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Which of these two in their stock form is better at SPDIF output? Assuming Sqeezebox is used by a network cable, NOT wireless; and HagUSB is used with an ASIO driver.
Follow Ups:
I would go with the squeezebox. The clock driving the S/PDIF in the SB comes directly from a crystal oscillator while in the HagUSB its coming from a 2704 which has an internal PLL which is generating the clock. I've done extensive testing and listening on both ways of doing it and the SB produces a much lower jitter S/PDIF interface.
Also, why do some modders remove the crystal oscillator from the Squeezebox?
There are two crystals in a squeezebox, one at 11.2896MHz and one at 12.288MHz. The 11.2896 is used for 44.1 KHz sample rate music (ie CD files) and the other for 48 KHz sample rate music, mostly from internet radio stations. If you are not going to be listening to any 48KHz material you can disconnect that crystal which will cut down slightly on the jitter for 44.1 files, but that means you can't listen to any 48KHz internet radio stations. Some internet radio is 44.1 based and some is 48 (BTW this has nothing to do with "bit rate").If you take out the 11.2896 you can't listen to CD files!
BTW there is a mod that can be done (but most of the modders don't do it) which is to replace the crystal with a very low jitter oscillator and low noise power supply, this really does improve the sound significantly.
Interesting, but doesn't the HagUSB has advantage over Squeezbox that it uses USB with ASIO driver support, while Squeezbox goes over the network by slimserver software?
From a sound quality perspective the SB is better, but yes you are required to use slimserver with a SB (it will not run without it). (even the slimnetwork is using a slimserver on slim's computers!)If you uwe the HagUSB you can use whatever music playing software you want to use, so you have more freedom of choice in the software you use, but that doesn't mean its going to sound better.
BTW ASIO has nothing to do with jitter, what it does is allows you to bypass the signal processing done behind the scenes in the standard windows drivers that degrades the sound. When using a SB slimserver is reading the files and sending the data to the SB box, its completely bypassing any windows audio processing, so in that regard both the SB and a USB device using ASIO have the same advantage, they are both bypassing the windows audio processing.
From a sound perspective the SB is going to sound better. But you have to use its user interface, either the physical remote and display on the box or the slimserver web interface either from the computer slimserver is running on or from another computer (the server can be running on a computer in another room and you control it with a laptop or PDA at the listening position). With the HagUSB you can choose many different programs, but you have to control it from a computer at the listening position.
I've had extensive experience with both methods, I used a USB DAC sent a signal by a small fanless computer right by my listening chair, and using a squeezebox synchronously connected to the DAC (I don't want to go into all the techincal details of that in this post). I can either use the SB remote or control slimserver from the small computer. The sound quality is better with the SB, and to tell the truth I wind up using the SB remote most of the time. Occasionally I'll use the computer do playlist building or adjusting, but most of the time when I'm just listening the remote is fine.
Disclamer, I hate S/PDIF with a passion. I am NOT using the "digital out" from the SB, I'm directly connecting to the internal digital signals and reclocking in the DAC. Personally I would choose a USB DAC that did not use S/PDIF in any way shape or form rather than any way of outputting a S/PDIF signal to a DAC using S/PDIF. Since your original request was the best way to get S/PDIF from computer to your DAC, the SB is the way to go. But I would not do either.
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