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AUDIO FORUMS >> Digital >> DDC vs. Decware's Pill
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Message started by Tony on 05/07/23 at 19:38:55

Title: DDC vs. Decware's Pill
Post by Tony on 05/07/23 at 19:38:55

I recently wrote that adding a DDC (Digital to Digital Converter)to my system significantly improved the SQ of streamed music.

https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1661303924

From what I have read, this is due to buffering and reclocking the incoming digital signal.

A few months ago, before the DDC arrived, I ordered Decware's Pill. It also improves SQ by removing timing variations from the digital audio signal. There is a waitlist for the Pill, so delivery may still be a few months away. In the meantime, I wondered if, given the remarkable results in SQ via the DDC, it may make the "Pill" redundant. Ultimately, I will hear for myself if there is any additional improvement in SQ by adding the Pill, but can anyone speculate on the outcome in terms of theory?

Thanks, Tony

Title: Re: DDC vs. Decware's Pill
Post by CAJames on 05/08/23 at 03:25:20

FWIW I dug up this thread about Pills, it is an interesting read.

https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1455075036/0

For me, my digital sounds great and I don't fell like a Pill would improve things (and as a practical matter my system is all balanced XLR so they wouldn't work without a lot of complication). I think digital, esp. affordable digital, has come lightyears since 2016 when the Pill debuted and it doesn't seem like many people, esp. Steve, are using them. Or they are too busy listening to post about it...

But all that said I'm very interested in your experience when they arrive. I hesitate to go into theory, because I've forgotten a lot of the details of capacitive reactance I needed to know for a test 40+ years ago. But I will say this. A DDC improves the quality of your digital sound by regenerating the digital signal with a very high quality clock and transporting it over I2S which is better than what your original source component was likely to do, esp. if it were a streamer. The Pill improves the quality of your digital sound by filtering the analog output of your DAC. The former makes a lot of sense to me, the later only if you don't like the sound you're getting. But you can talk about theory all day, it is what you hear that matters.

Title: Re: DDC vs. Decware's Pill
Post by Tony on 05/08/23 at 15:49:17

James, thanks for the thread link on the Decware Pill. I started reading it last night and hope to finish it later today.

And, Will, thanks also for your detailed and thorough review of the Pill from 2016, when I assume Steve first released it. Who would guess a post made years ago would still benefit current information seekers?

Tony

Title: Re: DDC vs. Decware's Pill
Post by CAJames on 09/04/23 at 19:31:28

Hey Tony,

Curious if you have your Pills yet, and if so what you think?

Title: Re: DDC vs. Decware's Pill
Post by Tony on 09/04/23 at 22:27:17

Hi James, Good memory! That's a good question. I installed them a couple of months ago and forgot they were there. For the most part, I stream music but occasionally listen to CDs. There is no loss of SQ going from one to the other, as best as I can hear.

When I first put them in, I thought they made a positive contribution, enough so that I never considered returning them. Compared to the downstairs room, the sound upstairs is better, but there are many reasons for that, so not a fair comparison.

In the coming weeks, I will rearrange my room upstairs, allowing me to listen comparatively with and without the pills. I'll write again on perceptions after that time.

Title: Re: DDC vs. Decware's Pill
Post by Tony on 09/11/23 at 19:32:31

Hi James,

You asked about my experience with the Decware Pill (above) I received in May. I thought I would wait for the return of my UFO25 amp to compare with and without the Pill. That amp is in TX going through the Cryogenic process with Don at Wathen. More on that another time. Meanwhile, I have been using the Torii MKIV from downstairs and placed it in my well-treated listening room upstairs. BTW, the Torii sounds terrific upstairs. Room treatment (and some other components) makes such a big difference.

Over two consecutive evenings, I made comparisons, listening for about 90 minutes in a sitting. I created a list of variables that would help discern improvements in SQ and help me stay focused on the task. I randomly chose six tracks from a playlist list and played them sequentially thrice over two evenings. On the first evening, I started the first 30-minute trial with the Pill, the second 30 minutes without, and finally back to with the Pill. The second evening, I repeated the process with different tracks and reversed the order: First, I listened without the Pill, then with and finally without.

Results: I could not hear significant SQ differences listening with or without the Pill. There were some minor differences on some tracks, but nothing remarkable. Still, I plan to leave them in place. Perhaps with the return of my Cryogenic treated UFO25, they will be a more substantial contribution.

Of course, the YMMV applies, and I am using an older pair of ears than most - though they still function very well, I might add. :)

Tony

Title: Re: DDC vs. Decware's Pill
Post by CAJames on 09/11/23 at 19:54:30

Interesting. Thanks for the update Tony.

Now I want to hear what you think of the cryo treated UFO25. I'm toying with the idea of doing that done to my UFO25s.