Remote DAC connection to Computer -Shoot Me Now



My compuer is remote to my stereo system. I have an Audiolab 8200CDQ which has USB type B male input to the DAC. I've been trying to send FLAC files on my WIN 7 64bit PC via several different type of devices supplied by several vendors. Device 1 was Silex SX-3000GB USB over ethernet. Device 2 IOGEAR Wireless 4-Port USB Sharing to Audiolab.

I'm receiving a BSOD with this device trying to attach a Audiolab 8200CDQ CD player by either type of device. Audiolab connects just fine when USB connect directly to PC. I also used a laptop to connect to Audiolab and use its wireless connection to access my main PC files and stream them through the laptop to the Audiolab.

I can't believe this can't be done. Any input for a solution for me?
old_marantz
Well, I gave up. Hopefully someone else will find this thread and not go thru the same hoops. I guess a Mac Mini is for me.
That would have been my first piece of advice. Try to send files with some kind of a Mac just to make sure it isn't a windows issue. If it is, then you
May need a driver to make it work.
I did work with some of the Support Groups for the devices I tried. But, they are just not willing to work in-depth with you. While their products work with printers, scanners, and hard drives via wireless or ethernet USB, they just don't make considerations for a USB DAC. It's really too bad. Think how many other WIN users that will attempt what I did. I saw threads at different sites trying the samething I was attempting. The only solution I saw was to use Squeezebox and change the USB connection so that it would send music out thru its USB to the DAC. That change for the Squeezebox was a hack change and not supported by the Sqeezebox vendor.
Companies that specialize in USB interfaces can help with this if you buy the right gear. USB can outperform your CD player.

There are quite a few companies that are trying to jump on the USB bandwagon now that have little experience with this. It is just a checkbox for the marketing types I think.

Do they even tell you what kind of USB interface it is? Does it need USB 2.0? Adaptive or Async?

Another problem is that many of these USB interfaces are not great quality. I would not expect it to beat the CD player spinning a CD. You may go to a lot of trouble just to find that the CD is better.

However, if the quality is not great and the CD Player has a S/PDIF input to the DAC as well, then you can consider a high-quality outboard USB converter.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio