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USB 3.0 - Advantageous to audio?

post #1 of 16
1/21/10 at 11:42pm
Thread Starter 
Any improvements compared to older specced 2.0 and 1.1? Or are we just talking about the same thing really?

Brendan
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post #2 of 16
1/22/10 at 1:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cyberspyder View Post
Any improvements compared to older specced 2.0 and 1.1? Or are we just talking about the same thing really?

Brendan
USB 3.0 can be thought of as USB 2.0 plus a single channel of PCI-e in one cable. It's unlikely to improve sound QUALITY over USB 2.0, but it would be useful for faster transfer to backup hard drive, etc.
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post #3 of 16
1/22/10 at 3:21am
yeah, I don't really see how it will improve audio. Sure will be nice to have external hard drives that are every bit as fast as internal though.
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post #4 of 16
1/22/10 at 7:38am
USB3.0 can deliver more power than USB2.0 so I guess we could have more powerful DAC/AMPs that draw power from USB.
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post #5 of 16
1/22/10 at 8:08am
Audio devices such as DACs don't even come close to straining the bandwith available with USB2, so the extra throughput available on USB3 will be moot for these devices.

USB3 potentially offers between an extra 50% and 80% electrical power output compared to USB2, but devices are unlikely to start needing this as a minimum spec for a long time in order to maintain proper backward compatibility. Besides, sophisticated devices which need more power should have their own power supplies and portable devices which arelow drain have no call to use it as there is only so fast that a battery can be charged.

The biggest advantage I can see has already been mentioned, and even then for everyday use, it doesn't matter much, and thats the faster connection if you keep your music library on an external hard drive.

I'm more concerned that for superspeed compatibility, USB cable lengths will have to be shorter than they are now.
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post #6 of 16
1/22/10 at 2:10pm
the advantage only lies in data bandwidth, but since eSata2 is out and has been the very first external ("e") interface to not bound any hard drive rate, wonder what usb 3 can do but compete with eSata and make things more complicated for the consumer. Didn't check the specs yet, maybe superior and intended for SSDs.

specs:
sata: 150mo/s
sata2: 300mo/s
sata3: 600mo/s
esata: 100mo/s
esata2: 300mo/s
usb2: 30mo/s
usb3: 300mo/s

peak reading rate for the best ssd in the market: ~240mo/s (writing 220mo/s)
peak reading rate for (one of) the best hdd in the market: ~120mo/s (writing 120mo/s)

not 100%sure, please correct me if I'm wrong but that's the idea.
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post #7 of 16
1/22/10 at 2:42pm
it was a long ago when i read usb3 specification but shouldn't be the connection between devices different to usb2? maybe optical?
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post #8 of 16
1/22/10 at 2:51pm
almost same connection and should be compatible with usb 2 and 1.1, as usb2 is
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post #9 of 16
1/22/10 at 3:09pm
This is from Wikipedia regarding the connections and cables:

Quote:
To accommodate the additional pins for SuperSpeed mode, the physical form factors for USB 3.0 plugs and receptacles have been modified from those used in previous versions. Standard-A cables have extended heads where the SuperSpeed connectors extend beyond and slightly above the legacy connectors. Similarly, the Standard-A receptacle is deeper to accept these new connectors. On the other end, the SuperSpeed Standard-B connectors are placed on top of the existing form factor. A legacy standard A-to-B cable will work as designed and will never contact any of the SuperSpeed connectors, ensuring backward compatibility. However, SuperSpeed USB cables, with their extended plugs, will not fit into legacy receptacles.
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post #10 of 16
1/22/10 at 3:11pm
I suspect that they might actually be a bit noisier since they have simultaneous bi-directional communication and the extra voltage.
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post #11 of 16
1/22/10 at 5:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lwells View Post
I suspect that they might actually be a bit noisier since they have simultaneous bi-directional communication and the extra voltage.
Seems True!
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post #12 of 16
1/22/10 at 8:23pm
1 quick question. Specs indicate that USB2 is greater than Firewire, tests show that firewire actually transfers files quicker than USB2, well how about USB3?
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post #13 of 16
1/22/10 at 8:46pm
USB has faster "bursts" than FireWire, but sustained, FireWire is faster.

As for "related to audio", the USB receivers in DACs generally use USB 1.1 drivers anyway.
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post #14 of 16
1/23/10 at 2:19pm
The only potential difference for audio is latency. But I don't think they've done much here for USB3. So I don't think we'll get serious pro audio USB3 sound cards.
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post #15 of 16
1/23/10 at 4:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FallenAngel View Post
USB has faster "bursts" than FireWire, but sustained, FireWire is faster.

As for "related to audio", the USB receivers in DACs generally use USB 1.1 drivers anyway.
Has there been ANY interest in updating the USB-Audio spec? I mean, theres been TWO revisions to the base USB spec since it came out. I would imagine should be looking at 3.0 and realizing how out-of-date the USB-Audio spec has become.
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