Golden Gate DAC arrives.

[seatrope]

WHAT...THE.... F&*@K...

what the hell happened to my system?!?! I just could NOT believe my ears. With the firmware 2003 on board, it was VERY CLEAR that there the beta firmware that my GG came with was holding it back. WAYYYYY BACK.

I have only heard this magnitude of improvement in my system maybe 2-3 times in my audiophile career. Most of them involved MAJOR changes like completely different speaker types, a vastly different room. The Big 7 did not do this when it first arrived. With the new firmware on board, I was in disbelief at what was coming out of my system. I thought I knew what it could do, but I was completely mistaken. My mouth just hung open with EVERY. SINGLE. TRACK.

To be clear, I do not think that this improvement was because of the 2003 firmware. It was because the 2001/beta firmware was just broken, and this was how this GG should be.

I basically sat there listening to track after track after track, not being able to drag myself away even to use the restroom or to eat. After 7 hours I realized I hadn't had lunch or dinner and was ravenous.

Remember when I said I thought the unit was 20-30% better than the Big 7? WRONG. Try 200% better. Of course, these things are hard to really quantify - but the best way to describe it is that the REALISM took a HUGE step forward. Tracks I knew well were suddenly scary. To borrow someone's words who was very close to the building of the unit, it was like I took a @*()! hallucinogenic mushroom, in the best way possible.

In the past when I've had an "improved" piece of equipment in my system, I'd find dramatic improvements with some pieces, less so with others and almost none with some. The magnitude of the improvement over my Big 7 (which is NO slouch) was so vast that every track I played sounded so different that I was afraid my head would drop off from shaking it in disbelief.

I have no idea what pixie dust or Polish black magic crazy Lukasz has put into this design, but the results are certainly mind-blowing. I just turned off the system 20 minutes ago and am still in awe of his creation.

Ked, does that answer your question about how it sounds?

 

[chopchopbin]

So, part II of what I have been up to recently with the GG.

If you guys remember, a while back I posted that DSD512 native with linux endpoints (i.e. microrendu in my case) is possible now. Essentially, I had volunteered to be a beta firmware tester knowing that I would probably have to reflash my Amanero firmware down the road.

Now after I fixed the volume issue with the resistor modification as I described in my previous post, I could finally sit down and do some serious listening, as compared to my trusty Big 7 (which by the way, sounds remarkable with the new 242 tubes that came with the GG).
Overall impressions were very favorable, DEFINITELY a step up from the Big 7, but not earth shattering. I'd estimate maybe 20-30% better, for sure worth the upgrade. Transients were cleaner and more defined, high end seemed slightly more extended.

However, here I ran into a problem with the beta firmware. PCM @ 192 Khz and DSD 256x48 and above would playback with an loud, high pitched squealing noise over the music, which was playing back at the wrong speed. At the time we were not sure that this was firmware related, as the factory tests were all reportedly perfect. It was unclear if the tests were done before the beta firmware was flashed.

In any case, weekend before last I ended up flashing the latest (at the time) Amanero firmware. This was VERY straightforward (I have probably swapped between 5 different firmware versions now). The process is outlined on Amanero's website and basically involves shorting two pads on the Amanero board for 1-2 seconds with the power on to the board. Then installing the appropriate driver on your Windows computer (I used a windows, not sure if this is available for Macs). The oemconfig tool downloadable from Amanero website then will give you a list of firmwares which are pulled over the internet from Amanero and are hence fully up to date.

For those of you who are interested, there is a github thread where Domenico (the developer of Amanero), Jussi Laako (of HQplayer) and hifi25nl (of audiolinux) have been posting regularly. I have been giving my feedback on there:
https://github.com/lintweaker/xmos-native-dsd/issues/12

So, I flashed firmware 2003_rc1 a couple of weekends ago, hoping for the best....

Aren't you voiding the warranty by opening the case and 'working under the hood'?

 

[bonzo75]

WHAT...THE.... F&*@K...

what the hell happened to my system?!?! I just could NOT believe my ears. With the firmware 2003 on board, it was VERY CLEAR that there the beta firmware that my GG came with was holding it back. WAYYYYY BACK.

