best way to connect pc to dac

Ethernet or WiFi. Get a stand-alone interface, DAC or server with Ethernet interface, either a DLNA endpoint or a Roon RAAT endpoint.

Best SQ I have found is using Twonky or Minimserver using Linn Kinsky to a DLNA endpoint. I have designed 6 generations of USB interfaces and Ethernet is better. Here is a recent comparison I did:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=155232.0

You can use any computer, Mac or PC to stream to a DLNA endpoint.

You can also get Roon Ready endoint devices and stream to them from Roon software.

If you don’t mind a little DIY, you can get a Raspberry Pi board and a SD memory card on Amazon.com and a Digione Hat board and have a DLNA or Roon endpoint in an afternoon for about $150. Everything you need to know is online. This will output S/PDIF to your DAC.

If no DIY talent, then get a Sonos Connect and a Synchro-Mesh reclocker to drive low-jitter S/PDIF to your DAC. You can use Roon, Twonky, Minimserver, Sonos and other software to stream your music to the Sonos.  you can stream Tidal too.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

Sorry, but things are never this simple.

Common-mode noise on the USB interface and cable can easily induce noise in the receiving system, resulting in more jitter. This does happen, because USB interfaces sound better with common-mode noise fixes like filters and galvanic isolation. Ground-loop noise will further exacerbate this. This effect happens even though there is some common-mode noise rejection by the differential signaling on the USB cable. These receivers are never perfect. Also, the edge-rates of the USB signals can affect the receivers slew-rate, which can impact jitter.

I am only talking about jitter, not data corruption here.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio