Audiophile USB to PCM

Edesilva, I have two computer based systems. One uses the RME with the AES/EBU balanced digital out and the other an M-Audio Sonica with an optical out. The RME sounds better. The RME also betters the built in optical output on the Apple G5. It's not an earth shaking, dramatic, blows away type of difference, but it's there and I find it worthwhile.

There are various firewire based interfaces (Metric Halo, M-Audio and others), but I don't have direct experience with them. They tend to be geared to professional multi channel use. I've also seen PMCIA based interfaces.

Doesn't the dCS have a firewire option?

A professional caliber soundcard w/ AES/EBU output should out perform consumer oriented USB devices. I use an RME, but there are others.

Hbrandt, the music files stored on your hard drive are a PCM data stream which is can then be transmitted via the USB protocol to an external device. You simply want a device that connects to your computer with an USB cable and connects to your D/A with a Toslink, S/DIF or AES/EBU cable. It's a very minor point, but I believe it's incorrect to refer to the USB connection as converting the PCM data stream.

The Big Ben is design to act as a master digital clock in a recording studio environment. If you're running three or more pieces of digital equipment all sort of gremlins start to appear if you try to clock the devices in a chain-like manner. The Big Ben provides a very high quality master clock that all the various digital equipment can sync to. While it may work as a jitter reduction device, it probably is overkill for all but the most high end of audiophile systems. Particularly if you D/A reclocks or upsamples, the Big Ben is really not needed.