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[Manfred]

I have a new JCAT USB Isolator. I can play music through my chain:
Media Renderer (USB 2.0) ->old very simple USB cable->JACAT USB Isolator->Transparent Audio Performance USB cable->Devialet 220 Pro.

I can play only up to 48kHz files. Playing high Res files I always get the message can not play that format but 48kHz will work. Is it the old simple USB cable not having enough bandwidth?

DSD plays fine.

[astromo]

For the sake of a few bucks, I'm with you and would be making the same guesses:

Is it the old simple USB cable not having enough bandwidth?

Either buy, beg or borrow some up to date, u-beaut piece of kit and then test out the theory. Beats a return of the hardware and, as expected, the vendor recommends using their cables for "best performance".

I'd suggest something up to date, generic and cheap, e.g.:
http://www.schiit.com/products/pyst-cables
Those guys just pass through StraightWire gear. Plenty of other options out on the web. Go crazy finding the best for you.

[Manfred]

I will got Audioquest USB cable on Friday for testing.

[michael123]

DSD plays fine.

What does it mean "DSD plays fine"
Is it bitstreammed at its native rate?
How do you confirm "plays fine"?

[Manfred]

Sorry I was wrong with playing DSD. DSD format plays but in the Output Format MC has also set everything above 192 kHz to 48 kHz. I will get back on Friday if I get another USB cable. The one I used  is ~ 7-10 year's old.

[michael123]

Sorry I was wrong with playing DSD. DSD format plays but in the Output Format MC has also set everything above 192 kHz to 48 kHz. I will get back on Friday if I get another USB cable. The one I used  is ~ 7-10 year's old.

Now this makes more sense.
However, I am still not sure cable matters (in this case at least)

[RoderickGI]

Is it the old simple USB cable not having enough bandwidth?

No.


The Devialet Expert 220 Pro, which is what I assume that you meant, is a stereo device. So if you are trying to play 192KHz 24bit stereo PCM audio, you need;
192,000 Cycles/Second x 24 bits/Cycle x 2 Channels = 9,216,000 bits/second, or 9.216 Mbps.

Any old USB 2.0 cable supports 480 Mbps. Yes, even old rubbish ones. Even if the cable has degraded, if it works it is still going to be supporting lots more than 10 Mbps. Well, unless there are an enormous number of retries happening, but that is easily tested with a simple file transfer over USB. Even an old USB 1.0 running at Full Speed supports 12 Mbps.

So;

Does Media Renderer (USB 2.0) ->old very simple USB cable->Devialet Expert 220 Pro work?
Does Media Renderer (USB 2.0) ->Transparent Audio Performance USB cable->Devialet Expert 220 Pro work?

If both the above work, then your JCAT USB Isolator isn't allowing MC to see the capabilities of the Devialet Expert 220 Pro, so MC is defaulting to 48 Kbps, or is able to at least see that the Devialet Expert 220 Pro is capable of that through the isolator. I would guess MC is defaulting to 48kHz.

The JCAT USB Isolator is a hardware product of JPLAY by the look. Hmmmm. If the simple tests above work, I think you probably need to take the issue up with JPLAY. Good luck.

[Spike1000]

old very simple USB cable->

Or a perfectly adequate cable, as I like to call it. *

Transparent Audio Performance USB cable

(If it's the $275 cable) Or a ridiculously overpriced cable, as I like to call it.

Even $20 is too much for a USB cable. Something of adequate quality and construction is perfectly fine. Save your money and buy more music. Don't get drawn into the world of snake oil and magic cables; it's a mugs game.

Spike

* as long as it's not actually faulty and is of adequate quality.

[michael123]

Is there such a thing that "MC sees the capabilities"?

I think there is simply missing a USB driver, and then improper sound path configured (i.e. should be WASAPI I believe)

https://help.devialet.com/hc/en-us/articles/210655109-Do-I-need-a-driver-for-Expert-s-USB-on-Windows-

[Manfred]

The solution is so simple:

This was not working:

Asus B150I USB 2.0->Simple Cable-> JCAT USB Isolator->Transparent Audio Performance->USB 2.0 Input Devialet 220 Pro

But this is working:

Asus B150I USB 3.0->Simple Cable-> JCAT USB Isolator->Transparent Audio Performance->USB 2.0 Input Devialet 220 Pro

The JCAT expects USB 3.0 as output on the mainboard. Then everything is working. 

Thank you very much to all who contributed!

[RoderickGI]

Is there such a thing that "MC sees the capabilities"?

Definitely, but in the case of USB you are correct as well. It is the USB driver that "reports" to MC what the capabilities are. If the driver doesn't see the device it is associated with properly, or communication with that device is interfered with in some way, then the driver may drop back to reporting default capabilities.

Same sort of thing with HDMI, although that is more dependent on the hardware connected in the HDMI path than the driver on the PC.


Of course, I could be completely wrong. But that is life.

The JCAT expects USB 3.0 as output on the mainboard. Then everything is working. 

Very strange, given that the JCAT USB Isolator is a USB 2.0 device, and so is the Devialet Expert 220 Pro.

Usually USB 2.0 provides a more robust and compatible connection than USB 3.0, just due to how long the standard has been out. Possibly some contention on the USB 2.0 port. Also sometimes USB port on a mainboard use an auxiliary chipset, rather than for example the Intel chipset, and that can make a difference. I know my Intel based USB ports are more reliable than the NEC chipset based ones.

But hey, it works. 

[Manfred]

It's strange. But it work's now with all content DSD, 192KHz, 96kHz etc.

Does Media Renderer (USB 2.0) ->Transparent Audio Performance USB cable->Devialet Expert 220 Pro work?

Yes. You have to install the Devialet USB ASIO Driver this way. Then you have to put the JCAT USB Isolator between the Asus motherboard and the Devialet. Otherwise it is not working.

the JCAT USB Isolator is a USB 2.0 device

On the output side yes, but the JCAT USB Card has only USB 3.0 output's, so the input should be USB 3.0 for the Isolator. But it is not written in detail on their web side.

Its definitely an improvement in sound quality, any harshness is gone away now and the Isolator with the USB input puts the sound quality for me above AIR, what was since the 5.5 years I have my Devialet the best sounding interface, but up to now it's instabilities drove me a little bit crazy. That was the reason and the article about the USB isolator in Soundstage Review in combination with the Devialet,  that I bought it.

I am happy now.