Enlighten me on the Lynx sound card please

[Staxxx]

Hi
I have been offered a Lynx AES 16 sound card at a very reasonable amount from a friend.
Could I ask why its considered very good (in layman's terms) and what its eventual advantage may be when I get around to putting together another music server?
I will not be using the mixing and multi-channel capabilities I think.....
Thanks!

PS: Sorry for this very naive question - but without asking I am never going to know !!

 

[jls001]

If you want to build another music PC, a pro sound card usually have AES/EBU balanced digital interface (which is a pro audio format, and less common in domestic digital audio devices) over XLR connectors, as well as S/PDIF electrical interface over RCA cinch connector, and most likely optical TOSLINK interface as well. Being pro, analog interfaces are usually balanced as well. And analog outs are more than decent, quality-wise.

If you want to use the computer as transport, it is implied that your DAC would have the interface you want to use.

I have a bias for RME cards, though

And sorry, I have no experience with Lynx cards.

 

[spirovious]

If you want to build another music PC, a pro sound card usually have AES/EBU balanced digital interface

This has it -
AES16

Lynx Studio Two is very popular.
comparison-
http://funkyfresh.com/index.php/pro.../726-what-is-the-best-sounding-pci-audio-card

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Could I ask why its considered very good (in layman's terms) and what its eventual advantage may be when I get around to putting together another music server?

Lynx is aimed at quality. It is Rolls Royce sound card. They have making high-end cards for professionals for years (see the link from Spirovious).

This has it -
AES16

Lynx Studio Two is very popular.
comparison-
Best PCI sound card: Lynx versus RME versus Digital Audio Labs

Among our preferred three vendors, the best sounding PCI audio card weve tested and abused for 5 years is the Lynx Studio Two B. Its simply transparent with an incredible signal to noise ratio and beefy, natural analog sound. The Lynx Studio Two B is our preferred card for laying down tracks, voice over, mixing and pretty much any audio task. Our ears have not heard a better sounding PCI audio card. It also has some of the best shielding technology and does not pick up noise and interference inside the PC.

I believe in analogue-out (and -in, of course!) from a sound card. Anyone who tells you it can't or shouldn't be done is probably trying to sell you a DAC, or they never tried a proper soundcard

But this card, I think (see jls001) is entirely digital i/o, and unless you have DAC/ADAC with the required interfaces, it will not be of any use at all.

I have a bias for RME cards, though

Me too, because RME introduced me to the PC as hifi. I probably loved my RME card as much or more than any hifi component I ever owned! Partly because it came as such a shock. Hey, I expected an improvement with a UK200 card, but I got... wow!

And sorry, I have no experience with Lynx cards.

Sadly, neither have I. Was always outside my budget. When I bought my end-of-line RME card, half price, for 100, one had to have nearer 1000 in the pocket for a Lynx card. In fact one of my current audio drooool items is the Lynx Hilo.

Actually, I think that the cards are more affordable now than they were ten years ago --- but just now I have no need, and also there might be problems with Linux. I think that wonderful Hilo's USB is not Linux compatible. Phew, what a relief: I don't have to sell the car :lol:.

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

A Lynx or RME card is top notch.

The Lynx Aurora is a very popular choice for pairing with both the Lynx and RME AES cards.

 

[jai1611]

I use one in my pc transport. If you use a good power supply and motherboard, it works very well as a transport. I'd put down some thoughts earlier here: http://www.hifivision.com/cd-players/28655-transports-18.html#post422678

Since then, I've gradually come to prefer the PC for absolute SQ but still end up using the CD transport most of the time as I havent ripped most of my CDs yet. Now in the middle of a pc overhaul so been lying aside for the last couple of months

 

[Staxxx]

Hello everyone, and thank you for your responses. Sorry for the delay in responding as I just got back.
As it is just this specific card that I can get, I cannot consider any others. However, it looks like it is a good card so I will go with it. I will be using it with the Haswell chip and Asus H87-pro motherboard. It is the same sound card (I have just found out subsequently) that is also used in my music server.
My computer currently has a toslink out. I would like a SPDIF out at some point. I wonder if there is a module that will clip onto this aes/ebu to provide it? I currently dont use balanced anywhere but am wondering if this card restricts one to it.
Also, I will have to get an external DAC for this secondary system. Am thinking of the amp plus dac from Wired4sound, although there are other choices (which is a discussion for another thread).
Thad, I am a little confused by your comment about the analogue in / out from a sound card? Are you implying that this card does not need an external DAC? I have only read about it being used with the Aurora external DAC, for example.
Thanks

 

[jai1611]

One thing to check is compatibility with your mother board. In case the card is the PCI version, it may not work properly with new generation intel chipset based motherboards. The problem is there with Intel's own boards but is hit and miss with third party boards using intel chipsets. This is because new generation intel boards use an internal pci-e to pci converter instead of a native PCI implementation. This doesnt always work well with higher end PCI cards. Thats the reason I ended up using an AMD setup for the music pc.

