INTRODUCTION

The project started in 2011. The goal is to transfer, lossless, digital music from the disk to the section of digital / analog conversion. In the analog system, the exclusive Grandinote circuits give the most natural sound. In support of this, the 18 power suppliers designed by Grandinote ensure maximum performance. In addition to the liquid music and web radio, with the Volta you can also listen to CDs, as will be explained in the next post. The Grandinote Volta can also play video, thanks to an output ULTRA HDMI 4K.

Point 1 of 7: COMPACT DISC vs. LIQUID MUSIC

When playing a CD, in the traditional way, we can't avoid the read errors. There isn't a mechanical that sounds like an other. If there were perfect mechanical, they would sound the same. It isn't so. Mechanics make reading mistakes, Sony-Philips correction algorithm "invents" correction, spoiling the sound of our CD. In CD ripping, when errors are found, the reading is repeated block by block, until the total "perfect bit" duplication. Today, many CD players perform a pre-ripping, just to eliminate these errors, freeing from the Sony-Philips correction algorithm.

Point 2 of 7: PROBLEMS in LIQUID MUSIC, USING A COMPUTER AS A PLAYER

With this solution, the problems are so many, they cause more damages than aforementioned correction algorithm. That's why those who have approached the liquid music by "computer-USB-DAC" has preferred the old CD player. Some of these problems are:

- Computer hardware, his power suppliers,

- The operating system and his latency delay,

- The computer ground noises arrive to the DAC, from USB cable.

Point 3 of 7: NO DIGITAL INPUT LIKE S/PDIF, AES/EBU...

How to play or rip CDs with Grandinote Volta? One solution would be the S/PDIF or AES/EBU interfaces. This would permit the use of a traditional high-end mechanics with Volta. In doing so, ripping and playback would be compromised by the Sony-Philips correction algorithm. We preferred to connect any external reader of CD, DVD, Blu-Ray by USB. So, we can rip the CD or play bit-error-free.

Point 4 of 7: HOW BEST TO USE THE USB PORT

Wanting to connect an external player of CD, DVD, Blu-Ray to the Volta USB port, it's essential to choose a reader self-powered through the same USB port. An external device, equipped with its own power supplier, generates electrical noise. Through the USB cable, the electrical noise would arrive to the Grandinote Volta. The same is true for external USB hard drives. Best to avoid 3.5" hard disk with their power supplier and to use USB self-powered 2.5" disks.

Point 5 of 7: BEST STORAGE TO SUPPLYING THE LIQUID MUSIC TO VOLTA

Surely, as explained above, it is preferred the 2.5" external disk, on the Volta USB port. However, the best solution is a network NAS, using access-point/router and ethernet cables. The ethernet cable is isolated by pulse transformers. With this solution, the electrical noise, generated by NAS and his power supplier, don't arrives to the Volta. Therefore: network NAS storage by ethernet cable and external reader of CD, DVD, Blu-Ray on the USB port.

Point 6 of 7: USE A NETWORK NAS BY WI-FI

The connection to NAS can be done by ethernet or by wi-fi. The wi-fi is sufficiently powerful for the 16bit 44.1kHz CD resolution. For heaviest formats, we need a wif-fi channel very free, with few connected devices. It is very difficult to have enough bandwidth for high-resolution video. For these uses, it is preferable Ethernet cabling.

Point 7 of 7: NO DIGITAL OUTPUTS LIKE S/PDIF, AES/EBU..

Of course! No Digital to Analogue converter, on the market, can boast the sonic characteristics of Volta internal converter. "Internal", precisely: all processes take place in the same device. The same circuits, separated by a cable, would not guarantee the same result. However, as always, the analog sections and power suppliers are the real difference. Grandinote is second to none.