Is USB overrated as decent digital source?

the difference in cost of USB converters is mostly due to four factors:

1) the inclusion of a low-jitter clock, such as Superclock4.
2) external power supply
3) custom software driver (not using the stock Windows driver)
4) optimum design and parts selection, regardless of cost

These four factors drive the cost up orders of magnitude, but also result in sound quality that matches or beats the best transports. It's like the difference between a Samsung $60 DVD player as a transport or an Esoteric.

Yah Steve. Agree with you. There's always a high cost if we want to squeeze the last drop of performance out of something. Out of the 4 points you listed, is No.1 the most costly?

As you said USB is merely a method to get data out of a computer, yet I think it's one of the greatest technology invented, for us computer audio freak. :D

Mikechai - No. 1 is the most costly, but well worth it, particularly the Superclock4.

BTW - I demonstrated my new I2S reclocker, the Pace Car at THE Show two weeks ago in Las Vegas. It's amazing how much of a difference it makes when the jitter is so low to be inaudible. Most audiophiles have no idea how much jitter they are listening to and how audible it is until its gone. This is the real flaw in real-time CD playback IMO.

Steve N.

There is a very nice professional product from TCelectronics, named Konnekt 24D (or 8D with less connection and DSP). It is a professional A/D, D/A converter mainly for musicians with Firewire connection.

They developed their own software driver for Mac and Windows, they have their own clock regeneration and jitter filtering and it can be used as a Firewire - SPDIF converter as well. This is how I am using it with a Macbook and an Altmann Attraction DAC (with all the clocking and jitter scrambling options). It sounds wonderful, with better dynamics, timing and transparency than any USB - to SPDIF converter I tried. The Altmann Attraction DAC / Konnekt 24D / Macbook is an extremely musical and emotional combination, I changed an Accuphase DP-100/DC-101 system to this one, and never looked back. Since I am using this system I almost doubled the number of my CDs, and I had more than 1000 earlier.

I'll check out the TCelectronics.

What are the USB to SPDIF converter that you have tried?

The Konnekt24D is powered from the firewire cable, which is the computers power. Have you changed this to battery or external power?

I have no experience with firewire converters, but the others in this industry say that the firewire chips are very jittery compared to the USB chips. Have you opened it up to see what firewire chip they are using?