earlier Musical Fideltiy V-LInk to new V-Linkll

Thanks Timlub. One of the hotly contested issues, among a small number of people, is that noise from the PC can get into the USB converter through the ground and then into the DAC and potentially influence the electronics and thus the sound. Can you check to see if their is any continuity between the ground on the USB connection (pin 4) and the ground on the S/PDIF output? That would confirm that nothing is getting through to the DAC on the ground. It is great that it allows an external power supply at this price. Any experience with this versus the HiFace? Thanks.

Dtc, I'm at the office, I'll check it out tonight and post. Tim

Thanks. I am not sure I believe that theories about noise on the grounds, but it cannot hurt to try breaking the loop. I know my HiFace is not ground isolated. On the $5,000 Classe CP 800 preamp/DAC with USB input, they tried to galvanically isolate everything put could not because of electrical codes in the US. As a simple converter from Asia, this may not be as much a problem. Some people open up the USB cable and cut the ground to be sure the ground is isolated. Tom

Hi Tom, I opened the box, metered the USB connection to the board, went to the ground on the spdif coax... Nothin... Just to make sure I used pin 4, I went to the opposite side pin on the usb, hit the ground on the spdif... nothin. Put my trusty Fluke on the coax ground trace to the board, and the outside ground... its squeals. Sure seems to be Galvanic isolation to me.

Thanks Tim. Good to know. Musical Fidelity is claiming isolation, but only because of Toslink. My HiFace is clearly not isolated. Maybe I will one of these a try. Or maybe I will just cut up a USB cable. But I do like the idea of external power. Thanks.