Impact of USB 3.0 format?

[Ara]

Saw that the standards for USB 3.0 are being finalized which looks to have new input plug. Does anybody have any idea if USB 3.0 will have any impact on music fidelity?

 

I'm new to the site and love it!

 

-Ara

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Ara - Welcome to Computer Audiophile. It is quite the coincidence that you mention USB 3.0 today. I just spoke with a well known component manufacturer yesterday and we discussed USB 3.0 and the possibilities of using it in their products when it's available.

 

I guess I can say that it's being watched very closely and may allow easier implementation of higher resolution audio.

 

It would be interesting to hear Gordon Rankins' opinion on this one.

 

[rockrabbit]

Hey Ara and Chris,

 

If one considers the data rate of PCM (44.1 16bit 2 channels) off a CD is 1,411 kbit/s, I fail to see how USB 3.0 with its massive data rate of 4.8 Gbit/s would any more beneficial than that of USB 1.0's data rate of 12 Mbit/s!?

 

Meaning even if the whole 96/24 (2 channels) revolution takes off... that's a data rate of 4,608 kbit/s.... still well within the range of USB 1.0

 

6 channels (5.1) = 13,824 kbit/s

8 channels (7.1) = 18,432 kbit/s

 

Is there something I'm missing?

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Drew - I think a couple things come into play here.

 

It is my understanding that USB 3.0 will not require rocket science, like Gordon does, to obtain 24/96 or 24/192 music streams. Also, Multi channel 24/176.4, which I have now, may max out USB 2.0. Plus, not all the bandwidth can be allocated to audio as there is overhead etc...

 

I'm certainly no expert in this area though.

 

[Wavelength]

Guys,

 

Really for high end we still only need the USB 1.1 specification. If we run stereo 24/192 it still only requires about (1152*8*1000=) 9.216Mbps. This is easily doable with the 12MHZ full spec.

 

The only reason we don't have this working today is that the controller we use has a simple DMA flaw in it that will only allow a buffer size of 1024, well that and the buffer is only 1304 large so it makes things a little cramped.

 

Guys the USB 2.0 spec was just allot of crap that we really didn't need. Most of this really had no effect on the interface (other than speed), most of it was for OTG (on the go), midi, multichannel stuff and more.

 

USB 3.0 is for video, large hard drive stuff and anything else that needs more bandwith.

 

Thanks

Gordon

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Thanks Gordon.