
The previous generation of Audiobyte products showed the world that the people behind high-end superstar Rockna can bring their best game to a more down-to-earth price. The trio of Hydra products (the HydraVOX DAC and HydraZAP power supply tested in Issue 187 and the HydraHUB streamer tested in Issue 208) showed the audio world that designer Nicolae Jitariu not only knew how to make some of the best digital audio systems around but could also produce very high-performance equipment without the bank-busting price tags.
The SuperHUB ‘Native I2S Multifunctional Streamer’ is the first product in Audiobyte’s new line. In functionality terms, it sits somewhere between ‘streamer’ and ‘digital transport’. Like its predecessor, it runs a streamlined Linux operating system as its platform. Its audio hardware is built around Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chips. That means the SuperHUB is highly flexible and as future-proofed as modern digital audio can get. And downloadable firmware is a doddle.
Like its HydraHUB predecessor, there’s some nominative determinism going on. It is a digital hub or nerve centre, a comprehensive and complete digital audio file transport system. SuperHUB can upsample PCM files to high-rate DSD if you so will it. A programmable clock controls jitter. It’s designed to work with the current alphabet soup of network compatibilities: UPnP, DLNA, Roon, AirPlay and OpenHome. It has no digital conversion but many old-school and new digital connections. The most notable among these is I2S, connected over HDMI. This will ultimately mean the SuperHUB joining forces with the upcoming SuperVOX converter. Still, for now, it means a relatively limited range of converters, including Rockna’s Wavedream DAC (tested in Issue 201).
The power of aluminium
The SuperHUB’s circuit sits in an impressive sandblasted, anodised chassis hewn from a solid aluminium block. While not a new thing in the audio world, the complexity of the side heatsinks and their interwoven ‘S’ shape, as well as building practically everything except for the front panel and top plate into the same aluminium block, is impressive. It underlines the commitment to quality and excellence in all areas Audiobyte stands for. With minimal joints and that smooth matte finish (black or natural), it’s a significant step forward from the already well-made HydraHUB. Also, by controlling production to this degree, the chassis can be designed with precisely laid out standoffs to make final assembly more rugged and easier.
Of course, that helps when you make your circuit boards in-house. That way, the motherboard maker isn’t going to come out with a Mk II board that renders your latest batch of chassis unworkable. But that’s not the main advantage of making your circuits. Audiobyte’s FPGA architecture far removes the SuperHUB from the “let’s just slap an OEM streamer in a box” design school. However, the goods must be up to scratch; Audiobyte uses a 10-layer PCB designed in-house. This not only optimises the signal path but also means Audiobyte is no longer at the mercy of the required specifications of board-makers.
So, where many streamer and server makers struggle to improve upon a simple switch-mode power supply, Audiobyte went for a linear power supply because this is the best design for the finest possible sound quality, even from streamed digital audio.
Breaking free of control
Couple this careful power supply architecture design with a clever phase-locked loop implementation to recover signals from the potentially noisy comms channel, and you have a very audiophile-oriented SuperHUB. However, the front panel’s capacitive touchscreen isn’t intrinsically noisy. Regardless, it’s a very good idea to make sure it’s at one remove from the rest of the architecture (both physically—it sits outside the main chassis—and electronically).
The upsampler is coded into the Audiobyte SuperHUB. There isn’t provision for an external clock. Although the master clock signal is not part of the I2S standard, it’s commonly included. It syncs the internal operation of connected devices. So, the quality of the SuperHUB clock defines the streamer’s and DAC’s performance.
App-iness, app-iness?
Audiobyte’s set-up is totally ‘plug and play.’ The manual is comprehensive, describing functions that could be off-putting to the newbie, but it’s easy to navigate and use. It’s flexible enough to be driven by the touchscreen, establish preferred input (others can be accessed of course, but this is your default choice), output connection, network services, whether you want this to be a Roon endpoint, upsampling options, phase… in short, getting all the ‘fit and forget’ choices out of the way early. This is joined by the Android or iOS App, which helps to configure and set up the Audiobyte SuperHUB.
