NEW FLAGSHIP JCAT USB CARD XE REVIEW - The BEST just got a lot BETTER!!
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- Опубліковано 11 жов 2024
- Welcome to Pursuit Perfect System
In this video I review the NEW Flagship USB card from JCAT the USB XE.
This is an amazing new product from JCAT because it significantly improves on their already fantastic Femto USB Card.
jcat.eu/produc...
I was very fortunate to have access to a pre release version of the JCAT USB XE so that I can spend several weeks using it and comparing it to the Femto USB card that I have been using for over 2 years. The card will be released within days.
I am using the XE Card to review;
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I am very excited to try the imminently released JCAT Optimo Duo 3 Linear Power Supply with this XE card and I will report back on that when I have. Exciting time to be an audiophile when sound keeps getting this much better.
The speakers you can see in the B roll clips and behind me are the Boenicke W5 boenicke-audio...
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I am a Dirac Live Calibrator and come and out and setup systems for customers, if this is of interest please get in touch with me
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jcat.eu/product/usb-card-xe/
Hi Marcin, Thanks for your great R&D into computer audio, I have a number of your products and am now considering the new USB XE card, Terry pointed out a possible voltage/amp draw from the new card? would the Bakoon supply I have be sufficient to power it? Thanks again.
@@Caddysnaps Thanks Christian! 1A PSU is enough, so bakoon battery PSU will do :)
Regards,
Marcin
We certainly do love upgrading our systems... The less I have in my bank account the better my system sounds :) Thanks for another great video Terry. All the hard work you put into them behind the scenes is always appreciated.
Thanks very much Dean appreciate it :)
Great review - thanks. Would love to see a shoot out of this against the Innuos Phoenix which is apparently ‘king of the hill’ at the moment
Gavin Hodgson The Phoenix uses Connor Winfield OCXO clock, which is average but does has Sean Jacobs power supply design. Which makes still very good! I’m actually using Pink Faun Ultra Clock powered by Sean Jacobs LPS. A forum friend uses the above JCAT card powered by Sean Jacobs LPS. If the Phoenix had a better clock then would probably agree
I wonder if this can compete with Pink Faun Ultra OCXO USB card? Terry If you interested I can send you the card for a shootout?
I do have a few JCAT products, like their Ethernet card & lan isolator.
Pretty much similar to matrix audio usb card ..the "Element H" instead the Element H LOOKS much better lol
not the same when you look closely
Similar looks is not the same. The cost alone of the USB Xe card is higher than the Element H retail price.
That SiTIME oscillator alone costs USD$130 each though.
The JCAT cards are manufactured in Canada adding to the higher retail cost, I agree that its too expensive with other folks but some guys have to bite the bullet to support companies outside of China. Element H would probably cost closer to the Femto card or even more if it wasn't made in China. I live in Canada and worked in manufacturing before and can tell you the difference between making something here and in China is significant.
Hi Terry, Thanks for all the great videos, reviews and A/Bs. You inspired me to go down the C.A.T route. My setup so far consists of the Streacom Alpha FC9WS case, ASUS H110M-A/DP with I7-6700T 35W TDP, 16GB DDR4, 512GB Nvme Drive, HDplex 200w LPS, HDplex HIFI DC 400w, Jcat Femto USB, Jcat USB Isolator, Jcat Bakoon battery supply for USB Femto, Starquad Van Damme XKE Dc cables, Curious cables USB cables running through an RME ADI 2 fs Dac powered by a HDplex 100w LPS. I have loved the tinkering involved. Do you think the new USB XE will be a significant step above the FEMTO USB & Isolator setup that i already own? Thank you and looking forward to more content :-)
Simple answer Yes very much so you will notice it instantly :) happy to be an inspiration for this and I bet you are glad you did it :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Very much so, especially in such trying times. stay safe and well !
@@Caddysnaps one thing to check with Marcin is the power consumption of the XE card to make sure the bakoon can deliver the right juice. the new Optimo 3 Linear can deliver 3 amps the jcat bakoon battery I have 2 of them are much more power limited ;)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Great, thank you for the tip.
Do you put anything between the XE USB output and your DAC (such as an Isoregen, a reclocker like a Mutec, or anything else)?
