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Has Anybody Had Success Going from Ethernet Streaming to USB Streaming?

In my system I use the Ayon Audio S-5 Network Player/DAC/Preamp which is feed by a router/EtherREGEN/QNAP NAS drive all connect by three Wireworld Platinum Starlight 8 Twinax Ethernet cables and I’m wondering if anybody replaced their NAS with a NUC server with USB output into a LKS, Gustard, or Matrix DDC (USB to I2S converter)?  My Ayon Audio S-5 has a I2S input.  Does anybody have any input as to wether the NUC running Linex with a USB output would exceed the performance of my current set-up?
128x128mikeg
ratbastrd
13 posts
 
Why would you want to move from Ethernet to USB? Serious question. I'm building a NUC based server at this time as well. Understand that noise may be an issues, but isn't it easier to eliminate noise then try to fix USB clock issues?
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,598 posts
 
Not sure what this is about but I went from  Synology NAS via WiFi to portable SSD via USB A into a streamer, i2s out
The USB experience in this case sounds better and is much more convenient . I can load tracks via WiFi faster and I don't have to remember to run FolderSort.
As far as the question I know nothing of this NUC you speak of and I've never heard of linex.
It sounds like you have way more than you need to play local files.
jaytor's avatar
jaytor
765 posts
 
I have recently made this kind of switch, but I also added a new component that makes a big difference. 

I was using a Roon ROCK NUC, through an EtherRegen to a Bryston BDP-2 streamer and then via AES to my Terminator DAC. I tried connecting the NUC directly to the DAC via a high quality USB (AQ Diamond) and I thought the Bryston sounded a bit better (but it wasn't dramatic). 

This past week, I received a Denafrips Gaia DDC. I removed the Bryston from the system and connected the NUC directly to the Gaia using the USB cable. Initially, I had the Gaia connected to the DAC using the same AES cable. This was somewhat better than using the Bryston, but wasn't dramatic. 

Then I hooked the Gaia to the Terminator DAC using a cheap HDMI i2s cable. This improved the sound quality significantly, even though the HDMI cable was less than 1/10th the cost of the AES cable. I've got a high quality i2s cable on order, but even with the cheap cable, the Gaia/Terminator combo connected to the NUC via USB was a significant improvement over using the ethernet streamer. 

The Gaia costs about $1700. The Bryston streamer I was using retailed for almost twice this cost. It's no longer a current model, but the BDP-3 that replaces it (and has the same digital audio output circuitry) retails for $4100. So if you are looking for something to use between your NUC and DAC (no matter what DAC you are connecting), and don't need to have these connected over ethernet, I'd recommend taking a look at the Denafrips Gaia (or their lower priced DDCs). 
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