since i read about the usb issues (the functional issues, not the malware) before buying from tony1110, i'm using the coax from my pc, and foobar2000 with wasapi on win7
i'm gonna try the usb connection next, and report back
with the violectric there's no driver needed and it works flawlessly out of the box, just plug and play, it also has a tenor brand usb
but i had experiences with other usb devices (m-audio fast track ultra) where i needed to turn the device on/off many times before it was recognized by windows
i had issues with harsh sound when connecting amps to power mains that were not grounded properly, for example if i remove the ground wire from my power main, when touching and stroking the conductor surface, a strange tingling, piercing sensation can be felt on the skin
but yes the conductor is quite brighter, more treble, than the violectric, but not harsh at all for me
EDIT: installed the driver from burson (4shared) for windows, everything is functioning fine, perfect, i tried to recreate any possible situation and the device gets always recognized and works without any problem, and without any noticeable sonic degradation/difference compared to coax/optical (using win7 foobar2000 wasapi/kernel streaming)
EDIT2: mac os x usb drivers from burson (4shared) work great too, no issues at all, perfect