Artizen65,
I'd just like to share my experience with you. I own a Paradisea + DAC and it has a USB connection I can use straight from my PC. I use a Trends UD-10 USB converter from the PC with a modified power supply (that cost more than the unit! hehe) and run glass toslinks from the UD-10 to a MSB Digital Director, which re-clocks it and "de-jitters" the signal, then glass toslinks from the MSB to the Paradisea DAC. This opens the sounstage and just sounds more real. This is the same as using my transport, which took me forever to get to using a PC (sounds better than the transport if I don't run the transport to the MSB before the DAC too). It sounds better than the direct USB to the DAC, so I don't even use the direct USB anymore. This is true to my other DAC as well (MSB, but doesn't have a USB to compare with).
As far as your Vista experience... that is very strange. I can hear a huge difference with Vista being MUCH better sounding on my system. I have only been able to match my transport performance by using Vista and yes, I used ASIO drivers in XP. I use Media Center so I have a remote control and not have to use a mouse to get to my music. Media Center or Windows Media player sound just the same to me in Vista as Foobar. Far from the same as XP.
Just my two cents worth. It took me forever to figure this out, so hopefully it helps. It's amazing what difference glass toslinks and the MSB Digital Director does to the music. It's so clear and comfortable to listen to! I have no motivation to try to upgrade my front end anymore. Oh, and I do love the Vinyl too, just not nearly as convenient as Media Center and a PC! Oh, and the power supply upgrade to the Trends UD-10 was necessary to get it to sound as good as my transport.
Enjoy the tunes!
Ben
I'd just like to share my experience with you. I own a Paradisea + DAC and it has a USB connection I can use straight from my PC. I use a Trends UD-10 USB converter from the PC with a modified power supply (that cost more than the unit! hehe) and run glass toslinks from the UD-10 to a MSB Digital Director, which re-clocks it and "de-jitters" the signal, then glass toslinks from the MSB to the Paradisea DAC. This opens the sounstage and just sounds more real. This is the same as using my transport, which took me forever to get to using a PC (sounds better than the transport if I don't run the transport to the MSB before the DAC too). It sounds better than the direct USB to the DAC, so I don't even use the direct USB anymore. This is true to my other DAC as well (MSB, but doesn't have a USB to compare with).
As far as your Vista experience... that is very strange. I can hear a huge difference with Vista being MUCH better sounding on my system. I have only been able to match my transport performance by using Vista and yes, I used ASIO drivers in XP. I use Media Center so I have a remote control and not have to use a mouse to get to my music. Media Center or Windows Media player sound just the same to me in Vista as Foobar. Far from the same as XP.
Just my two cents worth. It took me forever to figure this out, so hopefully it helps. It's amazing what difference glass toslinks and the MSB Digital Director does to the music. It's so clear and comfortable to listen to! I have no motivation to try to upgrade my front end anymore. Oh, and I do love the Vinyl too, just not nearly as convenient as Media Center and a PC! Oh, and the power supply upgrade to the Trends UD-10 was necessary to get it to sound as good as my transport.
Enjoy the tunes!
Ben