[groovyd]

I am not aware of a degradation via usb.  as far as i know digital is digital.

 

[bbbonthemoon]

Well, USB always brings another software layer between you and the signal, when your computer is under high i/o load(copying files/rendering/compiling), and then, for example, time machine kicks in, you'll most probably notice sound artifacts.
 
There is funny note on Schiit's website about usb connection:
Wait. Are you saying USB is crap?
We’re saying we put a ton of time into our USB implementation, but, to our ears, USB still doesn’t quite offer the performance of SPDIF.

 

[desertblues]

Count me in-ordered a WA7 yesterday with the upgrade tubes! The wait begins...

 

[ariesq]

Quote:

Count me in-ordered a WA7 yesterday with the upgrade tubes! The wait begins...

Nice, which headphones do you intend to pair them with? Did you get a 4 week shipping estimate?

 

[DougofTheAbaci]

Well, USB always brings another software layer between you and the signal, when your computer is under high i/o load(copying files/rendering/compiling), and then, for example, time machine kicks in, you'll most probably notice sound artifacts.

There is funny note on Schiit's website about usb connection:
Wait. Are you saying USB is crap?


We’re saying we put a ton of time into our USB implementation, but, to our ears, USB still doesn’t quite offer the performance of SPDIF.

It's not as simple as that. In order to tax your system enough to have that problem you'd have to be doing way more than listening to music and doing a backup. And if you're listening so analytically that you'd actually hear data artifacts then I'm willing to be you're not doing much beyond those two things.

As for software, it's just drivers. Hardly a performance bottleneck.

 

[ALRAINBOW]

He is rt about the USB sound and some artifacts
Here is what I have found.
My office CPU is a I7 intel 16 gig ram Sid state HD
IN OTHER WORDS its all out and when using USB it does have some clicks and pops
But when I use fire wire it's gone. Also if I use a halide USB to spidif it's gone as well.
One more thing more the sound does improve but not with all USB dac input
Example mytek 192 no sound change but fire wire gets rid of noises
Jh3a change in sou d quality with external USB to SPIDIF halide or the audio gd
DI - V3 with there dx power supply. So it is true but I do not claim to know why
Though. Same results with the UM Pp6 no change and aye fine with VENTURE CRAFT
go dap x. MAYBE because it is just lesser quality to begin with.

AL D

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

hi guys,
are you connecting WA7 to a mac computer via USB? Isn't this known for degrading audio signal? Not speaking of being affected by computer's load.
Any opinions on connecting WA7 directly from mac's optical audio output using TOSLINK-to-RCA adapter?

 
There is no such thing. Optical out = digital. RCA = analogue. The only digital input on the WA7 is USB. I'd just use it and not stress over it. If you want better than the WA7's DAC, you'd have to buy a better DAC and use the analogue line input. 

 

[groovyd]

I was under the impression this uses USB2.0 async mode which generates the reference clock on the DAC side and therefore is immune to timing issues on the host or in the driver.  Samples are buffered and clocked out jitter-free.  I guess the only negative affect I could imagine is the DC coupling of USB power if it is being used to power the DAC output and it not being an ideal power supply without proper filtering.

 

[PleasantSounds]

Quote:

I was under the impression this uses USB2.0 async mode which generates the reference clock on the DAC side and therefore is immune to timing issues on the host or in the driver.  Samples are buffered and clocked out jitter-free.  I guess the only negative affect I could imagine is the DC coupling of USB power if it is being used to power the DAC output and it not being an ideal power supply without proper filtering.

 
Buffer underruns can still happen, if there is long enough gap in data delivery. 
The WA7 DAC is indeed powered via USB, but I never noticed any practical issues with that.

 

[desertblues]

Nice, which headphones do you intend to pair them with? Did you get a 4 week shipping estimate?
[/qu

My main phones are Grado RS1 & PS500 - also AKG Q701. Jack estimated 3 weeks for silver w/clear glass (smoked glass was 5 weeks). Already counting the days

 

[Kevin Brown]

Quote:

Feb 23rd... just glad tubes aren't going out of style anytime soon.  By now at least my new Beyer T1s are well burned in 

 
Did you get a clear glass top?  Or smoked?  I ordered beg of Feb, and still no notification of shipping.  But ... When I emailed him before, he indicated that clear glass units were shipping a little faster than smoked.
 
??
 
(I got black with smoked glass.)

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Yes clear is going out faster then smoked.

 

[reddyxm]

Quote:

 
Did you get a clear glass top?  Or smoked?  I ordered beg of Feb, and still no notification of shipping.  But ... When I emailed him before, he indicated that clear glass units were shipping a little faster than smoked.
 
??
 
(I got black with smoked glass.)

 
I ordered 22nd of Feb. I ordered black with smoked glass. If I know you and groovyd are still waiting then I won't bombard Jack with an email about delivery estimates.

I also ordered LCD2 headphones from him and they arrived in last week. Got them one week after the purchase date.

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I will see jack tonight and ask him

 

[Kevin Brown]

^^^
 
Thanks.  I suppose the good news is, when he emailed me maybe 2 weeks ago, the smoked glass tops were maybe a week behind the clear glass.  So maybe mine will ship shortly.