Are all asynchronous USB inputs similar?

Dont believe everything you read. One thing that all PCI interfaces have in common is poor sound quality. The power and ground planes inside a PC are just too noisy to achieve a low-jitter master clock. Best to get this outside the computer and on its own low-noise power supply as in Async USB. Computers are built as cheaply as possible, including the PCI infrastructure. They are barely good enough to operate, but not good enough to support a low-jitter clock. I know because I worked as a designer and design manager at Intel corp. for more than 17 years and at times in the platform group.

The right USB interface on the right power system will always beat a PCI card inside a computer, as well as 99% of CD transports.

Many more rooms at shows get awards with USB interfaces that those with PCI interfaces.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Tell that to baetis. Just cause there was USB at more rooms is a silly response. The world is flat again? USB is done. Thank the lord. Puters are built cheap but that ol USB output is made of gold. Ithink the Brooklyn bridge is still for sale.

John Mingo of Baetis Audio makes a compelling case against USB use if the best sound quality is the objective. He expresses his perspective in the February TAS review of his digital music server. There are two sides of this debate, it seems he just listened and made a choice. I know of no better way to decide.
Charles,

Here is a better way to decide: customer posts on various forums:

http://www.empiricalaudio.com/news-and-reviews/off-ramp-converter

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

A better way to decide than to listen for yourself? Now, I have 'heard' everything!