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Digital Audio Output Differences? Is USB Audio Really The Top-notch?

Hello guys,

So after some struggles between spending time in optimizing my PC audio functionalities and adopting a dedicated music streamer, I opted for the second one.
I purchased the Munich M1T by Silent Angel, given it’s good reviews in UK and Germany and Switzerland, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot, but frankly speaking, the mainly reason was because the price fits my wallet more hahahah...

Anyways, so there are several digital outputs on its back panel, AES/EBU; I2S(HDMI), Coaxial, USB Audio, hell hahah, I have literally no idea which one is better or which can provide a special feature or something, I mean it does show that the USB Audio supports up to up to PCM 768KHz and DSD 11.2M (DSD256), but does that the higher the sampling rate, the better the sound quality? I just can’t make sure...

And if the USB Audio can provide the " best " digital sound quality, then why added other ports? Ain’t that just costing more on the manufacturing end?
Hope you guys can give some insights on this, or share some of your experiences, because this is the first time I saw an AES/EBU port on a audio streamer...

Best,

preston8452
lordmelton's avatar
lordmelton
877 posts
 

@asvjerry Hi, as Mr. Prentice mentioned above, conversion must take place with Toslink and it's bandwidth is limited to 24/96 Khz. Wadia tried to introduce I believe AT&T Glassfiber, which apparently was good, back in the day..

Weiss have a very sophisticated glassfiber long distance cable but it's quite expensive.

AES/EBU and COAX generally have to use DOP for DSD but USB goes through no conversion for DSD, nether does I2s.

Toslink has taken out the dock and I'd hazard a guess that it's slot will be replaced by I2s.

 

asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
4,649 posts
 

@lordmelton , thanks for that 'illumination' on fiber.  It seemed a 'natural' for audio, but it's limitations were unclear to me.

I've got a couple of 1 meter cables in place, but rarely called upon for the 'day to day' listening....

Appreciably yours, J 

rfagon
34 posts
 

AES sounds more real and incisive than USB to me; and I’m using high end USB cables and Innuos Phoenix re-clocker between a Bryston BDP 3 player and Holo Audio KTE May DAC.

rikkipuu's avatar
rikkipuu
278 posts
 

I had a Music Server with I2S and USB out,  the USB was better.

USB has gremlins and is hard ($$$) to get right.  My current Innuos Music server has  renowned USB re-clocking but I use a DDC to convert to I2S as it is the preferred input on my Terminator DAC.

It can be hard to compare as the USB cable and I2S cables are different and have a profound influence on what you hear.

thyname's avatar
thyname
3,107 posts
 

There is no one-size-fits all. It depends on the DAC, the streamer, and most importantly, your sound preferences.

 

From my personal experience of ownership, at least two examples when the USB input of a DAC sound better to my ears than built in Ethernet bridge: 1) Ayre QX-5 Twenty, and 2) MSB Discrete ProISL USB module 

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