Samsa2 Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Iam now using mac mini as a player via optical out to my dac. My question is should I buy a USB converter like Alpha Usb or buy interface like Lynx aes 16e / RME firewire to connect my dac in order to get better sonic improvement ?? I know the current setup( optical out to dac ) containing much unnecessary noise / jitter and apparently not a best setup . So i hope with the aid of the said equipments i could get sth improved. Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile mobile app Link to comment
jwr Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Iam now using mac mini as a player via optical out to my dac. My question is should I buy a USB converter like Alpha Usb or buy interface like Lynx aes 16e / RME firewire to connect my dac in order to get better sonic improvement ?? I know the current setup( optical out to dac ) containing much unnecessary noise / jitter and apparently not a best setup . So i hope with the aid of the said equipments i could get sth improved. Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile mobile app Of those two options, I think a USB-to-S/PDIF converter would be your best bet. (I'm assuming your DAC has an S/PDIF input.) But depending on what DAC you're using, you might want to consider getting a USB DAC. There are plenty of good options for most price points these days. I suspect you'd get bigger bang for the buck going this route. What are you using right now? Jeff Audio Philosophy LLC audphi.com | facebook.com/audiophilosophy | twitter.com/audphi Link to comment
Samsa2 Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 Jeff thanks for input! Im now using spectral sdr 2000 pro dac ( which considered sth old), it has aes input so i want to use this as connection with my mac mini to 2000pro. Previously i own a a usb dac and some related setup like uptone regen and good usb cable but turn out it was not the sound i want. In fact i really want to know which conversation is better as far as spidf output is concerned based on above setup( usb converter or pro interface like lynx / rme) . Any analysis or data can support the saying ?? Thanks Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile mobile app Link to comment
cmarin Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Hi Samsa2, In my opinion, and based on the opinion of others whom I respect who have compared the Lynx and the Alpha USB, the Berkeley Alpha USB will very likely produce better performance. However, there are other factors that you should consider, if you have not already done so, that could significantly improve your current playback performance, including the player software and improved power supply among others. There are numerous articles here on CA that address these topics. Link to comment
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