USB audio cracked... finally!

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14 hours ago, Ralf11 said:

Ya gotta luv Schiit.

 

Tho I might get an RME...

Get both (Schiit Eitr and RME ADI-2 DAC). IME, the Eitr USB interface to ADI-2 S/PDIF (coaxial input) sounds better (less/non fatiguing) than the ADI-2 USB interface. And, the Eitr has a driver for Windows that supports WASAPI exclusive mode and automatically switches sample rate. Note that this also works flawlessly with the native Mac OS X class compliant USB audio driver (UAC-2). With the RME ASIO USB driver (MADIFace) for Windows and OS X, you must switch the sample rate manually in the driver settings app, which sucks IMO.

 

Also note that the recent Windows 10 UAC-2 driver seemingly works with the ADI-2 DAC and does automatic sample rate switching, but WASAPI exclusive mode doesn't work with Tidal and the driver only works in exclusive WASAPI 'push' mode with Foobar2000. I.e., the Win10 UAC-2 driver appears to have bugs and/or severe limitations.   

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1 hour ago, Ralf11 said:

That is a useful but troubling bit of info - I don't even like effing with different filters.

 

Sorry to hear the issue exists on OS X

RME doesn't even view it as an issue but rather as a pro-audio feature. Anyway, with OS X you don't have to use the RME driver. The ADI-2 will play perfectly in exclusive mode and with automatic sample rate switching, using the native Mac OS X class compliant USB audio driver. (You will only need the RME driver to update the ADI-2 firmware.) With Windows however it seems you're stuck with the RME USB driver for bit perfect playback, at least until the apparent bugs of the native Windows 10 class compliant driver are fixed.. Or, you can use (e.g.) a Schiit Eitr USB to S/PDIF converter with proper WASAPI driver..

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3 hours ago, Superdad said:

No, I don't think they've developed Schiit yet.  They have this notion about what the want to do.  I'd wager we won't see anything for another 18 months--and then it won't be as they describe.  Maybe they will license an FPGA USB MAC processor core from some company in India (a lot of such IP comes from India).  But if they want to develop their own, they will spend waste a fortune.  

And then there are the drivers.  Imagine the friends enemies they will make when things go awry with the various computer OS.

 

Of course it's just late and I'm just speculating. But I do hope nobody here is holding their breath for this...

In the video Schiit clearly states they already have a working prototype which just needs beta-testing because the software still may have bugs with some OSs. They  also clearly state that it sounds (much) better than S/PDIF, whereas there current Gen 5 solution doesn't. Based on this info, I for one would not buy a new Schiit DAC before it ships with this Gen 6 USB interface. 

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23 minutes ago, Dutch said:

I think Alex is referring to the ‘host’ part in a USB host-receiver pair. They mentioned the “receive” part (which you would hook up to a regular USB port in a computer and would be inside a DDC or DAC or something) is done as in ready for beta. The next step would be the USB host part.

 

He rightfully corrected me as I implicitly stated that the host part was ‘done’ too.

 

They do mention a ‘Schiit Pie’ as in a Raspberry Pi like computer. If that would be their first host containing their USB host interface then it would be a fully controlled system and it would not require them to write functioning drivers for any computer on the planet.

I see, thanks.