I have only heard this magnitude of improvement in my system maybe 2-3 times in my audiophile career. Most of them involved MAJOR changes like completely different speaker types, a vastly different room. The Big 7 did not do this when it first arrived. With the new firmware on board, I was in disbelief at what was coming out of my system. I thought I knew what it could do, but I was completely mistaken. My mouth just hung open with EVERY. SINGLE. TRACK.

To be clear, I do not think that this improvement was because of the 2003 firmware. It was because the 2001/beta firmware was just broken, and this was how this GG should be.

I basically sat there listening to track after track after track, not being able to drag myself away even to use the restroom or to eat. After 7 hours I realized I hadn't had lunch or dinner and was ravenous.

Remember when I said I thought the unit was 20-30% better than the Big 7? WRONG. Try 200% better. Of course, these things are hard to really quantify - but the best way to describe it is that the REALISM took a HUGE step forward. Tracks I knew well were suddenly scary. To borrow someone's words who was very close to the building of the unit, it was like I took a @*()! hallucinogenic mushroom, in the best way possible.

In the past when I've had an "improved" piece of equipment in my system, I'd find dramatic improvements with some pieces, less so with others and almost none with some. The magnitude of the improvement over my Big 7 (which is NO slouch) was so vast that every track I played sounded so different that I was afraid my head would drop off from shaking it in disbelief.

I have no idea what pixie dust or Polish black magic crazy Lukasz has put into this design, but the results are certainly mind-blowing. I just turned off the system 20 minutes ago and am still in awe of his creation.

Ked, does that answer your question about how it sounds?

Thanks. Yes it does. Now if you swap your 242 to some other valve what happens?

 

[wisnon]

Hi Mark,

Thanks! I have yet to experiment with resistors at the high end of what Lukasz is recommending, but might need to do so as the DSD512 engine output seems to be quite a bit lower than the R2R engine playing PCM (noise floor issues). I may try the high end of that range 470K and see how the S/N ratio changes. Not sure how that affects high end rolloff.

Yeang

DSD is always 6db lower.

 

[wisnon]

Aren't you voiding the warranty by opening the case and 'working under the hood'?

Not if he asked for and received permission beforehand.

 

[Sablon Audio]

Lol, this just goes to confirm what I said elsewhere a propos the SGM server about software being the gift that keeps on giving.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Seatrope - do you have an SGM then?

 

[abeidrov]

I just saw this on the Lampizator site:
"Here nothing is sold from stock. We make the product FOR YOU - every time - a custom job. Among many products on the market, LampizatOr stands out as the one that actually PLAYS MUSIC. Lampizator DAC is now available on five price/performance levels. In addition, in the “menu” price list there are horizontal options for each level including the following:
-remote controlled high end volume control with display - VC03
-balanced circuitry
-LAN input with ROON BRIDGE processor built in"
So the LAN input is already available? This is big news! Anyone tried it already?

 

[bonzo75]

I just saw this on the Lampizator site:
"Here nothing is sold from stock. We make the product FOR YOU - every time - a custom job. Among many products on the market, LampizatOr stands out as the one that actually PLAYS MUSIC. Lampizator DAC is now available on five price/performance levels. In addition, in the “menu” price list there are horizontal options for each level including the following:
-remote controlled high end volume control with display - VC03
-balanced circuitry
-LAN input with ROON BRIDGE processor built in"
So the LAN input is already available? This is big news! Anyone tried it already?

Yes you can plug in Ethernet and there will be a roon renderer inside

 

[abeidrov]

Yes you can plug in Ethernet and there will be a roon renderer inside

Thanks, Bonzo, I understand how it works. The big question: how does it sound compare to the USB input?

 

[LampiNA]

Aren't you voiding the warranty by opening the case and 'working under the hood'?

This is a special situation. Yeang is a very technical user and was given permission and guidance to perform these modifications as part of the arrangement for him being the generation 6 Golden Gate/GG2 pioneer. He is also helping us field test the available firmware.

 

[wisnon]

Lol, this just goes to confirm what I said elsewhere a propos the SGM server about software being the gift that keeps on giving.

????
Not sure I follow you here Mark. Yeang is talking about a hardware upgrade from GG to GG2.

