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Depends on what you're doing.

Posted by Presto (A) on January 21, 2007 at 15:57:16

In Reply to: USB DACs --- yeah or neah? posted by VeeJay on January 21, 2007 at 13:26:40:

VeeJay:

Here is what I gather about current USB technology.

1. It's not all created equal. There are different USB controllers out there, some are better than others... much of it is digital audio circuit "engineering level" discussion and lost on me. One thing they often talk about is whether the USB controller first converts to spdif before going to the DAC or if it converts to I2S. The latter is the much preferred method. There is no "spreadsheet" on google which shows which USB vendor does "what and how" yet... this is still relatively new technology.

2. If you need more than two channels, it's not the best way to go... unless you get a PROSUMER USB solution, but then it gets back to how they handle the data transfer. Some prosumer USB solutions are supposed to be not-so-good, like some prosumer fire-wire solutions that have reportedly TERRIBLE jitter figures.

3. If you need 24/48, 24/96 or 24/192 capability, you're hooped with the 'high-end' USB DACs. I think USB dacs (the good ones anyways) are currently only supporting Redbook CD (16/44.1) and stereo LPCM from DVD-Video at 16/48. Again, only prosumer solutions handle these formats - and there is much doubt as to how well they do this.

Now... if you are doing two-channel (stereo) playback of CD or losslessly compressed music, USB could be your trick. No kmixer, and none of the jitter issues that can plague SPDIF *IF* the DAC goes to I2S at the other end.

Hope this helps. I don't know THAT much but what I DO KNOW I can write in laymans terms and not "digital audio engineering speak".

Don't get me wrong - we appreciate them... we just can't always UNDERSTAND them! :D

Cheers,
Presto

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