I still have a Lynx Aurora 16 Thunderbolt and have used a Lynx Halo. However, what I use now is the MOTU 1248. It has the best sound quality and the best drivers I've ever used. It can can be used with Thunderbolt, USB, or Ethernet on a Mac. It (and all MOTU DAC's) and the Lynx Halo are some of the few DAC's that have DC-Coupled analog outputs. This eliminates phase shift and rolloff in the bass output of the mains or subs which happens on most DAC's. For subwoofer use, the MOTU has PEQ filters for reducing peaks caused by room modes. The MOTU can be completely controlled with a web browser or the iOS app.
Besides sound quality, the MOTU 1248 has these benefits over the Lynx products:
- Automatic sample rate switching
- App support and web browser control
- Routing of any input to any output
- Two high quality headphone outputs - can be used simultaneously with analog output, but with different content from the analog outputs if using JRiver Media Center
- Multi-client ASIO driver
- Output trim range of 24 dBu for matching speaker levels
- Lowest noise floor of any DAC
- Auto-mute on ESS Sabre DAC chips so no pops on turn on/off even if amps are on - the Lynx products have the loudest pops of any audio device I've used
- High pass filter available if using ported subwoofers
- Parametric equalization on both the inputs and outputs of all channels
- 32-bit volume control can be used if supported by source software
- Source software only needs to dither to 32-bit output if source software supports it
- Unused channels for listening room/theater can be used simultaneously for other zones in the house
The MOTU Ultralite AVB and Ultralite-MK4 do have 8 outputs. However, they have 24-bit DAC chips which pop on turn on/off and don't sound as good as the 32-bit Sabre chips.
