Iepazīšanās ar RixVox strīmeri.

  RixVox strīmeris Amadeus-  izstrādāts un izgatavots Latvijā. Šis ir viens no pirmajiem darbojošiem prototipiem un galīgajā versijā būs tikai dažas, konstruktīvas izmaiņas. Cerams, ka strīmeris būs pieejams ne tikai kā gatava ierīce, bet arī ka OEM plate un kāds vienkāršāks tās variants DIY entuziastiem. Izstrādātāja sniegtā informācija (pagaidām tikai angļu valodā) par Amadeus stīmeri ir sekojoša:

"RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus

What is RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus?

RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus is an audiophile grade streaming computer-on-a-board

that serves bit perfect and ultra-precisely clocked data to any DAC, thus being the

foundation of the ultimate quality in digital audio reproduction and available to selected

manufacturers as an OEM part for their hi-end audio equipment.

How is RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus different?

To begin with, RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus is unique in its mission of being the

ultimate quality source in digital audio reproduction. This resulted in the most

unconventional engineering solutions. Through engineering diligence and a lot of

creativity RixVox team succeeded in diminishing the impact of the fundamental sources of

distortions and errors in the digital signal path to near-undetectable levels, to stream bit-
perfect digital audio.

What is bit-perfect (in simple terms)?

Distortions and errors caused by power source deficiencies, clock conflicts and

processor re-prioritisation are practically unavoidable. Even the best conventional

streamers can only strive to compensate for them, at times creating more distortion of the

signal. Therefore these digital losses, compensation artefacts and distortions are also

present in the analog signal prepared by the DAC. And they can and will be heard by an

audiophile. While this is accepted as the nature of digital audio reproduction and can be

mitigated to some extent, it is unavoidable.

However, it is also yesterday, thanks to Rix Vox.

RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus is the first system that almost obliterates these forms of

digital distortions and errors, attaining the ultimate in bit-perfection. No bit is lost and no

bit is added during digital audio streaming. “What comes in – that comes out”.

In technical terms, RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus serves I2S (PCM) and DSD streams

with up to 99,9997% accuracy*.

For a music lover, the digital audio fed into DAC’s from RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus

will produce the perfect sound.

* – pending final measurements of particular board versions for each customer.

How RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus achieves this?

In the development process RixVox team chose to approach the bit-perfection through

three highly innovative engineering solutions. Each of them separately addresses a

fundamental class of distortions and errors, and the sum of these solutions is the RixVox

Audio Streamer Amadeus.

Split Processor Core Functionality

The first and grandest innovation hides in the processor. RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus

employs 1 GHz dual-core Cortex-A7 processor, that operates asynchronously. The tasks

that the processor executes are not shared between the cores, which is the conventional

approach, but veritably split between them, according to function. One of the cores

manages all of the board’s periphery and the other core takes care exclusively of digital

audio data.

RixVox team succeeded in reprogramming the processor on assembler level. Not a small

feat in itself, as the IT wisdom said – it could not be done, but most importantly splitting

the processor core functionality allows to avoid the whole class of errors that arise from

processor switching and sharing tasks between cores (re-prioritisation).

External Clocking

Another class of distortions and errors in the digital signal path arise from improper

clocking and bus clocking conflicts. These are the main sources of “jitter” in digital audio,

which means bits of data being served with the wrong timing. To counter it, RixVox Audio

Streamer Amadeus has a sub-board of a separate set of clocks, running at 44,1 and 96

KHz respectively. These ultra-precise clocks (optionally, with errors of less than 1 ppm)

govern everything concerning digital audio data. Thereafter bit-perfection of the streamed

data is guaranteed by ultra–precise external clocking. This is the second innovation*.

* – for even more demanding customers RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus has the special

option of connecting a separate atomic clock with clocking errors far below the

measurable level.

Separate Power Supplies

Separate stabilised power supplies for each of the board’s main components is the third

innovation. It addresses the class of distortions and errors that arise from parts of the

board being momentarily under-powered. In digital as in analog circuits “under-powered”

typically means voltage drop. Where analog circuits tolerate voltage drops rather well,

digital circuits are highly intolerant to any voltage drop, they may generate switching and

calculation errors, hang-up, or initiate restarts. The common solution of just taking large

enough power supply does not address this properly, as it creates its own distortions.

RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus therefore has four completely separate power

sources:

– for the processor,

– for the clocks,

– for the FPGA circuit,

– for the USB-OUT port.

This allows the system to function error-free with maximum precision and efficiency.

Complete software package

RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus runs a closed custom Linux build. Our first and

probably the world’s first professional audiophile grade system for a streamer. The

software was developed in-house – optimised for asynchronous processor management

and external clocking.*

* – the system build is closed, as it contains optimisation measures that we consider

RixVox intellectual property. Therefore SDK for OEM manufacturers will not be available.

Porting of OEM manufacturer’s software will be provided by RixVox following separate

agreements.

Connections to the future

RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus provides system wide future-proofing through advanced

combination of hardware and software.

Hardware-wise there are: Ethernet 100 Bit/s port, one SATA controller, two USB2 ports,

one USB OTG port, display port, HDMI, native I2S and DSD (a separate 2-channel bus)

with hardware clocking, UART, SPI, I2C interfaces and more. IrDA, WiFi 2,4 GHz and

Bluetooth as yet more options. Please see data sheet for details.

On the software side: IRS, SPI and USR protocols, as well as digital DAC management

are supported as standard. HQ Player and Roon Player are supported natively. By order,

almost any customer software can be ported.

Extended upgrade-ability

By way of complex modular construction RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus is positioned

to have its useful life extend well past that of its competitors and modern audio devices in

general. Every RixVox will be 100% upgrade-able via factory installed partial or complete

upgrade packages.

An elegant solution

On a personal note – though RixVox Audio Streamer Amadeus is technically a computer,

that will spend its life hidden away in a block of metal, we love it. The complexity of the

project boggles the mind and the final product is a thing of beauty – conceptually,

technically and visually."

Klausīšnās notika Reflector.Audio laboratorijā. Skandas protams bija Reflector.Audio, modelis Touch B6- ļoti "godīgas" plaukta skandas, kuras varētu kalpot ari kā precīzi monitori jebkura līmeņa studijai.

DAC dikitāli analogais  konvertors no tālās Sibīrijas -NEM ( Novosibirsk Electronic Manufacturing). 

Abas ierīces savienotas pa I2S interfeisu, bez jebkādiem starpformātiem. Droši vien tas ir viens no neatkārtojamā skanējuma iemesliem. Tik tīru, dzidru, dzīvu skanējumu sen nebiju klausījies.

Te Amadeus plate labāk saredzama: