USB DAC cabling/connectivity.

[chebby]

Which would be best....

(a) PC ----> 5 metre USB cable ----> USB DAC ----> very short RCA phono ----> Amplifier

Or....

(b) PC ----> Very short USB cable ----> USB DAC ----> 5 metre RCA phono ----> Amplifier?

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

If you're using a Windows computer then the USB output may not be bit perfect.

You're better off with an Airport Express and a toslink cable for both sound quality and convenience.

 

[John Duncan]

Long USB, short phono.

 

[chebby]

a4quattro:
If you're using a Windows computer then the USB output may not be bit perfect.

You're better off with an Airport Express and a toslink cable for both sound quality and convenience.

No Toslink on notebook or on amp sorry.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry - thought you had a DacMagic. It must have been somebody else.

 

[chebby]

a4quattro:Sorry - thought you had a DacMagic. It must have been somebody else.

No. I asked a question about setting up a Dacmagic. I don't have one though. (Does anyone yet?)

http://whathifi.com/forums/t/148768.aspx

Thinking about getting one though (among other options).

I don't want yet another box as well as a DAC - like the Airport Express (£65) - when a USB lead is simpler and cheaper.

 

[John Duncan]

chebby:a4quattro:Sorry - thought you had a DacMagic. It must have been somebody else.

No. I asked a question about setting up a Dacmagic. I don't have one though. (Does anyone yet?)

http://whathifi.com/forums/t/148768.aspx

Thinking about getting one though (among other options).

I don't want yet another box as well as a DAC - like the Airport Express (£65) - when a USB lead is simpler and cheaper.

It is, though the USB output of a DACMagic (specifically) is lower quality than the optical outs (I think). But if it's a simple USB DAC (ie not a DACMagic), my long-USB-short-phono advice stands.

 

[chebby]

JohnDuncan:It is, though the USB output of a DACMagic (specifically) is lower quality than the optical outs (I think).

I just checked and you are right John. USB on the DacMagic is restricted to 16bit.

In that case it is not a good option for me and I will get something like the the Fubar II USB DAC for £105. (16bit/44.1 & 48khz USB only)

Thanks for pointing this out and saving me almost £100.

 

[Anonymous]

You may want to look into this some more as almost every DAC that has USB input is limited to 16/44.1 or 48khz, you can get 24bit out of USB but it takes some fancy footwork on the computer end from what I understand (I do remember reading a review on Stereophile recently about a bit perfect USB capable DAC that had 24bit abilities). As has been pointed out, longer USB cable and shorter phono is better - but for the best quality you are going to want to use an optical connection. Fubar USB DAC is also limited to 16/44.1 & 48KHz, DacMagic will give you a lot more options down the road for hooking up other components but if you absolutely sure you are only going to want the DAC for your computer and not a CD or DVD player/game console also then it may be worth saving the money now and getting a USB only DAC.ÿ

 

[chebby]

I am starting to download favourite tracks from all my CDs in Apple Lossless as beginning of a process in which I will be shedding CDs completely.

Add to this a fair number of iTunes purchased tracks (AAC) and a whole load of 'spoken word' history and a lot of recorded FM stereo radio plays I transferred to iTunes over the last couple of years from old Nicam VHS (audio only) using MPEG Streamclip to demux them into AAC on iTunes.

Also internet radio and youtube.

The quality/sampling/bit rate of the DAC will not have any effect on the quality of what is already stored/ripped or what I will be storing/ripping in future. It will only affect the replay.

When I eventually change the Solo-Mini for seperates (FM tuner and Amp, no CD player though) and upgrade the laptop - to something with SPDIF output - over the next couple of years then I will get a higher quality DAC.

So, for now, something like the Fubar II USB DAC will be perfectly good enough for replay from the laptop through the Solo-Mini. I am not planning on buying any more new CDs (except where there is absolutely no alternative and then I will just use the laptop drive to rip it to iTunes)

I have had it with CDs basically and look forward to an LP, FM and computer/internet music sourced system with no CDP.

I have no intention of going down the AVI/ADM9.1 route (my love of Vinyl and FM radio rule that out) but something like a decent Valve integrated (eg Prima Luna Prologue) may be on the cards!

Thanks for your help and advice and suggestions. I will let you know how things go with the Fubar USB DAC as I intend to get one in a couple of weeks time.