[headshrinker2]

Greetings,
Anybody have the opportunity to compare the following source options?

(1)  Mac/USB/HiFace + DAC (I am using a Bryston BDA-1), vs
(2)  Mac/Optical (toslink) + DAC

Is the USB/HiFace combination superior? 

[spartan2]

I think it will depend on the digital cable you're using with the hiface. But in principle it should sound much better than optical.
The best digital cables are made by...

[wgscott]

It depends on the DAC.  The one in my Nova can handle the alleged jitter in optical better than most.  Using a glass optical mini toslink, the sound is comparable to a Halide Bridge in my system, and better than the Hiface.  The other drawback of the hiface is that they require the installation of proprietary drivers (kernel extensions) which in my experience are problematic.  An optical cable doesn't have this requirement, nor does the Halide Bridge.  One drawback of the optical cable route is that it is limited to 96kHz playback, and I have found it to be a bit finicky at 96kHz in terms of providing a signal that my DAC can lock onto properly.  The USB/SPDIF converters don't suffer from that problem.

[headshrinker2]

Thanks for the replies.  During my first listening sessions, I prefer #2 to #1.  Extremely different presentations of the music.  With the HiFace, strengths include detail and accurate soundstaging.  But, I find it a bit thin, grainy, harsh in the treble, bass shy, and less emotionally involving than the optical out. 

Currently using a stock Belden Optical Cable.  Will be auditioning a Wireworld glass minilink to Toslink glass optical in the near future.

[wgscott]

Try this one.

http://www.lifatec.com/toslink2.html

 Half the price of the wireworld and is as good or possibly better.  Get the one without the metal sheath.

[headshrinker2]

Thanks very much for the suggestions and ideas everyone.  After testing out the hiFace on my MacBook Pro, I have decided to sell it on Ebay. 

[gary]

I gotta say, with fidelizer & foobar2000 in Windows 7 on my 2009 MBP I'm much happier using toslink into my Audio-GD dac than USB. I haven't tried a usb to spdif converter yet, but the toslink sounds so good that I haven't been anxious to spend anything to improve it.

gary