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Firewire to SPDIF

Does anyone have any view on the superiority to Firewire to USB in terms of conversion to SPDIF.

one negative of USB is that if you are using a SPDIF conversion device then using another device like external HDDs is not recommended. it is also limited to 48/24 ..both unlike Firewire.

the only good device seems to be the Weiss Minerva..but that in the Uber price range for something like this.

Does anyne have any experience with Echo Audio ?
http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/FireWire/AudioFire2/specs.php
arj
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
...you can (and I do) convert firewire to spdif for my dac (M Audio Firewire solo). Do a search on firewire vs usb for audio. Here is just one of the many links I have found:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=526020

I haven't used the Echo.
sidssp
1,077 posts
 
Cerrot, My Benchmark DAC-1 instruction manual clearly stays that it utilizes USB 1.1 protocol, and is compatible with both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 ports. USB 1.1 is the first widely used and bug fixed version of USB 1.0. It has a maximum data rate of 12Mbs (full speed), more than enough to pass 24/96 signal.
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
USB 1.1 still no where as fast as Firewire. USB still utilizes the CPU in your configuration and transmits packets, not data streams. Try firewire.
sidssp
1,077 posts
 
Cerrot, I am not quite sure what you are suggesting. Are you saying the
Benchmark DAC-1 instruction manual is mistaken and its USB port is in fact
unable to output 24/96 signal?
almarg's avatar
almarg
9,670 posts
 
My Benchmark DAC-1 instruction manual clearly says that it utilizes USB 1.1 protocol, and is compatible with both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 ports. USB 1.1 is the first widely used and bug fixed version of USB 1.0. It has a maximum data rate of 12Mbs (full speed), more than enough to pass 24/96 signal.

USB 1.1 still no where as fast as Firewire. USB still utilizes the CPU in your configuration and transmits packets, not data streams.

Both of these statements are correct. But as confirmed by several posters in the thread I linked to above, 24/96 can be successfully and consistently transferred between a computer's usb 2.0 or 1.1 output and a dac that has a usb 1.1 input. Although, as I said, a computer which is underpowered or software-bloated may have problems doing that.

Re converting firewire or usb to spdif, yes that may be necessary for specialized or professional applications, but if you want to send spdif from a computer to a dac, why not output spdif from the computer directly, without any conversion?

Regards,
-- Al
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