Home Computer Audio Asylum

Music servers and other computer based digital audio technologies.

RE: PC + Asynchronous USB DAC Question

Hi guys,

I can second jmall's point of view saying "it's all a toss up". My experience includes fiddling with cMP/cPlay, foobar, JRiver, JPlay, XP, Vista, W7, WASAPI, ASIO drivers by Musiland/TeraDAK/Onkyo/ASIO4ALL, a NOS-DAC (TeraDak 3.1D), a good traditional DAC (Audio-gd NFB2), a modern asynchronous DAC (the one integrated inside Onkyo's new A-9000R Amp), a simple asynchronous DAC (Musiland Monitor 02US), a little re-clocking device (Audio-gd's Digital Interface =DI), an USB isolator (USB2ISO), a true original cMP²-machine, a netbook (Lenovo 205S) and a regular big workstation PC. I don't use upsampling except with cPlay. System drives were SSDs in all machines. I out the following:

1.) the combo workstation(W7, no optimizations, foobar)->USB2ISO->DI(power over USB)->TeraDak(NOS)->Beyerdynamic880DT is just GREAT. That's not an asynchronous system.
2.) the combo netbook(Vista, no optimizations, foobar)->Onkyo-USB-DAC/Amp(asynchronous, true native proprietary ASIO drivers)->speakers differs only in its sound signature (a little brighter) from the combo netbook->Musiland(only USB-to-SPDIF used, but with true native ASIO)->NFB2->tubeamp->speakers (a little darker and easier on the ears, but slightly less detail). The overall quality is the same.
3.) the combo original cMP²-machine(cPlay+ASIO4ALL)->DI->NFB2->tubeamp->speakers provides a softer, more analytic sound signature than the other three, but not more pleasure. It is not asynchronous. Overall I don't hear a significant advantage/disadvantage over the netbook configuration, but personally I prefer the "forward-playing" sound over the analytic.

The logic inherent in the asynchronous approach appeals a lot to me, but at least with small, cheap re-clocking devices (DI, the TeraDak is also said to have a certain re-clocking functionality), their quality and effectiveness not thoroughly approved, great sound in adaptive systems seems to be possible just the same. So it all ends up with "buy what you can afford and what appeals to you, test and re-combine it, and find your personal optimizations". It is as frustrating as that (though the outcome bears great potential to be very pleasing). The most simple combo I found so far was Netbook(foobar)->Onkyo A-9000R. That's it. It sounds extremely transparent and extended, but a tad on the brighter side and therefore not completely soft. And the overall cost for it may be the same as or even significantly less than for a true cMP²-machine and a good asynchronous DAC with good native ASIO drivers.

To me it seems as if the DACs contribute surprizingly little to sound quality - even the cheapish TeraDak 3.1D yields GREAT results. It seems to me that good native ASIO drivers are a key feature for good sound, since they are standing for a direct communication between player and DAC (or USB-SPDIF bridge), consequently the fastest and most direct way "out of the computer". Players may have a lot to do with disturbances by computer activity, so a player resistant to "intrusion" by such activity may be preferable. And lowering the computer's general activity as it is realized in cics' XP tweaks is generally a good idea (as the JPlay guys say: "it's all about timing" - and that timing inside the computer may suffer from irregularities by the computer's activity). But I must admit that I haven't tested JPlay thoroughly so far, so I don't know yet what its computer activity strangulation really does in favour of the sound. To me cMP/cPlay softens the sound, but it doesn't necessarily improve it (mybe my ears don't like upsampling...).

All right...?

Eunegis



Edits: 01/01/12

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Analog Engineering Associates  


Follow Ups Full Thread
Follow Ups
  • RE: PC + Asynchronous USB DAC Question - Eunegis 09:21:05 01/01/12 (0)

FAQ

Post a Message!

Forgot Password?
Moniker (Username):
Password (Optional):
  Remember my Moniker & Password  (What's this?)    Eat Me
E-Mail (Optional):
Subject:
Message:   (Posts are subject to Content Rules)
Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Upload Image:
E-mail Replies:  Automagically notify you when someone responds.