Upsampling, Can there be too much?


I've owned the Chord Mscaler for a year and loved it, but recently added two new components that have built in upsampling: The Aurender W20SE, and the Jay's Audio CDT3-MK3. I find the Mscaler works well with the Aurender's built in upsampling, but not the Jay's.

 

Conclusion: not upsampling the Jay's, and standard redbook 16-bit 44Khz to the Mscaler gives incredible 24-bit 705Khz to the Hugo TT2 DAC for finest sound.

 

With multiple upsamplers in a chain has anyone gotten static, popping, smearing, or any kind of distortion from too much upsampling?

128x128brandonhifi

@vonhelmholtz 

Excellent question, and honestly I'm still in the midst of the first week of constant comparison of that very thing. But from several days of critical listening I can say without any doubt the physical CD on the flagship Jay's is superior. I even have the 4 thousand dollar Transparent XL BNC on the W20SE, but the few thousand dollar less expensive cable Wave Storm BNC on the Jay's.

The physical transport is in everyway more detailed, tonally more rich and fuller and deeper sounding. I can't say instrument separation is better because the W20SE is masterful at that also. But after correcting the loose cable issue, like finding a needle in a haystack in my rig, The Jay's Audio CDT3-MK3 is nothing less than magical. Everything I play through it, if well recorded, because it is perfectly revealing, but if well recorded, is jaw dropping. Sometimes this last week I'll just sit in my listening chair and grin ear to ear because never in my life have I heard anything that good even in all my high end hi fi shops in Minneapolis, USA.

 

 

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@brandonhifi 

I didn't want that response.  All 6 conditioning channels on my Everest are taken. 

@vonhelmholtz 

😂 Funny you mentioned the Everest, was thinking about upgrading my IsoTek Sigma to the Everest this week.

@brandonhifi 

Shunyata might be the best way to go and I spent more on the NR power cables than the Everest, but this was the biggest upgrade in sound that I’ve made so far. If you are a dealer ignore this next part, but they had a large price increase a month or so back..so look for old stock.

I have no problem with Aurender N30 upsampling with Mscaler.

 

It seems that Macaler get less burden.

 

It help to have linear power supply with Mscaler in additionn to Dave.

 

Thomas