Topic: UCX Converter Chip Question

Hello, I'm a FireFace400 user and I want to upgrade to UCX.
I've red at your site that UCX uses newer converters than the UFX.
I want to know:
1) What converter chip the UCX is using
2) What are the related converter products (from RME) that is close to the UCX quality convertion (sonically)??? Is it ADI 4 DD? or ADI 8 DS? or QS???

Thank you very much

Re: UCX Converter Chip Question

Thats a very good question! I wonder the same about the UFX
I would be very interested to know about that, please RME!

Re: UCX Converter Chip Question

I will be surprised if RME releases such information in public.

4 (edited by esteban 2012-10-24 14:32:34)

Re: UCX Converter Chip Question

probably i am a bit naive, but I own two firefaces -UC and UFX- and I would be curious to know about the converters they use, what is bad about that ?. Not that it will change my life, but ...

Re: UCX Converter Chip Question

its never about the converter chip alone, but the architecture surrounding it too.

Re: UCX Converter Chip Question

Sure, I understand what you say, but still that doesnt answer the enigma!

Re: UCX Converter Chip Question

Masaaki wrote:

I will be surprised if RME releases such information in public.

Why not? They have to.
It's like if you buy a food from the supermarket and the manufactor hides you the ingredients.

It's very subjective to say just: "mastering grade converters". Who defines the mastering grade?

Focusrite have been writing "award winning preamps" for the Saffire pro40. A good friend of mine had it and it sounds like shit, compared to my FF400.

I would like also to know what Op-Amps they're used and what's the jitter mesurement of the clock.

Thanks

Re: UCX Converter Chip Question

Download the UCX manual and compare the technical specifications compared to your Fireface 400, and note improved measured performance.

I do recall there was some discussion here (at the time of the UCX release) about the type of convertors used.  The 'search' facility will help.

De gustibus - et sonus - non est disputandum

Re: UCX Converter Chip Question

logo0165 wrote:
Masaaki wrote:

.

Focusrite have been writing "award winning preamps" for the Saffire pro40. A good friend of mine had it and it sounds like shit, compared to my FF400.

Its funny because its true!

rotfl

Re: UCX Converter Chip Question

logo0165 wrote:
Masaaki wrote:

I will be surprised if RME releases such information in public.

Why not? They have to.
It's like if you buy a food from the supermarket and the manufactor hides you the ingredients.

It's very subjective to say just: "mastering grade converters". Who defines the mastering grade?

Focusrite have been writing "award winning preamps" for the Saffire pro40. A good friend of mine had it and it sounds like shit, compared to my FF400.

I would like also to know what Op-Amps they're used and what's the jitter mesurement of the clock.

Thanks

I understand you want to know the information for your purchase decision, but from the manufacturer's side, they are not mandated to release such information. The analogy to food from the supermarket is a little bit misaligned, because ingredients of the food may pose health issues and seller is required to attach such information on every product. In that regard, all these tech devices must be sold with detailed information on potential health risk, like radiation etc. The type of chip, op amp, circuitry, etc on the other hand, are essentially all protected information, they are not required to release. It's up to them. Such information is analogous to 'recipie to grow the crop' or 'recipe to cook the deli food', if you want to use some analogy, and of course, supermarket or food industry is not mandated to release such recipes. They can say "AAA grade food" or "This is favorite of chefs in Michelin three star restaurants", even it is used only once by the chef. So called marketing hype.

In any case, users can get information on the chip/opamp if they are willing to open the box, but at the cost of losing warranty. At the price point of UCX or UFX, I don't think anybody is willing to do that (if it's B**ringer stuff, I'm glad to crack open....), so the informaiton from the user side is really scarce.

If you need the chip number of ADC or DAC, look up Ross Martin audio, and they make ADC/DAC units with these information fully disclosed.

In the end, the ultimate decision needs to be made by listening the unit and comparing to your FF400, in terms of sonic quality. At that point, if you hear the difference (in a good way), the chip ID really doesn't matter. If you can't hear the difference, then return policy is more important. At least for me, when I first listened to UFX, the difference from my previous converters (M-brand) was dramatically big, so I don't care somebody says UFX may be using the same chip or not.

Hopefully it makes sense, and sorry for the long post.