Has anyone else spent time listening to the U24 as a D/A converter? I have taken USB out of my laptop into the U24 and then ran left and right RCA's out of the U24 into my preamp. This little box has no right sounding as good as it does given how much it cost. |
yep. it's qite good :) the only caveat for me is the level, quite quiet in comparison to my cd (the same goes for logitech music anywhere as well btw...) |
"How is transit stock? Pretty good quality?"
It's only mediocre as all stock equipment is.
"Why is the mod necessary and how do we do it?"
The mod makes it sound good. Add modded Superclock3 and change the circuit to S/PDIF output, improve power delivery/power supply. Not for amateurs.
Also, can you explain how to upsample in foobar or itune?
Foobar upsamplers are excellent, particularly SRC, also know as "Secret Rabbit Code". I bundle this with my converters since I have a license to distribute it. You save the .dll file in the "Components" folder of Foobar2000. This is all explained on my website.
Do they do it automatically, or do we have to do something?
You have to select resampler in the DSP functions of Foobar2000. They when you play anything, it upsamples to 24/96 or 24/88 (you select) as it streams.
Steve N. |
"How about a SPDIF with a Monarchy DIP? I would like to use a DAC soI just need good SPDIF output."
If you are wanting a "good S/PDIF output", this will not get it for you. It just changes the jitter. |
I have a headroom total bithead right now, which goes out of the USB of any computer (instantly recognized as a destination for sound out in your preferences) and to some ultimate ears or powered monitors. it's more than okay and a huge improvement over the minijack out for the cans. however, I am looking into the apogee mini-dac versus the wavelength brick, for a more permanent setup with a computer that I might leave in my main system. another thing I tried is the new outlaw rr2150 receiver, which is a strong integrated amp that has a USB input. sounds pretty great for the money. any comparisons already made between brick and mini-dac? |
Can anyone list all or most of the current devices out there that convert USB to S/PDIF for connecting a computer to a DAC?
I am aware of the products by:
Red Wine Audio
Empirical Audio
U24 Waveterminal
M-Audio Transit (modded and unmodded)
Airport Express (modded and unmodded)
Others? |
Others:
HagUSB, LessLoss, m-audio audiophile USB
Waveterminal is not current, not manuf. anymore.
Steve N. |
I currently use FLAC+Foobar with M-Audio 192 Audiophile (PCI card and ASIO) feeding my Marantz AV Receiver thru SPDIF, but I want to go a step further and feed an external DAC thru the USB port and finally into my Aragon 18K pre-amp , Aragon 4004 MkII Dual-Mono power-amp and Mirage m-5si speakers.
So we have two problems, USB->SPDIF and choice of DAC.
I'll takle the USB->SPDIF now as DACs are a whole other matter, we (end users) have not many (credible!) options availabe and the price factor compplicates things.
LessLoss and HagUSB both cost about the same, but dont know much about LessLoss's product then we have a 30USD option from http://www.diykits.com.hk/dac.html (is it an option?!?) and finally the Emprirical Audio's products, of which I do not question the quality just the price, not that they are over-priced, just to me unfortunalty especially since I still have to buy a DAC (any comments on CIAudio's VDA2 http://www.ciaudio.com/vda2.html)
This leaves a huge price gap with only one contender the USB Freeway2, is it so clearly inferior to the other models?! what can I expect from it? |
Go on Ebay and do a search for "USB to SPDIF Converter". There is one on there now for $35. Then go find an EAD DSP-7000 MKII DAC on the cheap and I think you will experience a life changing event for around $300. |
The Sonos ZP80 has Optical and coax digital output for superior audio quality. I use it with Mark Levinson DAC, N32 Pre Amp and Wilson speakers. Not as good as vinyl but easy to play and quite good. |
Could someone please explain what the benefits are of going USB into a device that will output SPDIF, as compared to going ethernet (network) into a device that will output SPDIF?
What determines the quality here is the device that creates SPDIF signal, not the type of async transport to it?
So the question is, why not using SB3? Why insist on USB as transport? |
I have finally tried out the Trends UD-10. Damn good unit. For the price, best USB to SPDIF converter I have heard, hands down -- this is stock, USB powered. I have not even tried the battery supply yet. |
Benefits of USB - Currently the implementations are superior to networked, and most wirless networked servers do not support 24/96.
Networked is superior technically to USB because the clock is regenerated at the receiving unit. It is being held-back performance-wise by the implementations only IMO. This will change for the better in the near future.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Manufacturer |
To original poster: your ship has come in. Check out the new dCS Puccini u-clock which is both a separate word clock and asynchronous USB to PCM converter. For your setup it is probably the best device on the market, and if I understand correctly it would be a double upgrade for you. First, it is an external wordclock for both your Purcell and Delius AND your transport which in this case would be a USB capable computer. Second, and I am not entirely sure about this, but using proper asyncronous USB has some inherent advantages with respect to jitter over SPDIF and so it may be better than what you are using now in that respect.
Also the price is expensive but not too bad--about $5,000? |
Not to bump an old thread, but there is also now a dCS Paganini asynchronous USB Upsampler but I expect it to be very expensive. |
