Anything other than a really good networked player or good USB interface will be a compromise in SQ.
Other interfaces can be reclocked however, to reduce jitter. The artifacts of upsampling are audible, but not bad given the latest technology in upsampling.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
"good question, why must be USB ?"
If you want to not only beat, but exceed the performance of the very best CD transports/players, you will need to use USB, and not just any USB. You will also need to use a good computer platform and playback software. It is not rocket-science. Its just like buying a Vinyl or CD system. Separates will always sound better. A preamp and amps will beat an integrated. A transport and DAC will beat a CDP.
Look at the systems that get best of show at CES, RMAF and Newport. Most use USB.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
"Can you also mention some other high quality USB converter ? "
Diverter HR
Berkeley
"What is the best quality power supply to go with it ?"
Modified Hynes SR3-12
"A USB converter and then the DAC ?"
Yes, plus a good S/PDIF cable. You can get really good one for only $250.
"Also a DAC with high quality USB input and a high quality volume control will be my preference !!! Is there any such thing in the market which will outperform my Sony SCD XA-5400 ES player ?"
Easily, but the separate USB converter on its own power and DAC is still better.
Overdrive SE or Metrum Hex DACs should do the job on their own.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Most manufacturers are adding USB interfaces to their DACs now without much experience with these. As a result, most of these DACs sound better driven from S/PDIF input rather than USB input.
The other thing to realize is that even the very best USB interface when install in a DAC will likely share some part of the power system, ultimately compromising it.
The best course is to buy the very best outboard USB converter and then power it from the very best power supply. This will definitely beat even the best transports on the market. There are some companies that are shipping 5th generation of these interfaces.
The other thing to realize is that the player software and computer hardware is critical. I recommend Amarra on a 2009 Mac Mini powered by a Hynes power supply playing .wav files. Nothing touches this IME.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Mapman wrote: "it seems USB connections seem to be much more hit or miss for really good sound than older more established and standardized interfaces designed specifically for computer audio, like TOSLINK and SPDIF. I have yet to get any clearly bad results with either of those."
Well I have. I used to mod both transports and DACs from other companies and I found lots of crappy designs. Much of the time I observed that one company would design a S/PDIF interface and the other would all copy it, even though it was a poor design. I don't believe I EVER measured one S/PDIF output circuit that was actually 75 ohms output impedance.
As for Toslink, the earlier transmitters where inherently bad, but the later 3.3V versions got better. They all add jitter. Its easy to screw these up too, like forget to put the decoupling cap close to the driver etc..
I've seen it all. None of these designers are crack digital designers with a lot of experience IMO.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Topmost wrote: "I have no knowledge of how the USB is implemented. This is exactly the point. The technology has not been matured enough."
You listen to one interface from one company and you come to this conclusion?
You should audition more USB interfaces, and particularly USB converters. There is a LOT better to be had.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Spectron wrote: "It could be much cheaper if USB output from a music server will be well designed and well executed, if music server designer would asume that USB DAC input is mediocre and do THE RIGHT JOB on the side of music servers."
I'm afraid not. The master clock is still inside the USB interface in the DAC, not in the server. It's the USB interface in the DAC that matters.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
"Audioengr: the same answer is to you. if DAC is "garbage" (and if it has poor clocks then it is GARBAGE without going any father, don't care about it magic tube output stage or whatever) then no music server, USB Interface etc. help it."
Actually not true. The DAC S/PDIF input will not have ANY clock in the DAC associated with it UNLESS it has a hardware upsampler chip or other PLL to reclock it.
Even with or without the hardware upsampler, a low-jitter USB converter will make a HUGE difference, even with an inexpensive DAC. This USB converter will have a good master clock and drive the DAC using a good S/PDIF coax.
The master clock jitter is more important than the DAC.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Vegas - The analog section of the DAC is very important to achieving balance, dynamics and an analog quality. Detail, imaging and slam are mostly a result of lowering jitter in the digital sections.
Important analog aspects are:
1) output drive current capability - output impedance and linearity with dynamics
2) I/V conversion linearity
3) gain stage(s)
3) volume control technology, if included
All of these 4 can be compromised, resulting in compression, low S/N ratio and anemic dynamics. This usually occurs with Op-amps, slow-reacting power subsystems and poor volume control technologies.
The best course is to avoid op-amp outputs IME. Also, try to eliminate the preamp altogether or replace it with a transformer passive linestage.
In order to achieve the best system S/N ratio, it is optimum to make the signal as large as possible early in the chain, as in the first stage after the I/V conversion or the I/V stage itself.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Levy - this may be your experience with a limited number of USB interfaces, but they vary across the map. I have customers with your PWDII/Bridge/PWT combo and they are still using my USB interface, the Off-Ramp 5 because it is better.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
