Sending music to DAC wireless vs wired

Ejliu - most DAC's and Transports save money by not using pulse transformers, or they use cheap ones. It's completely different type than transformer used for power. It's a pulse transformer. They cost about $10-20 for a good one.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Juanitox,Busheep and others,

Trying to get my undereducated brain around the contention that wireless is better than wired. Only thing I can think of is that RF energy might be "cleaner" than electrical energy. But if this is the case, RF energy is certainly subject to various conditions which effect propagation and which do indeed effect the sound quality. Still I can accept the possibility that wireless is better, I just don't understand why.

So inquiring minds want to know (including Cerrot and Jpod) why is wireless better?

Jpod - you are missing the point. It's not that wireless is better than wired.

The point is that networked, packetized data is superior to USB protocol for music streaming. The reason that networked (ie; ethernet), both wired and wireless is better is because the data is packetized, flow-controlled and retried. USB is not packetized and typically has no flow-control and no retry.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Steve N,
Thanks for your response. Even though there was plenty of evidence to the contrary, I assumed that this thread was about "wireless vs. wired" in computer networks in general. But as I understand it now, this thread is only about getting data to a DAC.

I knew that a network connection was better than a USB connection for delivering data to a DAC. And I knew that devices like Sonos, Airport Express, Apple TV, Squeezebox and etc. do a great job of delivering networked data to a DAC. I guess what I did not know was what this particular thread was really about.

Dang, an embarrassment smiley face would come in handy right now.

Anyway, thanks again.

JPO

i have both wired and wireless hookups in my house. i have cat5e wire and use 802.11g wireless. the only issue i have had with the wireless connection is competing with another wireless device. i had to change the channel setting on my WAP and it has been fine ever since.

i would recommend hooking up your computer or external device (airport express for example) to a jitter reduction unit, then from there going into an external dac. there was a HUGE difference in the quality of the sound when adding these devices before the dac. i use a quality coax cable from the jitter device into the dac. all of my remote connections in my house have this type of setup with very good results.

i also believe after reading articles and reviews of usb connections with usb dacs that that is not the way to go. the other reason is you are limited on which dac you can by if you stick with usb. the best external dacs do not use usb and the reviews of the dacs with usb have not been favorable.