Are all asynchronous USB inputs similar?

The thing to realize is that an external USB converter like an Off-Ramp 5 driving your USB DAC with S/PDIF will undoubtedly beat your USB interface and probably your transport too. I have lots of customers using the Off-Ramp 5 to drive USB DACs, abandoning the built-in USB interface. 30-day money-back, less shipping.

This has been my experience also. I think just about anyone who has used a usb to spdif converter wouild agree that it is better (in almost every case)than using built in Asynchronous usb on the DAC.

I use a Musical Fidelity "V-Link" as a way to escape the usb interface. It will only do up to 96 but it is inexpensive and most of the music on my computer is from ripped CDs so that is adequate fidelity for me. I'd like to try something like the Berkely Audio or the Off Ramp but both of these cost more than my DAC an Oppo 105) and they just don't make sense from that standpoint.

Everyone seems to think that the DAC is more important than the master clock device (USB converter or reclocker). Not so. The jitter of the source is more important, particularly if you goal is to eliminate harshness and get more detail, better slam and imaging.

I would much rather have a less expensive DAC and a good USB converter.

Steve N.

Quote" Everyone seems to think that the DAC is more important than the master clock device (USB converter or reclocker). Not so. The jitter of the source is more important, particularly if you goal is to eliminate harshness and get more detail, better slam and imaging"

Steve, you convinced me of this at least a year, maybe 18 months ago. I have used 3 different inexpensive converters and even at this level, converters made a difference. I wish we could all afford your products, but Life is what it is...
Why is it that Top quality USB Converter/re clockers are not typically built into the DAC itself, or why can't it be or maybe why is it that outboard USB converters seem to always be better than an onboard unit? Power supply?

"Why is it that Top quality USB Converter/re clockers are not typically built into the DAC itself, or why can't it be or maybe why is it that outboard USB converters seem to always be better than an onboard unit? Power supply? "

I'm afraid that its just experience and design skills that are lacking. Most USB interfaces on DACs are either new designs by designers that have never done this before, or they are designs by third-party contractors with more interface experience, but little product experience. Product experience would allow them to select the best clocks and other components, optimize the power supplies and the ground-plane infrastructure in the DAC to achieve really low jitter using USB to I2S.

The built-in USB interface (USB to I2S) on my Overdrive DAC is now actually better than the Off-Ramp 5 with Dynamo power supply that I sell.

Totally uninteresting tracks like "Gimme Shelter" from the Stones Let it Bleed now sound fantastic, with weight, depth, slam and great tonality. I can actually understand most of the lyrics now.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio