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USB vs Coax Is one better than the other?

I am wanting to buy a cable to go from Auralic Aries to a RME adi2 dac with a Teddy Pardo psu. I am using the stock USB that came with RME and a JPS Labs Superconductor digital cable I had lying around since 1997 it's the first generation from JPS. I can pan between the USB and Coax with streamer remote and find there is a difference in sound, not sure if it is the signature of JPS or it being a coax wire vs USB. The USB sounds more detailed and clean. Coax more analog and full. Both are enjoyable but just different. Should I invest in USB or Coax, thank you for your advise as I'm a little lost here.
paulcreed
paulcreed OP
565 posts
 
Thanks for advise, I did check with a SPL meter and had to back down 3 notches on a 100 step preamp with the coax wire to match USB before I posted. I like that USB sample rate is higher but I do find some high-rez is not always the best in my system, can sound a little compressed. Is reason Coax sounds more natural because sample rate is lower? This is very confusing how to pick a type of cable, I'm still lost! 
mlsstl
1,442 posts
 
Rather than pinning all of the differences only on the USB cable vs the SPDIF one, which are passive components, keep in mind that we also have two substantially different active circuits involved, as antigrunge2 has already noted.

I'd give it good odds that the more natural sound you're hearing from coax may in your case be due to nothing more than it is a better circuit and more suited to quality audio than your USB option. (And, keep in mind, there is sending circuitry at the Aries end and receiving circuitry at the RME end, so even there the "blame" could be only in the USB circuitry at one end of the chain, or alternatively, the interaction of both ends.)

However, to me it doesn't seem to be a hard decision to go with the better sounding one.
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kingbarbuda
515 posts
 
Personally, I prefer USB for reasons regarding DSD and PCM resolution stated above. I think the EMI and galvanic isolation issues are solvable and have been addressed by multiple manufacturers. I think this is the way to go at least for now and the foreseeable future. 
ecat026
21 posts
 
I'm going through the exact same dilemma with a Auralic G1 streamer to Mytek Manhattan II DAC. The coax brings the vocals front and center with satisfying warm tones, but it lacks the detail and refinement of USB. I'm stuck deciding between the two because they both offer benefits! Nonetheless, my research has suggested coax vs. usb is component dependent. I believe coax relies on the streamer's clock while usb uses the dac's clock. Also, manufacturers implement usb and coax differently so there is no universal "superior" connection. Awaiting upgraded USB cable to match the coax cable tier for A/B comparison. 
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