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Best possible digital output from a computer?

I've recently purchased a Yulong DAH1 Mark DAC (Chinese brand, not extremely popular). I have to say that so far I am pleased with the sound, and have been using the USB input which is fed by my personal laptop running Foobar or Media Monkey. However, I'm sure that this is not the best possible route, being that this DAC uses the PCM270x chip to accept the I2S stream via USB, which adds another thing into the signal path before sending it to the main AD1955 DAC chip. I believe the sound would be better through coax or optical, but what would be the best way to get a coax/optical output on my laptop? It has neither of those outputs built-in....

Thanks in advance.
jwglista
detlof
1,899 posts
 
I am not an expert, but I would think that any conversion gadget would add a sound of its own. Wonder what the experts think and if such converters really exist.
What I can say however, that USB can sound excellent with the right DAC. I run Steve Nugent's SPOILER from my Toshiba and it clobbers both the Zanden and my DCS stack in all the important parameters we afficionados look out for.
jwglista OP
205 posts
 
Thanks Detlof. Perhaps my problem is that I'm using a sub par USB cable (the one that came with the DAH1). It appears to be very poorly shielded. The unit sounds great in every aspect (detail, smoothness, etc.) except for soundstage *depth*. The width sounds great, and the imaging is also good.

I've read other comments supporting your claim that USB can sound great, possibly better than coax or optical output from a computer. Could this have to do with the fact that the signal is almost always reclocked on the receiving end when a USB interface is used?
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Jwglista,
Yes, that is certainly the case with the SPOILER. As for the USB cable, I'm using a 4 meter Monster with very good effect.
jwglista OP
205 posts
 
Detlof,

I'm sorry, could you please clarify as to what is the case with the SPOILER? Do you mean that the USB output sounds the best out of all the available outputs?

I'm trying to determine why the soundstage depth is so poor with this unit. It could just be a design flaw, but there may be something else to blame, such as the quality of the USB cable, or the setup of my computer.

The coax output in this DAC may be better than USB, but I have no optical or coax output on any of my computers to try this. It seems as though getting a USB to coax converter for the PC may be the only way to go.
rives
953 posts
 
I've been doing a USB to coax conversion with an ESI U24 soundcard (no longer available, but a very good unit). However, my results are mediocre at best. There are so many issues though from the initial ripping, format, PC, USB to coax, and digital cable to D/A. I can compare the original CD to the ripped version and the original CD is winning by a pretty wide margin. This should not be the case from what most people tell me that really know digital (I am definitely NOT an expert in this area).
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