I have used a Mutec in the past but now I use a Chord Electronics Hugo M Scaler
Would there be any point? I mean supposedly this card has invested a lot into the clock so is another clock necessary? I'm wondering this myself as my DAC can connect to an external DAC as well but it might be wasted money if you external power an XE USB and then spend hundreds or thousands more on another clock yet again.
@@egnw0 you are absolutely right on paper. The card is heavily isolated and has a very precise clock. However, some people who have actually tried say there are further improvements with an external clock and a DDC converter. That doesn’t make sense on paper but those people have actually tried and reported on this. I think there are many things we still don’t understand. Alternatively, some people think that bits are bits. :-)
@@topkho I assume there are for sure but have to factor in cost and at some point you have to look and say to yourself "How many damn boxes do I need, it gets a little out of hand." I know what you mean though because I was considering such a scenario but I'm sure Marcin can weigh in on if this is a wise way to proceed. I hope we get to a point one day where computer audio there will be a one set it and forget it solution that is at the quality of our highly modified systems.
@@egnw0 I completely agree. The factor we all seem to agree is the importance of quality LPS. Like Naim (and others I’m sure) identified decades ago.
Is there anywhere that says or shows if it does what it says?
Its impressive that you can keep upgrading the server components - can I ask which DAC you are currently using connected to the JCAT USB XE. I presume JCAT don't offer an internal DAC?
I am using a Chord Electronics Hugo M Scaler going into a Chord Electronics Hugo TT2 Dac - you will see this in a demo video coming soon :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem how do you convert the signal from USB to SPDIF/ BNC for the Chord?
@@topkho you don't you feed from the usb card usb into the mscaler
@@PursuitPerfectSystem got it!
Thank you for the early review! I heard about the product release few days ago and as a owner of USB Femto I already set my eyes to forthcoming investment in close future.
About the actual review I would have liked to hear more thorough reflecting what the XE USB did better vs. the Femto and maybe even some sound samples like on your other videos.
I have no doubt the XE USB will yield to better and more authentic sound signature although the review felt more of technical review / advertisement with obvious superlatives. Hope this does not sound too harsh since it was not my intention. More of a constructive feedback.
Any chance hearing more of your thoughts about the sound quality?
I (and I guess probably most of the PC-audio enthusiasts with USB card experiences) can agree about the importance of good quality (linear) power supply for the card. I tried UpTone LPS-1.2 and loved it immediately even before proper burn-in, which took close to a week on 24/7 use. I can recommend any brand/seller that allows testing out the PSU at home with money back guarantee if one is in doubt.
Recently I replaced its stock DC cable with Canare 4S8 DC cable made by Ghent Audio to find these DC cables greatly do matter. Obviously not as much the actual power supply though. I also have another cable, Neotech UP-OCC to be tested out.
I found out the cable complementing USB Femto's qualities such as more holographic/3D-ish sound stage. With Canare 4S8 the I felt sound stage in height more full, wider also. There was improvement in overall clarity too without any harshness after few days of use.
I think if one is prepared to invest on such USB cards the importance of good quality DC cable must not be overlooked. (And this comment is me thinking "wth I'm doing, my poor wallet" prior ordering the cables.)
I think it's a more than fair criticism sound is hard to talk about without using common descriptive terms.
The sound differences are as I mentioned in the review improved clarity which means improved soundstage as well. It's a cleaner sound overall and this is noticable straight away but gets better after about a week. vocals are more tangible by that I mean more of a physical thing you can touch. Think back to what the Femto card did when you installed it. Well the XE card does again to the sound as a next step on in all those improvement areas. I havent heard the best of it yet because I don't have the power supply to get the best out of it so I cant say much more right now.
It's a clear and obvious improvement you will see when people start using them and give their feedback I am sure they will say the same.
I don't know it's expensive for what you get your better off with a RME hdspe aio, audio interface. offers you a lot more for about £450 like AD and DA converters. Offers you synchronisation to video decoding as well LTC. A way much superior card. You should check it out something useful for you Terry your recording make your recordings a lot better
What is the signal-to-noise ratio of this interface PC card?
you dont wants a/d or d/as on a card like this, those are noisey devices. You want those completely separate and external
also my recording rig has 109 db of DNR which is more than enough
if the external DAC is self powered do i need a DC power supply into this card ?
