USB to I2S conversion and reclocking quality doubt

[pkane2001]

14 minutes ago, doraymon said:

As a matter of fact I have the opposite problem, that is my upstream devices have supposedly better clocks than the D/D converter.

This is my chain: SOtM sMS-200ultra > SOtM tX-USBultra >(over USB)> Singxer KTE SU-1 DDR >(over I2S)> Holo Audio KTE Spring DAC L3

So the better clocks are upstream and the worst downstream...

Essentially the SU-1 is there to take care of the USB to I2S conversion (using its Crystek CCHD-575 clocks).

I could indeed skip the SU-1 and feed the the DAC with the USB signal out of the SOtM devices but than the DAC would in any case internally convert this to I2S, using its internal clocks which are much less precise than the 575's.

So the question is: am I wasting my money in placing $2.2k worth of "USB signal cleaning" devices before the SU-1?

I tried to do some tests by adding/removing the tX-USBultra but due to the limited space I have I can't really do a real time A/B comparison and difference was not immediately perceivable.

To add to the confusion I tried to remove the SU-1 and feed the good quality USB signal to the DAC and contrarily to the theory what I am hearing has slightly more detail, fuller bass and the sound is much less fatiguing.

 

I confess I am lost.

 

I find SU-1 -> I2S to be a slight improvement over Spring USB input, but this depends on too many variables that are specific to individual system and components. If no USB cleaners sounds best to you, that’s the way to go!

[pkane2001]

Just now, doraymon said:

I'm not sure yet, I just started testing.

I was just looking for other people's experience to form an more solid opinion.

 

 

What sounds better to you will depend in a large part on what you are used to hearing. A cleaner, more accurate playback may not sound so good if you are used to slightly more bass or midrange or treble. Even if your findings don't match anyone else's, stick with what sounds best to you.

 

If at all possible, I recommend doing a blind test with and without additional components (SU-1, USB cleaners, etc.) If you can't tell the difference in a blind test, the differences are likely so small as to not to matter.