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Ditch your USB cable for Toslink? Might surprise you!

I recently embarked on experiments with an updated USB cable between an Aurender N100h and a Qutest dac. (cables were Pangea, Curious and DH Labs) Bottom line, it  most definitely revealed improvements but also exposed some flaws. So I looked into other tweaks to improve the chain...reclockers, decrapifiers and the likes. All these devices designed to fix inherent issues with USB. So I had the "duhhhh" moment and thought instead of fixing it....replace it.

I went out on a limb and got Aurender's UT100, a device which converts the USB output to Toslink (best option as the N100h only has usb out). I connect a modest Audioquest Cinnamon cable to it and I've been testing and burning in this new device and the input on the dac for several days now, Redbook all the way up to 24/192. And I must say I'm impressed, really impressed. I'll summarize my experience by saying it's just as detailed, but with a more relaxed presentation, no digital "grunge". This is the first time I've even considered trying the incisive filters on the Qutest.

I think Toslink is looked down on as a digital interface, but I'm seeing some big advantages to it now.

  1.  You gain 100% isolation, it totally "air gaps" your dac from every form of interference. I've personally experienced some Bermuda Triangle kinda weird issues with USB and there have been lots of posts lately regarding this. Fiber puts an end to that....period!
  2. The price of admission is downright cheap, most streamers and dacs already have the connections and I don't think you have to pay a lot for a quality fiber cable.
  3. On some dacs it's generally accepted that the SP/DIF connections sound better than their USB counterparts. I've also read that disconnecting the USB cable from a dac, turns off it's internal clock and associated circuitry, thus less noise internally.....?? I have no clue but what I am warming up to is the idea that I want to stay away from USB. I've had great results with coax too, going back to my Theta and Sony ES days, but Toslink is cheap, allows long cables if needed and does truly isolate the dac. 

I'd encourage everyone to just try it, perhaps your equipment will respond favorably  like mine did. I'd love to hear other's experiences, especially Node3 owners. I'm planning on getting one for my office rig.

 Tim

 

treynolds155

Showing 4 responses by antigrunge2

antigrunge2
1,366 posts
 

@Koestner,

there are divergent views on that one: I keep my USBconnction as short as possible. John Senson at Uptone sells a one piece USB fixed circuit board connection. The SP/Dif minimum limit is to avoid reflections in the cable. Best I know this does not equally apply to USB.

antigrunge2
1,366 posts
 

The OP omits the clock synchronisation in USB that slaves the server to the DAC. A well clocked USB asynchronous connection with a good cable in normal circumstances is superior to Toslink.

antigrunge2
1,366 posts
 

@treynolds155 

Assuming a properly implemented asynchronous USB connection, the Dac slaves the server to its clock, i.e. the Dac’s clock controls the chain. Assuming a high quality clock in the DAC this ascertains absence of timing errors, aka jitter. While the same can be achieved by retrieving the server’s clock signal from an AES/EBU, SP/Dif or optical connection it assumes a very good clock at the server and absence of noise in the transmission of the clock signal. Where USB gets a bad rap  is on the 5v DC line included in the protocol. If the DAC doesn’t need the 5v line of its handshake with the server, this can be disabled just by putting a sticker on Pin1 in the USB plug. Otherwise good dual pronged cables exist to pass a clean 5v signal from a separate LPS to the Dac.

antigrunge2
1,366 posts
 

The quality of toslink nowadays is a direct function of the quality of the server‘s clock since that is what governs what the DAC receives. Small hint: USB based servers don‘t pay much attention to the clocking since in USB it‘s slaved to the DAC.

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