[bullethead]

Hello all. 

I went from using a Trends Audio UD-10 and a Bel Canto DAC2 to a Bel Canto DAC3 (And it's USB input).  The DAC itself can do 24bit 192khz but the USB option only supports up to 16bit 48hkz over USB.  I have one of those Soundblaster Audigy 2NX soundcards that can do 24bit 96khz, the Audigy 2NX is a USB soundcard and it's recognized in Windows Vista with no issues. 

Question is are there any USB 2.0 soundcards that can to 24bit 192khz (preferably without any drivers) that have either SPDIF (RCA or BNC) or Optical (Toslink) out?  I want to hook this up to the DAC.  I'm using a laptop as the source, hence the need for USB.

Thanks for any responses.

[BradJudy]

You can't do more than 16/44-48 without a driver.  The built-in USB audio drivers are limited to this capability.

There are higher output options, particularly in the pro audio area.  The EMU 0404 USB can output 24/96 via optical or coax, using its own driver for $200.  I'm sure some of the similar products from places like M-Audio can as well, but you'd have to check.  I'm not sure about 24/192 out of USB - you might have to do firewire to get that. 

Do you actually have 24/96 or 24/192 content to play? 

[bullethead]

Do you actually have 24/96 or 24/192 content to play? 

I've bought several albums on the net which are 24bit 96khz .WAV files of some of the "master recordings" from Linn and other mini labels.  The sound is great at 24/96 but they also have options for 24/192 for some of the recordings and would like to hear them in their full beauty as well.  It seems that the "pro audio" route for this is where I would have to go without spending tons of money.  I really am looking for something like the Audigy 2NX but with higher bandwidth (192khz).

[BradJudy]

In a really quick skim of products, it looks like the Edirol FA-66 can do 24/192 digital out for $280, but it's firewire (aka 1394) so you might need a firewire card - http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FA66/

[santacore]

It's my understanding that USB devices are limited to 48khz. I think you have to go with a firewire device if you want to work with sampling rates higher then 48k.

[BradJudy]

It's my understanding that USB devices are limited to 48khz. I think you have to go with a firewire device if you want to work with sampling rates higher then 48k.

No, just the native drivers - as I posted, the EMU 0404 USB will do 24/96 as will others like the M-Audio Audiophile USB.  However, USB in general might be limited to 24/96.

[ferenc_k]

Hello all. 

I went from using a Trends Audio UD-10 and a Bel Canto DAC2 to a Bel Canto DAC3 (And it's USB input).  The DAC itself can do 24bit 192khz but the USB option only supports up to 16bit 48hkz over USB.  I have one of those Soundblaster Audigy 2NX soundcards that can do 24bit 96khz, the Audigy 2NX is a USB soundcard and it's recognized in Windows Vista with no issues. 

Question is are there any USB 2.0 soundcards that can to 24bit 192khz (preferably without any drivers) that have either SPDIF (RCA or BNC) or Optical (Toslink) out?  I want to hook this up to the DAC.  I'm using a laptop as the source, hence the need for USB.

Thanks for any responses.

Hmm. You can do 192k/24 bit with an Edirol UA-101, which is one of the very few USB2 audio interface. However.... It has only Toslink and I am not sure if it can put the digital stream out at this sample rate and you need a DAC with Toslink receiver which can handle 192k and do not forget the Toslink cable, 192k is not trivial. I do not think there is any DAC with coax SPDIF input to handle 192k, you need at least dual or quad AES/EBU to handle this because of the bandwidth limitations of the SPDIF coax system.

So I think the only way to listen these 192k recordings natively through an USB2 DAC (like the Edirol UA-101, which is a very good DAC by the way, I was using it for quite a while) is to use the Edirol internal DAC converter and its analog output. Which is 1/4 inch phono, to make it more interesting, so you probably need a 1/4 inch phono to RCA or XLR converter and probably have to deal with level as well. Good luck.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Benchmark DAC1 USB and other Wavelength Audio and Empirical Audio USB DACs can do 24/96 via USB. There is not currently a USB chip that supports anything higher. No driver is needed with the Benchmark unit to achieve full 24/96.

[Folsom]

I would like to point out probably all computer sound card DAC's are a downgrade from the Bel Canto 3, higher resolution or not.

Frankly it just sucks that Bel Canto choose USB. Why not make it feed raw not SPDIF data like a SqueezeBox does, but without limitation? That would be great, lower jitter too I think.

The thing is the Bel Canto is still a damn fine DAC, every time I heard it anyhow.

[The Computer Audiophile]

I would like to point out probably all computer sound card DAC's are a downgrade from the Bel Canto 3, higher resolution or not.

Frankly it just sucks that Bel Canto choose USB. Why not make it feed raw not SPDIF data like a SqueezeBox does, but without limitation? That would be great, lower jitter too I think.

The thing is the Bel Canto is still a damn fine DAC, every time I heard it anyhow.

I agree that the Bel Canto is a fabulous DAC! I also agree that the higher number (24/96) doesn't mean anything in and of itself.

I'm not sure I'm following you with your next comment about the the DAC3 v. the Squeezebox. I know the differences between the two but I'm not sure where you're going. I am very interested though.

[Folsom]

Basically (not that I will ever own one) it would be really awesome if the Bel Canto DAC3 had raw data in, like it supported the equivalent of file transfer like a Squeezebox does. It may not be 100% perfect but let us be realistic, it beats everything else. If the Bel Canto could do that instead of a SPDIF signal it would not have limitations. SPDIF over USB is silly because of limitations and the fact it makes it more susceptible to interference because it is the actual signal of audio, and it is streaming. You could reduce jitter by using IS2, which is probably what the SPDIF is turned into on the DAC side before it actually goes through the physical DAC chip/s, but I do not know. I thought IS2 was a little less fragile, but regardless, USB is just a funny medium to use any signal instead of data on.