AFAIK, there are no issues with the PCI-E version of the Lynx

 

[Staxxx]

Thank you. How do I check for compatibility (as the board is in the US at the moment)?
I did notice that the motherboard offers three PCIe options and 3 PCI enlargement slots. So there is place to plug it in - but who will be able to tell me if it will work - perhaps I could email someone?

 

[jai1611]

I think Lynx have an advisory on their website and do have a forum with Q&A. You can check there.

 

[jls001]

My computer currently has a toslink out. I would like a SPDIF out at some point. I wonder if there is a module that will clip onto this aes/ebu to provide it? I currently dont use balanced anywhere but am wondering if this card restricts one to it.

As per the manual for the AES16 here, there should be two 25-pin D Type ports for AES/EBU inputs and outputs. Using the supplied 8-channel D-to-XLR breakout cable, the cable labelled DIGITAL OUT 1 carries channel 1/2. It doesn't seem to support any other format like S/PDIF or TOSLINK.

There is no table of pin-out on this manual which is quite surprising.

IMO, it is much better to make your own breakout cable - one end is a D-type computer connector and the other end an XLR. Cable must be AES/EBU 110 Ohms digital cable (choices are rather thin on the ground). The supplied breakout cables are usually for studio applications where multichannel support is the primary requirement. For home application one need just one very good cable.

Bhagwan on the forum is one person who experimented a lot with breakout cables. He should be able to give you lots of knowledge and wisdom.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Thad, I am a little confused by your comment about the analogue in / out from a sound card? Are you implying that this card does not need an external DAC? I have only read about it being used with the Aurora external DAC, for example.

Sorry to confuse you. No, I was not talking about this card, which seems, indeed, to be digital out only. I was talking about sound cards/interfaces in general, especially Lynx, RME, etc, which should have great DACs and analogue circuitry, and also mentioning this in the light of the quoted passage about the Lynx Studio 2 from spirovious's link.

AES/EBU --> SPDIF...

Never done it, but thought I'd seen it done with just a cable. Nope. Turns out that what I saw would have been the other way around!

Google has lots, but this seems enough: How to Convert Between S/PDIF and AES Digital Audio.

More people die each year from interfacing digital audio formats than any other audio related death...

:lol: love it!

... No, that's not true, but it might make you want to pull your hair out! And if you're lucky enough it's S/PDIF and AES you're interfacing, you might not even feel the need to pluck a single strand.

 

[bhagwan]

I personally use a RME Card.
RME: Hammerfall DSP AES-32
I am super happy with it.
Direct out from by Card to my DAC - Hard Wired - courtesy - JLS
http://www.hifivision.com/members/jls001.html
I was 'advised' by dCS - UK - not to use the Lynx & was specifically asked to use the RME & hence I purchased the RME [substantially more expensive]
But, the RME & the Lynx are like RR & Bentley of Sound Cards - both are good.
Do use a Clock to slave the Card [Computer] that is important.
You will also have to make the Break Out Cable.
I made / tried 8 different before I settled on the Cable that I currently use & it is 'way' better than the other 7 I tried.
So be prepared to do all this. It is well worth it.
All the Best !

 

[Staxxx]

Bhagwan, I will get in touch with you on email and figure out how to progress, particularly with regards to the cable you felt was the best. What I am trying to determine firstly is whether I should spend $300 and buy this card at all - or just forget about it. It's not essential as it is for a second system although I am in contact with the Memory Player (my music server) tech people to duplicate the software on my PC as a back up. They use this card in their hardware so that was a plus point.
I have opened a new thread on the Lynx forum to ask about the compatibility of the card with my Intel chip with its onboard card and the Asus motherboard. Am waiting for replies.
What clock did you buy and how did you slave the card please?
Thanks!!

 

[bhagwan]

Bhagwan,

I will get in touch with you on email and figure out how to progress, particularly with regards to the cable you felt was the best.

