StereoCoffee LDR Owners & Discussion Thread

[MattyW]

Yes, I'm now an LDR convert. I can now for the first time listen to music at ultra low listening levels and it still sounds incredible. Full bodied, detailed with open imaging that extends well beyond the speakers. I've never experienced this at such low volume before. 

 

This means for the first time I can enjoy my music without my wife yelling at me to turn it down.  I checked how many db I'm running it at. 45db! Just excellent. 

 

I can now enjoy some music in the mornings without waking either my wife or baby up.

[Esoterica]

5 hours ago, MattyW said:

Yes, I'm now an LDR convert. I can now for the first time listen to music at ultra low listening levels and it still sounds incredible. Full bodied, detailed with open imaging that extends well beyond the speakers. I've never experienced this at such low volume before. 

This sounds very appealing!

 

I’m keen to try one after reading this thread.

[lenticularis]

I finally finished my Stereo Coffee (SC) build today, after some other interruptions, and a very steep learning curve when it comes to to soldering very fine (26 awg) wire in confined quarters.

 

I connected it first to my simple head-fi setup: desktop Mac playing Tidal, to Schiit Modi 3, then SC, then Cavalli Tube Hybrid amp and Massdrop Sennheiser HD6XX. Having proven that nothing untoward happened, I then proceeded to connect it to my main system.

 

I need to mark some volume references and I have further work to do, to deepen the switch knob, and better secure the volume knob (hole-deepening may have obscured the securing stud inner thread area).

 

This was my very first electronics DIY project, apart from a speaker kit build I did years ago and that had no soldering involved. I splashed out on a second-hand Groot soldering station that made life much nicer than if I had used a cheap Jaycar iron or similar.

 

Performance:

I'm still inside two hours of listening time, however with it hooked up to my main system (pic 1), the first few bars revealed a richer bass than I am used to. I have a great pre- in the Bryston BP25, however the Stereo Coffee is even more revealing than the high level I was already used to.  A favourite well-recorded album is Holly Cole's 'Temptation' and one that I know well. The SC makes that album even more involving and relaxing than ever. 

 

Separation between instruments, spatially and tonally is heightened, drums and cymbals have more resolution and the sound-stage is deeper. I haven't noticed any widening of the sound-stage in what I've listened to so far although I'm sure the relatively constrained positioning of my speakers is a factor, although I don't lack  great imaging from them.

 

The overall performance I'm hearing mixes clarity, and resolution with a relaxing, analogue (in the best sense) reproduction. I'm listening exclusively to 44.1 kHz/ 16 bit FLACs, either from CD rips or from Tidal.

 

Some test music:

 

Holly Cole, 'Temptation', 'Frank's Theme' opening piano notes are amazing

 

Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays, 'As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls'. This title track is a great test of the atmosphere that purports to be in a large stadium (though a friend told me it was studio recorded!). I use this track to compare pre-amps....the SC is winning! On the 'Estupenda Graca' track around 1:30 onwards, a female sighs much more noticeably than I've ever heard before.

 

Sara K, 'Hell or High Water' , Fabulously recorded... sounding wonderful (it usually does!)

 

( I haven't yet hooked up my TT and I have sold off my CDP because my Auralic Aries streamer enables me to play CDs from a computer USB drive, and rip on-the-fly if so desired. Combining that with my Gieseler Klein III DAC with Enhanced Gold Tune Kraftwerk LPSU gives me sound quality that now negates my need for a traditional CDP. )

 

System comprises:

 

Shunyata Research Hydra power conditioner and power cables.

NAS-files, or Tidal, serving up 44.1 / 16 FLACs over wi-fi to

Auralic Aries streamer (Femto clock and LPSU model).

iFi iUSB Nano 3.0 and Curious USB cable between streamer and DAC.

Gieseler Klein III DAC  (USB) with Enhanced Gold Tune Kraftwerk LPSU.

Stereo Coffee 05/20 boards,  with remote volume option

Bryston Cable+ ICs from DAC to Stereo Coffee.

Morrow Audio MA-1 baseline unbalanced ICs from SC to Gamut D200 Mk 3 dual mono poweramp*.

Morrow Audio SP-4 speaker cables. Sonus Faber Concerto Home speakers.

 

 

* My Bryston BP25 pre- uses Shunyata (Aries) balanced ICs to the Gamut, so the relatively cheap Morrow MA-1 unbalanced ICs aren't in the same league, yet the SC is delivering higher performance. I have other ICs on the way and I may look at an RCA-XLR hybrid cable if I want to continue to feed the Gamut through its XLR sockets.

