Could be a very good computer to DAC solution."Regarding USB or FireWire inputs, we deliberately do not have a USB or FireWire input on the Alpha DAC due to the noise it would introduce from the computer.
D to A converters are both digital and analog devices, and for the best possible audio quality it is very important to keep the electrical environment inside the DAC enclosure as isolated and quiet as possible.
We feel the best way for a DAC to accept a USB signal is to convert it to a balanced AES3 digital audio signal in an external device and only connect the isolated AES signal to the DAC.
We are currently developing an external USB2 to AES3 converter that will provide up to 192 kHz, 24 bit signals to the Alpha DAC with very high noise isolation and very low jitter. It will function asynchronously and will be available next year."
I emailed Berkeley Audio Design to inquire about the possibility of a new Alpha DAC with asynchronous USB input. Not in the works, but it seems they are working on a USB to AES converter. Here is part of the response I got from Michael Ritter:
