2. pc-audio
  3. 136384-5400

Is USB audio dying?

It seems inevitable that USB audio will be replaced with TCP/IP network based audio, either WiFI or Ethernet NICs built into an endpoint/dac as a transport for the audio stream. I have a nice USB audio rig, DAC + USB NAA, but I cant help thinking that pure network based interfaces are a more elegant solution.

At the high end, Mytek has done this with the Manhattan and its network streaming card, as has BluSound with their BluOS products. Many other products are doing this in the more general consumer friendly space like Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, Pioneer etc.

Are there any inherent advantages to handing off audio to the dac via USB?
128x128robr45

Showing 1 response by robelvick

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robelvick
466 posts
 
@robr45 

John Darko is great.  I did the same test with my Auralic Aries streamer.  Wifi sounds better to me, and is also recommended by Auralic.

I use a AQ Carbon USB between the streamer and my Vega DAC.  I've tried toslink, coax, Aes... USB sounds best by a far margin.  YMMV.
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