 

I am very, very happy with my Stereo Coffee performance and also pleased that the challenges I found building it have added to my enjoyment of the product. Chris Daly is an amazingly responsive and knowledgeable designer and I could always rely on him replying to my emails with extreme rapidity and clarity. 

 

I spent more on my build than I believe Chris charges for a completed unit, however I have enjoyed my learning experience.

 

Build Summary:

Stereo Coffee boards (May '20), with remote volume board.

Brushed aluminium pre-amp case from eBay (China)

Furutech fused IEC socket, with a 500mA slow-burn fuse bought from another SNAer.

1 pair Audio Note silver-plated RCAs for the SC outputs

1 pair Connex solderless rhodium-plated eutectic copper RCAs as  I/P 1

Aliexpress gold-plated copper RCAs for I/Ps 2 and 3.  Pic 2 shows the RCAs wired (messily) and the LDR board.

Jaycar toroidal transformer (MT2084)

Wire from PartsConnexion, Canada: (partsconnexion.com) bargain basement -

1. Duelund 26 awg tinned copper with oiled-cotton insulation. Used for signal wiring from RCAs to board.

2. Duelund 20 awg solid-copper with oiled-cotton. Used from switch to main board I/P 1 , switch pole, and start-circuit between main and LDR boards.

3. Connex 24 awg tinned copper, from switch I/P 2 and 3 to main board.

My biggest build challenge was trying to solder the ground leads to the Aliexpress gold-plated (copper signal pin) RCAs because I was using such fine wire.

Edited June 30, 2020 by lenticularis
build detail, pics 2 and 3.

[MattyW]

I believe I'll end up with a Stereo Coffee unit as well before too long.  Might get the it fully assembled minus the case I think as I'd like to use a different case.

 

Will think about it anyway. 

[lenticularis]

I enjoyed your review of your DACGEAR LDR unit Matty. I had to chuckle at your use of Hammertone paint because although I like it and repainted a cheap matt-black stereo rack in bronze Hammertone, my later wife hated it and a good friend (?) sealed its fate when he made similar disparaging remarks.

 

30 Jun edit: @MattyW Photo added of hammertone cheap rack - now discarded due severe negative WAF.

 

Since writing my post above I have added short silver RCA-XLR ICs to those Morrow MA-1 ICs using female-female couplings, so that my Gamut now uses its XLR inputs. I can notice a difference, as did the family, when I unpaused Tidal and the extra volume hit with a blast (different I/P sensitivity on the amp).

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by lenticularis
Rack photo

[MattyW]

Yeah,  I know most people who work with paint (I've a mate works in a repair shop) absolutely hate hammertone as it's often used to cover up all sorts of visual nasties.

 

I actually like it as lots of vintage gear from the 60's and earlier used it. I enjoy the appearance and for my gear it's my own preferences matter to me. 

 

That said if I ever want to get a brushed black aluminum faceplate I can as it's a standard DAC case it's in. I do prefer the hammertone though 

[Colin Rutter]

14 hours ago, MattyW said:

Yeah,  I know most people who work with paint (I've a mate works in a repair shop) absolutely hate hammertone as it's often used to cover up all sorts of visual nasties.

 

I actually like it as lots of vintage gear from the 60's and earlier used it. I enjoy the appearance and for my gear it's my own preferences matter to me. 

 

That said if I ever want to get a brushed black aluminum faceplate I can as it's a standard DAC case it's in. I do prefer the hammertone though 

I have 4 litres of gold hammertone.

If anyone needs any for a faceplate or chassis/enclosure.

I did a set of 12ux cabinets in it to get a retro look. 

Edited June 29, 2020 by Colin Rutter
Spelling mistake

[mloutfie]

@lenticularis what's the blue PCB for? Is it new muting board.

[lenticularis]

That's the remote volume board, only $40 extra.

[lenticularis]

Today between DAC and Stereo Coffee, I replaced the Burson Cable+ impedance-matching interconnects with the Cable+ Pro version (that I thought I had previously broken through attaching its USB 5V supply without each end being hooked up... no such issue!). 

 

The Cable+ cables are great, but the Pro version is a step up again, and the extra performance is clearly audible through the Stereo Coffee reproduction.

 

I had a chamber-music / folk violin and viola playing friend over to listen, and he was highly impressed.

Edited June 30, 2020 by lenticularis

[MattyW]

Mmmm, I may have to try at some point. See how it compares to quality Litz interconnects

[lenticularis]

15 minutes ago, MattyW said:

Mmmm, I may have to try at some point. See how it compares to quality Litz interconnects

Unfortunately they are unobtanium, unless you get lucky as I did. Hifi-Shark is your friend!

