Newbie question re: USB quality

>>>Guys - just ask yourself the question - why do puters have USB? It AINT for audio!

Cerrot, I'm not sure why you keep saying this. The idea behind USB was to improve connectivity while allowing for adequate bandwidth - the idea behind it wasn't based specifically around a particular kind of data, it was to improve connectivity and allow hot-swapping without rebooting, and the daisy-chaining of devices. The type of data wasn't the crux of USB, it was the allowance of easier connectivity, although of course bandwidth played a big role in the design of USB and the bandwidth of USB is more than enough for audio data from a computer. You keep intimating that USB was designed for mice, or printers - that isn't true. It was designed for better connectivity overall, of everything - it just so happened that mice, printers and keyboards benefited first because those were the devices that most people had connected. But it was just as beneficial for graphic designers connecting those $5000 Epson photo scanners as for the grandma with her $10 mouse.

USB was introduced while I was going through my computer-geek phase, building my own machines, and I've read the white papers on USB. I know exactly why it was designed and the problems it was made to alleviate. It wasn't designed for audio specifically, just as it wasn't designed for high-end photo scanners specifically. USB was not about limiting or accomodating any specific end use, it was about removing connectivity limitations.

Bcgator-that was pretty much what I meant with my spdif/usb comparison queston. I have heard both. I too have extensive USB knowledge and was building machines before the usb protocal was created so I am also aware of all its issues and have always found it poor for anything other than generic implementations, since thats exactly what its for. They had to dismiss the IRQ conflicts everyone was getting when they tried to install something. And, mice and keyboards and printers IS why USB was invented. (and to keep customer service low and your computer case CLOSED)No one ever wanted to use it for audio. I saw a post where you said that you did think there was a significent difference between spotify and HD Tracks so perhaps your rig may not be as revealing as mine. I am fortunate to have a reference for computer audio as I have the benefit of owning an Alesis Masterlink which is hooked up directly to my esoteric upsampler and into my esoteric K03. The masterlink has the minimal of a motherboard and processor and just a hard drive (and cd drawer). No usb, no sound card. No nothing else but aes/ebu out or digital out (it has a dac but I dont use it). And, so far throughout my life, there is no computer audio that I have found that sounds as good. I have a friend with the same masterlink into a Puccinni. It is a pure music source and just sounds like nothing, but the dac you hook up to it. That is what I compare pc audio to.

You're probably right, Cerrot, my "rig" may not be as revealing as yours. My system is still a virgin, doesn't keep a diary, and won't even consider its own Facebook account. I'm sure lots of other systems are much more revealing. My system chooses to remain private - it's very introverted, but I guess you just have to take the time to get to know it.

Alesis Masterlink into a good DAC is a nice alternative. I had one modified by TRL that worked nicely. Just wish the HD held more music.

Back in 2005 I had a recording gig where I recorded Jerome Harris for a live show. I used a computer based system running at 96/24 and a Masterlink running at 96/24. For the computer I ran a Grace Design converter and the Master link used the internal converters. I had a kludge spdif/firewire system set up for the computer system. The computer based system beat the Masterlink. I have used the Masterlink as a two track back up on occasions afterwards. I don't find its converters to be on part with other outboard gear.

Up until a year ago I always used firewire as an output from my computer, converted to spdif to my dac. This sounded best to me and when mixing large mult rack projects gave me the best idea of what I was doing. Async usb sounds very good to me, so much so I no longer go firewire spdif but just straight async usb. I also prefer async usb over a cdp. Howere, that wasn't true before async usb. Although my firewire spdif conversion bettered my cdp. Ymmv