Computer USB to S/PDIF converters, which one do you use?

Been using a Musical Fidelity V-link for over 6 months. Great product for less than £100, makes a lovely sound going into my Rega DAC and Naim XS amp.

Thks for input

Hello Geoff

+1 for Musical Fidelity V-Link - superb product especially with a True Colours Kukri Glass Optical Interface to isolate the noisy computer from the audio chain: I find this works better than a coaxial connection. I also use a Wireworld Ultraviolet USB cable which shields power from signal. I'm using it now in my office with a UQ and some really appealing computer speakers from Eclipse and it's playing Talking Heads.

Also tried M2Tech HiFace, Weiss INT202 which are also very good, but I thought the V-Link suited me better at its low price: also wasn't keen on loading M2Tech drivers (but that is just my way). All these are bet than the optical out on a Mac. No idea about a PC though, but one with a decent sound card like a Lynx or ESS Juli@ would probably work just as well. 

There are a raft of USB to S/PDIF convertors and one of the most interesting looking is the April Music Stello U3 with its XMOS computer on board (the heart of the new Amiga). Other candidates would be the Hallide Bridge (very neat), Wavelength and Audiophilio (which even has a custom designed USB interface - sort of USB line and lights to check your computer is pumping bit perfect stuff at it) and, of course, the state of the art products from Empirical Audio which goes from expensive to very silly prices, but is reportedly top notch. I was considering these for my main system which has a Naim DAC with 555PS, but then I found that one of the best ways to get music streamed into a DAC is to use a Wired 4 Sound modified Sonus ZP90, which has Sonus's great software and W4S jitter free S/PDIF. I now use this with my main system and am delighted. 

So I'm a happy user of the V-Link and W4S ZP90 makes streaming almost friendly.

For a server, I'm still using my aged Apple, but have started moving things to a Vortexbox. 

All the best, Guy

Which convertors do you think have good designs and implementations?

Sounds pretty good though - electrical isolation is not so important if you use the True Colours Kukri Glass Optical Interface.  The April Music Stello U3 looks the best design to me, but it wasn't around when I bought the V-Link. That said I'm very happy with the V-Link for the £89 it cost. I had a hiFace for a while (on loan), but didn't like the drivers very much, but when it was working it sounded fine too. It terms of SQ I'm not convinced there is much difference between the various async USB to S/PDIF convertors, but I have only heard a few. 

What would be the best design DHT? I'm not happy with a USB port directly in to the DAC as this seems to have a negative effect on SQ - possibly because it is injecting RFI into the DAC, but not sure on this. The V-Link into UQ sounds better than the Chord Gem which uses a direct USB feed, but the Chord sounds really good if you use its BT APT-X interface. The Chord Gem is the best sub £1k DAC I've heard though and I had to go the UQ before I thought - ah that sounds better. 

There are no shortage of these gadgets around. I would not spend too much on a USB interface though as I don't think they'll be around much longer. Probably better off with an Ethernet solution longer term though not necessarily my preferred option. 

I use one and I think it's great.  Not quite sure where electrical isolation comes in to the equation if you use Toslink?

I've got my eye on the Halide bridge but don't have any experience with it yet.

I'm about to order Halide's The Bridge.

Interface and cable (with BNC) all in one; makes a lot of sense given there is no added expense for a cable to the DAC.

Thanks for the replies folk. I am researching particularly those that do up to 192/24 since I am ripping Vinyl at 192 and getting into HR downloads.

A search so far has raised a few other alternatives for this. For example the Wavelength Audio, the Audiophilleo and the April music Stello which look to have good specs on paper but that doesn't mean a lot.

regards

Geoff

No good for you Geoff, but it's worth mentioning the Teralink X2. Limited to 24/96 but excellent value for money at approx. £55 with optional external power supply , optical, RCA, BNC & I2S outputs.

I've built a shunt-regulated power suppy that improves it further.

I'm not convinced that is necessarily true. Hi Fi News have just reviewed the Musical Fidelity V-DAC and measured 10psec jitter via s/pdif, but 60-90psec via the async USB. Seems to me that async USB may well be the best way to do USB, but since USB is pretty rubbish in the first place you might be better off avoiding it.

Trouble is there don't seem to be any  STAND ALONE network to S/PDIF converters which would be my preference. Don't really want to buy that as part of a DAC, just need to generate an HQ S/PDIF for someone else's DAC.

Geoff

Hi Geoff -

Components that have ethernet input and S/PDIF output typically also provide library browsing and song selection.  In other words:  streamers.

So if a converter box like you just described did exist, how would you control the audio stream?

Just curious.

Hook

GOOD POINT Hook!