Yes to power the card
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thanks and what are your recommendations on the ext DC power ?
I've brought that usb card
what do you think?
Is there much difference between a media player such as my Nad M50.2 compared to streaming from a computer? I'm useless when it comes to computers. I would have thought the DAC is the most important part?
Hi William I cant answer that question exactly because I haven't tried that NAD but there is a very big delta between different digital sources and components and computer audio goes way beyond just media player, the play back software is extremely important in saying that.
Would adding a USB Re-clocker along with the USB Card XE further improve the sound quality or do you feel it might not be necessary?
I used to use a unit in between but the XE card sounded better without it, I cant speak for every product out there though of course :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thank You!
PC > powered USB hub > powered USB isolator > powered USB dac, jitter problems solved.
There are 5 areas of usb noise in that chain and that's without looking at the networks effects either
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I hear ya, I have run isolator powered from car battery with laptop as signal source and custom USB cables.
This is the best usb sound I have heard but very much diy so not suitable for many listeners.
I have also found hubs powered by decent supply to be beneficial.
@@ericmc6482 that is the situation you need clean power for every stage of that chain and if the signal is coming off a laptop motherboard usb I would guess harm is already being done there and you are clawing it back down the chain. Do no harm at the start and then keep the harm away as another approach does make sense. Certainly not having a pop do what sounds best to you man just discussing it with you. Thanks for commenting
@@PursuitPerfectSystem USB system is asynchronous so theoretically source should not really matter provided load usb dac has good internal supplies and good internal clock.
That 5ppb spec is long term frequency accuracy and does not describe short term frequency stability ie jitter or Allen variance although it could be assumed to be decent but not assumed to be stellar.
What's your take on why the host clock should make any difference to sound quality ?
@@ericmc6482 I am not sure on exactly why but you can hear very clearly that it does it's not a small difference either and it's a very noticeable one. Same as why the power supply matters for the source as well it probably shouldn't but it really does. In theory none of it should matter but it all really does and I am grateful to the people who test all this stuff out despite of that to find out for the rest of us
UPDATE: it's solved now. Terry escalated the issue, and JCAT was quick to react. The company is legit, it was just a human error.
I ordered mine back in December. It's March 10, I have not got any information about my order whatsoever. And JCAT is ignoring my emails about a refund. I would avoid this company.
I genuinely cant see that being the case at all given what other people tell me, yes the demand for these products has been so high they cannot be manufactured fast enough to meet the demands but avoiding contact with customers I cant see that being true at all - I can find out for you if you would like
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thank you for your reply! I am surprised too, given the amount of positive reviews on the internet. It's possible they are experiencing issues with stock and lack experience on how to communicate it with their customers.
I placed my order on Dec 15, 2020 after watching your video, and they said "We will be able to ship before Christmas.
"
Dec 23: "Your order will ship on Monday
"
Jan 11: "We're preparing shipments today - you will receive tracking number via email automatically."
March 10: no response...
@@ralfs94 strange can you please email me your details and I will find out for you terryellis@pursuitperfectsystem.com
@@PursuitPerfectSystem absolutely! Let's hope we can solve this!
Is this a paid “review” ? It certainly comes across like one. If it is you should clearly disclose the fact.
No its not a paid review, this is an awesome product that moves things on from the previous products I have bought and owned
I’m not knocking the XE (in fact I’m going to buy one ), my issue was your apparent lack of critical assessment. You would be a lot more credible if you presented a more balanced view. As I said, it came across as though you had been paid to say those things. You should regard this as valuable feedback.
Wait until you get one and then maybe you will why I was singing its praises - I dont know if you have the Femto Card and or the V1 I have both of them and they are the only USB cards I have experienced so I can only compare to them. I am hoping you have heard either or of those 2 cards and then you will see why I had this reaction :) Feedback taken on board sometime people are not intended to be but to impugn someones integrity is offensive any way you look at it
I did not impugn your integrity, I asked you a question then gave you some feedback. Take it or leave it.
I will make you a deal when you get your XE Card have a listen for a couple of weeks and then come back to this chat and let me know if I was talking sales bollocks or the 100% truth about the card in this video. I will take that criticism 100% on board because that will be totally justified - does that sound fair?
How much is this bad boy :-)
About half way through :)
800 Euros for 2 usb ports >points and laughs