What clock did you buy and how did you slave the card please?
Thanks!!

a]
Phone - Please.
I prefer to talk.
I do not like emails.

b]
I used to use a dCS Scarlatti Clock
Now, I have a clock out on my DAC - DAD / AX-24 & that is what I use to slave the Computer.

o.t. @ US @'s 300/- This may be a good buy.
The only issue is - does your DAC do USB ?
If so, then why go down this path ? It is longer / more complicated & definitely more expensive.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

firstly is whether I should spend $300 and buy this card at all - or just forget about it.

I was just going to post around 3.00pm, and my UPS battery, working fro past one hour, gave up. Then I had to go out. Any, late, but...

My second thoughts on this... just forget about it.

Why? It doesn't do what you want! It is not going to connect to domestic equipment without, at least, some hassle. You can spend the money on something that does do what you want; something with, at least SPDIF i/o, maybe analogue too.

Many of us are enthusiastic about the brand, but that is not a reason to buy an inappropriate product. Right name, yes, but wrong thing. That equals a bad buy. Been there, done that .

BTW...

Bhagwan connects some really top 0.001%. stuff together. For the other 99.999% of us... no need for external clocking. Probably no big need anyway. But with stuff like this, I'd advise work your way along the path. A damn good sound card is at least equal to a good DAC (it includes a good DAC!), so try the analogue outputs; then try it with an external DAC, then only add extra bells and whistles if you need them. Even if you already have a DAC you plan to use, it is a shame to let a sound interface's own analogue out go completely unheard!

1. This is cheaper.

2. You'll know where you've been on the journey.

But, all that aside, I now think you should, in this instance, spend your money on something else

But Bhagwan's closing words about USB nicely short-circuit all this thinking

 

[Staxxx]

Thanks Thad, but I am trying to unravel much of the information. Where is the analogue out from this card that you mention trying? As far as I can see it is digital only but with an AES/EBU interface.

I do have a Toslink out module on my PC/motherboard. I am assuming this is an independent output from the on-board soundcard.

So what I was wondering is whether I can insert the Lynx card (which Lynx support has confirmed has no problem with the Haswell chip and the motherboard that I have) into a PCI slot and I will then be able to take a digital out from the PC into my DAC/preamp (which has four optical Toslink and four S/DIF inputs). In fact it also has an AES/EBU input module as well, which I don't want to get into buying as the pre-amp is already a very very expensive unit.

The primary reason I want to integrate this hardware is because I intend to duplicate (with the company's help) the Memory Player (which has the same card) on my PC, as it has several tweaks to Foobar 2000 which I like, in terms of the sound output. The PC can then serve as a back-up player or secondary source.

I am also not clear why I would want to take a USB out as a preference to an AES/EBU or S/PDIF or even a Toslink out? Would you be suggesting a benefit in terms of absolute sound quality, (not being too focused on the economic aspect please)? I could, as suggested in an earlier post, get a USB-compatible DAC in that case, and may do go down that route when I get to setting up a separate second system.

Thanks.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

No, there is no analogue. An alternative card might well have one.

Bagwan's thought (If I understand correctly) was If your DAC has a USB input, then why bother with anything else.

As I understand it, none of these interfaces are intrinsically superior: it all depends on the implementation and circuits with which they are used.

Look at this way: why buy an AES/EBU card, when you don't have something that takes AES/EBU input?

 

[bhagwan]

Bagwan's thought (If I understand correctly) was If your DAC has a USB input, then why bother with anything else.

Spot on !

If your DAC accepts a USB in from a Computer, just do it like that.
It is 'cheaper' [relatively] & far more convenient.
Just a 'plug & play'

This Card or the RME card is only of use when you want to 're-clock' etc.
Now, USB is able to do DSD & even dual DSD on it, so go down that path.

o.t. The Siltech G-7 USB is the 'best' cable I have encountered and used [when I played the USB Game] therefore I 'strongly' recommend it.
hyeah:

 

[bhagwan]

I am also not clear why I would want to take a USB out as a preference to an AES/EBU or S/PDIF or even a Toslink out? Would you be suggesting a benefit in terms of absolute sound quality, (not being too focused on the economic aspect please)? I could, as suggested in an earlier post, get a USB-compatible DAC in that case, and may do go down that route when I get to setting up a separate second system.

Thanks.

Sir,

I am a bit lost;

a]
Do you have a DAC ? Make & Model - Please.
b]
If so, what are the input options ?
c]
Does the DAC have a Word Clock in ?

Doing the Sound Card will only be of full use, if you can slave the DAC & the Computer to the same Clock.

Else, USB is the 'better' & 'easier' way / thing to do - imho.

All the Best !