I have a SE cable with RCA at one end and XLR at the other in fact I’ve posted here how you can build this SE cable.
Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème
- Thread starter CKKeung
- Start date
Do new routers require burn-in?
I can’t think of any better group of people to ask! Prior to getting/installing the Taiko Router and DC power box I decided to upgrade my home WiFi system to an Asus Mesh 6E system last night.
Within the first day, it definitely sounds very different (wasn’t really expecting this tbh). Perhaps the bass is deeper, but I lost quite a bit of sound stage and that general airy openness in the room…. Since I haven’t changed a router since well after I got into Hifi, will this also need 100-200 hours to settle as well?
Also, I do recall people talking about 2.5G ports vs 1G ports before….I currently have my Taiko switch going into the faster 2.5G port. Any thoughts and wisdom would be greatly appreciated!
I can’t think of any better group of people to ask! Prior to getting/installing the Taiko Router and DC power box I decided to upgrade my home WiFi system to an Asus Mesh 6E system last night.
Within the first day, it definitely sounds very different (wasn’t really expecting this tbh). Perhaps the bass is deeper, but I lost quite a bit of sound stage and that general airy openness in the room…. Since I haven’t changed a router since well after I got into Hifi, will this also need 100-200 hours to settle as well?
Also, I do recall people talking about 2.5G ports vs 1G ports before….I currently have my Taiko switch going into the faster 2.5G port. Any thoughts and wisdom would be greatly appreciated!
Can you post a diagram of your home network starting from ISP, ISP Modem, WiFi Access Point, Taiko Switch etc ?
I think Cardas only offers Rhodium versions. But with interlinks, this can work out differently than with power cables or sockets. In any case, for some reason, I never felt the Cardas adapters possess typical Rhodium downsides. In any event, I believe only the RCA pin has Rhodium plating. The XLR pins and sockets look to be the standard Silver-plated Neutrik version.
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It’s a pretty simple setup. We don’t have a separate modem in my apartment in Japan so the internet comes straight from the wall into my new Asus router via an RJ 45 cable. From there I connect the switch to one of the 3 output ports on the router via an RJ 45 cable. Then from Taiko switch to the Extreme via the DAC cable.
The only thing I changed was a 7 year old Apple router into this “fancy” new Asus one….but kinda feels like it lost the magic.
Indeed, with modern Cardas adapters, pins 3 and 1 are connected together, and essentially become ground. For a balanced receiving end, that is what you want.
In that case, you should only use pin 1 for ground and pin 2 for signal. Pin 3 can be left unconnected. Do not connect it to ground, as some adapters do. Some preamps don't mind while others will start to sound noticeably less exuberant/expressive.
I would have thought pin 2 for positive and pin 3 for RCA ground and leave pin 1 open or connected to the cable screen
When using single-ended equipment, you need a signal and a reference against which the signal is measured. If you would take pin 2 and 3 then the reference would be out of phase instead of zero. It might produce sound but this is not how it should be done.
There are two connection schemes.
Regular connection, used these days by most, but not all, is as follows:
Pin 1 - earth/ground
Pin 2 - positive signal
Pin 3 - inverted signal
In the early days, Jeff Rowland and Cardas (and some other brands) used the following:
Pin 1 - earth/ground
Pin 2 - inverted
Pin 3 - positive
When connecting an XLR cable to an unbalanced input, you should take the positive signal half and use the neutral/ground (always pin 1) for reference. The inverted signal half will then not be needed.
Whether one needs female or male RCA connections on the adapter depends on whether you want to convert your preamp XLR outputs to single-ended and then use a single-ended cable, or convert a balanced cable to single-ended. Either way, you will need XLR to RCA adapters. In the first case, you will need a female RCA connection (into which you can plug an RCA-RCA cable), in the latter case, you will need a male RCA connection (that plugs into a female RCA input).
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Forgive me if I've lifted this out of context, but we've found many cases of digital albums advertised as "remastered" when a spectral analysis reveals little more than repackaging 16/44.1 in a 24/96 container. A wav track could then have the edge over a flac of implied higher resolution. I generally try to find something in the notes about a reputable studio going back to an analog source for the new master. We've flagged a few newcomers in the classical idiom who are deceiving customers.
...quick note: this scheme is still *currently* used, notably in Japanese components. From Luxman User's Manual:
Indeed, there are exceptions, Accuphase being indeed one of them (and apparently Luxman as well). But even though Luxman refers to pin 2 hot as inverted, most EU and US companies nowadays use pin 2 for hot.
Cardas have two versions of their RCA/XLR adapters. A lower price version with Neutrik XLR/Cardas RCA and a higher priced Cardas Clear version with both XLR and RCA being Cardas.
Steve Z
Indeed, the Cardas.com page covering their adapters states that pins 1 and 3 connected is standard, however adapters with 1 and 3 not connected may be special ordered:
Adaptors | Cardas Audio
High quality audio adapters. RCA to XLR, 1/4" to RCA, 6.355mm to RCA, and many other options and custom adaptors are available.
www.cardas.com
I've found Cardas to be forthcoming and responsive to questions about their products. I am sure if there is concern about the metallurgical composition, construction, minimum spacing distance, internal connections, etc they would be happy to answer.
Steve Z
It has been reported that 6E has negative effect in SQ then older 5 due to higher processing. In my T-Plink router n wifi mode sounds better then AX (6E)
Thanks for the info! Actually, at the advice of an audio friend, I unplugged the second router last night (the satellite router - 6E). This gave me a pretty significant jump in SQ. It’s still not back to where it was with my old Apple 5G router yet, but that second router was clearly degrading the SQ on my system—strange as the Taiko and switch are hardwired/not using WiFi.
Will try to disable the whole 6E band tonight when I get home from work and see if that has any audible effect. After that, I will try to disable AX and see if that improves things as well. Hopefully this will help others that are considering to upgrade their routers down the road. I’m also not sure if any of this will matter after adding the Taiko router or not—but would be great to have a good understanding of what happened here (and ideally a solution) before the Taiko shows up
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Some time ago I changed some settings on my Technicolor WiFi 6 gateway with Broadcom chip.
The 2.4GHz operates now on WiFi 4, the 5GHz on WiFi 5.
I like the result, greater musicality, more fun to listen to music.
Matt
Last night after disabling the WiFi6 band and then AX, there was a clear audible improvement—not subtle at all. Mostly in the soundstage and airy ness in the room. It seems much much closer to my old Apple router now. That said, there is still just something that is just not quite as musically engaging as Mattias mentioned above. Perhaps it sounds a bit more mechanical, or digital. Didn’t realize the router can have such a big impact….but I guess this does set the stage for what’s coming in a week or two…
Have decided to just move this new Asus to the office and run all devices off that and bring the Apple one back (with less devices feeding off it) until the Taiko arrives.
Oh, I hope you have some insider knowledge of the imminent shipment of Taiko Routers! Is there substance to this notion?
Ha!! I wish I did. I just remembered a couple weeks ago they were just waiting on the finished housing to be returned and then they were ready to assemble and ship out….
In any event, this process of trying to “upgrade” has shown me that a router CAN make a substantial impact so probably more excited now than when I purchased the Taiko one.
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