Newbie question re: USB quality

In line with comments above, USB is not likely to be an issue for sound quality in the OPs particular case..

Kijanki,

I see your point in this specific case and cannot disagree. Non asynchronous USB in general would be the last approach I would bank on.

I trust SPDIF 100% based on its designed purpose and usage and having used many such connections with various devices over the years.

I also trust Ethernet data conenctions, wired or wireless, 100% as well. IT handles moving audio file data just as reliably as any data type, so it is a safe bet as a means of getting data off the noisy general purpose computer, when needed, and to a remote network streaming receiver. From there, how things sound is largely a function of teh DAC and other common home audio success factors, not the digital source of the data.

I am not at that level with USB yet. Results to date have been more mixed and I cannot necessarily isolate the reason/cause. So the book is still out with USB for me. I am sure there are ways to do it well, but not sure yet how to identify that reliably. Asynchronous USB is said to be key. IS that it? Gotta be more to it than that.

BC,

Does not surprise me that USB done well can beat CD/spdif.

It's the done well part that matters.

Kijanki, it might work just fine if needed if one right,

Always preferable to avoid converting/adapting protocols up front in general I'd say, if possible, just in case it is not done well.

But sometimes you just do what you gotta do. Nothing inherently wrong with that.

Last Sunday, I did some initial critical listening for the first time using USB out from my Gateway laptop to mhdt Constantine DAC (no asynch USB TTBOMK) in my bigger listening room with my biggest/best speakers, the OHM F5 series 3.

I can compare to what I normally hear using network connection to Squeezebox Touch to same DAC via Toslink.

I went in with low expectations, essentially how close could sound quality be with little hope for anything better.

This seemed to hold true. I was pleasantly surprised that sound quality was as good as it was, certainly sound in many ways, nothing inherently bad per-se, but nothing special to distinguish what I heard either. Source was cloud based Amazon Prime Music.

All in all, not bad. I still need to do some more apples/apples comparisons with specific tracks I know well though.

No doubt for me to-date that software and source material used is a big factor for sound quality, even with basic USB. AMazon prime music and PLEX sound pretty good. Mediamonkey has been very unimpressive so far.

It should be no surprise that sound quality of various software programs used to play music can vary greatly. That's an important thing to keep in mind when comparing two different technical approaches to digital music playback. BEyond that, different programs might be configured different ways leading to even more varied results.

Others have pointed out that one thing with computer audio is the wide range of results possible. I would agree. Highly standardized approaches that are designed specifically for music, like SPDIF and Toslink, definitely help level the playing fields.

SO far, I am optimistic that with the right software and source material, even non synchronous USB using a stock USB cable can deliver very satisfying, if not the ultimate, results. THat's definitely not the case with just any particular piece of software used.