[Hantra]

Guess what I saw today. . .

http://www.scott-nixon.com/dac.htm

The USB DAC has landed.

[Zero]

so many toys..  = )

[KT]

Cool.

For those of us who already have S-PDIF input dacs, though, the question is:

Should I consider a new USB dac (and hardwire it to my computer via USB cable), or should I go for something like the Squeezebox 3, which will allow me to use my existing dac and also give me remote access?

Of course, if you don't have a non-OS dac already, the USB option looks pretty cool.

Computer-based interfaces scare me a little, though. I remember when USB 1.1 used to be the defacto standard. Now it's USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is plenty fast for digital audio file transfer, but how long will it be before something replaces it? What happens to my USB dac then?

Of course, how long will S-PDIF be around, for that matter?

Best,
KT

[Hantra]

Cool.

For those of us who already have S-PDIF input dacs, though, the question is:

Should I consider a new USB dac (and hardwire it to my computer via USB cable), or should I go for something like the Squeezebox 3, which will allow me to use my existing dac and also give me remote access?

The answer depends on whether you're using your SPDIF DAC with a PC.  If not, then yes, get a USB.  If so, then it may be a difficult choice.  I haven't compared them yet, but I will soon.

B

[KT]

Hantra,

Great! Let us know how they stack up. I wonder how much of a difference you'll hear between the USB and S-PDIF interfaces. I can only guess.

I actually have something like the Squeezebox. It's called the Roku Soundbridge M500. Works on the same principle as the Squeezebox but doesn't have as many features. Also, the wireless card in it is only a 802.11b, not an 802.11g. It doesn't support as many media types and I don't know whether it sounds as good, either. But does play everything I have on iTunes and has a RCA digital output jack which I can feed into one of my unused DACs. I haven't tried that, though.

Here it is: http://tinyurl.com/2fjyd

Hmmm. Maybe I should try it.

Best,
KT

[JDUBS]

I2S is huge!!  Glad to see more people adopting this method of digital transmission.

[windwaves]

I2S is huge!!  Glad to see more people adopting this method of digital transmission.

what's I2S ?

[JDUBS]

I2S is huge!!  Glad to see more people adopting this method of digital transmission.

what's I2S ?

I2S is a digital transmission method (like spidf but much better).  Steve Nugent from Empirical Audio as well as a number of other folks are coming out with new products / mods that utitilze this method.

There is lots of info out there...but this can get you started:

http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=pcaudio&n=10000&highlight=i2s&r=&session=

-Jim

[mca]

When I received the TubeDac+, it was originally equipped with 100uF Rubycon ZA output caps which I found to sound thin and steely. After a period of burn-in, I seriously thought I made a mistake and almost sold the dac before I decided to make some substitutions.

I first changed the ouput caps to 100uF 6.3v Blackgate Nx, which sounded much better than the Rubycon ZA's.

If the Blackgates sound so much better than the Rubycon caps, I wonder why Scott does not sell them with the Blackgates already installed?

Or does he? I could not find anything about them on his website.

[KT]

I remember that once the TubeDac+ did come with Blackgate N's.

My guess in that the Blackgates are many, many times the cost of the Rubycons making continued use of them prohibitive. Also, for a little while the news was that Blackgate was going to cease production. So changing to another cap that's readily available makes sense, production-wise.

Soundwise, there was a thread over at diyAudio from Peter Daniel, who compared the Blackgate N's vs. the Rubycon ZL and ZA's. Here is the quote from Peter Daniel:

      Post #32
After reading this thread I also experimented a bit with Rubycons. On first tries they also seemed to me like a better choice over BGs, but after playing with them closer, it's not always a case. Rubycons sound very open, clean, detailed, but also a bit klinical and in some setups may be too bright.

For instance, Rubycon 100/25 ZL sounds very good as coupling cap at the output of my DAC, and by some people was preferred over BG N I had there. The same cap sounded also very good as direct bypass on the DAC (instead of 47/50 BG N I was using). But both those choices of Rubycons cannot be used at the same time, as the sound is overly bright (so it's either on DAC or as coupling).

But 1000/50 Rubycon ZL sounds completely unleastenable in a GC and Panasonics FC are much better.

In coupling, comparing same values, I preferred ZL over ZA; ZA sounded softer and somewhat less real, more processed, although ZA indeed presents acoustic space better than ZL.

And here a link to the discussion:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=574379#post574379

So the Rubycons don't necessarily sound badly. To me they really didn't sound musical in that location, however.

BTW, seems that Blackgate is going to continue production, but at increased cost and fewer models:

http://partsconnexion.com/blackgate/future_productionOCT.htm

Best,
KT

[studley]

I2S is huge!!  Glad to see more people adopting this method of digital transmission.

JDUBS
your comment was apropos what?    Does  the SN USB DAC use 12S ?

Does the Brick use 12S ? Any other USB DACs out there that use 12S?

[JDUBS]

I2S is huge!!  Glad to see more people adopting this method of digital transmission.

JDUBS
your comment was apropos what?    Does  the SN USB DAC use 12S ?

Does the Brick use 12S ? Any other USB DACs out there that use 12S?

studley

Scott's is one of the few currently out there.  Empirical Audio is doing alot of work with I2S (P-3A and soon the Benchmark DAC-1).

Also, there is the new DDDAC which uses USB to I2S and I think John Swenson is rumored to be coming out with his own USB to I2S DAC.

-Jim

[studley]

thanks Jim.

Who is John Swenson.  I googled him and found some v. interesting  posts from him on Audio asylum re USB - 12S vs spdif,  but no website references.  Does he have a site?

[JDUBS]

thanks Jim.

Who is John Swenson.  I googled him and found some v. interesting  posts from him on Audio asylum re USB - 12S vs spdif,  but no website references.  Does he have a site?

studley

Here is the main website for the DDDAC:

http://www.dddac.de/

Also, I don't think John Swenson has a website (yet).  He is quite famous amongst those who frequent the Audioasylum.com forums.

-Jim