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Use asynch. USB converter with inboard DAC?

If playing music from a computer's USB out to a newer CD player equipped with inboard DAC and a choice of digital inputs including USB, is it better to put an asynchronous USB converter between computer and CDP and use coax or Toslink in? OR just run a USB cable directly from computer to CDP? I don't know if new DAC's make the use of an asynchronous converter unnecessary. Thanks for your input.
ghosthouse

Showing 3 responses by audioengr

audioengr
3,282 posts
 
External USB converters will ALWAYS beat built-in USB interfaces in DACs. This is simply because the power supply for the master clock is independent and usually higher quality, achieving lower levels of jitter. Some converters have upgrade optional power supplies thqt mqke a big difference too.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Tboooe - I have lots of anecdotal customer and personal experience with this. I have many customers driving their "high-end" USB DACs with the Off-Ramp 5 through S/PDIF coax, even though these DACs have built-in Async USB interfaces. There are significant differences in USB interface designs, even those that use the same chipset, such as XMOS. How many companies have already done 5 generations of USB interfaces? Only Empirical Audio. How many companies have received multiple best of show awards using this interface? What do the top reviewers use as their digital reference?

Don't take my word for it. You can read lots of these customer feedbacks on my forum:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?board=40

USB interfaces are like phono cartridges. There are lots of them out there but only a few really great ones. The designer of EA gear has 30 years digital design experience and was a design team lead on the Pentium 2.

The large companies are only now getting on-board with these, and many have third parties designing them because they have minimal experience.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Vic - Originally I didn't use the OR5 with the Ovrdrive DAC, but that was before I started using Hynes supplies for the OR5. This made all the difference. Now I have my own Hynes-based supply, the Dynamo that I use with the OR5, it's the only way to listen to ANY DAC IMO.

I also dont like to use digitql volume control, that is unless it is limited to -10dB or less of attenuation. If it is used like this, in combination with a gain control or passive transformer linestage, the degradation is not detectqble IME. I use this technique at shows now.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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