D300REF Reference Level Next Generation PCM&DSD Network Music Digital Transport

Meaning of Digital Transport

Transport is specially designed for professional high performance HIFI playback. Compared to integrated player, transport need more experience of cable connection and equipment collocation, however, the bigger space, better power supply and magnetic shielding, standardized audio transfer channel make transport the best match for Hi-End playback.

Based on above criterion, eminent output need:

1. Accurate data. 2. Accurate and stable clock. 3. Synchronous data and clock. 4. Complete waveform. 5. Low noise.

Any of it fails, it may happen data output loss, unstable sound with less details or controlling.
The so-called USB transform system or sole network port transform system only solves the transfer process of data, not providing any audio clock to the decoder, so it doesn’t make any real sense actually. The decoder in this kind of system can’t be HI-END because it involves too much in clock process, power supply and decoding process. The genuine standard audio protocol transform system has an independent clock and power supply processing, it provides a high quality clock and data to synchronize, this will reduce decoder’s burden greatly. Make the decoder focusing on DA process to motivate the quality level of it.

D300-REF Reference Level Next Generation PCM&DSD Digital Music Network Transport

MAXWELL High-capacity, ULTRA-LOW ESR, specially used on the start of high-speed train, has internal resistance lower than 2 milliohm and 1 million hours working life without attenuation. Using this power supply project, the signal quality, performance of chip and device have been improved greatly, full frequency noise of the whole circuit and reacting time has reduced as well, internal resistance of D300REF is low to milliohm-class and it works prominently on AC full frequency electric discharge. AES output on real test, low frequency noise under 20KHZ is 2 times lower than D300, the data and eye crossing point jitters both lower to DS3, almost immeasurable. You can also hear the sound to be more transparent, controlled, analytical and denser.
Above all, this power supply system isolates the effect of external AC on PCB so that it won’t be affected by electronic vibration any more.

Q&A

1. Why is the connecting cable of SPDIF protocol interface (Coax, AES, Optical etc.) very important?

Now the theoretically average jitters of SPDIF receiver is about 50PS, truth is generally above 100ps. An entry-level CD transport system’s output is more than 2NS. All these data is on basis of a reference AES cable. If use a same level coaxial cable, it will add 100PS, if use a DVD RCA signal wire as a coaxial cable, hundreds of picosecond may appear. In this case, jitters of cables are even more than those of the transport system itself. Cables care the most of the bandwidth and impedance matching, but AES requires less than coaxial cable, this is why we advise to use good AES cable. If budget is limited, then a well-made AES cable with single crystal copper digital line base would be proper. DIY coaxial cable is not recommended.

2. What’s the strength of D300REF comparing to D300 and D100pro?

1. The usage of SUPER capacitance as power supply system.

2. Preciser clock.

3. Hi-end materials used on key components.

4. Better sound quality. If D300 is 80 points, then D300REF is 95 points while D280 is 75. D300 is a better version of D100 Femto, same level material but a lot of improvements in details.

3. What should I care about when collocating D300REF?

D300REF is not sensitive to shock damping nor power supply, so no extra investment is needed. Better use a good AES cable in “Screen-off” mode to get a better sound quality.

4. How long is the working span of D300REF? Need regular charging? Any notice for turn on/off?

D300REF has a much longer working span than other HiFi product because it is equipped with SUPER CAPACITANCE(Life span-1 million hours). No regular charging is needed unless it is put in humid place. It will need several minutes charging time to turn on the machine if it is your first time to use or you haven’t use it for a long time. Press the switch on the front panel will be ok to turn off the machine in your daily use.

5. How to connect HDMI and single-end IIS&DSD native output?

Soundaware’s HDMI IIS line sequence is compatible with most of the DACs, if not, customize one HDMI cable will do the job.

6. What level should the clock be as an exterior clock for D300REF?

If you really want, then it must be a Hi-end clock. Word clock is used to synchronize the transport and the DAC’s clock, if your DAC has this interface, you may try to connect.

7. Why is the SUPER CAPACITANCE of D300REF is better than the power battery and Hi-end capacitor bank?

SUPER CAPACITANCE has internal resistance lower than 2 milliohm and 1 million hours working life without attenuation which is much better and longer than the power battery and capacitor bank.  But the size of it is big and the power density is low, price is high while voltage is low, so it can only used in low-tension system or that requires very low ESR.

8. Why D300REF doesn’t support music files of DSD256 or higher sampling rate?

Because main clock in higher frequency will cause bigger noise in low frequency. So we won’t take the risk until DSD256 and PCM384 are commercialized.