I haven't thought that out completely. My case is probably very specific.. Shoot this down in flames please since this probably won't work.

1) Music on a NAS running under WHS with on board music server (Asset UpNp)

2) I-pod touch using 'PlugPlayer' to 'ask' for specific music files, and create playlists.

3) Serve chosen playlists to the Network from the NAS.

Main problem not sure this can 'push' music at a DAC

regards

Geoff

The one I currently use:

http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/da...Bface/Digital1EN.htm

I've owned M2Tech HiFace (one of the earlier models with bigger clock), Musical Fidelity V-Link and Bel Canto USBLink. 

Audio GD Digital Interface was my choice and to my ears it's a clear winner of the bunch. I use it with a dedicated PSU available from the manufacturer. I directly compared it with HiFace and V-Link. The differences weren't huge but quite easy to hear. I found DI to be more resolving and clearer sounding than the other two. V-Link I only briefly auditioned against DI and it sounded muffled and flat in comparison, even more so than HiFace. I didn't like it at all. 

What I would still love to hear are Audiophileo's converters. They're just quite expensive compared to the competitors. 

Hi Geoff -

UPnP setup requires three things:  a media server (Asset on WHS is tops!), a control point (for example, PlugPlayer), and a media client (aka, a "renderer").

I use the NDX as my renderer.   And even though it has an internal DAC, I do not take advantage of it.  Instead, I use its S/PDIF output to connect my Naim DAC (with N-Stream as my control point).

Just to complicate things, you will sometimes see the renderer and the control point are bundled together (e.g., software package running on a PC server, and accessing music from a UPnP-enabled NAS). 

What you are missing is the renderer piece.   PlugPlayer does not push the music out -- it simply directs the renderer to ask for music from the server.  

FYI, you can see a good long list of choices by googling "upnp device capability database", including those from Naim.   There is no certainly shortage of options!  But, at the end of the day, you do have to cover all three of these functions in order to play music via UPnP.

Good luck!

Hook

Thanks Hook 

I was afraid you were right. Ah well back to USB conversion or maybe look for a relatively cheap renderer with a S/PDIF output. ( somewhat less than a QUTE ).

Geoff

I must admit the idea of using a Sneaky DS had occurred, as suggested by Likesmusic,. as an alternative which does'nt really cost anymore than the more advanced USB converters. 

It boils down to whether a classy asynchronous USB converter has the potential to be better than a direct network connection which has the advantage that any computer can be removed from proximity to the DAC.

Geoff

Hi Geoff

If you want 192/24 then the V-Link is not an option. I think it is a great device especially when used with a good quality optical cable rather than coaxial; however it doesn't do what you want. [I'm surprised at posts that say it sounds muffled - mine certainly doesn't and, to my ears, it is every bit as good as the hiFace and the professional standard INT202 when feeding a UQ - still you knew you get lots of opinions when you asked ). 

Cyrus makes a streamer/renderer (not heard it, but maybe worth a look) if you want to try that route. 

However, I think the April Music Stello U3 would be suitable; might be worth asking TES Audio in Holland if you could try one out. You just need a USB connection from a MAC and Coax S/PDIF cable. If you have a PC you need to load some special drivers.  

Of course an alternative is use a Vortexbox to feed something like a UQ. I must admit I thought all rendering software was the same and the ones I've tried on the Apple produce the same output in terms of the bits streaming out; however whatever Naim has done in the UQ is quite splendid (I must repeat the test to see what comes out of the UQ and Sonus). The NDX is probably even better than the UQ, but a bit expensive, but if you have the cash: why not.

All the best, Guy 

Geoff

IMHO of course - 

Sneaky DS is nowhere near as good as UQ (nor is the Accurate DS I auditioned).

I'd be surprised, nay amazed, if any asynchronous USB converter sounded as good as a direct network connection to a Naim streamer like the UQ or NDX. If this is an option for your then go for it.

Guy 

Hi, Hook,

(Tangent alert. Sorry.) 

With a TechNet subscription, one can choose to install WHS or any other flavor of Windows Server.  Do you think WHS is the optimal choice?  Presumably WHS might be slightly "friendlier", while, possibly, relatively crippled.  Maybe the other versions are overkill, and/or add nothing.

As an aside, I am trying to improve my general skill at building and using virtual machines at the same time that I am trying out platforms like VortexBox and programs like Asset.  I am not opposed to eventually buying audiophile-optimal computer hardware, but testing with VM's first kills two birds for me.

At work we are replacing more and more physical servers with VM's; they perform as well, and are better from a disaster-recovery perspective.

Thanks for any opinions on this.

Nick