Neither the apps nor the front panel provide much in the way of track handling. That might seem odd for what is essentially a streamer, but the point of the SuperHUB is to be a transparent platform to route your music to a DAC. It’s taking the PC or laptop out of the equation. You can still access these streaming services or your local network storage using the best apps for the task, and they route them through the Audiobyte SuperHub. In truth, those who make streamers with their app to wrangle music are divided into two camps: the ones with a vast team of coders on tap to write and update software almost daily and companies that make streamers people hate using. Audiobyte, to its credit, is one of the few that instead remains agnostic.
A game of two halves
There are two Audiobyte SuperHUB reviews here. One is for people without a DAC supporting I2S, and one is for those who do. The first crowd can still get a lot out of the SuperHUB, but it’s like driving a low-riding supercar in rush hour city traffic; you aren’t getting any of the benefits, and other options might do a better job. In fairness, that’s a little harsh as the output to a USB DAC is extremely good… but it’s still not I2S. On the other hand, if you have an I2S-compatible DAC, this is your streamer! It has that ‘stripping away layers’ presentation that makes the streamed audio sound more honest, more direct, snappier, more dynamic, and better focused. None of these musical elements changed the sound from the streamed source; it uncovers sound quality typically lost in translation.
The upsampling option works well, too, although I’m not the guy to review this as I rarely like upsampled files compared to the original. I find them teased out. Yes, they often sound nice and their micro dynamics and imaging are improved. However, they lack the drive and cogency of the unadulterated files.
The land of nod
However, this is one of the best implementations of upsampling I’ve heard from a streamer, so I’m giving the SuperHUB the nod. And, if the SuperHUB can turn a ‘no’ into a ‘maybe’, then those who get upsampling more than me will likely extoll the virtues of the Audiobyte for years.
Sampling aside, the SuperHUB did precisely what it should do with digital files, as little as possible. It was highly transparent to the source. That sounds trivial until you hear that a lot of network audio flatness and unevenness (often attributed to music played through online streaming and local servers) comes from the streamer. The SuperHUB doesn’t play that music-flattening game.
I was worried that, with the SuperVOX still in the pipeline, the Audiobyte SuperHUB was an I2S streamer in perpetual search of a DAC. However, although I2S unlocks an even better performance when used with USB digital converters, it offers transparency and fidelity to the upstream music servers. It has a place in today’s digital systems. By not interfering with the performance of streamed music, it levels the playing field. It makes such sources as good as CD and exposes the lie about flat-sounding streamed music. The SuperHUB shows just how much other streamers contribute to poor sound. Buy it now and then get an I2S-chummy DAC later and be pleasantly surprised.
Technical specifications
- Type: I2S Native Streamer
- FPGA: AMD ZYNQ 7000 series SoC
- Digital Inputs: S/PDIF Coaxial/Optical, AES/EBU, USB Type B, RJ-45
- Digital Outputs: I2S (via HDMI), S/PDIF coaxial, USB Type A (native only)
- Network protocol: NFS / SMB v1-v2-V3 / UPnP
- Control apps: Android, iOS
- Streaming Services: Roon Bridge, AirPlay, HQPlayer DLNA, UPnP, OpenHome, Tidal / Qobuz
- Maximum Supported Resolution: 384kHz (PCM), DSD512 (USB in/out and I2S)
- Display: 3.0-inch IPS 24bit colour touch screen
- Resolution: 640 x 360 px
- Body material: Aluminium alloy
- Finish: Sandblasted Anodised
- Colours: Matte Silver / Black
- Dimensions (WxDxH): 30x29x6.2cm
- Weight: 6kg
- Price: £2,999, $3,200
Manufacturer
Audiobyte
Distributor
Audiofreaks
+44(0)208 928 4153
Tags: AUDIOBYTE SUPERHUB STREAMER
By Alan Sircom
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