We are getting questions regarding supplying a USB input for our AVA DACs.
First of all, we can indeed do this as an extra cost special order option. However, there are several things you need to consider first.
The most important fact is that there are no definite engineering standards for hi rez digital and USB with a PC computer. USB3 will be coming soon and likely a new Windows OS system too. These will probably make obsolete any USB2 specific hardware or software drivers you acquire now to make your PC's USB2 port compatible with anything more than 96/24 bit rates. Since many engineering experts agree that there are no musical advantages in digital playback greater than 44/16, the quest for highest resolution digital files (they are huge) and playback are futile. Hi res in the recording, mixing, and mastering process is probably useful, but not in the final home playback mode.
In any event, our current production DACs do support up to 192/24 playback. Our EC DACs and the Fet Valve DAC all have four switched digital inputs, two coax, two optical. As a special order, one coax input can be changed to a USB input for those that must have this feature.
A better option, we suggest, is to just acquire one of the many USB to coax digital tiny little free standing converter boxes and the software for a PC that they supply. This eliminates the probably that whatever USB you have built into your DAC will be soon obsolete.
At this time we can offer two choices if you insist on a direct USB port into any of our Vision EC or Fet Valve DACs.
Choice one, and the least expensive and best in my opinion, is that we can build the Ministreamer USB board into our DAC for $150 extra cost. This will allow up to 96/24 digital with no software drivers required for either current Mac or PC computers. If you just want a convenient way to get USB digital out of your computer with no hassles, converters, or driver software, this is the recommended choice.
Choice two, for $300 we can build an XMOS USB board into our DACs. This will support native 192/24 with Mac computers and with some Linix based systems. For PC computers, you are absolutely on your own for driver software. We simply are not going to get into the software support business. If you have a current Mac computer, the XMOS board works great. My MacBook Pro is playing 192/24 digital right now from its USB port into an XMOS USB input built into a DAC I have just completed as a special project for Jim Salk. It should also work native with his Linix based server and streamer setup. We will confirm that soon when he gets the finished unit.
To stir up the digital can of worms even further, 384/36 super rez digital is creeping over the horizon right now. Pretty soon you will need a separate terebyte hard drive to store each song you want to play.
Again absolutely no standards, no universal driver software, just another toy for the fanatic right now.
And it is all so futile. Its just another aspect of the "seven shiny pennies" syndrome.
So to summarize, yes, we can supply a USB port on our current production DACs as a special order option. The rational choice is the 96/24 Ministreamer which has no software driver issues. The choice for those insisting on 192/24 is the XMOS board, native for the Mac but we can offer no software driver support for current PCs.
The best solution we feel is to simply enjoy your well recorded CDs and downloads with any current AVA DAC and leave the higher numbers game for others to play with. We are in this for the music, not for the numbers.
Regards,
Frank Van Alstine
