USB versus other digital connections

[pallpoul]

I connected my PC to My XDA-1 via USB cable then to the AS6's. I was wondering if the optical or coaxial connection will yield a better sound ? Not sure which method of connections is superior in terms of sound quality. Please feel free to advise. Thanks

[lehighvalleyjeff]

If you have coaxial or optical they would offer a better connection than USB. Actually it's a digital signal of just zeros and ones but the way your dac re clocks the incoming information is superior in coaxial or optical compared to the USB. I hope this helps

[jmilton]

If jitter is the issue, I would recommend wyrd4sound's Remedy. It re clocks any incoming digital signal to 96khz. Reviews have been good on it...

PC-->Remedy-->DAC

[lehighvalleyjeff]

Sept 14, 2015 19:28:10 GMT -5 jmilton said:

If jitter is the issue, I would recommend wyrd4sound's Remedy. It re clocks any incoming digital signal to 96khz. Reviews have been good on it...

PC-->Remedy-->DAC

I have an inexpensive Monarchy Audio DIP Digital Interface jitter filter which new 15 years ago was $249 from audio advisor. I think the company now sells internet direct and that filter is still for sale. It's limited to just 48k maximum (or 44.1k native pass through no up sampling)

[novisnick]

I think the question is,,,,,,,,

If he has the option of USB, optical or coaxial which would give him the best sound if everything else was equal.

Straight and to the point answer please.

[hemster]

First, be sure you actually have a jitter issue. If you want to simply deploy a digital connection, don't fall into overthink about which is better ~ coax or optical. That's because both are equally as good, all else being equal. IMHO, coax is more practical because optical is susceptible to breakage if the cable is bent or has a kink in it. After all it is a length of glass fiber. So go for coax and be done with it.

Edit: All that said, if your gear allows for short connections using an optical cable, there's nothing wrong with it. 
Disclosure: I have a 6'' length of digital in my rig!   

[lehighvalleyjeff]

Sept 14, 2015 19:59:57 GMT -5 novisnick said:

I think the question is,,,,,,,,

If he has the option of USB, optical or coaxial which would give him the best sound if everything else was equal.

Straight and to the point answer please.

Coax

[novisnick]

Sept 14, 2015 20:04:50 GMT -5 lehighvalleyjeff said:

Sept 14, 2015 19:59:57 GMT -5 novisnick said:

I think the question is,,,,,,,,

If he has the option of USB, optical or coaxial which would give him the best sound if everything else was equal.

Straight and to the point answer please.

Coax

And there you have it boys and girls!!

[novisnick]

Sept 14, 2015 20:03:43 GMT -5 hemster said:

First, be sure you actually have a jitter issue. If you want to simply deploy a digital connection, don't fall into overthink about which is better ~ coax or optical. That's because both are equally as good, all else being equal. IMHO, coax is more practical because optical is susceptible to breakage if the cable is bent or has a kink in it. After all it is a length of glass fiber. So go for coax and be done with it.

Edit: All that said, if your gear allows for short connections using an optical cable, there's nothing wrong with it. 
Disclosure: I have a 6'' length of digital in my rig!   

Thats rather long for a chimpanzee! Isn't it?,,,,,,   

[hemster]

Sept 14, 2015 20:12:34 GMT -5 novisnick said:

Sept 14, 2015 20:03:43 GMT -5 hemster said:

First, be sure you actually have a jitter issue. If you want to simply deploy a digital connection, don't fall into overthink about which is better ~ coax or optical. That's because both are equally as good, all else being equal. IMHO, coax is more practical because optical is susceptible to breakage if the cable is bent or has a kink in it. After all it is a length of glass fiber. So go for coax and be done with it.

Edit: All that said, if your gear allows for short connections using an optical cable, there's nothing wrong with it. 
Disclosure: I have a 6'' length of digital in my rig!   

Thats rather long for a chimpanzee! Isn't it?,,,,,,   

Not too bad considering that's while I'm sleeping!!!  

[vcautokid]

Actually if you are easy does it on the Optical Cable, it will perform yeoman's service quite nicely. I have used all connections in questions above. Hey, they work. Optical by the way is immune to any electrical noise since it is light. Your phone company has some use of Fiber in their networks because of its performance, vs. copper. I have been told that you can beam light through the Fiber of that network for many miles without repeating it, it is that pure. I like what someone said above, be sure you really have a problem before you invest in a remedy you may not need. Just shedding some ahem...some light on a different point view.

[robcoff]

Sept 14, 2015 19:59:57 GMT -5 novisnick said:

I think the question is,,,,,,,,

If he has the option of USB, optical or coaxial which would give him the best sound if everything else was equal.

Straight and to the point answer please.

IMHO glass optical. Fragile though.

[Gary Cook]

I would hope that since my BigEgo has a precision USB interface and low jitter clocks that the XMC-1 would be similarly equipped?


Cheers
Gary

[crenca]

Sept 14, 2015 19:59:57 GMT -5 novisnick said:

I think the question is,,,,,,,,

If he has the option of USB, optical or coaxial which would give him the best sound if everything else was equal.

Straight and to the point answer please.+

As a computer professional for years before a recent career change, this subject seems to be the source of confusion.  On the one hand, you have the simplistic answer "bits are bits".  Then you have the audiophile world trying to sell $1000 USB cables, claiming "bits are NOT just bits"  and that one USB cable can "really nail the mid-range" while another can "expand the sound-stage".

The answer in point of fact are bits are just bits, when they are - it's just that the picture is not so simple even theoretically, let alone from a practical implementation standpoint.

However, to the question - if "everything else was equal" - truly equal, then the correct answer is they would all sound the same, because IF everything was equal then bits would just be bits.  However, in any piece of equipment with multiple inputs of various technologies, it is actually impossible for "all things to be equal".  Still, I would imagine that with any quality equipment, whether you are getting your bits from the Coax or the USB interface it really should not matter, as they will just be bits (assuming a quality physical layer implementation) when they get to the actual DAC...

[garbulky]

I have the XDA-1 and I tried the different options. The USB is the weakest one. I found no difference between Coax and optical. However the differences were tiny. Your money would be better spent upgrading the DAC to a DC-1.

[AudioHTIT]

Sept 20, 2015 14:18:23 GMT -5 garbulky said:

I have the XDA-1 and I tried the different options. The USB is the weakest one. I found no difference between Coax and optical. However the differences were tiny. Your money would be better spent upgrading the DAC to a DC-1.

You can't make a post without getting that in, buying a cable or buying a DAC? How does that relate to the OP?

Also as I remember the XDA-1 only does 48Kbps on USB?

[garbulky]

You're right AudioHTIT I do post that often eh? I risk becoming a


The XDA-1 was my first love. Well... the asus xonar essence was but I digress!
If it was just a cable then the answer is simple. Get the cable. But I mean who doesn't have an RCA cable lying around?

But usually people use USB because they don't have access to a coax output. (I was that person!) So it usually means buying a USB to Coax converter. And I didn't want him to spend money on a reclocker since I found the difference reaesonably small. So if he was to spend money on anything other than a cable, that's the route I'd go.