I'd like to see more choices in streaming dacs, all rendering taking place within, avoids complexity and possible mismatch. As things stand, dac and streaming expertise far too segregated.
Ditch your USB cable for Toslink? Might surprise you!
I recently embarked on experiments with an updated USB cable between an Aurender N100h and a Qutest dac. (cables were Pangea, Curious and DH Labs) Bottom line, it most definitely revealed improvements but also exposed some flaws. So I looked into other tweaks to improve the chain...reclockers, decrapifiers and the likes. All these devices designed to fix inherent issues with USB. So I had the "duhhhh" moment and thought instead of fixing it....replace it.
I went out on a limb and got Aurender's UT100, a device which converts the USB output to Toslink (best option as the N100h only has usb out). I connect a modest Audioquest Cinnamon cable to it and I've been testing and burning in this new device and the input on the dac for several days now, Redbook all the way up to 24/192. And I must say I'm impressed, really impressed. I'll summarize my experience by saying it's just as detailed, but with a more relaxed presentation, no digital "grunge". This is the first time I've even considered trying the incisive filters on the Qutest.
I think Toslink is looked down on as a digital interface, but I'm seeing some big advantages to it now.
- You gain 100% isolation, it totally "air gaps" your dac from every form of interference. I've personally experienced some Bermuda Triangle kinda weird issues with USB and there have been lots of posts lately regarding this. Fiber puts an end to that....period!
- The price of admission is downright cheap, most streamers and dacs already have the connections and I don't think you have to pay a lot for a quality fiber cable.
- On some dacs it's generally accepted that the SP/DIF connections sound better than their USB counterparts. I've also read that disconnecting the USB cable from a dac, turns off it's internal clock and associated circuitry, thus less noise internally.....?? I have no clue but what I am warming up to is the idea that I want to stay away from USB. I've had great results with coax too, going back to my Theta and Sony ES days, but Toslink is cheap, allows long cables if needed and does truly isolate the dac.
I'd encourage everyone to just try it, perhaps your equipment will respond favorably like mine did. I'd love to hear other's experiences, especially Node3 owners. I'm planning on getting one for my office rig.
Tim
- ...
- 40 posts total
@antigrunge2 Not being argumentative, strictly out of curiosity, but why do you think a well implemented USB setup is superior....higher bandwidth potential? I thought the same thing until recently too, but I can't ignore the results I'm getting now. I really think this is very much system dependent, much like the balanced vs unbalanced cable debate. I certainly don't think Toslink is the end all interface. It's also interesting that the highly regarded Berkeley dacs don't even have USB as an input option. They do sell a $2,000 outboard USB to AES or SP/DIF converter though, and Innuos has their PhoenixUSB reclocker at $3,500 .....YIKES. The deeper I dig into all this, the more I realize how much I don't know. 🤔 |
Assuming a properly implemented asynchronous USB connection, the Dac slaves the server to its clock, i.e. the Dac’s clock controls the chain. Assuming a high quality clock in the DAC this ascertains absence of timing errors, aka jitter. While the same can be achieved by retrieving the server’s clock signal from an AES/EBU, SP/Dif or optical connection it assumes a very good clock at the server and absence of noise in the transmission of the clock signal. Where USB gets a bad rap is on the 5v DC line included in the protocol. If the DAC doesn’t need the 5v line of its handshake with the server, this can be disabled just by putting a sticker on Pin1 in the USB plug. Otherwise good dual pronged cables exist to pass a clean 5v signal from a separate LPS to the Dac. |
- 40 posts total