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Digital Audio Output Differences? Is USB Audio Really The Top-notch?

Hello guys,

So after some struggles between spending time in optimizing my PC audio functionalities and adopting a dedicated music streamer, I opted for the second one.
I purchased the Munich M1T by Silent Angel, given it’s good reviews in UK and Germany and Switzerland, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot, but frankly speaking, the mainly reason was because the price fits my wallet more hahahah...

Anyways, so there are several digital outputs on its back panel, AES/EBU; I2S(HDMI), Coaxial, USB Audio, hell hahah, I have literally no idea which one is better or which can provide a special feature or something, I mean it does show that the USB Audio supports up to up to PCM 768KHz and DSD 11.2M (DSD256), but does that the higher the sampling rate, the better the sound quality? I just can’t make sure...

And if the USB Audio can provide the " best " digital sound quality, then why added other ports? Ain’t that just costing more on the manufacturing end?
Hope you guys can give some insights on this, or share some of your experiences, because this is the first time I saw an AES/EBU port on a audio streamer...

Best,

preston8452

Showing 1 response by rossb

rossb
190 posts
 

It really does depend on the implementation, but I have never had good results with USB. I have tried USB directly from my PC, from an audiophile server (an Antipodes), and from a number of streamers - Lumin U1 mini, SOTM, Ultrarendu and OpticalRendu, and currently my Bricasti M5. I have used good USB cables - Furutech and Shunyata. I have also tried a number of very good dacs - Chord DAVE/M Scaler, Mytek Manhattan II and currently my Nagra HD Dac, all of which have very good USB implementation.

I always find USB sounds hard, "digital" and unsatisfying. To my ears, SPDIF and AES sound more natural and tonally more complex. I currently use AES from my Bricasti M5 to the Nagra dac. However, a well-implemented ethernet input can also sound extremely good, and was the best input on the Mytyek Manhattan II.

The only way you will know is by listening to them all. But despite its theoretical advantages, USB always seems like a poor choice for audio in practice.

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