First of all in addition to Steve Nugent you have Gordon Rankin. Both of these guys were pioneers in the computer audio world and have contributed a great deal to it. Without them computer audio wouldn't be where it is today. As to the best format for computer audio, IMO I prefer Ethernet or FireWire interfaces. I suspect USB won out for a number of reasons that were more product marketing driven than audio driven, but nonetheless there are some great USB converters out there and very little to choose from on the Ethernet or FireWire front. Maybe UPnP will get there some day. For me it was a failed experiment.
Sound cards are in the same group as Ethernet and FireWire. A well designed sound card (Lynx for example) should theoretically provide the best output. However, as has been evidenced in the past the best format theoretically does not always win out. You could see this in the days of analog tape, digital tape, and video tape (Betamax was clearly superior). Vinyl was supposed to die when CDs came out but has never been more alive and kicking), etc. What does it say when the vast majority of people listen to MP3 as opposed to WAV?
Maybe USB is not perfect, but it has mass appeal and two guys that put their money where their mouth was to make it a more than acceptable alternative to the traditional digital transport. It has server a number of audiophiles well from what I can gather. Even someone like me who is not a big fan of digital has found new enjoyment from my computer server set up featuring a USB converter.
Sound cards are in the same group as Ethernet and FireWire. A well designed sound card (Lynx for example) should theoretically provide the best output. However, as has been evidenced in the past the best format theoretically does not always win out. You could see this in the days of analog tape, digital tape, and video tape (Betamax was clearly superior). Vinyl was supposed to die when CDs came out but has never been more alive and kicking), etc. What does it say when the vast majority of people listen to MP3 as opposed to WAV?
Maybe USB is not perfect, but it has mass appeal and two guys that put their money where their mouth was to make it a more than acceptable alternative to the traditional digital transport. It has server a number of audiophiles well from what I can gather. Even someone like me who is not a big fan of digital has found new enjoyment from my computer server set up featuring a USB converter.