I currently use FLAC+Foobar with M-Audio 192 Audiophile (PCI card and ASIO) feeding my Marantz AV Receiver thru SPDIF, but I want to go a step further and feed an external DAC thru the USB port and finally into my Aragon 18K pre-amp , Aragon 4004 MkII Dual-Mono power-amp and Mirage m-5si speakers.
So we have two problems, USB->SPDIF and choice of DAC.
I'll takle the USB->SPDIF now as DACs are a whole other matter, we (end users) have not many (credible!) options availabe and the price factor compplicates things.
LessLoss and HagUSB both cost about the same, but dont know much about LessLoss's product then we have a 30USD option from http://www.diykits.com.hk/dac.html (is it an option?!?) and finally the Emprirical Audio's products, of which I do not question the quality just the price, not that they are over-priced, just to me unfortunalty especially since I still have to buy a DAC (any comments on CIAudio's VDA2 http://www.ciaudio.com/vda2.html)
This leaves a huge price gap with only one contender the USB Freeway2, is it so clearly inferior to the other models?! what can I expect from it?
So we have two problems, USB->SPDIF and choice of DAC.
I'll takle the USB->SPDIF now as DACs are a whole other matter, we (end users) have not many (credible!) options availabe and the price factor compplicates things.
LessLoss and HagUSB both cost about the same, but dont know much about LessLoss's product then we have a 30USD option from http://www.diykits.com.hk/dac.html (is it an option?!?) and finally the Emprirical Audio's products, of which I do not question the quality just the price, not that they are over-priced, just to me unfortunalty especially since I still have to buy a DAC (any comments on CIAudio's VDA2 http://www.ciaudio.com/vda2.html)
This leaves a huge price gap with only one contender the USB Freeway2, is it so clearly inferior to the other models?! what can I expect from it?