USB ASIO driver - Is it worth the cost?

[Lizard_King]

For those using WinXP and USB ASIO vs, ASIo4all, is the SQ worth the cost? How much better is the SQ with USB ASIO?

 

[Abstraction]

I am moving my music to a Mac, but I used usb-asio for a couple of years, and found it noticeably better than any of the alternatives. It will not work with some equipment, however. I failed for me with the Wavelength Brick and Empirical Off-Ramp. The trial download will let you see if it works with your system. It does, however, emit an annoying beep at such brief intervals that you cannot really evaluate the sound. But I thought it well worth the money.

 

 

 

[Lizard_King]

Thanks. What version of USB ASIO driver were you using? Did you ever compare it to ASIO4all?

 

[Abstraction]

With my equipment and j river it was noticeably better than ASIO4all or anything else I tried. With XP that was the best combination I found (I tried Foobar with asio and so forth). But it wouldn't work with Off-Ramp, and, when a beat up Mac G5 dropped in my lap, I decided to go with it.

db

 

[Lizard_King]

Thanks so much. The cost for a driver is exorbitant so I am in a bind due to the lousy economy. Which version were you using?

 

[Abstraction]

I have whatever version was current a couple or three years back.

 

Have you downloaded the rial version? Perhaps it won't work with your

system.

 

It is better than ASIO4all, but it won't change your life. Try Foobar

with asio and set the buffer so it works as a memory player, and see

how that sounds to you.

 

 

 

[vortecjr]

Question, does both the usb-dac and the software have to support the asio driver?

 

thank you in advance!

 

regards

 

vortecjr

 

[Lizard_King]

The application you use needs to be able to support ASIO. for exampls, I use J. River Media Media Center which has support for ASIO and I feel it is the best. Media Monkey is another application that will work with ASIO.

 

The DAC is not a concern FYI.

 

Liz

 

[Abstraction]

It was some time ago, and I am not sure that I ever figured out why it worked with configurations and not others.

 

Download it and give it a try. It is cranky. It is sometimes hard to get it to load. Sometimes it will load if if you persist, but to my ears, it was a clear cut above anything else. Problems of that sort drove me to using a Mac.

 

Don

 

[smallp]

What USB ASIO you are referring to ? Where I can download and try?

 

[Olive Empithrie]

Not positive but think it might be this:

 

http://www.usb-audio.com/download.html