"Audioengr: the same answer is to you. if DAC is "garbage" (and if it has poor clocks then it is GARBAGE without going any father, don't care about it magic tube output stage or whatever) then no music server, USB Interface etc. help it."
Actually not true. The DAC S/PDIF input will not have ANY clock in the DAC associated with it UNLESS it has a hardware upsampler chip or other PLL to reclock it.
Even with or without the hardware upsampler, a low-jitter USB converter will make a HUGE difference, even with an inexpensive DAC. This USB converter will have a good master clock and drive the DAC using a good S/PDIF coax.
The master clock jitter is more important than the DAC.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Actually not true. The DAC S/PDIF input will not have ANY clock in the DAC associated with it UNLESS it has a hardware upsampler chip or other PLL to reclock it.
Even with or without the hardware upsampler, a low-jitter USB converter will make a HUGE difference, even with an inexpensive DAC. This USB converter will have a good master clock and drive the DAC using a good S/PDIF coax.
The master clock jitter is more important than the DAC.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio