USB DAC

Posted by: loopy

USB DAC - 01/01/11 07:39 PM

Hello all and Happy New Year.I have a RR2150 and have my computer connected to the USB port on the back,my question is would an outboard USB dac work/sound better,was thinking of something like the HRT music streamer.thanks in advance.
Posted by: loopy

Re: USB DAC - 01/02/11 10:16 PM

Hmmm Crickets
Posted by: gonk

Re: USB DAC - 01/02/11 11:58 PM

I haven't used any USB DAC's. My hunch would be that you certainly can get standalone USB DAC's that will sound better than the RR2150's integral USB input, but I don't know how much you'll need to spend to get there. I assume you are playing some sort of lossless audio source such as WAV or FLAC files?
Posted by: loopy

Re: USB DAC - 01/03/11 11:23 AM

Hi Gonk,the Music Streamer from HRT starts at $150 and goes to $500,I'm just using the computer to play music off Youtube.
Posted by: gonk

Re: USB DAC - 01/03/11 11:36 AM

If you were playing FLAC or other lossless compressed audio formats, I think it would be easier to justify investing in something like a Music Streamer II. If you are playing music off YouTube, I wouldn't spend the money. The audio source is streaming and heavily compressed, so improving the DAC stage is going to provide very limited benefits. The source is probably much more of a limiting factor than the hardware downstream of it.
Posted by: loopy

Re: USB DAC - 01/03/11 11:46 AM

Thank you Gonk,I appreciate the advise,and Happy new Year to you and you family.
Posted by: Durask

Re: USB DAC - 01/19/11 05:54 PM

Hmm, reading about this Music Streamer II.

Quote:
"The HRT Streamer II is not just another USB DAC. The following two attributes set the HRT Streamer II apart from the rest USB DACs except a few costing many times more.

1. The HRT Streamer II is based on the asynchronous USB mode.
2. The HRT Streamer II supports the 24-bit/96 KHz high resolution input natively using the OS USB driver.

The asynchronous USB mode frees the USB DAC from being the slave of the USB bus which helps to reduce the jitter. Most USB DACs are implemented in the adaptive mode which is a pretty hostile arrangement that is prone to jitter. "


Jitter again, this time it is "USB jitter".
Tice clock, anyone?
Posted by: tru blu

Re: USB DAC - 01/20/11 08:15 AM

loopy…as someone who has a stand-alone USB DAC connected to the RR2150, I'd have to agree with gonk. You'll get some enhancement (I can hear the difference), but it doesn't blow the RR2150's USB input out of the water. My DAC is part of an M-Audio MIDI recording interface (musicians use it for mobile recording and stuff) which also allows me to make podcasts.
Posted by: loopy

Re: USB DAC - 01/20/11 11:38 PM

Thank you Tru Blue
Posted by: tru blu

Re: USB DAC - 01/21/11 03:07 AM

FYI: Haven't read it yet, but the new issue of Stereophile has a feature on the HRT Music Streamer Pro. At $449.95, it's a bit more than what I paid ($130) for the M-Audio Fast Track Pro.