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REVIEW: Altmann Micro Machines JISCO Accessory Review by thegage at Audio Asylum

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In the midst of considering digital upgrade paths (i.e. to have 24/96 capability) I was looking for something to replace my Genesis Digital Lens (incapable of passing a 24/96 signal) when I stumbled across Charles Altmann's website. His discussion on jitter intrigued me. I can't say that I totally understand everything he discusses, but one thing about his products stood out: the direct connection to the DAC input. I've always been bothered by the cable from the jitter box to the DAC and the fact that it introduced additional jitter right after the special component that was supposed to reduce it. With Charles's products this problem seems to be ameliorated. I initially was interested in his UPCI, but Charles steered me toward a newer product, his "JISCO". After a brief correspondence I ordered one--a bit of a risk since Charles is in Germany and returns are not an option, but he does offer a strong warranty, and in fact quickly helped fix a problem caused by rough handling in shipping.

I will leave the technical explanation JISCO up to Charles, but in my system it does what it is claimed to do. I recently acquired one of Ric Schultz's EVS DACs. As other reviewers have posted, this is one great product, smooth, detailed, and musical, especially in how it deals with things like cymbals--the best portrayal of any DAC I've heard near its price range. Listening to the EVS alone compared to my old PS Audio, I was hard-pressed to find fault with it, but when I inserted the JISCO I was amazed at how it took the EVS to another level.

First, everything became clearer; individual voices, instruments and notes were better delineated. For example, on the CD of Dave Grusin's old Sheffield direct-to-disc recording the EVS really gets the sound of cymbals and bells right, but with the JISCO in the chain I could clearly hear the distinction between the sound of the stick hitting a cymbal and the sound of the cymbal itself. Bass notes--already one of the EVS's strong points--became stronger and with more punch. Listening to Charlie Haden's bass on Missouri Sky I could hear more of the finger attack on the strings, and the woodiness of the bass. Decay of notes also seems more natural.

This detail does not seem to come at the expense of more edginess, nor does the sound become more analytical--I wasn't sitting there just listening to details like chairs scraping and musicians coughing--because of what else JISCO does well: rhythm and pace. One of may favorite tracks to get a sense of the change a new component makes is "Church" off of Lyle Lovett's Joshua Judges Ruth. This is a very good recording with a good mix of low and high end, voice, and strong rhythm and pace. The song is driven by the syncopation (if that's the right word) of the piano, and all the other elements play off it. With the JISCO this song really kicks in, and the interplay between the bass, piano, drums, and singers became much more evident--and more involving.

JISCO also works in home theater, able to deal with Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital, and DTS (I think, I can't remember testing exactly) encoded signals. I stuck it after my Dragon 5.1 jitter reducer and found the same excellent results.

I really haven't found any negatives. There may be a slight (very) truncation of soundstage depth with the JISCO, but I am not totally certain; I have recently repositioned my speakers in the room so I may not yet have them optimally set up.

There also may be additional benefit in using JISCO with a standard jitter attenuator since JISCO does not address jitter amplitude. I have briefly tried it with an old Monarchy DIP, which made a difference in the "ease" of the music, but have not done extensive listening. Other than that, a great product--and small, though you do have one more wall-wart to plug in. Highly recommended if you have an external DAC.


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Topic - REVIEW: Altmann Micro Machines JISCO Accessory Review by thegage at Audio Asylum - thegage 07:16:01 07/6/00 ( 14)