Async USB is not a continuous stream, it is broken up due to handshaking. You have no concept of the science involved. Audio is a real-time process and requires isochronous connections.
Ethernet is explicitly packetized. I have Ethernet as well as USB interfaces and they both perform well. Ethernet can have drop-outs on the network due to its packetization and out-of order arrivals. I will argue that since Ethernet is not a particularly good medium for real-time that it is not well suited to audio, since it is a real-time process.
The main advantage of Ethernet has nothing to do with packetization. The advantage is that the computer OS treats the data no differently than other data. With USB and S/PDIF, the audio stack becomes involved which usually impacts sound quality and creates computer, app and OS dependence.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Ethernet is explicitly packetized. I have Ethernet as well as USB interfaces and they both perform well. Ethernet can have drop-outs on the network due to its packetization and out-of order arrivals. I will argue that since Ethernet is not a particularly good medium for real-time that it is not well suited to audio, since it is a real-time process.
The main advantage of Ethernet has nothing to do with packetization. The advantage is that the computer OS treats the data no differently than other data. With USB and S/PDIF, the audio stack becomes involved which usually impacts sound quality and creates computer, app and OS dependence.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio