDIF2 to a Spring 1 and havenāt noticed any channel inversion. Iāll check and report back.
1 Like
Same here with Spring 2 DAC KTE. DSD has flipped channels. Using the āmouse pianoā on the bottom of the Matrix I can supposedly swap channels but then both, PCM and DSD is wrong (at least consistent). I can use Roonās Procedural EQ to correct that, but overall sound quality seems to suffer if itās enabled.
Strange thing, since according to both manuals the āoffā position of Matrixā switch should have the correct signal polarity. Hopefully a firmware update will fix this (running latest versions on both).
is the matrix convertor a recognised roon endpoint?
also does it matter whether the usb source is from a battery powered laptop or mains powered computer?
many thanks mk