 

[dctom]

Hello Yeang

I am trying to reflash my Amanero board see photo below - my GG will no longer handshake with my music server or any other computer I have. I have been in contact with Lukasz and am following the procedure Lukasz sent me. Unfortunately the board will not erase and Lukasz thinks it needs replacing.

BTW are you using the flash tool (117) from the Amanero site?....

https://amanero.com/combo384_firmware.htm

 

[Sablon Audio]

????
Not sure I follow you here Mark. Yeang is talking about a hardware upgrade from GG to GG2.

He upgraded the firmware Norman, which is operating system software not hardware.

 

[abeidrov]

Thanks, Bonzo, I understand how it works. The big question: how does it sound compare to the USB input?

So I guess, no one has tried this option yet. Probably this info on the site is a preliminary one, and the renderer is not yet available. Maybe Gopher can comment.
Thanks.

 

[wisnon]

He upgraded the firmware Norman, which is operating system software not hardware.

But he clearly said: "To be clear, I do not think that this improvement was because of the 2003 firmware. It was because the 2001/beta firmware was just broken, and this was how this GG should be. "

He had a broken beta FW and replaced it with a new one. Had he gone to the last official release, he would have gotten a similar result, just no DSD512 capability in Linux (in Win, yes). Any present GG owner with rudimentary skills
can flash the Amanero board to latest beta FW, but we wont get that GG2 upleft without HW changes. In this case, the HW is running ahead of the SW, which is only now catching upseveral weeks later.

The SQ improvement is from him having a near prototype GG2 or Gen 6 Dac. This is apparently a foretaste of what is to come from a full blow Pacific Dac. This is the reaso why Bonzo asked Seatrope for some SQ feedback....we |GG owners want to know what to expect from GG2 and Pacific and not much info out there.

 

[wisnon]

So I guess, no one has tried this option yet. Probably this info on the site is a preliminary one, and the renderer is not yet available. Maybe Gopher can comment.
Thanks.

I guess for the Pac launch...in early Oct?

 

[seatrope]

Hi guys,

Sorry - busy night on call and long day at work. dctom - let me address your issues first.

1. What are you using to short the pads? I used a small piece of solder in a "U" shape. Try to have them stick all the way into the holes if possible, but they should work with good contact of those two pads in your diagram. Make sure that it is those two pads.

2. Do you have the power on to your DAC when you are shorting the pads? If you go by Amanero, it says connect USB cable. But that's for boards that are only powered by USB. Remember, on the Lampis that power is cut and the power to the board comes from your DAC. So you have to turn your Lampi on BEFORE shorting the pads.

3. If successful, you should lose the Amanero sound output option (on windows). It should show up as a "Unidentified Device" under the COM port section of Device Manager. Not sure if you have gotten to that point yet.

Run me through what you are doing so far to erase the firmware?

When you say "GG will no longer handshake", what do you mean? Does it not show up as Amanero at all? (Which is what it SHOULD do after you erase it). If it is not showing up as Amanero you need to check Device Manager and see if it is showing up as a Unidentified Device. That is what should happen. Then you need to install the Atmel drivers in the oemtool package.

Yeang

Hello Yeang

I am trying to reflash my Amanero board see photo below - my GG will no longer handshake with my music server or any other computer I have. I have been in contact with Lukasz and am following the procedure Lukasz sent me. Unfortunately the board will not erase and Lukasz thinks it needs replacing.

BTW are you using the flash tool (117) from the Amanero site?....

https://amanero.com/combo384_firmware.htm


View attachment 35037

 

[seatrope]

Additional notes Tom - I used oemtool 118. It's not posted online but you can just get it at this link: https://amanero.com/oemtool118.zip

Look at this guide here. This provides more detail than I got elsewhere, scroll down to the middle of the page.

https://hifiduino.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/amanero-pcm-and-dsd-update/

I used oemtool118. It's not posted as a link but

 

[seatrope]

Finally, remember that after shorting the pads for 1-2 seconds you need to UNpower the board, i.e. turn off your DAC. Then turn it on again and you should have the "unidentified device" in Device Manager as in the hifiduino link.

Yeang