Is computer audio a bust?

USB was what kept me away from computer audio, but I finally decided to give it a try because of the convenience and my player supported it. Since digital is not my primary source I figured I had nothing to lose. However, after moving to wired Ethernet I have to say I would not go back to USB or playing discs. It has been a noticeable difference.

Cerrot, are you trying to say that for moving audio bits from a computer to a DAC, USB 3.0 will give better sound quality than USB 2.0? I already know the answer to the question, I just want to understand if that's what you're trying to say.

No. I'm saying usb is really bad and the stock is the worse. If you're gonna use it, at least get a dedicated PCIe card. At least use the optimum USB platform.

I live my life based on generalizations, so it comes natural to do so with audio.

Thus, I wish all decisions in life were as easy as this one! I must agree with Cerrot and all the other naysayers. PC audio especially done via USB is a bust!

Tubes, box speakers, solid state amps and pre-amps, horns, vinyl, electrostatic speakers are either good or bad and the 100’s of other generalizations about equipment are also applicable.

Who cares about the component’s design and more importantly, its implementation? I’ve tried a few of component type “A’s” with a few component type “G’s” and the “A’s” just suck, end of story! No way could the component’s implementation or the other components I used with it, have had an effect on the outcome!

No need to audition the 100's or 1,000's of each type of products out there. The various designs and their implementation are irrelevant! Let’s just lump equipment together by some homogeneous topography based on our individualized limited exposer and apply an absolute, yeah that’s the ticket!

In fact, one need not worry about the effects of upstream and downstream equipment. USB PC audio just sucks. In fact tubes do also. How 'bout vinyl, it's absolutely prehistoric! And who the heck would want a box speaker, when open baffle speakers are the only ones to own! Everyone knows that the box thingy just gets in the way and negatively impacts a speaker’s sonics .blah, blah, blah

Threads such as this would be laughable, if they weren’t so darn sad! If only this hobby, let alone all the variables in life were as applicable to generalizations and then firmly ensconced theorems as some posters in this thread would have us believe, they believe!

There is a very popular current thread that is about as contrary to this thread as one can be. There have been 1,000’s of views and hundreds of posts which have been very congenial and for the most part non-confrontational. While I may disagree with some of the conclusions, I can’t fault most of the posters for their open-minded perspectives, or the thread’s author for his very open approach and cogent thoughts.

Yeah, PC audio is a bust and the earth is flat, don’t fall off!

when pc audio started everyone was getting poor sound via usb direct from their computers. then they went asynch; then they created the usb/spdif converters. I'm just trying to save you all a few steps.