Wayne,
I own a Roku, not Squeezebox, and can only speak about the sound of the Soundbridge's internal DAC. A good external DAC clearly adds value for better sound with the Roku. In my case, I started with the internal DAC and moved to the mhdt Paradisea....a big improvement.
I've read Squeezebox internal DAC is generally considered better than Roku, but I suspect a major improvement there still as well with the right external DAC.
Again, sound quality with different computers and USB configurations may vary as a result largely of jitter produced so it is not possible to say which will sound better in general. The devil is in the details.
In the end, the key to good sound is to have a handle on jitter either at the source feeding the DAC or at the DAC itself, as is the case with the Benchmark, but also use a DAC that sounds good to you.
Not all will like the sound of the Benchmark despite its technical acumen regarding jitter, particularly those that may levitate to the often less fatiguing world of analog and vinyl.
Other DACs that produce a smoother more analog-like sound, like the tubed Paradisea in my system or the better Bel Canto's for example, would appeal more to those listeners I suspect.
I own a Roku, not Squeezebox, and can only speak about the sound of the Soundbridge's internal DAC. A good external DAC clearly adds value for better sound with the Roku. In my case, I started with the internal DAC and moved to the mhdt Paradisea....a big improvement.
I've read Squeezebox internal DAC is generally considered better than Roku, but I suspect a major improvement there still as well with the right external DAC.
Again, sound quality with different computers and USB configurations may vary as a result largely of jitter produced so it is not possible to say which will sound better in general. The devil is in the details.
In the end, the key to good sound is to have a handle on jitter either at the source feeding the DAC or at the DAC itself, as is the case with the Benchmark, but also use a DAC that sounds good to you.
Not all will like the sound of the Benchmark despite its technical acumen regarding jitter, particularly those that may levitate to the often less fatiguing world of analog and vinyl.
Other DACs that produce a smoother more analog-like sound, like the tubed Paradisea in my system or the better Bel Canto's for example, would appeal more to those listeners I suspect.