[MattyW]

Ah, I won't bother then. I'm very happy with what I already have anyway 

[Steffen]

55 minutes ago, lenticularis said:

Today between DAC and Stereo Coffee, I replaced the Burson Cable+ impedance-matching interconnects

How do you impedance match between analog components? The interconnects virtually always go between low-impedance outputs and high-impedance inputs. Impedance matching would be a very bad idea indeed.

[lenticularis]

I'm simply quoting the marketing blurb from Burson about the design concept of their Cable+ cables. Both the standard Cable+ model (pictured) and the Cable + Pro have circuitry that claims to do just that.

[HdB]

Is that a series transformer in the middle?    Ah, no - finally found it. 

 

 It's a  V5i chip powered by usb so it's a signal line buffer and could be very useful indeed as an "impedance matching" device - it's listed on the US site as U$139 (if I got that right?) plus the usual exorbitant freight/postage so maybe around the A$250?  It does come with the ICs so that's a big plus too.

 

I prefer the sound of their V6 chip myself and with a high quality power supply, it could make this a potential winner although this wouldn't be all that cheap -  the V6 chip itself is about A$80 (stereo), a good quality shunt reg will be maybe another 150+, and a pcb, case, plugs/sockets, etc  maybe another 100?  (+ about A$400). Then add the extra ICs …

 

I did a B1 buffer (the Hypnotize project on Diya) and that came to about A$300, I think, plus the extra IC pair.

[Steffen]

Ah thanks, so it’s actually an active device, not just a cable.

[HdB]

Well that V5i IC circuit chip does need power to operate and that slim socket on the side looks to be the only way to get it so,  it is  an active device inserted in the middle of the interconnect cable as a unity gain buffer (gain of 1) - quite a  neat idea actually.

[lenticularis]

The power is via a micro-USB cable, so 5V.  
 

There are some good reviews of the Cable+ or Cable + Pro on the Web. I chased mine up because of a specific glowing SNA user recommendation*, when used between Gieseler DACs and pre-amp.

 

*The recommendation was made by Max Headroom on p2 of the Gieseler Gross DAC Review thread, as follows:

Posted January 17, 2019

“Lots of comments here... but let me share with you all that the GroB and the Fein compare to anything under $10,000, and probably more with one little trick. Guys get a pair of Burson Audio Cable+ Pro cables. They will bring the Gieseler DACS up an amazing level when they're matched with the Gieseler Kraftwerk Power Supply. UNBEATABLE combination - I've compared with quite a few great DACs so feel able to say this.

”

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by lenticularis
Typo

[HdB]

This might sound a bit silly but I wonder if you were to use a really high quality 5v supply, via that usb plug, if it would make any audible difference?  

  Just musing out loud here as I have found that all the buffers I have used are very dependent on the quality of power supplies, just like any/many other active circuits, I guess.

 

Do Burson Audio make their own cables too - any reviews, experiences, etc - there doesn't appear to be anything about cables on their website that I can find ...

[lenticularis]

Yes, I’ve been wondering the same thing re PS
 

Even an iFi iPower would be worth trying...I can steal one from an iFi iPurifier that is only doing duty between TV and Klipsch soundbar.

 

Burson cables: their Cable+ Pro model uses Canare cable and the two Cable+ sets I have use a much longer but thinner cable marked ‘Mongli Weive Electronics Co Ltd Sound Video Cable’!

 

I contacted Burson at the time I bought the Cable+ from eBay USA, since the mauve-sheathed Mongli cable looked so different from the red thick Canare cable. I asked them why they discontinued the line and they reflected that the market hadn’t been very responsive to the concept.

Edited July 1, 2020 by lenticularis

[lemarquis]

This whole passive Pre SC business sounds interesting. Unfortunately I don't have a Pre In on my integrated so will keep it in mind for future reference. Those Burson products are similarly intriguing, not to mention very elusive!

[lenticularis]

I've temporarily marked up the front of my SC with sticky labels:

Dots for sources and '0' for the mute position.

 

The volume knob has a dot in the zero position; that's somewhat redundant because I have the remote volume option.

 

I may try and find some nice timber for a facia to replace the standard aluminium.

Edited July 3, 2020 by lenticularis

[Shebang]

1 minute ago, lenticularis said:

I've temporarily marked up the front of my SC with sticky labels:

Dots for sources and '0' for the mute position.

 

The volume knob has a dot in the zero position; that's somewhat redundant because I have the remote volume option.

 

I've an idea to seek out some nice timber for a facia to replace the standard aluminium.

it’s lots of fun to take the the fascia front panel to a CNC machinest to tool the symbols. Practice template recommended to see how a CAD drawing renders to actual including appropriate tool bit used. Or laser etch.

[lenticularis]

Yes thanks, I'll certainly exercise one of those options if I stick with the aluminium.