Audio PC

@danager ,

Yes, I have read the same. In fact high end USB cards have separate power inputs for the same reason. At this point, I am happy with the setup. I am sure the itch will come at some point in time. I will most likely experiment at that point, when I decide to upgrade to a high end USB card.

@milpai I completely understand and really envious of being completely happy with your system. It never seems to last more than a week for me until I'm trying to identify the weakest link after an upgrade.  I do feel I'm pretty lucky with the PSAudio DAC as it does all the reclocking internally, so I probably  wouldn't notice the full benefits of a high end USB card,  isolation on the other hand is the key for me in my current setup.  I've read here on the forum where members have said the server upgrade was more substantial than the DAC upgrade. I now believe it as all I did was filter out the computers 5V power and I swear to you it completely changes my system for the better.

Be sure to post your experiences with the USB card as your journey can provide answers to many, including me.

all I did was filter out the computers 5V power and I swear to you it completely changes my system for the better.

Based on the years of experiences I gained in the audio journey, I can easily trust what you are saying. Personal experiences and an open mind (and ears, of course) are all that you need to learn in this hobby. All you need to do now is to focus on the music and have fun with the newly upgraded system.

I don't think the USB card is going to happen anytime soon. In fact I gained more musicality and dynamism when I removed the SSD drive that had the music files. Now the drive is connected to the NAS via USB. Obviously I removed the SATA cables and the "tray" that you see in the system, where the SSD was placed. Small changes do make meaningful impact on the listening experiences.